agricultural animal welfare. does agriculture improve the welfare of animals…?

Agricultural Animal Welfare

Does Agriculture improve the welfare of animals…?

…or cause unnecessary suffering?

This is not a question asked by many people of the world

“A chicken in every pot, every Sunday!”

General ConcernsGeneral Concerns (all species)

1. Decreasing Genetic Variability

Over 95% of Dairy cows in the U.S. are Holsteins, yet there are hundreds of breeds

representing a broader range of genetics

19 breeds just on BRITISH watch list19 breeds just on BRITISH watch list(Rare Breeds Survival Trust)(Rare Breeds Survival Trust)

Scottish Highland Cattle

145 Britishbreeds of sheep(22 on Watch list)

Rambouillet PredominantIn U.S.

Lack of genetic diversity occurs in many species, including chickens, ducks, cattle, and

sheep (and is potentially dangerous - recall Irish potato famine).

Muscovy Duck

General Concerns (all species)


2. Selection for Single Trait

Selection pressure is often specific to one trait which can create problems in other areas.

~ Selection for lean pigs with low fatcontent led to pigs with nervousand high strung temperaments.

~ Chickens with extra large breastsgrew so fast they developed arthritis and deformed legs.

Grandin & Johnson 2005

Also, breeds are not always suited for their environment: Hereford cattle in hot, humid south, for example.

General Concerns (all Ag species)


2. Selection for Single Traits

3. Dystocia

Parturition problems can be the cause of severe suffering in individual animals

Causes of Dystocia

~ Selection for large offspring in meat breeds

~ Stress

~ Age (less a problem on large operations)



2. Selection for Single Traits

3. Dystocia

4. Transport


1. Decreasing Genetic Variability2. Selection for Single Traits3. Dystocia4. Transport5. Slaughter

Humane Slaughter Act (USDA enforced)Meat Institute’s Good Mgt Practices for Animal Handling & Stunning

Humane Slaughter Act

~ Passed 1978, enforced by USDA

~ All animals must be dead or stunned before “painful practice”

~ # inspectors decreasing, USDA no longer tracks violations.

Other concerns about the implementation of the Humane Slaughter Act:

PROCESSING SPEED

(~ In US, remove hooves from 309/hour, or 5 animals a minute or 3 seconds a hoof).

~ Much slower in Europe (EU days)

More guidelines from industry:

Meat Institute’s Good ManagementGood Management

Practices for Animal Handling and Practices for Animal Handling and StunningStunning

Improvements in WelfareImprovements in Welfare in Processing Plantsin Processing Plants

A la Temple Grandin and McDonald’s (1999)

Industry Wide Changes (Cattle)

30% 90%

97%

1996 2002 2004

% Killed when first stunned

Video of processing plant design

Sheep• Most “natural” life, though protected from disease &

predation (to an extent)

• Most on pasture whole life, some lambs go to “finishing pens” for last month

Sheep Welfare ConcernsSheep Welfare Concerns

6.35 million head in 2003(56 mil in 1942)

• Predation

Sheep Welfare Concerns

• Predation

• Dystocia

Sheep Welfare Concerns• Predation

• Dystocia

• Stress/ pain of vaccinating, tagging, docking & castration

Fly Strike

Sheep Welfare Concerns

• Predation

• Dystocia

• Stress/ pain of vaccinating, tagging, docking & castration

• Shearing?

• Transport and slaughter

Beef Cattle

• Most of life on pasture (approx 1.5 years)

• “Finished” in feedlots, high protein corn diet

• 35 million breeding cows in U.S.

• 1.3 billion in world

Beef Cattle Welfare Concerns

• Castration


• Castration

• Transport & Slaughter


• Castration

• Transport & Slaughter

• Time in feed lot: odor, access to shade, food & additives

Dairy Cattle Welfare ConcernsDairy Cattle Welfare Concerns

9.4 million in U.S.Dystocia

Mastitis

Dairy Cattle Welfare Concerns

Dystocia

Mastitis

Housing

Veal calves (culled males)

Dairy Cattle Welfare Concerns

Dystocia

Mastitis

Housing

Veal calves (culled males)

Female calves taken away

Tail Docking

Transport/slaughter when culled

Docking increase cleanliness,udder health?

Tucker, Fraser and Weary 2001Tucker, Fraser and Weary 2001~ 223 docked

~ 190 undocked

No treatment differences in cleanliness or health

Individuals differences significant

~

Choice Experiment re Handling

Pajor, Rushen and Passille 2003Pajor, Rushen and Passille 2003

~ Choice in Y-maze between:

~ Shouting Handler

~ Cattle Prod

~ Tail twist

~ Pail Feeding

~ No difference between shout vs cattle prod; tail twist not aversive

Poultry Welfare: Egg producers

• Male chicks

Battery Cagesbanned in EU by 2012


Stocking density = 5 hens/18” by 20”


• Male chicks

• Battery Cages– Cost of building vs. labor ($$$ in US)

Average consumption per capita Average consumption per capita = 254 eggs/year (402/yr in 1945)= 254 eggs/year (402/yr in 1945)

~ 6.45 billion table eggs produced in 2004

~ 64 companies with over 1 million layers each, 11 companies with over 5 million layers each

~ Total of 283 million hens in 2004

Behavioral Observations & WelfareUniversity of Guelph, Ian Duncan” 2006University of Guelph, Ian Duncan” 2006

~ How hard laying eggs “work” to

reach a nest box?

~ Asked to push against weighted door to get to nest box.

~ Use same force, for same duration

As if food deprived for 30 hours.

Poultry Welfare: Broilers/ fryers23 million/year

• Aggression/ debeaking

• “Free range”

• Selection for rapid growth - Satiety Center

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

“Free Range” Irrelevant

Broiler/fryers grow up to 22 wks “normal” growth in 5 weeks.

~ Chickens (and turkeys) found to have serious degenerative hip disorders.

~ When administered pain killing meds, turkeys lay down less, walked more, showed more spontaneous activity.

Hocking et al. 1999Hocking et al. 1999

Consumer Choice Criteria

1. Cost

2. Taste (fatter is better)

3. Convenience

4. Nutrition/ “wholesomeness”

Not ethics/ welfare…

Environmental Plusses

Grazing Land is preserved

from development

agricultural animal welfare. does agriculture improve the welfare of animals…?

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