Solutions to animal welfare Flashcards
briefly describe how can welfare problems be made better and welfare be enhanced
1) physical conditions
2) social conditions
3) human contact
how should physical conditions be designed to improve welfare
physical environment should be designed based on the knowledge of species and the age specific requirements of species such as physiological and behavioural needs
why is it so important to think carefully about solutions to physical conditions when it comes to welfare
different solutions may exist to a given problem and sometimes these changes may result in solving more than one problem
however
its important to note some changes may not solve the problem and may even create a separate welfare problem
give some examples of changes made to physical conditions which improve welfare
changes to environmental design an management such as
- appropriate floors
- stocking density
- environmental enrichment
- cleaning schedule
- feeding methods
must consider the social environment when estimating effects of the physical environment
why can feeding methods pose as an issue in terms of the physical environment
= it is highly controlled in captivity and may compromise welfare as fails to recognise individual differences e.g. some may need to feed more than others or may limit the ability to perform natural behaviours such as foraging
how can feeding methods in captive settings be modified to improve welfare
- change from indoor to outdoor housing allowing foraging
- changes in how food is offered
- the diet
- feeding enrichment to avoid frustration/ border
- transponders for automatic quantification of feeding behaviour and intake overcoming issues with individual differences
how can handling and transport result in bad welfare standards
= involves changing the environment
= compromised all five freedoms e.g. access to food and water, ability to perform natural behaviours etc
result in
extreme temps, vibration, lack of rest, motion and noise
the decision to join/leave groups depends on predation pressure, resource availability
& distribution and the ability to compete outline the benefits of living in natural social groups
+ diluted predation risk
+ predator detection and resource defence
+ thermoregulation
+ allo-grooming
+ social learning and facilitation
the decision to join/leave groups depends on predation pressure, resource availability
& distribution and the ability to compete outline the costs of living in natural social groups
- disease and parasite transmission
- competition for food and resources
- increased aggression
what are some common issues associated with managed social environments
Social isolation/separation & disruption of social attachments
Introduction of unfamiliar individuals (increased aggression, stress)
Unnatural group composition (e.g. adult males only -> aggression)
High versus low-ranking individual Overcrowding
what are the two approaches to overcoming welfare problems in captive social environments
1) use knowledge about social organisation to deign husbandry systems
2) Alter existing social environments to address welfare problems aka troubleshooting approach which is more common focusing on symptoms rather than causes so postpones rather than reduces issue
mixing related aggression is a problem in newly formed groups, how can this be reduced
enhancing asymmetries between group members: asymmetry in competitive abilities leads to faster establishment of social status
(e.g. mixing High rnaking & Low ranking pigs)
minimizing opportunities for resource monopolization (e.g. increase group size= could affect physical conditions e.g. over crowding )
facilitating assessment behaviour
(eavesdropping on competitive and social status)
facilitating recognition of previously familiar animals (‘social memory’) e.g. putting individuals who have been together before
outline a study which found how social memory of individuals can reduce aggression in newly formed groups
Kendrick et al 2011
found sheep can remember 50 other different sheep faces for over two years
outline some ways to avoid aggression in established groups
1) Provide cover & opportunities for avoidance
-provide opportunities to avoid each other
-hiding places, visual barriers, perches, elevated platforms
2) Manipulate resource distribution
- reduce competition
- distribute resources
- desynchronise activity e.g. feed at different times
how can human contact affect welfare and how it was described by waiblinger et al., 2006 model
different affective experiences and
motivations are involved in an animal’s perception of and reaction to humans =
these likely determine the strength of an animal’s relationship with humans, which may therefore vary from negative through neutral to positive
= perception on a relationship has implications for welfare as emotions are generated by human interactions
