Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts ... more Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts have largely focused on refining existing management practices to improve welfare. However, the incorporation of views from those directly involved in animal care is equally, if not more, important. This study investigated the perspectives of Canadian dairy farmers on animal welfare. We conducted 16 interviews with a total of 22 participants from four provinces across Canada. Recorded audio files and field notes were transcribed, anonymised, and coded using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. The interview data revealed two major themes: (1) animal dimension of animal welfare, including views related to biological functioning, naturalness and affective states; and (2) dairy farmer identity, including, the voice of the ‘city’, what it means to be a good ‘cow-man’, and the nature of human-animal relationships. Dairy farmers emphasised biological functioning, but they made numerous r...
Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current bru... more Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current brush designs do not provide data on their use, and thus little is known about the effects of group size and placement of brushes within the pen. The objectives of this study were to automatically detect brush use in cow groups and to investigate the influence of (1) group size and the corresponding cow-to-brush ratio and (2) brush placement in relation to the lying stalls and the feeding and drinking areas. We measured brush use in groups of 60, 48, 36, and 24 cows, with the brush placed either in the alley adjacent to the feed bunk and water trough or in the back alley. Cows used the brush for longer when it was placed in the feed/water alley compared to when placed in the back alley. Average brush use per cow increased when cows were housed in smaller groups, but the brush was never in use more than 50% of the day, regardless of group size. We conclude that brush use increases when avail...
An animal's social position within a group can influence its ability to access essential reso... more An animal's social position within a group can influence its ability to access essential resources such as food or a lying area, but little is known about how social position affects the ability to express what are arguably less important but still rewarding behaviors, such as grooming. We set out to assess if dominance measured at the feeder is associated with increased use of a mechanical brush. Over a 2-year period, 161 dry cows were enrolled in a dynamically changing group of 20 individuals with access to a mechanical brush. We determined dominance using agonistic behaviors at the feeder and retrospectively analyzed brush use for the 12 most, and 12 least dominant individuals during the week before calving. Cows that were more dominant at the feeder used the brush more, especially during peak feeding times. Agonistic interactions at the brush did not differ between dominants and subordinates and were not related to brushing duration. These findings indicate that social posit...
We investigated how Canadian and American participants in an online survey would perceive cow-cal... more We investigated how Canadian and American participants in an online survey would perceive cow-calf management systems differing in type of social and maternal contact allowed. Attitudes and perceptions of animal welfare were more positive towards the system where calves were not separated from the cows, compared to systems in which the calf was separated and individually housed, separated and group housed, or separated and kept with a foster cow. Participants appeared to value the mother cow-calf relationship and were less accepting of cow-calf management systems that involved separating the calf from their mother.
Lying stalls for dairy cattle are designed to maintain cow hygiene, reduce labor associated with ... more Lying stalls for dairy cattle are designed to maintain cow hygiene, reduce labor associated with bedding maintenance, and provide cows with a comfortable place to lie down. These considera-tions can conflict: stall features that, e.g., reduce manure contamination of bedding can make the stall less comfortable, explaining why cows prefer lying in more open spaces. We developed an "alternative" lying area in which traditional freestalls (i.e., in which cattle are not confined to stalls but can move "freely" about the pen) were modified to create larger areas, and flexible stall partitions were included to help maintain cleanliness. We assessed cattle lying behaviour, in-cluding lying postures, in this alternative pen compared to both traditional freestalls and an open pack. Not surprisingly, cleanliness was higher in freestalls, but the alternative pen offered sub-stantial improvement in cleanliness over the open pack. There was little difference in postures as-soc...
This script was used by Smid et al., to guide focus groups designed to understand the perspective... more This script was used by Smid et al., to guide focus groups designed to understand the perspectives of Western Canadian dairy farmers on outdoor access for dairy cows.
