283 Timely Euthanasia on Farm; Dairy Cattle and Swine

Abstract Euthanasia of mature swine and cattle can be challenging. On-farm euthanasia should be used as a tool to eliminate pain and suffering. However, clear guidelines regarding making euthanasia decisions and alternative euthanasia techniques available for use is limited in the United States (US). In order to prevent prolonged suffering and pain in compromised animals, science-based recommendations are needed to ensure timely and humane euthanasia can be performed when needed on-farm. This presentation will focus on two euthanasia challenges currently faced in swine and dairy cattle systems in the US today: 1) Swine: Validating alternative euthanasia techniques for use in mature breeding stock and 2) Dairy Cattle: Identifying producer barriers preventing timely euthanasia decision-making using surveys and focus groups. The swine study evaluated the effectiveness of two penetrating captive bolt gun styles (cylinder or pistol) using a frontal, temporal and behind-the-ear placement. Four treatments were 100% effective in achieving cardiac arrest and death. The cylinder style captive bolt gun resulted in greater brain trauma and death compared to a pistol style gun and behind-the-ear and temporal placement showed promise as an alternative placement site for euthanizing mature pigs. In the dairy cattle study, dairy producers were recruited to participate in a survey and focus group. Survey results indicated that farm owners were most commonly responsible for on-farm euthanasia and most respondents would treat and monitor compromised cattle for a majority of health conditions, regardless of condition severity. Participants in focus groups focused primarily on animal welfare as the most important factor influencing the decision to euthanize and the desire to eliminate animal suffering by using euthanasia as a tool. This work highlights the complicated challenges that arise when euthanizing livestock and the importance of not only identifying appropriate techniques to humanely euthanize livestock but address the emotional and animal welfare factors that influence these decisions.

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Determination of Dairy Cattle Euthanasia Criteria and Analysis of Barriers to Humane Euthanasia in the United States: Dairy Producer Surveys and Focus Groups

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10050770 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 770 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Brooklyn K. Wagner ◽

Mary Caitlin Cramer ◽

Heather N. Fowler ◽

Hannah L. Varnell ◽

Alia M. Dietsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Focus Groups ◽

The United States ◽

Emotional States ◽

Animal Suffering ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Us ◽

On Farm

There are currently no clear guidelines in the US and some other countries regarding euthanasia decision making timelines for dairy cattle that become injured or ill to the extent that recovery is unlikely or impossible. Our study aimed to identify decision making criteria and the most common factors considered when making and carrying out euthanasia decisions. Dairy producers were recruited to participate in a mailed survey (Part I, 307 completed surveys were returned) or in one of three focus groups (Part II, 8–10 producers/group, n = 24). Part I (survey): Farm owners were most commonly responsible for on-farm euthanasia and most respondents would treat and monitor compromised cattle for a majority of 15 health conditions. Responses were highly variable; for example, 6.3% and 11.7% of respondents would never euthanize a non-ambulatory cow or calf, respectively. Part II (focus groups): Three main themes (animal, human, and farm operation) were identified from discussion which focused primarily on animal welfare (16% of the discussion) and human psychology (16%). Participants expressed a desire to eliminate animal suffering by euthanizing, alongside a wide range of emotional states. Development of specific standards for euthanasia is a critical next step and more research is needed to understand the human emotions surrounding euthanasia decision making.

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Validating the effectiveness of alternative euthanasia techniques using penetrating captive bolt guns in mature swine (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab052 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Scott A Kramer ◽

Brooklyn K Wagner ◽

Ivelisse Robles ◽

Steve J Moeller ◽

Andrew S Bowman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Significant Interaction ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Temporal Lobes ◽

