Key determinants of pig welfare: implications of animal management and housing design on livestock welfare

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. H. Hemsworth
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Housing Design ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Systems Research

The present review using the pig as a model has highlighted the importance of the design of the housing system on the welfare of farm animals. It has emphasised the need for research on animal welfare in new and modified housing systems, as well as current but contentious systems, to be attentive to the design contributions of these systems to animal welfare. The review has highlighted areas for future research to safeguard sow and piglet welfare, including the following: effective environmental enrichment for gestating sows in intensive, indoor and non-bedded systems; opportunities to increase foraging and feeding times in feed-restricted gestating sows; design features that allow both access to important resources, such as feed, water and a comfortable lying area, and escape opportunities to reduce aggression and minimise risks to the welfare of group-housed sows; and less confined farrowing and lactation systems. The review also shows that animal welfare problems may be less a function of the type of housing system than of how well it operates. The skills, knowledge and motivation of stockpeople to effectively care for and manage their animals are integral to the standard of welfare experienced by their animals. Attitudes influence not only the manner in which stockpeople handle animals, but also their motivation to care for their animals. Thus, training targeting technical skills and knowledge as well as the attitudes and behaviours of stockpeople should be a primary component of the human resource management practices at a farm. While public concerns and policy debates often focus on intensive housing systems, research indicates that the design and management of both indoor and outdoor housing systems is probably more important for animal welfare than is generally recognised.

Evaluation of Animal Welfare in Extensive and Intensive Dairy Farms and its Correlation to Infectious Diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Licitra ◽  
Laura Perillo ◽  
Francesco Antoci ◽  
Giuseppe Piccione ◽  
Claudia Giannetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus ◽  
T Test ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Check List ◽  
Kendall’S Tau ◽  
Kendall's Tau ◽  
Specific Antibodies

Abstract Background: The welfare of farm animals has become a growing concern in recent years. This is the first study that assesses dairy cow welfare by the application of an impartial, reproducible, functional check-list based on risk analysis which provides a numerical animal welfare index to each farm. We tested the effect of two different management conditions, housing with free access to pasture and indoor housing, on dairy cows kept in 36 farms and concurrently carried out the evaluation of different infectious diseases. Animal welfare assessment was performed in each farm through the CReNBA’s check-list. Moreover, the prevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Chlamydiophila abortus, Neospora caninum, Bovine Herpesvirus specific antibodies IgB and IgE and of Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus was tested in each farm through ELISA serological test. Unpaired t-Test was applied to assess differences among the two experimental groups; while, Kendall’s Tau coefficient (T) was determined to investigate the relationship between studied variables. Results: The result of each area provided an indication of the burden and importance of each of these on the final calculation of the animal welfare value. ELISA was positive with different mean percentages. The application of Unpaired t-Test showed that the intensive housing system group had higher percentages of Bovine Herpesvirus specific antibodies IgB compared to the extensive housing system group. The application of Kendall’s Tau coefficient showed different correlations between studied areas and infectious diseases. Conclusion: The hazard analysis areas assessed farming and management conditions of the farms, but these may have different effects as they are regulated by the animals’ ability to adapt and are therefore less important when establishing the final welfare value. Those farms with the highest prevalence of infections could be associated with a poor level of business management. A proper evaluation of the problems encountered and a more accurate application of the check-list could prevent and control the spread of infections in farms. Our results want to be a contribution in breeding which provides farmers and veterinarians the instruments to improve animal welfare and farm business performance.

scholarly journals Farm Animal Welfare and Handling in the Tropics: The Ethiopia Case

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Bimrew Asmare
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ethical Basis