Supplemental files for the Journal of Dairy Science publication titled <i>Invited review: T... more Supplemental files for the Journal of Dairy Science publication titled <i>Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle housed in tiestalls </i><i>compared to less-restrictive housing types: A systematic review</i>
How lying stalls in barns housing dairy cows become contaminated with feces is not well understoo... more How lying stalls in barns housing dairy cows become contaminated with feces is not well understood. We investigated the influence of cow-cow differences and overstocking on the likelihood that cows defecate while lying down in the stall. Cows in later stages of pregnancy were less likely to perform this behavior, with no effect of weight, parity, age, or lameness. Also, the more time cows spent lying down the greater the likelihood of the behavior, but the cow to stall ratio had no effect.
Surplus dairy calves consist of all dairy bull calves and any heifer calves not needed as replace... more Surplus dairy calves consist of all dairy bull calves and any heifer calves not needed as replacements for the milking herd. The fate of these surplus calves varies by region; for example, in Australia and New Zealand they are often sold as “bobby” calves and slaughtered within the first weeks of life; whereas, in North America they are normally sold within the first weeks of life but reared for 16–18 weeks as veal or longer as dairy beef. Regardless of region, demand for these calves is often very low, driving down prices and in some cases leaving farmers with no alternative options other than on-farm euthanasia. The notion that dairy cows must give birth to produce milk and that the calves are immediately separated from the dam, many of which will end up immediately being sold as surplus calves, has become a topic of public concern. These concerns have increased given the growing number of pictures and stories in the media of on-farm euthanasia, dairy calves being transported at v...
Group housing of calves provides increased access to space, and also allows for social interactio... more Group housing of calves provides increased access to space, and also allows for social interactions between calves. Teat-based milk feeding systems allow calves to express natural sucking behaviour and have been shown to reduce the rate of cross sucking. Group housing of calves can also substantially reduce labour costs associated with cleaning and feeding of individually housed calves. One convenient way of teat-feeding grouped calves is using computercontrolled milk feeding systems. However, no work to date has examined the effects on feeding and competitive behaviour when calves are introduced into a new group. In this study the feeding and competitive behaviour of 8 Holstein dairy calves was monitored before and after introduction into a pre-established group of older calves. Milk was fed ad libitum by a computer-controlled milk feeder. Milk feeding and competitive behaviours were monitored 2 d prior to introduction into the new group and for 4 d following mixing. Mean (± s.e.) ...
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Universities around the world were forced to rapidly trans... more At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Universities around the world were forced to rapidly transition from face-to-face learning environments to online learning. This paper describes this transition through the lens of a professor responsible for a third year Applied Biology class focused on providing undergraduates with research experience. The paper also describes an innovative format used to engage undergraduates in research but also suggests that the creation of safe learning spaces in the virtual world may be key to successful delivery of these types of courses. Lastly, in times of rapid change professors need, on occasion, take a step back and simply listen to their students.
In November 2013, a group of international experts in animal research policy (n = 11) gathered in... more In November 2013, a group of international experts in animal research policy (n = 11) gathered in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss openness and accountability in animal research. The primary objective was to bring together participants from various jurisdictions (United States, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom) to share practices regarding the governance of animals used in research, testing and education, with emphasis on the governance process followed, the methods of community engagement, and the balance of openness versus confidentiality. During the forum, participants came to a broad consensus on the need for: (a) evidence-based metrics to allow a “virtuous feedback” system for evaluation and quality assurance of animal research, (b) the need for increased public access to information, together with opportunities for stakeholder dialogue about animal research, (c) a greater diversity of views to be represented on decision-making committees to a...
