- Electric current profiles during Livestock Stunning
- Short Scrotum castration of Lambs.
- Chronic Pain in Calves
- Castration Study
- Allevation of Dehorning Distress in Calves
- Pig Free Range Management Systems.
- Transporting ostrich and emu - Issues and Recommendations
- Investigation of rapid onset and long-acting analgesia for velvet antler removal.
Animal Welfare
Research proposals on animal welfare were assessed under two categories, indicated by their identifier letters. These have been separated out in this document for ease of access.
8.1 FMA 160
| Programme Title: | Improving Conditions & Welfare on Stock Trucks. |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Lindsay R. Mathews |
| Institution: | AgResearch |
Programme Goal: To improve environmental conditions on transporters thereby reducing the risk to animal welfare. This information will be suitable:
- For proposing changes to Industry and NAWAC Transport Codes;
- Facilitating change in transport crate design and practices within the transport industry.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Improving Conditions & Welfare on Stock Trucks (2000/01).
Research Leader: Dr Lindsay R. Mathews.
Description:
Identify practices that will improve the environmental conditions and reduce the risk to stock on trucks and cargo vessels, and ensure effective transfer of this information with the overall aim of reducing animal suffering and stock losses by:
Monitoring the effects of alternative, practical transporting practices on environmental conditions and long haul, inter-island transport.
Liaising with key industry stakeholders to develop support for improvements in animal welfare standards and practices.
Reporting the information on improved practices to MAF in a report by 30 June 2001.
Notes:
- This MAF Research Project is co-ordinated with AgResearch FRST funded public good research programme.
- Further work is envisage in 2001/02 subject to the availability of funding and appropriate approvals.
8.2 FMA 161
| Programme Title: | Welfare Implications of Intensive Grazing Systems for Beef Grazing. |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Mark Fisher |
| Institution: | AgResearch |
Programme Goal: To describe the characteristics of intensive beef grazing systems and their implications for the welfare of the animals.
The information derived from the study will provide the foundation for animal welfare recommendations of best practice and minimum standards for intensive beef systems.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Characteristics of intensive grazing systems.
Research Leader: Dr Mark Fisher.
Description:
This objective will define and describe the features and attributes of intensive grazing systems currently used on commercial farms. A better understanding of these systems is a necessary foundation for developing acceptable welfare standards.
Objective 2
Objective Title: Indicators of animal well-being.
Research Leader: Dr Mark Fisher
Description:
This objective will monitor a number of indicators of animal well-being on an intensive bull finishing system. The knowledge will be used to identify the constraints and benefits of intensive systems to the welfare of the animals. (Technosystem).
(Programme Note: Although self contained, this project represents Year 1 of an intended two-year programme. In Year 2 we anticipate developing the animal welfare aspects of the programme into a detailed comparison of intensive and non-intensive systems, including more detailed and invasive physiological and behavioural indices, and ways of overcoming any welfare problems).
8.3 FMA 162
| Programme Title: | Electric current profiles during Livestock Stunning |
| Programme Leader: | Professor Neville Gregory |
| Institution: | South Australian Research Development Institute |
Programme Goal: Identifying poor current delivery is especially difficult in plants using fast linespeeds or automatic stunners. On account of this, this project will try a different approach for identifying poor current application. It will examine the current profile during electrical stunning. The current profile is the overall shape of the current flow that is delivered to individual animals. The aim will be to use the current profile to determine whether problems occur with current delivery (especially when stunning lambs), estimate the prevalence of any problems, and where appropriate suggest remedies.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Survey of current profiles
Research Leader: Neville Gregory.
Description:
Conduct a survey of current profiles used in New Zealand processing plants. From that survey assess the prevalence of problems associated with imperfect application of the stunning current.
The current profile will be assessed in over 500 lambs/sheep at five plants in New Zealand and at a beef processing plant, using a current clamp plus an A to D converter and lap-top computer. Each profile will be assigned to one of five categories as follows:
- Satisfactory. The current rose rapidly to a level, which is known to produce an adequate stun.