Alternative Placement ◽

Temporal Placement ◽

Mixed Breed ◽

Captive Bolt Gun ◽

Sus Scrofa Domesticus ◽

Temporal Location ◽

On Farm

ABSTRACT: Euthanasia of mature swine is challenging. Temporal and behind-the-ear locations are two sites that have been identified as alternatives to the more commonly used frontal placement. In stage-one, the effectiveness of two penetrating captive bolt gun styles (cylinder or pistol) was evaluated using frontal, temporal and behind-the-ear placement in anesthetized mature swine (n=36; weight: 267 ± 41 kg). For stage-one, when evaluating treatment efficacy by sex, the cylinder style equipment was 100% effective in achieving death when applied to all cranial locations (frontal, temporal, behind-the-ear) for sows; however, the pistol style equipment was only 100% effective when applied at the behind-the-ear location for sows. For boars, the cylinder style equipment was 100% effective when applied to the frontal and behind-the-ear location, but the pistol style equipment was not effective for any cranial location in boars. Therefore, the pistol-frontal, pistol-temporal, pistol- behind-the-ear and cylinder-temporal were not included for boars, and pistol-frontal and pistol-temporal were not included for sows in stage-two. In stage-two, commercial, mixed breed, mature swine (n=42; weight: 292 +/- 56 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments based on inclusion criteria described in stage-one. A 3-point traumatic brain injury (TBI) score (0=normal; 1=some abnormalities; 3=grossly abnormal, unrecognizable) was used to evaluate six neuroanatomical structures (cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hypothalamus, thalamus, pons and brain stem) and the presence of hemorrhage was also noted. All treatments were 100% effective in stage-two. A significant interaction between gun style and placement was determined on predicting total TBI as the cylinder style produced a higher total TBI score compared to the pistol type, of magnitude of +2.8 (P < 0.01). The cylinder style tended to produce a greater TBI score than the pistol in the temporal location (+1.2; P=0.08). No difference was noted for TBI score behind-the-ear between the cylinder and pistol style gun (P>0.05). TBI tended to be less in boars compared to sows (-0.6; P=0.08). Hemorrhage was observed in frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes. This study demonstrated that the cylinder style captive bolt gun more effectively resulted in brain trauma and death compared to a pistol style gun and the behind-the-ear and temporal placement showed promise as an alternative placement site for euthanizing mature pigs on-farm.

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Timely Euthanasia in the United States Dairy Industry–Challenges and a Path Forward

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10010071 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 71 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jennifer B. Walker ◽

I. Noa Roman-Muniz ◽

Lily N Edwards-Callaway

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Employee Training ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Management Tool ◽

Critical Component ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Human Animal Bond ◽

On Farm

Euthanasia is a valuable management tool utilized on dairies to end the suffering of sick or debilitated cows. Euthanasia should be implemented if an animal’s pain cannot be adequately alleviated and if there is a limited chance of recovery. To be humane, euthanasia should be quick, painless, and administered by a trained individual. Despite its importance in ensuring cow well-being, the timeliness with which euthanasia decisions are made for dairy cattle is often overlooked or neglected. The timeliness of euthanasia is as important as the efficient, rapid administration of euthanasia itself. Timely euthanasia is a critical component of many on-farm animal care and verification programs yet opportunities exist within the industry to improve how effectively the industry is executing this critical component of cow management. There are challenges associated with performing euthanasia in a timely manner, such as inconsistencies in treatment protocols, inadequate employee training, difficulties assessing a cow’s quality of life, and impacts of the human–animal bond on decision-making. The objective of this paper is to explain the importance of timely euthanasia to dairy cattle welfare, identify the challenges that can prevent the timeliness of euthanasia, and provide solutions and practical suggestions for improving the management of timely euthanasia on dairies.

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Organic Dairy Cattle: Do European Union Regulations Promote Animal Welfare?