The issue of farm animal welfare has become increasingly of essence in many countries these days. Farm animal welfare concerns are expressed about the conditions in which farm animals are kept and management practices, particularly in systems where animals are kept in confinement for most of their lives, feed methods, health care, and expression of normal behaviors. The use of an ethical basis for animal welfare standards requires some generally accepted principles on how animals should be treated and used by humans. Animals have enormous capacity to feel a huge range of emotions, to learn from their experiences, to adapt to challenges, and to suffer when their needs are either ignored or disrespected. It is now time, in the evolution of the relationship between humans and animals, to move forward with this knowledge and take real action to improve the lives of farm animals. The use of behavioral principles should improve efficiency of livestock handling and reduce stress on animals. Changing public opinion about the importance of good animal welfare and applying legislative actions will be important in animal production systems especially in developing countries where the poor animal welfare is immense and production management is below substandards.

scholarly journals Comparing welfare indicators in dairy cattle under different loose housing systems (deep litter vs cubicle barns) using recycled manure solids for bedding

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. e0501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Molina ◽  
Estrella I. Agüera ◽  
Carlos C. Pérez-Marín ◽  
Francisco Maroto-Molina
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Welfare Quality ◽  
The Impact

Aim of study: Dairy farmers in Southern Spain are continuously investing in the modernization of their facilities and frequently ask technicians about the type of housing they should choose for their farms. Although some studies have analysed the economic impact of different housing systems, there are no reports evaluating the impact of these systems on animal wellbeing. To remedy this deficit, a study was carried out to analyse animal welfare status in two types of loose housing conditions: deep litter (DL) and cubicle (CU) barns.Area of study: This study was conducted in Cordoba (Spain).Material and methods: A total of 1,597 cows from nineteen commercial dairy farms were involved in this study, of which twelve had CU barns and seven had DL barns. Welfare Quality assessment was used to evaluate animal wellbeing, inn order to compare both housing systems.Main results: The study found some weaknesses for feeding and health indicators of animal welfare in both types of housing systems. The overall welfare assessment based on feeding, housing and health indicators showed no differences between farms with DL or CU barns.Research highlights: A good welfare status could be reached under any type of housing system.

The use of environmental enrichment on farms benefits animal welfare and productivity

Livestock ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-188
Author(s):  
Sarah L Bolt ◽  
Adam J George
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Animal Behaviour ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Production Animals ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Housing Facilities

Environmental enrichment is a key aspect of animal welfare and productivity. Enrichment for livestock can be cost effective and used successfully on farm. The benefits generally outweigh any costs of providing enrichment and it should be taken into account when providing housing facilities for farm animals. It also reduces abnormal behaviours commonly seen in production animals, thus decreasing issues associated with poor animal health. The aim of this review is to summarise information and research that highlights the importance of understanding farm animal behaviour and indicates how enrichment will benefit the welfare and productivity of livestock.

scholarly journals A survey on Italian compost dairy barns

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2s) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Leso ◽  
Maurizio Uberti ◽  
Wasseem Morshed ◽  
Matteo Barbari
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Housing System ◽  
P Value ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
The Usa ◽  
One Year ◽  
Bedding Materials

Compost-bedded pack barns, generally known as compost dairy barns, are alternative housing systems for dairy cows. In these barns, the whole surface of the resting area is covered with a deep-bedded pack that is frequently stirred in order to incorporate fresh manure into the pack and to enhance the evaporation of water. Experiences with compost bedded pack barns for dairy cows are reported in literature from the USA, Israel, the Netherlands and Austria. The main advantages of these housing systems regard animal welfare and manure management. Since 2006, this housing system has been applied consistently in Italy. However, scientific knowledge about Italian compost barns is still lacking. This study aims at describing housing system, assessing producers’ satisfaction and measuring performance of dairy cows housed in compost bedded pack barns. Ten commercial dairy farms in northern Italy was involved in the study. All pens in each farm were surveyed to determine the surface of total available area, bedded area and pack depth. In order to investigate management practices, labor requirement, consumption of bedding materials and producers satisfaction, a questionnaire was submitted to each farm manager. The temperature of the bedded pack was measured in each farm during summer and winter. Moreover, data from Italian Breeder Association were collected for each herd over a period of one year (from September 2011 to September 2012). For the ten compost barns involved in the study the average total available area was 10.9 m2 per cow and the average pack area was 6.7 m2 per cow. The bedded pack was aerated 1.4 times per day. The most commonly used bedding material in these farms was dry sawdust. The consumption of bedding materials was 8.1 m3 per cow per year. A clear tendency to inverse correlation was found between the space per cow and the amount of bedding needed per cow (R2= 0.395; p-value=0.051). Operations related to pack management require 4.1 hours of labor per cow per year. Direct relationship was found between the bedded area space per cow and the annual labor required for pack management per cow (R2=0.505; p-value=0.048). Performance of cows housed in compost barns included in this study was encouraging and although some concerns about the cost of bedding, overall producers were satisfied with this housing system.