- Poor initial contact. The current did not rise promptly. Instead the animal experienced a low current for at least 0.2 sec.
- Interrupted current. There was a break in the current flow early-on in the stunning episode.
- Failure to maintain current. Current towards the end of the stunning episode declined considerably before the current supply was switched off.
- Spiking. A current surge occurred at the start or end of the current application.
The outcome from this study will be a better understanding of the prevalence of mis-stunning, and recommendations on how to control or avoid the problem.
8.4 FMA 163
| Programme Title: | Short Scrotum castration of Lambs. |
| Programme Leader: | Dr Andy Bray |
| Institution: | AgResearch |
Programme Goal: To provide MAF with information to develop an effective response to consumer concerns about short scrotum castration which may be needed to revise standards and recommendations in the code of welfare for sheep Develop an understanding of the reasons for the use of short scrotum castration by farmers and for the consumer concerns; and evaluate the economic, animal welfare and human and animal ethical issues.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Incidence of short scrotum castration.
Research Leader: Ian Tarbotton.
Description:
The incidence of short scrotum castration, full castration and no castration in the national flock will be determined and reported to MAF.
Objective 2
Objective Title: Economic implications.
Research Leader: Dr Andy Bray.
Description:
The costs and benefits of short scrotum castration relative to full or no castration will be assessed and reported.
Objective 3
Objective Title: Consumer and animal ethical implications.
Research Leader: Dr Mark Fisher.
Description:
To improve our understanding of consumer attitudes towards short scrotum castration a brief exploration of relevant human and animal ethical issues will be presented. This will be achieved by undertaking an ethical analysis of this form of castration relative to full or no castration, from the viewpoint of both the animal and the consumer.
8.5 FMA 164
| Programme Title: | Chronic Pain in Calves |
| Programme Leader: | Professor David Mellor |
| Institution: | Massey University |
Programme Goal: Use physiological, behavioural and immunological indices in 2-4 month old calves, to assess whether or not chronic pain-induced distress occurs after castration or dehorning.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Chronic distress in calves after castration or dehorning.
Research Leader: Associate Professor K.J. Stafford.
Description:
The acute pain-induced distress (indicated by cortisol responses) which follows castration or amputation dehorning in calves has now been studied in MAF-funded and other work, but little is known about noxious chronic effects of these procedures. Studies of the chronic effects of castration have involved calves which were much younger (Molony et al 1995) or somewhat older (Fisher et al 1996, 1997) than the usual ages for castration in New Zealand (Stafford et al 2000). Also the methods used varied, as did local anaesthetic use and distress parameters. In New Zealand ring castration is the most common method and many calves are castrated at 1 to 3 months of age (Stafford et al 2000). The noxious chronic effects of amputation dehorning apparently have not been observed. Using physiological, behavioural and immunological indices we will examine whether calves experience chronic distress during the six weeks after ring castration or amputation dehorning. Moreover, use of local anaesthetic may reduce chronic pain. There is anecdotal evidence that lambs exhibit fewer chronic pain behaviours after ring castration with prior injection of local anaesthetic than without it (Joyce Kent, personal communication), and in people, chronic pain after limb amputation under general anaesthesia is known to be reduced when nerve blockade is also used during the operation (Woolf and Chong, 1993). We will therefore also examine whether the prior injection of local anaesthesia before castration or dehorning modifies the chronic responses of the calves. To these ends, the following groups will be studied: untreated control (C), local anaesthetic control (LAC), ring castration (Cast), local anaesthetic plus ring castration (LACast), amputation dehorning (DH), local anaesthetic plus amputation dehorning (LADH). Castration and dehorning will be studied on different farms so that the C and LAC groups will be duplicated.
Questions to be addressed:-
In the six weeks following dehorning or castration do calves experience pain and distress from the injuries inflicted by the procedures? The wounds from amputation dehorning and ring castration heal after 6 weeks and it is important to identify to what extent calves are affected by these wounds. Physiological, behavioural and immunological responses will be monitored in an attempt to measure pain and distress.
