Welfare, Ethology, and Animal Protection PDF

WELFARE, ETHOLOGY AND ANIMAL PROTECTION  “We recognize the degree of civilization of a people by the way they treat their animals.” Mahatma Gandhi ANIMAL WELFARE DEFINITION OF ANIMAL WELFARE The concept of animal welfare ◦ denotes the quality of animals life; ◦ does not yet ha...

WELFARE, ETHOLOGY AND ANIMAL PROTECTION  “We recognize the degree of civilization of a people by the way they treat their animals.” Mahatma Gandhi ANIMAL WELFARE DEFINITION OF ANIMAL WELFARE The concept of animal welfare ◦ denotes the quality of animals life; ◦ does not yet have a precise definition - the ambiguity of the term welfare and the different opinions of each person regarding what is fundamental for animal welfare; ◦ a precise and unique definition for animal welfare - important for scientific, practical and legal purposes ▪ The scientific agreement was reached by accepting a complex theory, which included the initially different theories "biological functional" orientation "natural life“ Orientation of “feelings” orientation Animal welfare The "biological claims that the animal welfare is represented by functional" the normal functioning of its biological systems. orientation some authors propose different indicators of welfare high level of production, breeding and reproduction (McGlone, 1993) health and normal functioning (Taylor, 1972) successfully adaptation to the environment (Broom, 1991) behavioral needs (Jensen şi Toates, 1993).  approach through subjective experiences - Orientation of the key elements in the quality of life of an “feelings” animal are represented by its subjective emotions (Duncan, 1996). Achieving a high level of welfare - requires animals to be reasonably free from any unpleasant mental state, to experience psychic comfort, satisfaction and normal pleasures of life.  argues that the proper welfare first requires the possibility of Orientation manifesting the natural behavior of "natural (Whay et al., 2003) and the use of life" the animal's capabilities according to its genetically encoded nature (Rollin, 1993). ▪ None of these three guidelines can be discredited as being scientifically incorrect. ▪ They emphasize different values, but which are clearly associated with animal welfare. ▪ The first definition of farm animal welfare in scientific literature was probably the one of the Brambell Committee. ▪ In the 1960s, there was widespread public concern about the effect on animals of the intensification of farming (also brought into attention by Ruth Harrison's book, Animal Machines published in 1964). ▪ After the book was published, under the pressure of public opinion, the British government ordered the establishment of a commission of experts to undertake an objective analysis of the intensive system of animal breeding – the Brambell Committee. ▪ The Brambell Committee issued a report known as the Brambell Report.  Brambell report had an important contribution to elucidate some aspects of animal welfare. Thus: it introduces the concept of mental well-being along with the physical welfare, argues that animals have the same feelings as humans, but less intense; Multidimensional concept - notions regarding animal sheltering animal feeding animal watering animal behavior animal health ▪ The Brambell Committee - concluded that "welfare is a broad term that includes both the physical wellbeing of the animal, as well as the mental." ▪ The Brambell Report stated that animals should have the freedom to "to stand up, lie down, turn around, groom themselves and stretch their limbs." ▪ This short recommendation has become known as Brambell's Five. ▪ Hughes (1976) defined welfare as, 'A state of complete mental and physical health, where the animal is in harmony with its environment.‘ ▪ Carpenter (1980) proposed that, 'The welfare of managed animals relates to the degree to which they can adapt without suffering to the environments designated by man.' ▪ An increasingly accepted is Broom’s (1991) definition of animal welfare as, 'its state as regards its attempts to cope with its environment,' and which 'refers to how much has to be done to cope and how well or how badly coping attempts succeed.' ▪ Accommodating is the first phase of adaptation, that ensures the survival of the individual under changed conditions of existence. ▪ This requires certain physiological reactions and even somatic changes that are reversible and disappear after returning to the previous conditions of existence. ▪ Physiological reactions to the environment are genetically determined. In order to define animal welfare, this approach takes into account the amount of effort expended by an individual to cope with the environment and the extent to which adaptation attempts are successful. ▪ According to this definition, attempts to cope with the environment include the functioning of the "repair system" of the body, the immunological defence, emergency physiological responses and a wide range of behavioural responses.  