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2014
ABSTRACT Over the last decade many emerging economies, and in particular Brazil, have established... more ABSTRACT Over the last decade many emerging economies, and in particular Brazil, have established themselves as major players in global food animal production. Within these countries much of the increase in food animal production has been achieved by the adoption of intensive housing systems similar to those found in most industrialized countries. However, it is now well established that many of these systems are associated with numerous welfare problems, particularly with respect to restriction of movement. Previous work has shown that people living in industrialized’ countries broadly support farm animal welfare reform, and that similar criticisms may be voiced from citizens living in developing countries as they become more aware of confinement housing and potentially contentious husbandry practices. Given the developments that have taken place in other countries, there are lessons that could be learned and applied by emerging economies that would undoubtedly ease or prevent the challenges observed in other countries. Thus, we briefly describe the vehicles used by different countries when addressing animal welfare that may provide insights into identifying possible challenges and potential solutions for Brazil and other emerging economies. Where available we review the associated science and identify gaps where more research is needed. We conclude by providing a possible roadmap on how farm animal welfare reform may be addressed in emerging countries. Solutions will need to be tailored, culturally relevant, and science must play a key role in supporting animal welfare reform in the emerging countries.
The objectives of this study were 1) to assess whether a barrier placed between 2 teat buckets wo... more The objectives of this study were 1) to assess whether a barrier placed between 2 teat buckets would reduce displacements at the teat buckets during milk-feeding events, 2) to determine whether the length of the barrier would influence this effect, and 3) to determine whether the quantity of milk provided to the calves would further affect competitive behavior. In both experiments, male and female Holstein calves were housed in pairs and fed milk in adjacent teat buckets. Experiment 1 included 12 pairs of calves provided with either 8 or 5 L of milk/d and compared the effect of a short barrier placed between the 2 teat buckets (B) with the effect of no barrier (C) in a crossover design with 4 periods of 10 d each. Three pairs of calves on each of the 2 milk allowances were given the treatments in the order B, C, C, B, whereas the other 3 pairs were given the treatments in the order C, B, B, C. The short barrier reduced the frequency of switches between teat buckets but did not affec...
Abstract Text: Metritis is a common disease in dairy cattle following calving, but to our knowled... more Abstract Text: Metritis is a common disease in dairy cattle following calving, but to our knowledge no work has assessed the associated pain. A common method of assessing pain in human and veterinary medicine is through responses during tissue palpation. The objective of this study was to evaluate visceral pain responses in cows with clinical signs of metritis during rectal and uterine palpation. A total of 62 Holstein dairy cows (mean±SD parity 3±1.5) were subjected to systematic health checks starting day 3 after parturition and continuing every 3rd day for 21 days. Cows were scored for vaginal discharge (0 to 4); 13 cows showed a discharge score ≥ 2 during at least one health check; these cows were classified as metritic. A matched (by parity and DIM at diagnosis) sample of 13 cows were classified as ‘healthy’. Cows showing any other signs of disease (including mastitis, ketosis and lameness) were not included in the study. Behavioral and physiological responses during palpation ...
ABSTRACT Abstract Text: Over the last decade there has been a growing scientific interest in feed... more ABSTRACT Abstract Text: Over the last decade there has been a growing scientific interest in feeding behavior of dairy cattle, in part because dairy nutritionists are now becoming interested in how changes in feed intake are mediated by changes in behavior and, in part, because changes in feeding behavior are increasingly recognized as useful indicator of cow health. Feeding behavior can be described using several measures, including the number and duration of meals, as well as intake and feeding rate. However, it is now clear that changes in feeding behavior are mediated in part by changes in other primary behaviors such as social and lying behavior. It is also well established that the delivery of fresh feed is a primary factor stimulating feeding behavior by intensively housed dairy cows. Moreover, management factors such as competition at the feed bunk and regrouping can profoundly affect feeding behavior, with subordinate animals often showing the most pronounced effects. Many types of diseases are common after calving; these include illnesses caused by infectious agents and disturbances in metabolism. Much of our work has focused on identifying links between feeding behavior and a common infectious disease of the uterus, metritis. For example, over a series of studies we now provide solid evidence that feeding behavior is altered in cows, during the period of illness, but even more interesting is that this behavior is altered in the weeks leading up to parturition, long before clinical signs are evident, compared to healthy cows. We also review the relationship between lying, social, and feeding behavior as work now indicates that each of these behaviors impacts the other and collectively they play a role in expression of sickness behavior by cattle. Keywords: social behaviour, lying behaviour, disease
Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts ... more Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts have largely focused on refining existing management practices to improve welfare. However, the incorporation of views from those directly involved in animal care is equally, if not more, important. This study investigated the perspectives of Canadian dairy farmers on animal welfare. We conducted 16 interviews with a total of 22 participants from four provinces across Canada. Recorded audio files and field notes were transcribed, anonymised, and coded using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. The interview data revealed two major themes: (1) animal dimension of animal welfare, including views related to biological functioning, naturalness and affective states; and (2) dairy farmer identity, including, the voice of the ‘city’, what it means to be a good ‘cow-man’, and the nature of human-animal relationships. Dairy farmers emphasised biological functioning, but they made numerous r...
Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current bru... more Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current brush designs do not provide data on their use, and thus little is known about the effects of group size and placement of brushes within the pen. The objectives of this study were to automatically detect brush use in cow groups and to investigate the influence of (1) group size and the corresponding cow-to-brush ratio and (2) brush placement in relation to the lying stalls and the feeding and drinking areas. We measured brush use in groups of 60, 48, 36, and 24 cows, with the brush placed either in the alley adjacent to the feed bunk and water trough or in the back alley. Cows used the brush for longer when it was placed in the feed/water alley compared to when placed in the back alley. Average brush use per cow increased when cows were housed in smaller groups, but the brush was never in use more than 50% of the day, regardless of group size. We conclude that brush use increases when avail...
An animal's social position within a group can influence its ability to access essential reso... more An animal's social position within a group can influence its ability to access essential resources such as food or a lying area, but little is known about how social position affects the ability to express what are arguably less important but still rewarding behaviors, such as grooming. We set out to assess if dominance measured at the feeder is associated with increased use of a mechanical brush. Over a 2-year period, 161 dry cows were enrolled in a dynamically changing group of 20 individuals with access to a mechanical brush. We determined dominance using agonistic behaviors at the feeder and retrospectively analyzed brush use for the 12 most, and 12 least dominant individuals during the week before calving. Cows that were more dominant at the feeder used the brush more, especially during peak feeding times. Agonistic interactions at the brush did not differ between dominants and subordinates and were not related to brushing duration. These findings indicate that social posit...
We investigated how Canadian and American participants in an online survey would perceive cow-cal... more We investigated how Canadian and American participants in an online survey would perceive cow-calf management systems differing in type of social and maternal contact allowed. Attitudes and perceptions of animal welfare were more positive towards the system where calves were not separated from the cows, compared to systems in which the calf was separated and individually housed, separated and group housed, or separated and kept with a foster cow. Participants appeared to value the mother cow-calf relationship and were less accepting of cow-calf management systems that involved separating the calf from their mother.
Lying stalls for dairy cattle are designed to maintain cow hygiene, reduce labor associated with ... more Lying stalls for dairy cattle are designed to maintain cow hygiene, reduce labor associated with bedding maintenance, and provide cows with a comfortable place to lie down. These considera-tions can conflict: stall features that, e.g., reduce manure contamination of bedding can make the stall less comfortable, explaining why cows prefer lying in more open spaces. We developed an "alternative" lying area in which traditional freestalls (i.e., in which cattle are not confined to stalls but can move "freely" about the pen) were modified to create larger areas, and flexible stall partitions were included to help maintain cleanliness. We assessed cattle lying behaviour, in-cluding lying postures, in this alternative pen compared to both traditional freestalls and an open pack. Not surprisingly, cleanliness was higher in freestalls, but the alternative pen offered sub-stantial improvement in cleanliness over the open pack. There was little difference in postures as-soc...
This script was used by Smid et al., to guide focus groups designed to understand the perspective... more This script was used by Smid et al., to guide focus groups designed to understand the perspectives of Western Canadian dairy farmers on outdoor access for dairy cows.