Does the use of local anaesthesia before castration or dehorning modify the chronic responses to these procedures? There is anecdotal evidence that less chronic discomfort/pain is experienced by animals given local anaesthesia, and experience with limb amputation in human beings indicates that nerve blockade during surgery under general anaesthesia reduces chronic pain.
Castration Study
- Castration control - calves will be handled but not castrated.
- Local anaesthetic castration control - calves will be given local anaesthetic (lignocaine) into testes and scrotum.
- Castration - calves will be castrated with a rubber ring.
- Local anaesthetic plus castration - calves will be given a local anaesthetic (as above) and 20 minutes later they will be castrated with a rubber ring.
Dehorning Study
- Dehorning control - calves that will be handled but not dehorned.
- Local anaesthetic dehorning control - calves will be given local anaesthetic (lignocaine) to achieve cornual nerve blockade.
- Dehorning - calves will be dehorned by amputation using a scoop.
- Local anaesthetic plus dehorning - calves will be given a local anaesthetic (as above) and 20 minutes later they will be dehorned using a scoop.
Parameters
Cortisol and fibrinogen concentrations and a haemogram (PCV and differential white blood cell count) will be conducted on the blood, serum and plasma samples taken. Plasma cortisol will indicate whether chronic distress is significant, fibrinogen will relate to inflammation and wound healing, and the haemogram will provide a general indication of immunological activity associated with infection or immunological suppression. Interleukin 2 and other inflammatory mediators will not be measured as they are very expensive, are released in large amounts from wounds and may add little to the knowledge obtained from visual inspection of the wounds, responses to palpation and fibrinogen concentrations.
Wound healing will be scored (e.g. Molony et al 1995; Sutherland et al 2000) once weekly for 6 weeks.
Behaviours indicating pain or distress will be chosen using our own reports (Mellor and Murray, 1989; Petrie et al 1995; Lester et al 1996; Dinniss et al 1999; McMeekan et al 1999; Stafford et al 2000b) and those of others (Molony et al 1995).
8.6 FMA 165
| Programme Title: | Allevation of Dehorning Distress in Calves |
| Programme Leader: | Professor David Mellor |
| Institution: | Massey University |
Programme Goal: Use physiological indices in 2-4 month old calves, to assess xylazine alleviation of acute dehorning distress and reassess the benefits of ketoprofen.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Allevation of Dehorning Distress in Calves.
Research Leader: Prof. David Mellor.
Description:
We have conducted a significant amount of MAF-funded work on acute dehorning distress and its alleviation in calves. Alleviation strategies assessed include local anaesthetics (LAs) with different durations of action used alone or in different combinations with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ketoprofen and phenylbutazone. Recently we have reported a progressive lessening of the reduction in dehorning distress achieved by LA plus ketoprofen as the duration of LA action was increased from 2 hours to 6 hours (MAF-Policy report: "Controlling inflammatory pain after dehorning of calves"). Our earlier demonstration of an almost complete abolition of the cortisol distress response when dehorning was preceded by injection of lignocaine (LA) (2 hour duration) plus the NSAID ketoprofen therefore needs to be reassessed for the consistency of this effect. In addition, veterinarians are now offering lignocaine LA plus xylazine with or without yohimbine reversal when dehorning calves. To date the effects of these combinations of drugs on the acute cortisol distress response to dehorning have not been assessed. We will therefore examine the following groups: Controls - handling/blood sampling (C), lignocaine plus ketoprofen (LAK), xylazine alone (X), lignocaine plus xylazine (LAX), lignocaine plus xylazine then yohimbine (LAX Y); Dehorned by scoop - dehorned alone (DH), LAK then DH, X then DH, LAX then DH, LAX then DH then Y. The cortisol distress responses of these 10 groups (10 calves per group) during the first 8-10 hours after treatment will be determined and compared, and the effects of the different treatments assessed on that basis.
Questions to be addressed:-
- Does the injection of lignocaine (providing nerve blockade for about 2 hours) plus ketoprofen before amputation dehorning virtually abolish the acute cortisol distress response which usually occurs when the nerve blockade wears off, as observed before?