When an animal tries to cope with the environment, three different situations may occur: 1. The animal can easily accommodate, in this case welfare issues are minor or absent; 2. The animal can live in difficult conditions, but develops mechanisms to cope with them and to integrate into the environment: the animal survives, grow and reproduce - achieving these is done with difficulty; 3. The animal fails to adapt to its environment, thus it does not grow or reproduce, and it dies. ▪ The animal's failure to cope with the environment ▪ reduction of skills and health ▪ reduction of life expectancy ▪ reducing the number of offspring produced per reproductive cycle ▪ increasing the interval between reproductive cycles ▪ If coping with the environment is achieved easily, welfare is adequate. ▪ The state of an individual (in relation to his adaptation to the environment) can be positively influenced by the sensations of pleasure. ▪ According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), animal welfare is defined as: “How an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives. An animal is in a good state of welfare if (as indicated by scientific evidence) it is healthy, comfortable, well- nourished, safe, able to express innate behavior, and if it is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear and distress. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and veterinary treatment, appropriate shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling and humane slaughter/killing” ▪ This definition covers all three aspects of animal welfare: ▪ Functioning (Physical): coping; healthy; disease prevention; nutrition ▪ Mental (Feelings): comfortable; safe; not suffering from unpleasant states; humane handling and slaughter ▪ Aspects of Naturalness: coping; able to express innate behaviour. ▪ Most scientists agree that there are three areas to be considered when assessing animal welfare. Basic health (Physical health) Aspects of Affective naturalness state (Natural (feelings) behavior)  UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON ANIMAL WELFARE (UDAW) The UDAW was conceived in 2000 by a group of animal welfare organizations including World Animal Protection 1. Freedom from hunger and thirst 2. Freedom from discomfort 3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease 4. Freedom to express normal behaviour 5. Freedom from fear and distress 1. Freedom from hunger and thirst - by ready access to water and a diet to maintain health and vigor (good condition). 2. Freedom from discomfort - by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area. 3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment. 4. Freedom to express normal behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and appropriate company of the animal's own kind. 5. Freedom from fear and distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment, which avoid mental suffering. ▪ Freedoms are recognized as fundamental animal rights. ▪ Freedoms represent indicators of the welfare assessment.  Welfare degrees ▪ The word welfare has different meanings: ▪ in humans means a good and prosperous material situation; ▪ in animals means only trying to adapt to the environment, use available energy, as needed. ▪ There are several degrees of well-being. ▪ In English, the expression "from very good to very poor welfare" is used. ▪ Welfare is also influenced by feeding, watering, microclimate conditions, but also by the information between animals and their environment.  Adequate housing Efficient adequate welfare Well maintained management equipment Humans-animals relationship to high standards  manifesting favorite the behavior of feeding, watering, behavior (playing) resting, sleeping, standing up and down good and very good welfare the existence of some manifestations of pleasure good plumage the normal conduct of the body condition care behavior in mammals  the presence of behavioral expressing pain disturbances or replacement behavior the existence of some injuries poor welfare on the body change of respiratory and heart rate deep apathy presence of biochemical stress indicators In the case of a farm you must also consider other indicators, such as: ◦ the extent to which the animals benefit from the concomitant assurance of the five freedoms; ◦ the reproductive success; ◦ the average duration of the productive life; ◦ morbidity, mortality; ◦ aspects of zoo-veterinary management. ▪ Hygiene Score ▪ Hygiene scoring systems have been developed to assess the cleanliness of the cows. ▪ Three zones - lower leg, udder and upper leg and flank area. ▪ Score each zone separately using numbered system with 1 (very clean) and 4 (very dirty). Scoring Guide - Lower leg ▪ The scoring system aims to track the amount of manure present and the distance it extends proximally up the leg. ▪ Score 1 is little or no manure above the coronary band. ▪ Score 2 is minor splashing above the coronary band. ▪ Score 3 is distinct plaques of manure above the coronary band, but with leg hair visible. ▪ Score 4 is a solid plaque of manure extending high up the leg. ▪ Typically stanchion / tie stall cows have clean legs and free stall cows have a high degree of leg contamination from walking through manure filled alleyways.  