The influence of farmers' behaviour on calves' reactions to transport and quality of veal meat.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2001 | No Comments

Based on preliminary observations in various veal units, 20 units were selected for this study. The units were selected based on how the farmer was observed to interact with the calves. In half the units the farmers had predominantly positive interactions with the calves, whereas in the other units the farmers had predominantly negative interactions with the calves. The units that had ‘positive farmers’ produced calves that were less fearful of people within the veal unit, were easier to load and unload onto the truck, had lower heart rates during loading and unloading and had fewer accidents (falling down, hits against structures, slips) while at the slaughterhouse compared to calves that came from units with ‘negative farmers’. Calves that had experienced positive interactions had carcasses that were paler, lower in pH, moisture, and redness than the carcasses from calves that had experienced negative interactions. The farmers’ behaviour was found to have a significant effect on the emotional responses of the veal calves in this study. Positive behaviour towards the calves was found to result in less emotional reactivity during stressful events, which improved ease of handling, meat quality and decreased accidents.

Cow behaviour on a new grooved floor in comparison with a slatted floor, taking claw health and floor properties into account.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

This study examined the behaviour and claw health of dairy cows on two floor types: slatted and grooved concrete. Two groups of 12 cows were switched between floors after three weeks for a second three week period. Observations were conducted during the third week on each floor. There were no differences in the behaviour of the cows on each floor type, with the exception that cows on the grooved floors stood less with all four feet inside the cubicles. Claw health was also similar between floor types. Both floors were scrapped automatically, and cows were observed to stumble over the scrapper blade and developed foot lesions suggestive of trauma from the blade. The two floors types were both considered suitable for dairy cows, but the scrapping system which is essential to the grooved system, needs improvement.

The pig as an intermediate host for influenza A viruses between birds and humans

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

Effect of infestation with Psoroptes ovis on the nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour of housed sheep

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

As part of a more broad study about sheep scab, the relationship between an infection with Psoroptes ovis and nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour was examined. Groups of 6 to 20 scab-free sheep were penned with one infested sheep. The variation in the rubbing behaviour depended on the age of the lesion, the size of the infected area and the amount of time that has elapsed since the infected sheep was introduced. Older and larger lesions resulted in an increase in the rubbing behaviour. The more time the sheep spent rubbing resulted in the sheep spending less time, overall, lying. As well, lying bouts were more frequently interrupted by rubbing bouts. In general, this study demonstrated how a parasitic infection can generate changes in the behaviour of the sheep and these changes may affect the welfare and transmission of the disease.

Cattle vocalizations are associated with handling and equipment problems at beef slaughter plants

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

In the majority (42 %) of plants assessed, 0-1 % of cattle vocalized, while over 10 % of the cattle vocalized in only 8 % of the plants. Repeated use of an electric prod was responsible for as high as 17 % of the vocalizations. Reducing the voltage on an electric prod was able to reduce vocalizations by 5 % in one plant. Addition of illumination to a dark entrance and addition of a false floor to a conveyor restrainer was sufficient to reduce the number of cattle who backed up or balked by 8-15 %. Because the number of cattle who balked was reduced, electric prod use was also be reduced. In one plant, reduction in the pressure exerted by a neck restraint reduced the percentage of cattle vocalizing from 23 to 0 %. The mean percentage of cattle who vocalized in the plants initially was 12.8 %. After all of the modifications were made in the plants, the mean percentage of cattle who vocalized was reduced to 0.8 %. Thus, vocalization scoring was proven to be an efficient method for identifying handling and equipment problems that had the potential to compromise animal welfare.

Effect of stage of lactation and breed on dairy cows' acceptance of foster calves.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

The objective of this study was to determine when a cow would accept a foster calf after being separated from her own calf. Two different breeds were studied: 24 Swedish Red and White (SRW) and 24 Swedish Holstein-Friesian (SHF). Four different times of separation from their own calf were studied: 1) immediately 2) four day 3) 26 days 4) 178 days. There was no significant of the four different times after separation. Calves were sniffed more by SRW than by SHF cows during both observation periods. Some cows showed aggressive behaviour, but there were no significant differences between the two breeds. Cows that had been separated for 178 days had less calves suckling than those that had been separated immediately or for four days from their own calf. Cows were suckled more by SRW calves than SHF calves. In conclusion, alien foster calves are accepted by both breeds of dairy cows and from different stages or lactation equally well.

Stress and nutritional quality of broilers

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

At the beginning of this study, broiler chicks experienced ideal conditions (30.6C, 35% RH), while reared in environmental chambers. Half the chicks were then housed at 24C and 35% RH, while the other half were exposed to cyclical temperature/RH management. The cyclical regime was a heat treatment and was used to simulate August in Mississippi. Within each group, half the birds were implanted with an osmotic pump that released adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). The other birds were implanted with placebo pumps. The ACTH and heat treatments caused decreased body weight, carcass weight, carcass protein and muscle calorie content. The ACTH treatment reduced carcass moisture. After a one-week recovery period, these changes did not reverse. The results indicated that both heat and hormonal induced stress caused severe losses similar to those associated with PSE found in commercial conditions.

Antigenic and genetic diversity among swine influenza viruses in Europe

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

The presence of the dam affects the efficiency of gentling and feeding on the early establishment of the stockperson-lamb relationship

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

In intensive husbandry systems animals are frequently exposed to humans and it is important that they react calmly in their presence. This can be achieved by developing a good animal-stockperson relationship through a process called gentling, through which young animals are exposed to human contact. In this study the authors examined the role of human contact with or without the ewe being present on the gentling of lambs. Ten pairs of lambs were raised artificially, without their mother, and half of them were exposed to gentling humans for 30 min on six occasions. Another ten pairs of lambs were raised by their mothers, but one lamb in each pair was gentled by a human for six 30-min periods as well. Lambs were later tested in the presence of a human, and in a second situation in which the lamb chose between a human and another ewe. Artificially raised lambs were calm in the presence of the stockperson, and preferred the stockperson to the unfamiliar ewe. Mother raised lambs that were gentled were less vocal while in the presence of the stockperson than were their twins that had not been gentled. Thus, gentling was somewhat effective whether the lambs were reared by the mother or artificially, but the greatest effect was for articially reared lambs.

Effects of space allowance during transport and duration of mid-journey lairage period on the physiological, behavioural and immunological responses of young calves during and after transport.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

To determine the effect of space allowance during transport, a well as, the effect of varying length of lairage part way through transport were examined by measuring stress levels, injury, incidence of dehydration, effect of food restriction and rest of young calves during and following transportation. The calves were transported twice for nine hours, with a 1 or 12h lairage period between the two trips. The space allowances during transport were either 0.375 or 0.475 m2 per calf. The control calves, which were not transported, were fed milk replacer and were also provided with water either at the normal times or only when the calves were given these fluids during transport. Calves that were transported spent significantly less time lying down and had significantly higher cortisol concentrations than the control calves. Increasing the amount of space available per calf did not result in an increased incidence of injuries and or the calves were still able to keep their balance. A lairage period of one hour provided enough time to feed the calves milk replacer, but did not given the calves much of an opportunity to rest. The duration of the lairage period midway through transportation did not have an effect on any of the measurements taken and the shorter lairage time did not appear to negatively affect welfare. Even though there was not any difference in the immune system measurements between the transport and control calves, transportation appeared to negatively affect the health status of the calves.