AnimalAnimal-based indicators for welfare and disease current status and prospects for use
Sandra Edwards Newcastle University, UK
[email protected] DCAW, 21 November 2012
Why do we need on-farm Welfare Assessment? l
Producer - Animal interface UNDERSTANDING – Risk management – Production refinement
l
Producer – Society interface OUTCOMES – Legislation – Certification – farm assurance
The challenges of measuring welfare l Measurements on the housing/environment
– RESOURCE MEASURES – but do they ensure real welfare of animals? l Enterprise records
– but are they accurate and sensitive? l Measurements on the animal
– OUTCOME MEASURES – can be difficult and time consuming to measure
Welfare outcomes •
Scientifically validated measures of welfare that can be recorded by looking at the animal, not just the housing
Nina Taylor, 2012
What do animals need for good welfare? The Five Freedoms Freedom from hunger & thirst
Freedom from thermal & physical discomfort
Freedom from fear & distress
Freedom from pain, injury & disease
Freedom to express most normal behaviour
Assessing Freedom from Injury and Disease l
Resource (input) measures
– biosecurity and hygiene – physical and social risk factors l
Records (outcome)
– mortality – medicine use l
Animal-based (outcome) measures
– prevalence of (clinical) signs
What do animals need for good welfare? The Welfare Quality Criteria
Measures Recorded Animal-based measures Human-animal approach test Skin lesions Tail/Vulva lesions Body condition Hygiene Health measures (lameness, diarrhoea, respiratory, skin conditions, mastitis etc) Thermoregulatory measures (panting, huddling) Stereotypies/ Abnormal behaviours Qualitative behaviour assessment
l l
90 breeding farms in the UK & the Netherlands detailed measures on pregnant and lactating sows and their litters
Body lesions
100 90
Vulva lesions
% of sows
80 70
Individual feeding
60
Indoor group feeding Outdoor group feeding ESF
50 40
% of sows
30
100
20
80
0
10 0
1
2
60 40 20 0 0
l
1
2
(Scott et al., 2008)
EFSA 2011: Scientific Opinion on the use of animal-based measures to assess welfare in pigs
“Animal-based measures can be used effectively in the evaluation of the on-farm welfare of pigs in relation to laws, codes of practice, quality assurance schemes and management” l
EU Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-15
“….the Commission will consider the need for a revised EU legislative framework based on a holistic approach. In particular ……will consider the feasibility and the appropriateness of introducing science-based indicators based on animal welfare outcomes as opposed to welfare inputs as has been used so far”
ICEBERG Indicators An intact and unbitten tail Skin lesions Mortality
Cortisol
Disease
ACTH Challenge
Growth / reproduction/ lactation Performance
Endorphin Levels Stereotypic Behaviour Depression
Fear
Immune function
Welfare Quality refinements to become practical Stage 1 Focus on practical measures and succinct protocols. Repeatable measures, sampling strategies validated Stage 2 Trialled these protocols with vets on >150 units Assessed practicalities under commercial constraints
Real Welfare measures Sows (1st and 3rd tri)
Finishers (>50kg only)
Hospital pigs Lameness
Hospital pigs All animals in Lameness
Thin sows (BCS