Udder ▪ Observe the udder from the rear and the side if possible. The presence of visible manure near the teats is a risk factor for udder infection. ▪ Score 1 is no manure present. ▪ Score 2 is minor splashing of manure near the teats. ▪ Score 3 is distinct plaques of manure on the lower half of the udder ▪ Score 4 is confluent plaques of manure encrusted on and around the teats. ▪ Manure may be transferred to the udder either by lying on a filthy surface or by resting the udder on a manure contaminated lower leg.  Upper leg and Flank ▪ Score 1 is no manure. ▪ Score 2 is minor splashing of manure. ▪ Score 3 is distinct plaques of manure with hair showing through. ▪ Score 4 is confluent plaques of manure. ▪ This zone maybe contaminated either by lying on a filthy surface as would occur in a poorly managed stanchion barn stall, or by a manure encrusted tail swishing around the rump area.  How do we evaluate? ▪ Score in each of three zones - lower leg, udder and upper leg and flank zones. Score each zone separately. ▪ Scores 3 and 4 show a level of poor hygiene which is unacceptable, therefore calculate the proportion of scores 3 and 4 for each zone scored ▪ < 20% proportion of scores 3 + 4 in each zone– good body hygiene ▪ 20-40% proportion of scores 3 + 4 in each zone – average body hygiene ▪ > 40% proportion of scores 3 + 4 in each zone - poor body hygiene  Applied scoring of integument and health in laying hens ▪ The status of birds’ integument has a considerable impact on their health and welfare. This applies both to research as well as in evaluation of different housing systems in commercial production. ▪ Scoring methods have been frequently used in order to assess treatment effects on health and welfare, e.g. housing conditions, feed composition, genotype, beak trimming, lighting programs, etc. ▪ The most commonly studied integument is the plumage of laying hens but also the condition of feet and skin.  Applied scoring of integument and health in laying hens ▪ This comprises 6 body parts for plumage condition (neck, breast, cloaca/vent, back, wings and tail), pecking damage to skin of rear body and comb, and bumble foot lesions - all at scores of 1-4. ▪ The higher the score is the better the status of the integument. ▪ The system can be used both for comparison of scores for individual body parts (scores 1, 2, 3 or 4) or pooled for the whole body (i.e. scores 6, 7, etc. up to 24) ▪ Score 4 - very good plumage condition with only a few damaged or deformed feathers; ▪ Score 3 - the feathers are damaged, but the feathering is still complete; ▪ Score 2 - areas of the body where the feathers are heavily damaged, with some bare portions; ▪ Score 1 - body areas with little feathering or complete lack of plumage, and on those regions where feathers are present, they can be very damaged; NECK BREAST VENT/CLOACA BACK WINGS TAIL WOUNDS ON REAR PART OF BODY WOUNDS ON COMB BUMBLE FOOT SYNDROME LAMENESS IN DAIRY CATTLE  After mastitis, lameness is the most economically important disease of dairy cattle.  It has a negative impact on reproductive performance and constitutes an increased risk for early culling.  Lameness has also a negative effect on animal behavior and welfare. ETIOLOGY - causes of lameness are classified as either infectious or non-infectious. Infectious Non-Infectious They are caused by microorganisms - They can be due to housing conditions, bacteria or viruses, and are characterized improper nutrition: hypovitaminosis, or by a sudden onset, bringing acute pain. as a consequence of other metabolic diseases: ketosis or hypoglycemia. Most are treatable with some Certain environmental factors and the management interventions: maintaining genetic heritability can play an important a drier environment, adopting a rigorous role in developing lameness. footbathing schedule and avoiding contact of hooves with manure. Sole ulcers, White line disease Digital dermatitis Interdigital Phlegmona, Laminitis Interdigital dermatitis  INCIDENCE The mean prevalence of lameness has been estimated at 20.6% in dairy herds. Direct costs associated with lameness in dairy cattle include:  Reduced milk production  Veterinary and producer labor and cost Indirect costs include:  Reduced fertility  Increased risk of secondary diseases  Increased risk of culling: At least 10% of cows in a herd are culled for reasons related to lameness.  