Agricultural Animal Welfare

1. Agricultural Animal Welfare

2. Does Agriculture improve the welfare of animals…?

3. …or cause unnecessary suffering?

4. This is not a question asked by many people of the world

5. “A chicken in every pot, every Sunday!”

6. General Concerns(all species) • Decreasing Genetic Variability

7. Over 95% of Dairy cows in the U.S. are Holsteins, yet there are hundreds of breeds representing a broader range of genetics

8. 19 breeds just on BRITISH watch list (Rare Breeds Survival Trust)

9. Scottish Highland Cattle

10. 145 British breeds of sheep (22 on Watch list) Rambouillet Predominant In U.S.

11. Muscovy Duck Lack of genetic diversity occurs in many species, including chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep (and is potentially dangerous - recall Irish potato famine).

12. General Concerns (all species) • Decreasing Genetic Variability • Selection for Single Trait

13. Selection pressure is often specific to one trait which can create problems in other areas.

14. ~ Selection for lean pigs with low fat content led to pigs with nervous and high strung temperaments. ~ Chickens with extra large breasts grew so fast they developed arthritis and deformed legs. Grandin & Johnson 2005

15. Also, breeds are not always suited for their environment: Hereford cattle in hot, humid south, for example.

16. General Concerns (all Ag species) • Decreasing Genetic Variability • Selection for Single Traits • Dystocia

17. Parturition problems can be the cause of severe suffering in individual animals

18. Causes of Dystocia ~ Selection for large offspring in meat breeds ~ Stress ~ Age (less a problem on large operations)

19. General Concerns (all Ag species) • Decreasing Genetic Variability • Selection for  Single Traits • Dystocia • Transport

20. General Concerns (all Ag species) • Decreasing Genetic Variability • Selection for  Single Traits • Dystocia • Transport • Slaughter Humane Slaughter Act (USDA enforced) Meat Institute’s Good Mgt Practices for Animal Handling & Stunning

21. 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.

22. 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)

23. More guidelines from industry: Meat Institute’s Good Management Practices for Animal Handling and Stunning

24. Improvements in Welfare in Processing Plants A la Temple Grandin and McDonald’s (1999)

25. Industry Wide Changes (Cattle) 1996 2002 2004 % Killed when first stunned

26. Video of processing plant design

27. 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

28. Sheep Welfare Concerns6.35 million head in 2003(56 mil in 1942) • Predation

29. Sheep Welfare Concerns • Predation • Dystocia

30. Sheep Welfare Concerns • Predation • Dystocia • Stress/ pain of vaccinating, tagging, docking & castration

31. Fly Strike

32. Sheep Welfare Concerns • Predation • Dystocia • Stress/ pain of vaccinating, tagging, docking & castration • Shearing? • Transport and slaughter

33. 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

34. Beef Cattle Welfare Concerns • Castration

35. Beef Cattle Welfare Concerns • Castration • Transport & Slaughter

36. Beef Cattle Welfare Concerns • Castration • Transport & Slaughter • Time in feed lot: odor, access to shade, food & additives

37. Dairy Cattle Welfare Concerns9.4 million in U.S. Dystocia Mastitis

38. Dairy Cattle Welfare Concerns Dystocia Mastitis Housing Veal calves (culled males)

39. Dairy Cattle Welfare Concerns Dystocia Mastitis Housing Veal calves (culled males) Female calves taken away Tail Docking Transport/slaughter when culled

40. Docking increase cleanliness,udder health? Tucker, Fraser and Weary 2001 ~ 223 docked ~ 190 undocked No treatment differences in cleanliness or health Individuals differences significant ~

41. Choice Experiment re Handling Pajor, 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

42. Poultry Welfare: Egg producers • Male chicks

43. Poultry Welfare: Egg producers Battery Cages banned in EU by 2012 Stocking density = 5 hens/18” by 20”

44. Poultry Welfare: Egg producers • Male chicks • Battery Cages • Cost of building vs. labor ($$$ in US)

45. Average consumption per capita = 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

46. Behavioral Observations & Welfare University 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.

47. Poultry Welfare: Broilers/ fryers23 million/year • Aggression/ debeaking • “Free range” • Selection for rapid growth - Satiety Center

48. “Free Range” Irrelevant

49. 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. 1999

50. Consumer Choice Criteria • Cost • Taste (fatter is better) • Convenience • Nutrition/ “wholesomeness” Not ethics/ welfare…