畜禽去势术研究进展

去势术是畜禽生产中一种古老且广泛采用的生产管理技术,可以修正畜禽打斗和爬跨行为以方便管理,提高畜禽肉品质。随着畜禽生产集约化程度不断提高以及对动物福利的日趋重视,去势术得到了广泛深入的研究和应用。本文就畜禽去势术的历史起源、应用普及率与效果、去势方法、效应机制和动物福利等方面进行综述,以期为提高我国畜禽生产水平和动物福利提供参考。     

Welfare consequences of mulesing of sheep

Mulesing is traditionally performed on approximately 80% of Merino wool-producing sheep in Australia. Mulesing produces a stress response that persists for 24 to 48 hours. Behavioural changes indicative of pain and discomfort resolve within 24 and 48 hours, respectively. Reductions in weight gain may persist for 14 days. The acute stress response to mulesing has been shown to be similar to that produced by shearing, castration and mild flystrike, but mulesing has a longer duration of response (24 to 48 hours) than shearing (1 hour) or knife castration (8 to 24 hours), whereas flystrike response persists for the duration of infection. Theoretically, if mulesing were not used, with Merino sheep of existing genetics, increased chemical use and flock inspections could keep flystrike rates to approximately equivalent to present levels in some production systems. Increased handling events for chemical preventative application would represent a mild stressor for sheep, but cumulatively not more than that of mulesing. If producers were able and prepared to sufficiently increase resources into alternative anti-flystrike methods, then the welfare of Merino sheep would probably be equivalent or better to that of today. If constraints such as property size or finances dictate a sub-optimal level of flystrike prevention and treatment, then animal welfare will unquestionably be worse. The result of that equation would depend on individual flock managers, the physical characteristics of their production system, the profitability of their business, and seasonal variations in flystrike risk. It is likely that there would be some occasions when flystrike would increase. This highlights the need for alternative strategies, such as genetic selection, to reduce the susceptibility of Australian Merino sheep to flystrike.     

现代肉鸡生产中的福利问题

本文阐述了动物福利的定义及评价、描述方法,深入地分析了生产以及运输过程中肉鸡的福利状况及研究进展,其中包括遗传选育、环境与营养、饲养管理、攻击行为、限制饲喂、氨的浓度、抓鸡、转运过程及屠宰时的应激等影响肉鸡福利的因素,并提出了相应的改善措施。     

EEG changes in 4-week-old lambs in response to castration, tail docking and mulesing

OBJECTIVE: To interpret changes in EEG in relation to perceived pain of castration, mulesing and docking in lambs. DESIGN: Analysis of covariance (randomised block design) to determine the effects of treatment on eight bandwidths of the EEG frequency spectrum. PROCEDURE: Ninety-eight, 3- to 4-week-old lambs were subjected to one of seven treatments: castration, tail docking, mulesing, ear tagging, sham shearing, formalin injection (to induce lameness) and handling. EEG was recorded for 15 min before treatment, during treatment, and for 15 min after treatment. RESULTS: Consistently lower mean power values across all bandwidths of the EEG were found at the time of mulesing and docking than at handling and shearing (P < 0.01). Formalin injection resulted in lower power values than handling and shearing (P < 0.01). Castration had lower power values than handling and shearing. Similarly, for 15 min after treatment, mulesing and formalin injection had significantly lower power values than handling, shearing, ear tagging and castration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The consistent effects associated with mulesing, docking and castration compared to handling, shearing and ear tagging suggest that mulesing at both the time of treatment and during 15 min after treatment results in a response that is similar to that of induced lameness. Docking and castration result in a response at the time of treatment that is similar to induced lameness and mulesing, but during 15 min after treatment is similar to the non-noxious control treatments. However, the depressing effects on the mean power values are the reverse of that anticipated from a previously developed pain model, highlighting the need for further research to develop this technology to evaluate pain associated with husbandry procedures.     

Calf welfare.

Many factors contribute to the well-being of calves on the commercial dairy including housing and environment; nutritional and health programs; handling and caretaker interactions; herd dynamics; and the common management practices of transportation, euthanasia, dehorning, and teat removal. Ensuring and assessing the welfare of calves on commercial dairies is a complex challenge, especially because the terminology and factors contributing to assessing animal welfare in agricultural animals, such as dairy calves, has not been clearly defined within the scientific community.     

Male dairy calf welfare: A Canadian perspective on challenges and potential solutions

Male dairy calf welfare is a key issue in the Canadian cattle industry. The welfare of male dairy calves can be explored through the aspects of health and biological functioning, affective states, and natural living. Presently, the main welfare issues associated with the production of male dairy calves include morbidity and mortality, colostrum and feeding management, transportation, isolation, castration and disbudding, and euthanasia. Opportunities to improve male dairy calf welfare include improving accepted industry practices, enhancing education and compliance with industry codes of practice, and increasing veterinarian involvement in on-farm animal welfare. The benefits of improving male dairy calf welfare include maintenance of the cattle industry’s social license and improved producer mental health and occupational satisfaction. The main barriers to improving male dairy calf welfare are economics and cultural attitudes within the industry towards male dairy calves.     

