Indicators Relevant to Farm Animal Welfare: A Seminar in the CEC Programme of Coordination of Research on Animal Welfare, organized by Dr. D. Smidt, and held in Mariensee, 9-10 November 1982

236 Pages·1983·7.43 MB·English

by  Prof.Dr. Amin Rojahn

INDICATORS RELEVANT TO FARM ANIMAL WELFARE
CURRENT TOPICS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL SCIENCE
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main ,entry under title:
Indicators relevant to farm animal welfare.
(Current topics in veterinary medicine and animal
science; v. 23)
"Sponsored by the Commission of the European
Communities, Directorate-General for Agriculture,
Coordination of Agricultural Research."
1. Livestock--Congresses. 2. Veterinary medicine-
Congresses. 3. Animals, Treatment of--Congresses.
I. Smidt, Diedrich. II. Commission of the European
Communities. Coordination of Agricultural Research.
III. Title: Farm animal welfare. IV. Series.
SF5.I44 1983 636.08'3 83-12178
ISBN-13: 978-94-009 -6740-3 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009 -673 8-0
001: 10.1007/978-94-009-6738-0
ISBN-13:978-94-009-6740-3
EUR 8514 EN
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INDICATORS
RELEVANT TO FARM
ANIMAL WELFARE
A Seminar in the CEC Programme of Coordination of Research
on Animal Welfare, organized by Dr. D. Smidt, and held in
Mariensee, 9-10 November 1982
Sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities,
Directorate-General for Agriculture, Coordination of Agri
cultural Research
Edited by
D. Smidt
Institut fUr Tierzucht und Tierverhalten der FAL
Mariensee
Federal Republic of Germany
1983 MARTINUS NIJHOFF PUBLISHERS
a member of the KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
BOSTON / THE HAGUE / DORDRECHT / LANCASTER
for
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
CONTENTS
Page
Preface IX
SESSION I: GENERAL OUTLINE
OPENING REr1ARKS
ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION
A. Rojahn and H.-D. Liebich 3
THE PROBLEr1 OF ASSESSING "WELL-BEING"
AND "SUFFERING" IN FARM ANIMALS
I.J.H. Duncan and M.S. Dawkins 13
DISCUSSION 25
SESSION II: SIGNIFICANCE OF INDICATORS RELEVANT TO
ANIMAL WELFARE
PHYSIOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL CRITERIA
IN ASSESSING ANIMAL WELFARE:
SIGNIFICANCE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CRITERIA IN
ASSESSING ANIMAL WELFARE
R. Dantzer, P. Mormede and J.P. Henry 29
SHORT CONTRIBUTIONS:
NEUROENDOCRINE STRATEGIES FOR -ASSESSING \vELFARE:
APPLICATION TO CALF MANAGEr1ENT SYSTEMS
P. Mormede, R.-M. Bluthe and R. Dantzer 39
CORTICOSTEROIDS IN WELFARE RESEARCH OF LAYING HENS
G. Beuving 47
THE SLEEP-WAKING PATTERN AND BEHAVIOR OF PIGS
KEPT IN DIFFERENT HUSBANDRY SYSTEMS
J. Ladewig and F. Ellendorff 55
NEUROCHEMISTRY OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR IN FARM
ANIMALS
D.F. Sharman 61
DISCUSSION 66
ETHOLOGICAL INDICATORS:
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ETHOLOGICAL CRITERIA
FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE
P.R. Wiepkema 71
SHORT CONTRIBUTIONS:
STEREOTY~IES AS ANIMAL WELFARE INDICATORS
D.M. Broom 81
INGESTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND WING-FLAPPING IN
ASSESSING WELFARE OF LAYING HENS
H.B. Simonsen 89
VI
Page
BEHAVIOURAL TESTS TO QUANTIFY ADAPTATION
IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
M. Verga and C. Carenzi 97
EFFECT OF SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
ON PERFO~~NCE IN GILTS, BARROWS AND BOARS
A.M. Hagls¢ and L.L. Hansen 109
OPERANT CONDITIONING IN FARM ANIMALS AND
ITS RELEVANCE TO WELFARE
B.A. Baldwin 117
DISCUSSION 121
PATHOLOGICAL INDICATORS:
AN ECOPATHOLOGICAL APPROACH FOR ASSESSING
RISK FACTORS IN INTENSIVE REARING SYSTEMS:
EXAMPLES FROM PIG PRODUCTION
J.P. Tillon 125
SHORT CONTRIBUTIONS:
COMPARATIVE MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY RATES
FOR CATTLE ON SLATTED FLOORS AND IN STRAW
YARDS
J. Hannan and P.A. Murphy 139
PATHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO EVALUATE CALF BOXES
UNDER ANIMAL WELFARE ASPECTS
I. CLAW LES IONS
II. PYLORIC ULCERS
K. Dammrich 143
RESULTS OF A METHODICAL APPROACH WITH REGARD
TO EXTERNAL LESIONS OF SOWS AS AN INDICATOR OF
ANIMAL WELL-BEING
R. de Koning 155
DISCUSSION 163
PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE:
SIGNIFICANCE OF PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE TRAITS
AS INDICATORS OF ANIMAL WELFARE
J .l1. Bienfait, B. Nicks and C. Van Eenaeme 167
SHORT CONTRIBUTIONS:
FARROWING ACCO~10DATION AND LOSSES , VITALITY
AND DAILY GAIN OF PIGLETS AS INDICATORS OF
WELL BEING
H. Bekaert 183
PRODUCTION PERFOru1ANCE IN LAYING HENS KEPT
UNDER DIFFERENT HOUSING CONDITIONS
R.-M. \tlegner 189
DISCUSSION 197
VII
Page
SESSION III: INTEGRATED SYSTEMS OF INDICATORS RELEVANT