Supplemental files for the Journal of Dairy Science publication titled <i>Invited review: T... more Supplemental files for the Journal of Dairy Science publication titled <i>Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle housed in tiestalls </i><i>compared to less-restrictive housing types: A systematic review</i>
How lying stalls in barns housing dairy cows become contaminated with feces is not well understoo... more How lying stalls in barns housing dairy cows become contaminated with feces is not well understood. We investigated the influence of cow-cow differences and overstocking on the likelihood that cows defecate while lying down in the stall. Cows in later stages of pregnancy were less likely to perform this behavior, with no effect of weight, parity, age, or lameness. Also, the more time cows spent lying down the greater the likelihood of the behavior, but the cow to stall ratio had no effect.
Surplus dairy calves consist of all dairy bull calves and any heifer calves not needed as replace... more Surplus dairy calves consist of all dairy bull calves and any heifer calves not needed as replacements for the milking herd. The fate of these surplus calves varies by region; for example, in Australia and New Zealand they are often sold as “bobby” calves and slaughtered within the first weeks of life; whereas, in North America they are normally sold within the first weeks of life but reared for 16–18 weeks as veal or longer as dairy beef. Regardless of region, demand for these calves is often very low, driving down prices and in some cases leaving farmers with no alternative options other than on-farm euthanasia. The notion that dairy cows must give birth to produce milk and that the calves are immediately separated from the dam, many of which will end up immediately being sold as surplus calves, has become a topic of public concern. These concerns have increased given the growing number of pictures and stories in the media of on-farm euthanasia, dairy calves being transported at v...
Group housing of calves provides increased access to space, and also allows for social interactio... more Group housing of calves provides increased access to space, and also allows for social interactions between calves. Teat-based milk feeding systems allow calves to express natural sucking behaviour and have been shown to reduce the rate of cross sucking. Group housing of calves can also substantially reduce labour costs associated with cleaning and feeding of individually housed calves. One convenient way of teat-feeding grouped calves is using computercontrolled milk feeding systems. However, no work to date has examined the effects on feeding and competitive behaviour when calves are introduced into a new group. In this study the feeding and competitive behaviour of 8 Holstein dairy calves was monitored before and after introduction into a pre-established group of older calves. Milk was fed ad libitum by a computer-controlled milk feeder. Milk feeding and competitive behaviours were monitored 2 d prior to introduction into the new group and for 4 d following mixing. Mean (± s.e.) ...
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Universities around the world were forced to rapidly trans... more At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Universities around the world were forced to rapidly transition from face-to-face learning environments to online learning. This paper describes this transition through the lens of a professor responsible for a third year Applied Biology class focused on providing undergraduates with research experience. The paper also describes an innovative format used to engage undergraduates in research but also suggests that the creation of safe learning spaces in the virtual world may be key to successful delivery of these types of courses. Lastly, in times of rapid change professors need, on occasion, take a step back and simply listen to their students.
In November 2013, a group of international experts in animal research policy (n = 11) gathered in... more In November 2013, a group of international experts in animal research policy (n = 11) gathered in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss openness and accountability in animal research. The primary objective was to bring together participants from various jurisdictions (United States, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom) to share practices regarding the governance of animals used in research, testing and education, with emphasis on the governance process followed, the methods of community engagement, and the balance of openness versus confidentiality. During the forum, participants came to a broad consensus on the need for: (a) evidence-based metrics to allow a “virtuous feedback” system for evaluation and quality assurance of animal research, (b) the need for increased public access to information, together with opportunities for stakeholder dialogue about animal research, (c) a greater diversity of views to be represented on decision-making committees to a...