scholarly journals Evaluation of reproductive and animal welfare parameters of swine females of different genetic lines submitted to different reproductive management and housing systems during pregnancy

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1675-1682
Author(s):  
D. Bampi ◽  
K.K. Borstnez ◽  
C.P. Dias ◽  
O.A.D. Costa ◽  
F. Moreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Pregnancy Rate ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Reproductive Management ◽  
Farrowing Rate

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate swine females of different genetic lines submitted to different reproductive management and housing systems during pregnancy on reproductive performance and animal welfare parameters. After artificial insemination protocol, 524 females were divided into two gestation housing systems: PEN1=animals housed in individual stalls during the breeding and after group-housed; PEN32=animals housed in individual stalls from breeding until 32 days of pregnancy and after group-housed. The number of piglets born, and the pregnancy and farrowing rates were evaluated. Welfare parameters related to the pregnancy phase were used. Females who weaned more piglets in the previous farrowing had a higher number of piglets born at the next farrowing. The pregnancy rate was affected by the number of semen doses. The farrowing rate was not influenced by the evaluated parameters, with average value of 91.36%. There was no effect of the gestation housing system and the genetic lines on pregnancy and farrowing rates, with values above 90.0%. The animal welfare indicators showed more compromised parameters in PEN1 system. PEN1 system did not impair the reproductive performance although it presented more compromised animal welfare parameters.

scholarly journals Early weaning: new insights on an ever-persistent problem in the dairy industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (S1) ◽  
pp. 88-92
Author(s):  
Tomislav Mikuš ◽  
Rok Marzel ◽  
Ornella Mikuš
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Early Weaning ◽  
Persistent Problem ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Neonatal Calves ◽  
Milk Feeding

AbstractIt is common practice in the dairy industry to separate the calf from the cow immediately after parturition, and in most parts of the world calves are housed individually during the milk-feeding period. Early and abrupt separation has major implications for the calf's physical and psychological development. In this Research Reflection short review we present and discuss the main housing systems and management practices regarding early weaning in today's dairy industry. Main benefits and disadvantages are critically addressed, and possible future research suggested. Furthermore, major policy issues related to consumers, scientific recommendations and economic performance of farms have been identified, as well as future drivers for more viable housing solutions for neonatal calves. This review serves as an introduction and preamble to the second section of this Special Issue, which is dedicated to cow-calf contact management systems.

Segmentation of Australian meat consumers on the basis of attitudes regarding farm animal welfare and the environmental impact of meat production

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Malek ◽  
Wendy J. Umberger ◽  
John Rolfe
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Livestock Management ◽  
The Impact

While public concern over the welfare of farm animals is believed to have intensified across Australia in recent years, no empirical research has sought to examine and quantify the heterogeneity in farm animal-welfare (FAW) concerns among Australian meat consumers. The present study is the first to address this knowledge gap. Data were collected in 2015 by using a comprehensive online survey instrument completed by a representative sample of 1009 Australian meat consumers. Sample quotas were set for age, gender and location. Using these data, we were able to segment meat consumers according to their attitudes towards FAW and perceptions regarding the environmental impact of meat production. Six unique segments were identified and characterised by purchase behaviour, livestock-management knowledge, farming background and experience, beliefs regarding the consumer/farmer implications of improved FAW, influential information sources, participation in FAW-related activities and socio-demographic variables. Our findings showed that the majority of Australian meat consumers (70%) hold neutral views regarding FAW. However, there are two segments, termed ‘concerned-FAW’ (10%) and ‘anti-FAW’ (20%), which expressed strong views with respect to FAW. Overall, consumer knowledge regarding livestock-management practices was low across all segments, with only 11–42% of consumers indicating that they felt sufficiently informed about FAW. This insight into perceptions of FAW by different segments and the impact of meat production on the environment can assist the industry in developing targeted information campaigns to address consumer concerns and allow better-informed meat purchase decisions.