New Observations
- What effects does prior injection of xylazine have on the acute cortisol distress response to amputation dehorning?
- What effects does prior injection of lignocaine plus xylazine have on the acute cortisol distress response to amputation dehorning?
- What effects does prior injection of lignocaine plus xylazine with the subsequent injection of yohimbine have on the acute cortisol distress response to amputation dehorning?
8.7 FRM 441
| Programme Title: | Pig Free Range Management Systems. |
| Programme Leader: | Professor David Mellor |
| Institution: | Massey |
Programme Goal: To undertake a review of the scientific literature on alternatives to intensive pig management systems, in order to determine what animal health, welfare and production advantages and disadvantages are associated with them.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Pig health and welfare in non-intensive systems.
Research Leader: Associate Professor K.J. Stafford.
Description:
Several animal health and welfare issues are associated with `intensive' farming of pigs, most of which relate to the way in which they are housed and fed at the various stages of the production cycle. The development of stereotypes, the suppression of natural behaviour, muscle and bone weaknesses, identification, prevalance and treatment of illnesses, bullying at feeding times and fighting to establish dominance are all examples. The prevalance and the factors affecting the development of the above issues in `non-intensive' alternative management systems, including outdoor/free-range, organic, indoor pen-based group housing, and deep litter group housing will be reviewed as part of this project. Within this review, the study will draw out the distinct components of the various management systems, which improve or impede the health and welfare of pigs. Knowledge of the impact of each component will allow, first, the full range of alternative systems to be evaluated from an animal health and welfare point of view, and second, the composite features of any given practice used in New Zealand to be evaluated.
8.8 FRM 442
| Programme Title: | Transporting ostrich and emu - Issues and Recommendations |
| Programme Leader: | Ross Davies |
| Institution: | CorpLog |
Programme Goal: The primary purpose of this project is to study animal welfare aspects involved in the transportation of Ostrich and Emu. International experience in the area is not widely documented and studies need to be undertaken under New Zealand conditions in order to establish "good practice" for the transportation of these birds. At present transport is extensive both within the Islands and between them. It would be a primary goal of this work to investigate current practice, from an animal welfare perspective, leading to possible improved handling and transportation systems for these birds.
Objective 1
Objective Title: Welfare and stress aspects associated with the transportation of ratites - A literature review.
Research Leader: Ross Davies.
Description:
Current research and knowledge as well as accepted practice in this area need to be fully understood. Achieving this will ensure that field studies undertaken are based on sound international experience and research.
This objective would be achieved by way of desktop review of current research and practice. There would also be a series of interviews carried out of operators in order to understand current practice.
Objective 2
Objective Title: Ratite transportation monitoring and improvement.
Research Leader: Ross Davies.
Description:
This objective would involve the evaluation of existing transportation systems looking specifically at the adverse conditions that are experienced by the birds whilst in transit. At the same time that the physical shocks and vibrations are monitored so too would be bird welfare. This would be achieved by monitoring three physiological parameters. Using this base information improvements made to these systems might be evaluated for improvements.
Objective 3
Objective Title: Final Report and Preparation of Publications.
Research Leader: Ross Davies.
Description:
The analysis of data and the development of a final report outlining recommendations relating to the design and operation of transportation systems for ostrich and emu. A paper will be prepared for service journal, and industry publications.
8.9 FRM 447
| Programme Title: | Investigation of rapid onset and long-acting analgesia for velvet antler removal. |
| Programme Leader: | Associate Professor Peter Wilson |
| Institution: | Massey University |
Programme Goal: The Operational Research tasks for MAF are to be carried out as part of a wider ranging research programme into Velvet antler removal from stags; post operative pain control; understanding the role of long-acting local anaesthetics; and the role of new generation systemic analgesics in pain management.
The research programme, which is in several linked parts, involves a number of different people and parts of Massey University (and visiting academic staff). It is being supported and financially contributed to by a number of organisations.
The specific goal attributable to the MAF funded operational research work is:- "The evaluation of post operative pain, with particular reference to the use of Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's)".
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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