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 2014
ABSTRACT Over the last decade many emerging economies, and in particular Brazil, have established... more ABSTRACT Over the last decade many emerging economies, and in particular Brazil, have established themselves as major players in global food animal production. Within these countries much of the increase in food animal production has been achieved by the adoption of intensive housing systems similar to those found in most industrialized countries. However, it is now well established that many of these systems are associated with numerous welfare problems, particularly with respect to restriction of movement. Previous work has shown that people living in industrialized’ countries broadly support farm animal welfare reform, and that similar criticisms may be voiced from citizens living in developing countries as they become more aware of confinement housing and potentially contentious husbandry practices. Given the developments that have taken place in other countries, there are lessons that could be learned and applied by emerging economies that would undoubtedly ease or prevent the challenges observed in other countries. Thus, we briefly describe the vehicles used by different countries when addressing animal welfare that may provide insights into identifying possible challenges and potential solutions for Brazil and other emerging economies. Where available we review the associated science and identify gaps where more research is needed. We conclude by providing a possible roadmap on how farm animal welfare reform may be addressed in emerging countries. Solutions will need to be tailored, culturally relevant, and science must play a key role in supporting animal welfare reform in the emerging countries.
The objectives of this study were 1) to assess whether a barrier placed between 2 teat buckets wo... more The objectives of this study were 1) to assess whether a barrier placed between 2 teat buckets would reduce displacements at the teat buckets during milk-feeding events, 2) to determine whether the length of the barrier would influence this effect, and 3) to determine whether the quantity of milk provided to the calves would further affect competitive behavior. In both experiments, male and female Holstein calves were housed in pairs and fed milk in adjacent teat buckets. Experiment 1 included 12 pairs of calves provided with either 8 or 5 L of milk/d and compared the effect of a short barrier placed between the 2 teat buckets (B) with the effect of no barrier (C) in a crossover design with 4 periods of 10 d each. Three pairs of calves on each of the 2 milk allowances were given the treatments in the order B, C, C, B, whereas the other 3 pairs were given the treatments in the order C, B, B, C. The short barrier reduced the frequency of switches between teat buckets but did not affec...
Abstract Text: Metritis is a common disease in dairy cattle following calving, but to our knowled... more Abstract Text: Metritis is a common disease in dairy cattle following calving, but to our knowledge no work has assessed the associated pain. A common method of assessing pain in human and veterinary medicine is through responses during tissue palpation. The objective of this study was to evaluate visceral pain responses in cows with clinical signs of metritis during rectal and uterine palpation. A total of 62 Holstein dairy cows (mean±SD parity 3±1.5) were subjected to systematic health checks starting day 3 after parturition and continuing every 3rd day for 21 days. Cows were scored for vaginal discharge (0 to 4); 13 cows showed a discharge score ≥ 2 during at least one health check; these cows were classified as metritic. A matched (by parity and DIM at diagnosis) sample of 13 cows were classified as ‘healthy’. Cows showing any other signs of disease (including mastitis, ketosis and lameness) were not included in the study. Behavioral and physiological responses during palpation ...
ABSTRACT Abstract Text: Over the last decade there has been a growing scientific interest in feed... more ABSTRACT Abstract Text: Over the last decade there has been a growing scientific interest in feeding behavior of dairy cattle, in part because dairy nutritionists are now becoming interested in how changes in feed intake are mediated by changes in behavior and, in part, because changes in feeding behavior are increasingly recognized as useful indicator of cow health. Feeding behavior can be described using several measures, including the number and duration of meals, as well as intake and feeding rate. However, it is now clear that changes in feeding behavior are mediated in part by changes in other primary behaviors such as social and lying behavior. It is also well established that the delivery of fresh feed is a primary factor stimulating feeding behavior by intensively housed dairy cows. Moreover, management factors such as competition at the feed bunk and regrouping can profoundly affect feeding behavior, with subordinate animals often showing the most pronounced effects. Many types of diseases are common after calving; these include illnesses caused by infectious agents and disturbances in metabolism. Much of our work has focused on identifying links between feeding behavior and a common infectious disease of the uterus, metritis. For example, over a series of studies we now provide solid evidence that feeding behavior is altered in cows, during the period of illness, but even more interesting is that this behavior is altered in the weeks leading up to parturition, long before clinical signs are evident, compared to healthy cows. We also review the relationship between lying, social, and feeding behavior as work now indicates that each of these behaviors impacts the other and collectively they play a role in expression of sickness behavior by cattle. Keywords: social behaviour, lying behaviour, disease
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Papers by Marina Von Keyserlingk