TO ANIMAL WELFARE
ADVANTAGES AND PROBLEMS OF USING INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS OF INDICATORS AS COMPARED TO SINGLE TRAITS
D. Smidt 201
SHORT CONTRIBUTIONS:
ASSESSING OF HOUSING SYSTEMS BY COMBINED
INDICATORS
R.G. Bure 209
APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF INDICATORS
IN ANIMAL WELFARE RESEARCH
M.C. Schlichting, U. Andreae, H.-H. Thielsher and
D. Smidt 215
DISCUSSION
SESSION IV: APPLICABILITY OF INDICATORS IN ANIMAL WELFARE
RESEARCH AND IN CONTROL PROCEDURES
APPLICABILITY OF INDICATORS IN ANIMAL WELFARE
RESEARCH
J. Unshelm 225
THE USE OF ETHOLOGICAL WELFARE INDICATORS IN
PRACTICAL CONTROL PROCEDURES
K. Zeeb 233
DISCUSSION 243
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 245
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS 249
PREFACE
The CEC-seminar on "Indicators relevant to Animal Welfare" was held on
November 9 - 10, 1982 at the Institut fUr Tierzucht und Tierverhalten,
Mariensee, of the Bundesforschungsanstalt fUr Landwirtschaft (FAL) • It
was the intention of this meeting to outline the present state of know
ledge on proven and potential indicators and to discuss their applica
bility in the assessment of farm animal management systems. After an
introduction of the legal and material aspects of animal welfare, the
following topics were dealt with :
- Significance of indicators relevant to animal welfare
- Integrated systems of indicators relevant to animal welfare
- Applicability of indicators in animal welfare research and control
procedures.
The concluding discussion focussed on the applicability of indicators in
science and in practice.
As a result of the seminar, the presently known indicators can be grouped
into the following categories :
- indicators already being applied to animal welfare assessment in prac
tice, such as morbidity and mortality, technopathies, behavioural
aberrations and production performances;
- indicators of high sensitivity, such as physiological criteria, which as
yet are too demanding for general application;
- indicators still under investigation for their reliability.
It became also evident that the continuous integration of indicators into
canprehensive assessment systems promises an ever improving judgement of
animal welfare problems.
The proceedings will be of substantial value to the CEC in the pursuit of
animal welfare problems.
The CEC gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the participants and
the efforts of the organizers. The seminar helped to further promote
interdisciplinary research in the area of animal welfare and the cooper
ation of the European Corrmunities.
SESSION I
GENERAL OUTLINE
Chairman: W. Sybesma
ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION
Prof. Dr. Amin Rojahn, Ministerialrat,
Hans-Dieter Liebich, Oberregierungsrat
Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture
and Forestry
Rochusstr. 1, 5300 Bonn
Federal Republic of Germany
ABSTRACT
The legal background of animal welfare consists of the
area of legislation and the area of jurisprudence. The state
of the art is differing widely among the various member coun
tries of the EC. The German Animal Protection Act provides for
individual, direct, ethical protection of animals, legislation
in other countries of the EC gives in most cases priority to
the responsibility of man regarding the well-being or welfare
of animals. But one should aim at harmonizing legislation
within the EC - also for the purpose, among other things, of
avoiding distortion of competition. Up to now only very modera
te steps have been taken in that direction. In order to make
progress scientists are called upon to define parameters en
abling us to assess the keeping of and the care of animals
under the aspects of animal welfare. Divergence of opinions
on the part of researchers presents an obstacle for the en
forcement of the necessary legislation.
I. LEGAL BACKGROUND
There are two main areas that constitute the legal back
ground of animal welfare:
the statutory area; the existing legislation pursuing
certain purposes and aims, and
- the area of jurisprudence; the administration of justice
by courts and the discussions on legal aspects of animal
welfare.
Both areas are closely related - they even condition
each other. But there is an essential difference between them:
Legislation is written, established law. In democratic
countries legislation is the result of the formulation of the
objectives of society. It is the concretion of the sense of
justice that, at the time of the elaboration of a piece of
legislation, is felt to be right and just by the majority of
the members of the national community. Legislation is static.
In the administration of justice and the discussion in the