Loss of body condition: Lame cows are less aggressive in their struggle for feed.  IMPACT ON REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION Lameness affects fertility: Indirectly, because of its negative impact on energy balance and thus, body condition. Directly, by altering behavior:  Shorter time of standing and walking, more time lying down  Less time at the feed bunk; lower dry matter intake  Stress has important negative effects on ovarian function Consequences on fertility:  Shorter estrus and reduced expression of sexual behavior  Lower average conception rate and pregnancy rate  Higher rates of services per conception  Longer interval from calving to conception  Higher incidence of cystic ovaries  CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND DIAGNOSIS Around 80% of cases of lameness are due to hoof problems, and the remainder to leg damage. Foot lameness is seen most commonly in the hind feet, particularly in the outer claws. A good history, observation of stance and stride, and physical examination are critical to the diagnosis of lameness in cattle. Lameness diagnosis consists of localizing the lameness to a specific limb or structure and determining the cause. If no obvious defects are initially observed, it may be useful to tap on the bottom of the hoof with a hammer and observing a pain response to localize the lameness. Hoof testers, such as those utilized for horses, can also be used. They apply pressure to a localized part of the hoof when squeezed. Lame Cows Show Changes in:  Gait patterns: Lame cows walk slower and have longer stride durations.  Posture movement patterns: Lame cows have a more pronounced arched-back posture, both while standing and walking.  Weight distribution patterns: Lame cows tend to shift their body weight onto non- affected limbs to Straight back Incurved back in movement Incurved back reduce pain Long steps Short steps Very short steps Incurved back Very evident lameness Obvious Lying down lameness  Behavior: Lame cows spend longer lying times, longer periods of standing in alleys and decreased feeding behavior. Scoring cattle for lameness based on changes in locomotion or behavior is essential for farmers to find and treat their lame Straight back Incurved back in movement Incurved back animals. Long steps Short steps Very short steps Incurved back Very evident lameness Obvious Lying down lameness  TREATMENT AND PREVENTION Once a cause of lameness is identified, treatment options can be considered4. For example, topical sprays are very useful to treat digital and interdigital dermatitis, whereas treatment with injectable antibiotics has been successful with or without topical treatment of the wound in the case of interdigital phlegmona. A lameness control program should consist of: 1. Record and diagnose all clinical cases. 2. Routine functional hoof trimming, once or twice a year to improve comfort and performance at drying off. 3. Foot bathing: to improve foot hygiene is a major factor for reducing the lameness due to foul-in-the-foot, interdigital growths and digital dermatitis in cows with benefits to claw and horn quality and heel horn health. 4. Proper nutrition management: most lameness problems occur within the first 100 days postpartum. Successful feeding programs improve feed intake, minimize rumen acidosis and maximize energy intake during early lactation. 5. Housing and environment: dairy cattle confined to concrete floors may have more feet and leg problems. Waiting areas and walking lanes should be kept free of manure as much as possible and good stall ventilation will keep them dry. Properly designed free stalls will encourage cows to lay down can diminish claw problems. Furthermore, rubber mats placed in feedlines and traffic lanes may be beneficial. 6. Management on farm: all people involved in the movements of cows must be patient and not force them to move quickly.  Locomotion Scoring for dairy cows ▪ General Tips ▪ Score the herd every month (maximum of 60 day interval). ▪ Score cows on a flat, even surface that provides adequate traction. ▪ Score cows in the same location to reduce variation in scores. ▪ Scoring on grass paddocks, versus hard or concrete surfaces, will result in lower Locomotion Scores. ▪ The same person should score the herd each time, to maintain consistency. ▪ Allow cows to stand and walk at their own pace. ▪ Scoring agitated cows will not provide accurate assessment and scores. ▪ Score replacement heifers 2 weeks before they enter the milking herd to assess adequacy of the heifer-rearing program.