scholarly journals Overview of common practices in calf raising facilities

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinicius S Machado ◽  
Michael A Ballou
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Health Events ◽  
Adult Performance ◽  
The Us ◽  
Dairy Animals ◽  
And Performance

Abstract In this literature review, we overview some of the common management practices associated with calf rearing in specialized operations of the United States. Given the growing importance of dairy-beef calves entering the beef production of the US, we overview aspects related to housing, nutrition, and health events during the pre- and post-weaning period. Based on data on dairy animals, we hypothesize how early life experiences could impact the feedlot performances of dairy-beef animals. Most of the large calf raising operations, where the majority of dairy-beef animals are raised, are located in the Central Great Plains and West regions of the US. Approximately 80% of calves are individually housed, but the type of housing (e.g., outside hutch, inside a barn) varies based on location of calf-raising facilities. Milk-replacer is fed in more than 80% of operations, while milk (saleable or non-saleable) is fed in approximately 30% of calf raising facilities (some operations fed more than one type of liquid diet). In addition to liquid feed, water and calf starter are offered ad libitum to calves. Adequate starter intake at weaning is crucial for feed transition from pre- to post-weaning period, which occurs at approximately 2 months of age. Then, calves are mainly housed in group pens and transition from calf-starter to total mixed ration (TMR). Health challenges such as scours, and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can hinder the performance of calves and are major causes of morbidity and mortality in calf ranches. Transportation at a very young age and comingling with animals from other dairies can increase the risk of diseases. Current research efforts are focusing on determining individual factors such as body weight (BW) at arrival or biomarkers of inflammation and stress that can be predictive of disease morbidity, mortality, and performance of calves. Future research should focus on how to utilize this information to optimize management and to develop targeted preventative strategies to reduce incidence of diseases and mortality and improve performance during the pre-weaned period. Also, more research is needed to understand how colostrum management, housing, and nutrition can impact the adult performance of dairy-beef animals.

scholarly journals Environmental enrichment, training, and habitat characteristics of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0253688
Author(s):  
Lisa K. Lauderdale ◽  
Michael T. Walsh ◽  
Jill D. Mellen ◽  
Douglas A. Granger ◽  
Lance J. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
And Training

In recent decades, animal welfare science has evolved to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to assess the welfare of animals in accredited zoos and aquariums. Science-based animal welfare assessments have become an essential component of management programs and widespread application is expected by animal care professionals. Management practices for bottlenose dolphins in accredited facilities incorporate several programs that potentially impact animal welfare including environmental enrichment and animal training. Additionally, habitat characteristics, such as the dimensions of the habitat, have been proposed to affect welfare. While accredited facilities are required to meet high standards of care, habitat characteristics and management practices are not standardized across locations. Knowledge and subsequent application of these practices and habitat characteristics can enhance our understanding of factors associated with positive welfare. As part of a larger study of dolphin welfare titled “Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums” (colloquially called the Cetacean Welfare Study), survey data were collected from 86 bottlenose dolphins in 40 habitats at 38 facilities in seven countries. The major aims of this paper are to provide general descriptive information regarding dolphin management in accredited zoos and aquariums and to provide supplemental context to the other research published from the Cetacean Welfare Study data set. This paper provides a review of current habitat characteristics and management practices at those 38 accredited zoos and aquariums. These data enabled the identification and quantification of how cetacean management practices differed between participating facilities accredited by the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Variables were selected based on their potential association with welfare including the physical habitat, environmental enrichment, and training programs. The variables were also used for subsequent research in this collection of related papers to investigate important connections between potential indicators of welfare and habitat characteristics, environmental enrichment, and training programs.

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