3.4 Animal Welfare

Question 1

Define ‘Animal Welfare’

Answer 1

Animal welfare is the physical and mental wellbeing of animals

Question 2

How is animal welfare assessed?

Answer 2

Using behavioural indicators

Farmers and vets will also use physical indicators as well

Question 3

State the four main behavioural indicators

Answer 3

• Stereotypy
• Misdirected behaviour
• Failure in sexual or parental behaviour
• Altered levels of activity

Question 4

Define ‘stereotypy’

Answer 4

A behaviour pattern of repetitive behaviour

e.g. constant pacing

Question 5

Define ‘misdirected behaviour’

Answer 5

A natural behaviour that is directed inappropriately

e.g. parrot removing excessive number of feathers during grooming

Question 6

Define ‘failure in sexual or parental behaviour’

Answer 6

• Animals fail to reproduce successfully
• Young who are removed from parents too early may not know how to raise their own offspring

Question 7

Define ‘altered levels of activity’

Answer 7

Animals can display very high (hysteria) levels of activity or very low (apathy) levels of activity

Need to know bracketed terms

Question 8

Describe the costs of free-range high welfare farming

Answer 8

Requires more land and is more labour intensive

Question 9

Describe the costs of intensive low welfare farming

Answer 9

Often creates conditions of poor animal welfare

Question 10

Describe the benefits of free-range high welfare farming

Answer 10

Animals can be sold at a higher price

Question 11

Describe the benefits of intensive low welfare farming

Answer 11

More cost effective so generates higher profits as costs are low

Question 12

Describe the ethics of intensive low welfare farming

Answer 12

Less ethical due to poorer animal welfare

Question 13

Describe the ethics of free-range high welfare farming

Answer 13

More ethical due to better animal welfare