scholarly journals Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1483
Author(s):  
Paulo V. Steagall ◽  
Hedie Bustamante ◽  
Craig B. Johnson ◽  
Patricia V. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Pain Assessment ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Food Animals

Pain causes behavioral, autonomic, and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. Current societal and ethical concerns demand better agricultural practices and improved welfare for food animals. These guidelines focus on cattle, sheep, and pigs, and present the implications of pain in terms of animal welfare and ethical perspectives, and its challenges and misconceptions. We provide an overview of pain management including assessment and treatment applied to the most common husbandry procedures, and recommendations to improve animal welfare in these species. A cost-benefit analysis of pain mitigation is discussed for food animals as well as the use of pain scoring systems for pain assessment in these species. Several recommendations are provided related to husbandry practices that could mitigate pain and improve farm animal welfare. This includes pain assessment as one of the indicators of animal welfare, the use of artificial intelligence for automated methods and research, and the need for better/appropriate legislation, regulations, and recommendations for pain relief during routine and husbandry procedures.

scholarly journals Assessing Animal Welfare and Farm Profitability in Cow-Calf Operations with Stochastic Partial Budgeting

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 382
Author(s):  
Haseeb Ahmed ◽  
Karin Alvåsen ◽  
Charlotte Berg ◽  
Helena Hansson ◽  
Jan Hultgren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Herd Size ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Partial Budgeting ◽  
Cow Calf

The societal demand for good farm animal welfare (FAW) has increased over time. Yet, very little is known about the economic consequences of improvements in FAW in cow–calf operations. This study investigates on-farm economic consequences of improved FAW measures in cow–calf operations. It uses a stochastic partial budgeting approach to examine the relationship between contribution margins and improvements in FAW in terms of increased space allowance for a typical Swedish cow-calf operation, as compared to current practices. In the current practice, a cow should be given at least 5 m2 and the calf 2.2 m2. We found that a 0.5 m2 increase in space allowance per calf (achieved by a corresponding reduction of herd size) was associated with a 6.9 to 18.7% reduction in contribution margins in the short term. Our analysis does not include possible indirect gains like decrease in disease incidence and enhanced non-use or ‘soft’ values associated with increased FAW. However, our analysis indicates that high FAW standards can be costly and careful cost–benefit analysis should be a part of decision-making processes regarding FAW standards. Our results also suggest a need for government support payments and/or the development of market mechanisms to stimulate farmers to continue producing livestock-based foods with high FAW.

scholarly journals Costs and Benefits of Improving Farm Animal Welfare

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Jill N. Fernandes ◽  
Paul H. Hemsworth ◽  
Grahame J. Coleman ◽  
Alan J. Tilbrook
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Course Of Action

It costs money to improve the welfare of farm animals. For people with animals under their care, there are many factors to consider regarding changes in practice to improve welfare, and the optimal course of action is not always obvious. Decision support systems for animal welfare, such as economic cost–benefit analyses, are lacking. This review attempts to provide clarity around the costs and benefits of improving farm animal welfare, thereby enabling the people with animals under their care to make informed decisions. Many of the costs are obvious. For example, training of stockpeople, reconfiguration of pens, and administration of pain relief can improve welfare, and all incur costs. Other costs are less obvious. For instance, there may be substantial risks to market protection, consumer acceptance, and social licence to farm associated with not ensuring good animal welfare. The benefits of improving farm animal welfare are also difficult to evaluate from a purely economic perspective. Although it is widely recognised that animals with poor welfare are unlikely to produce at optimal levels, there may be benefits of improving animal welfare that extend beyond production gains. These include benefits to the animal, positive effects on the workforce, competitive advantage for businesses, mitigation of risk, and positive social consequences. We summarise these considerations into a decision tool that can assist people with farm animals under their care, and we highlight the need for further empirical evidence to improve decision-making in animal welfare.

scholarly journals Precision Technologies to Address Dairy Cattle Welfare: Focus on Lameness, Mastitis and Body Condition

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2253
Author(s):  
Severiano R. Silva ◽  
José P. Araujo ◽  
Cristina Guedes ◽  
Flávio Silva ◽  
Mariana Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Technological Support ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Cow Welfare ◽  
Time Assessment

Specific animal-based indicators that can be used to predict animal welfare have been the core of protocols for assessing the welfare of farm animals, such as those produced by the Welfare Quality project. At the same time, the contribution of technological tools for the accurate and real-time assessment of farm animal welfare is also evident. The solutions based on technological tools fit into the precision livestock farming (PLF) concept, which has improved productivity, economic sustainability, and animal welfare in dairy farms. PLF has been adopted recently; nevertheless, the need for technological support on farms is getting more and more attention and has translated into significant scientific contributions in various fields of the dairy industry, but with an emphasis on the health and welfare of the cows. This review aims to present the recent advances of PLF in dairy cow welfare, particularly in the assessment of lameness, mastitis, and body condition, which are among the most relevant animal-based indications for the welfare of cows. Finally, a discussion is presented on the possibility of integrating the information obtained by PLF into a welfare assessment framework.

scholarly journals  Pain in domestic animals and how to assess it: a review

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Landa
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Pain Assessment ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Clinical Responses ◽  
General Signs ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Pain Recognition

 In recent years more attention has been paid to the issue of pain in animals, particularly in association with increasing awareness of animal welfare. It is therefore necessary for veterinarians to be able recognise unambiguously whether an animal suffers from pain. Adult humans suffering from pain can more or less characterise their painful experiences, including the site and intensity of the pain. However, pain in animals is in some aspects more complex and it can be rather difficult to evaluate the seriousness and impact of painful events. Therefore, in animals we have to recognise the signs of pain according to indirect markers which involve behavioural, physiological and finally clinical responses. Moreover, in particular the behavioural changes associated with pain can be along with the general signs also species-specific, and hardly recognisable (and for an inexperienced observer seemingly unimportant) which makes pain assessment even more complicated. Therefore, the current review formulates definitions of pain, its classification and is focused on methods that may facilitate pain recognition in animals, which is crucial for an effective pain assessment and consequent effective pain management. The review combines recent knowledge with well proven facts concerning pain and furthermore also highlights the author’s own research on pain assessment.    

