Centrum for Infektionsekologi och Epidemiologi (IEE) : en ny plattform for okat samarbete mellan ... more Centrum for Infektionsekologi och Epidemiologi (IEE) : en ny plattform for okat samarbete mellan veterinarer, lakare och ekologer
The slaughter of farmed animals: practical ways of enhancing animal welfare, 2020
This chapter describes the most commonly used methods for the stunning of poultry and the regulat... more This chapter describes the most commonly used methods for the stunning of poultry and the regulatory and welfare aspects in relation to each method.
Stocking density is not the sole crucial factor for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare; m... more Stocking density is not the sole crucial factor for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare; management and environmental factors are certainly also very important. When talking about optimal stocking density it is vital to realise that the birds have no choice in this, as in practice economical factors play the most important role in the producer’s decision making process. We must acknowledge that from the producer’s perspective the ethical reasoning behind these choices are based on a view that animals may be used by humans for our purposes as long as they are properly cared for, i.e. fed, given water and are kept in good health. For the general public, good animal welfare for may be defined as ‘animals kept happy and healthy’. Ethical decisions are complex and ethical arguments may weigh differently for different stakeholders, leading them to very different conclusions regarding optimal stocking density and broiler welfare.
In Sweden, laying hens are killed using the following methods: i) traditional slaughter; ii) on-f... more In Sweden, laying hens are killed using the following methods: i) traditional slaughter; ii) on-farm with CO2in a mobile container combined with a grinder; or iii) with CO2inside the barn. The number of hens killed using the latter method has increased. During these killings a veterinarian is required to be present and report to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Data were registered during four commercial killings and extracted from all official veterinary reports at CO2whole-house killings in 2008-2010. On-farm monitoring showed that temperature decreased greatly and with high variability. The time until birds became unconscious after coming into contact with the gas, based on time until loss of balance, was 3-5 min. Veterinary reports show that 1.5 million laying hens were killed, in 150 separate instances. The most common non-compliance with legislation was failure to notify the regional animal welfare authorities prior to the killings. Six out of 150 killings were defined as ani...
Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows... more Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows kept indoors in farrowing pens. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between primiparous sows kept outdoors in farrowing huts and indoors in pens, and whether the maternal behaviour during the second parity, when all sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts, would differ between sows that have experienced the indoor or the outdoor environment, respectively, during their first parturition. A total of 26 Yorkshire×Swedish Landrace sows were studied. Of these, 11 sows were housed outdoors in farrowing huts during both parturitions (group=OUTOUT). The other 15 sows were kept indoors in a barn with single farrowing pens during their first parturition. During their second parturition, sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts (group=INOUT). The behaviour was video recorded from 2 hprepartumto 48 hpostpartum. The sows’ responsiveness to playbacks o...
Hot-iron branding is still commonly performed in cattle farming in tropical countries, and possib... more Hot-iron branding is still commonly performed in cattle farming in tropical countries, and possibly has negative consequences for animal welfare and weight gain. This study examined the behavioural and weight gain responses of pure and crossbred Nellore heifer calves subjected to hot-iron branding on the cheek, without and with use of anaesthesia and analgesia. Ninety-two heifer calves, around 120 days old, were studied prospectively when subjected to hot-iron branding on the cheek (a statutory procedure in Brazil following brucellosis vaccination). Four randomly selected groups of calves were allocated to four treatments: no pain control (CO); subcutaneous anaesthetic local block (LA); intramuscular analgesia (meloxicam) (LT); and local anaesthesia plus meloxicam (LL). Behaviour, flight speed and body weight were evaluated before, during, and five (5-d) and 60 days (60-d) after branding. For these parameters, the only difference observed was higher tension in the CO group 5-d post-...
Centrum for Infektionsekologi och Epidemiologi (IEE) : en ny plattform for okat samarbete mellan ... more Centrum for Infektionsekologi och Epidemiologi (IEE) : en ny plattform for okat samarbete mellan veterinarer, lakare och ekologer
The slaughter of farmed animals: practical ways of enhancing animal welfare, 2020
This chapter describes the most commonly used methods for the stunning of poultry and the regulat... more This chapter describes the most commonly used methods for the stunning of poultry and the regulatory and welfare aspects in relation to each method.
Stocking density is not the sole crucial factor for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare; m... more Stocking density is not the sole crucial factor for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare; management and environmental factors are certainly also very important. When talking about optimal stocking density it is vital to realise that the birds have no choice in this, as in practice economical factors play the most important role in the producer’s decision making process. We must acknowledge that from the producer’s perspective the ethical reasoning behind these choices are based on a view that animals may be used by humans for our purposes as long as they are properly cared for, i.e. fed, given water and are kept in good health. For the general public, good animal welfare for may be defined as ‘animals kept happy and healthy’. Ethical decisions are complex and ethical arguments may weigh differently for different stakeholders, leading them to very different conclusions regarding optimal stocking density and broiler welfare.
In Sweden, laying hens are killed using the following methods: i) traditional slaughter; ii) on-f... more In Sweden, laying hens are killed using the following methods: i) traditional slaughter; ii) on-farm with CO2in a mobile container combined with a grinder; or iii) with CO2inside the barn. The number of hens killed using the latter method has increased. During these killings a veterinarian is required to be present and report to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Data were registered during four commercial killings and extracted from all official veterinary reports at CO2whole-house killings in 2008-2010. On-farm monitoring showed that temperature decreased greatly and with high variability. The time until birds became unconscious after coming into contact with the gas, based on time until loss of balance, was 3-5 min. Veterinary reports show that 1.5 million laying hens were killed, in 150 separate instances. The most common non-compliance with legislation was failure to notify the regional animal welfare authorities prior to the killings. Six out of 150 killings were defined as ani...
Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows... more Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows kept indoors in farrowing pens. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between primiparous sows kept outdoors in farrowing huts and indoors in pens, and whether the maternal behaviour during the second parity, when all sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts, would differ between sows that have experienced the indoor or the outdoor environment, respectively, during their first parturition. A total of 26 Yorkshire×Swedish Landrace sows were studied. Of these, 11 sows were housed outdoors in farrowing huts during both parturitions (group=OUTOUT). The other 15 sows were kept indoors in a barn with single farrowing pens during their first parturition. During their second parturition, sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts (group=INOUT). The behaviour was video recorded from 2 hprepartumto 48 hpostpartum. The sows’ responsiveness to playbacks o...
Hot-iron branding is still commonly performed in cattle farming in tropical countries, and possib... more Hot-iron branding is still commonly performed in cattle farming in tropical countries, and possibly has negative consequences for animal welfare and weight gain. This study examined the behavioural and weight gain responses of pure and crossbred Nellore heifer calves subjected to hot-iron branding on the cheek, without and with use of anaesthesia and analgesia. Ninety-two heifer calves, around 120 days old, were studied prospectively when subjected to hot-iron branding on the cheek (a statutory procedure in Brazil following brucellosis vaccination). Four randomly selected groups of calves were allocated to four treatments: no pain control (CO); subcutaneous anaesthetic local block (LA); intramuscular analgesia (meloxicam) (LT); and local anaesthesia plus meloxicam (LL). Behaviour, flight speed and body weight were evaluated before, during, and five (5-d) and 60 days (60-d) after branding. For these parameters, the only difference observed was higher tension in the CO group 5-d post-...
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