Agricultural Animal Welfare
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)
Lack of genetic diversity occurs in many species, including chickens, ducks, cattle, and
sheep (and is potentially dangerous - recall Irish potato famine).
Muscovy Duck
~ 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)
1. Decreasing Genetic Variability
2. Selection for Single Traits
3. Dystocia
Causes of Dystocia
~ Selection for large offspring in meat breeds
~ Stress
~ Age (less a problem on large operations)
General Concerns (all Ag species)
1. Decreasing Genetic Variability
2. Selection for Single Traits
3. Dystocia
4. Transport
General Concerns (all Ag species)
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)
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 Concerns• Predation
• Dystocia
• Stress/ pain of vaccinating, tagging, docking & castration
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
• Transport & Slaughter
• Time in feed lot: odor, access to shade, food & additives
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
Battery Cagesbanned in EU by 2012
Poultry Welfare: Egg producers
Stocking density = 5 hens/18” by 20”
Poultry Welfare: Egg producers
• 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…