Environmental choices of farm animals

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
C J. Nicol
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
One Dimension ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Know How ◽  
Single Dimension ◽  
Underlying Basis ◽  
Preference Strength

AbstractTo assess farm animal welfare we need to understand how animals make choices and how these choices relate to preference strength. Studies of environmental choice can be categorized by the method used to investigate them, or by the underlying basis on which the animal is choosing. Choices made between resources that vary along a single dimension should meet certain criteria e.g. those of transitivity. Choices made between resources that vary along more than one dimension may or may not meet these criteria, depending how the animal evaluates each option. Understanding how farm animals choose will allow the results of individual experiments to be applied in a wider context. It is also important to know how preferences are formed during development. Evidence suggests that preferences for nests and pecking substrates in hens may be influenced by prefunctional experience. Experimental data from studies of environmental choice may enable us either to provide important resources in commercial systems, or to provide facilities for animals to continue to make their own decisions.

scholarly journals Reducing the Consumer Attitude–Behaviour Gap in Animal Welfare: The Potential Role of ‘Nudges’

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Vigors
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Consumer Attitude ◽  
Choice Architecture ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare

Citizen concern for the welfare of farm animals is well documented. However, there is a notable gap between people saying they want improved farm animal welfare and how they actually behave as a consumer. This is known as the citizen–consumer attitude–behaviour gap. As improvements in farm animal welfare can be affected by market demand, the choices consumers make become important. This paper introduces the concept of ‘nudging’ and discusses how it could be applied to reduce the attitude–behaviour gap amongst consumers. By designing the choice environment to better reflect the behavioural biases known to impact human decision-making, ‘nudge’ tools function to prompt individuals to make choices that are aligned with their stated intentions. Four ‘nudge’ tools: self-nudges, choice architecture, social norms and pre-commitments are discussed. The behavioural rationales for their use are reviewed and examples of how they might be applied to animal welfare provided. Improved farm animal welfare arguably requires improved pro-welfare consumer behaviour. This paper highlights how this might be encouraged by: self-nudging the salience of an ethical self-image; altering the choice architecture to influence decision-making; articulating social norms to impact behaviour; and using pre-commitment devices to overcome self-control issues.

scholarly journals Is an Animal Welfare Label Enough? Role of Farm Animal Welfare Voluntary Labelling Schemes in the Development of Sustainable Livestock Production

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Justyna Zwolińska ◽  
Sylwia Żakowska-Biemans
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Food Quality ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Health Food ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Labelling Schemes

Intensive livestock production devoid of elementary foundations for the welfare of farm animals is nowadays identified as one of the main factors contributing to the growing environmental and social threats. Public opinion associates the welfare of farm animals with values relating to health, food quality, ethical approach to animals and protection of the environment and climate. Accordingly, the social conceptualization of farm animal welfare plays an important role in guiding EU policy and developing animal welfare law. It also becomes a prerequisite for solving social and environmental problems resulting from intensive animal production. Farm animal welfare is an intangible and credence attribute of food and as such requires a means of informing consumers about it. The most preferred form of communication about the welfare level of farm animals among consumers are farm animal welfare labels. Both consumer preferences and their expectations of how farm animal welfare is communicated are reflected in the development of public and private food labelling systems in the European Union. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to analyse the selected farm animal welfare voluntary labelling schemes in terms of their potential for the development of sustainable animal production in the EU. The result of the study shows the differences and similarities in this respect between public and private systems, in relation to four criteria—values associated by consumers with the welfare of farm animals—health, food quality, ethics and environmental protection. We provide an overview of these systems and their role in increasing farm animal welfare standards. We conclude that it is particularly important to verify if the shift from production-related concern to social and consumer-related concern can constitute a sufficient and effective form for a systemic change transforming current animal production into production based on higher livestock welfare standards.

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 The legislative, ethical, and conceptual importance of replicability in farm animal welfare science.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nawroth ◽  
Lorenz Gygax
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Ethical Aspect ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Industrial Setting ◽  
Animal Welfare Science ◽  
Conceptual Problems ◽  
Animal Welfare Legislation

Abstract This article discusses the points of consideration in animal behaviour and applied ethology studies in farm animals, including animal welfare legislation and its potential economic consequences on animal keepers (such as farmers), the ethical aspect of using animals for experimentation that are routinely kept in millions in an industrial setting and the conceptual problems and benefits when testing animals at different facilities (e.g. farms).

scholarly journals Cost-Benefit Analysis of Conservation Agriculture Implementation in Syrdarya Province of Uzbekistan

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azizbek Daujanov ◽  
Rolf Groeneveld ◽  
Alim Pulatov ◽  
Wim J.M. Heijman
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Conventional Agriculture

Abstract Most irrigated lands of Central Asia suffer from land degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices are one of the factors contributing to land degradation. Conservation agriculture (CA) is seen as a way to mitigate land degradation and rationalize resource use. The aim of this article is to investigate the efficiency of CA implementation in the Syrdarya province of Uzbekistan, Central Asia by carrying out a cost-benefit analysis (CBA). The CBA was conducted for a hypothetical situation where the farm decides to switch from conventional agriculture to CA. Unlike the previous studies, this study investigates complete crop rotation cycle in the long-term period. The study outcomes suggest that investment in CA implementation results in positive incremental benefit if the advantages of CA are monetized.

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