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10101786 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1786

Author(s):

Eugénie Duval ◽

Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk ◽

Benjamin Lecorps

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Organic Dairy ◽

High Standards ◽

Vague Language ◽

On Farm ◽

The Eu

Animal welfare is an emerging concept in EU law; with the advent of specific regulations intending to protect animals. The approach taken by European lawmakers is to provide “minimum standards” for conventional farming; argued by some as failing to adequately protect animals. In contrast, the EU organic farming regulations aim to “establish a sustainable management system for agriculture” and promote “high animal welfare standards”. The first aim of this review was to identify key areas where there are clear improvements in quality of life for dairy cattle housed under the EU organic regulations when compared to the conventional EU regulations. Using the available scientific evidence, our second aim was to identify areas where the organic regulations fail to provide clear guidance in their pursuit to promote high standards of dairy cattle welfare. The greater emphasis placed on natural living conditions, the ban of some (but unfortunately not all) physical mutilations combined with clearer recommendations regarding housing conditions potentially position the organic dairy industry to achieve high standards of welfare. However, improvements in some sections are needed given that the regulations are often conveyed using vague language, provide exceptions or remain silent on some aspects. This review provides a critical reflection of some of these key areas related to on-farm aspects. To a lesser extent, post farm gate aspects are also discussed

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Determination of Dairy Cattle Euthanasia Criteria and Analysis of Barriers to Humane Euthanasia in the United States: The Veterinarian Perspective

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10061051 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1051 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Brooklyn K. Wagner ◽

Mary Caitlin Cramer ◽

Heather N. Fowler ◽

Hannah L. Varnell ◽

Alia M. Dietsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Decision Making ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Health Condition ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Interactive Training ◽

Pain And Suffering

When dairy cattle become ill or injured to the extent that recovery is unlikely or impossible, on-farm euthanasia should be used as a tool to eliminate pain and suffering. Our study aimed to identify decision-making criteria and the most common factors considered by veterinarians when making and carrying out euthanasia decisions. Dairy cattle veterinarians were recruited to participate in an online survey (Part I, 61 surveys collected) or in one of three focus groups (Part II, 4–10 veterinarians/group, n = 22). Part I (survey): Surveyed veterinarians varied regarding health condition management and demonstrated a strong proclivity to treat compromised cattle, mirroring trends amongst dairy producers identified in previous research. Sixty percent of respondents indicated that most facilities for which they serve as the primary veterinarian have a written euthanasia protocol in place. Part II (focus groups): Three main themes about euthanasia decision-making (logistical, animal, and human) were identified from focus group discussions. Discussions focused primarily on logistical factors such as financial considerations and client/public perceptions. Development of specific standards for euthanasia, alongside interactive training programs for dairy veterinarians and producers are vital next steps to improving cattle welfare and consistency in euthanasia decision-making across the United States dairy industry.

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285 Panel: Recent Practical Advancements Related to On-farm Animal Welfare in the United States

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 9-10

Author(s):

Angela Baysinger ◽

Paul Ayers ◽

Stephanie Wisdom ◽

Jon P Holt

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

The United States ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Livestock Industry ◽

Professional Experiences ◽

Barriers To Implementation ◽

Future Direction ◽

On Farm

Abstract The purpose of this panel session is to highlight recent practical solutions and advancements to farm animal welfare challenges in the United States. Through a moderated discussion with session attendees, professionals and experts representing a variety of livestock industry and academic sectors will be given the opportunity to share their professional experiences in working to improve animal welfare by highlighting examples of practical solutions they have undertaken. Additionally, a discussion will be held on the future direction of farm animal welfare needs and barriers to implementation of animal welfare-related strategies.

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Developing effective training and certification schemes for improving on-farm dairy cattle welfare

Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of dairy cattle - Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science ◽

10.19103/as.2020.0084.07 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 123-140

Author(s):

Antoni Dalmau ◽

◽

Antonio Velarde ◽

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cattle ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Quality Principles ◽

Effective Training ◽

Welfare Quality ◽

On Farm ◽

Selection Of

This chapter discusses developing effective training and certification schemes for improving on-farm dairy cattle welfare. It begins by reviewing the selection of measures that can be used for assessing animal welfare, focusing firstly on animal-based measures, then moves on to review resource and management based measures. The chapter also discusses the four welfare quality principles – feeding, housing, health and behaviour – and how dairy cattle welfare can be affected by the quality these four principles. Training of assessors is also discussed, before a summary of why using a combination of resource-based, management-based and animal-based measures is the best way to ensure good welfare in animals such as dairy cattle.

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