浅析畜牧生产中的动物福利与人兽共患病和公共卫生安全

近年来全球因人兽共患病引发的公共卫生事件频繁发生,对世界经济的发展和全球公共卫生安全带来了严峻挑战,此已引起国际社会的高度关注。有专家指出：人类对动物“严酷的剥削与过度的利用”,是造成了人禽（人畜）共患流行性疾病不断暴发的原因。本文阐述了动物福利与畜牧生产的关系和非福利因素对动物生理健康的影响。以期引起全社会关注和促进动物福利事业的发展,积极为畜牧生产中的动物创造一个精神上协调一致、生理上完全健康的生存状态,减少动物疫病（特别是人兽共患病）的发生与流行,保障畜牧业的发展与公共卫生安全。     

实验动物运输中的福利保障

运输动物可能发生在各个动物生产或使用单位的内部,也可能发生在动物供应商与用户之间,对于野生动物,还可能会发生在捕捉地点与饲养设施之间。动物的运输过程中,许多的方面可能对动物福利产生直接的影响。包括搬运,从熟悉的同种中隔离及可能的单独饲养,被装载在不熟悉的运输容器中,装卸,运输途中的运动、震动、包括加速和减速,为保证平衡导致的紧张(特别是大动物),不熟悉的信息、声音和气味,温度和湿度的波动及极端温度,黑暗(避光设置),被停止供食或无采食和饮水意愿,最终用户提供的新环境和程序,不熟悉的人和可能社会等级竞争重构健等均是潜在造成动物应激的因素。认真评估和组织运输中的各个方面,人道对待所运输的动物对保障研究的质量和动物福利是必须的。本文简单论述了运输对实验动物福利的影响及造成这些影响的潜在因素、评价指标。推荐了一个人道运输实验动物的通行准则,以及一些有价值的文献数据。更加详细的内容可以阅读参考文献的原文。     

动物福利与我国的畜牧生产

随着畜牧业的快速发展和国际贸易自由化进程的加快,动物福利对我国畜牧业发展的影响越来越大。阐述了动物福利的概念、实施动物福利的现实意义,指出了我国畜禽福利所存在的问题,并提出了相关改善措施。     

畜禽生产中氧化应激分子调控机理及营养策略研究进展

现代畜禽生产过程中发生的氧化应激损害畜禽健康,降低畜禽生产性能。现代系统动物营养学认为畜禽体内自由基稳态失衡是导致氧化应激—炎症反应—免疫功能失衡,威胁畜禽健康,降低畜禽生产性能的根本原因。畜禽体内多种信号通路组成的调控网络共同维持自由基稳态。综述了p38MAPK、Nrf2-ARE、NF-κB等氧化应激相关信号通路在畜禽生产中的调控机制及其营养策略研究进展,以期为畜禽生产中缓解氧化应激损伤,保障动物福利,提高生产性能提供参考。     

论动物环境与生产系统学科的发展

我国的畜牧业发展已经进入新的时期,动物环境与生产系统已经成为新的重要研究领域。以典型大学或研究所为代表,介绍其开展家畜生态、家畜生产系统、动物行为与福利研究的领域及进展,提出构建我国动物环境与生产系统学科的必要性。动物环境与生产系统学科的研究目标和内容主要应围绕牧业资源与可持续畜牧业和家畜生态与环境友好畜牧业、家畜生产系统与有机畜牧业。     

Animal welfare considerations - pastoral animals

Modern pastoral farming has radically transformed the niche where agricultural animals live. Recent trends in husbandry tend to give as much emphasis to economic profit and human convenience, as do a concern for the farmed species. Most of the traditional ways of handling sheep, cattle, goats, horses and pigs, like castration, ear tagging, tail-docking or horse breaking, have been accepted by the public with little concern. Inevitably, as renewed public interest focuses on intensive farming, some questions are directed towards extensive pastoral farming practices, particularly in newly-farmed species like deer. Criteria for the humane care of pastoral animals must he set by consensus. These should include the avoidance of injury, handling animals in the least stressful manner, and meeting the unique needs of each farmed species, This is particularly important at times of critical intervention like the birth of the young, shearing, dipping, milking, yarding and during transport. Several examples of current emotive issues of welfare in pastoral animals are discussed. In general, New Zealand owners of extensive pastoral holdings produce a welfare product which should command a premium in the more affluent overseas markets. Vigilance will he needed to keep it so and in this veterinarians have a key role to play.     

马驴养殖福利研究进展

动物福利是国内外学者热议的话题,也是标准化生产和畜产品质量安全的重要影响因素。动物福利体现在饲养、养殖环境、健康、行为等各个环节中。马驴作为中国重要的草食家畜,在精准扶贫和乡村振兴中发挥着重要作用。该文阐述了马驴养殖的经济价值,对中国马驴养殖福利现状和动物福利在马驴养殖中的相关影响因素进行探讨,为宣传、提升马驴养殖福利提供一些参考。     

肉牛运输应激危害及动物福利化预防措施

肉牛的运输福利是关乎内蒙古地区畜牧业发展的重要因素之一,作为畜牧业大省,内蒙古地区每年都进行大量的调运肉牛操作,不规范的运输会引起动物发生应激反应,进而使肉品质的下降。因此在实际生产中应注重运输环节的动物福利问题。文章通过总结实践和经验,分析了内蒙古地区肉牛运输中存在的问题及其危害,并提出了运输过程中的福利化预防措施,以其为改善肉牛运输福利提供参考。     

肉鸡福利评价指标研究进展

随着高密度、集约化畜牧业的发展,动物福利问题不容乐观,严重制约了我国畜牧业的发展。这种以牺牲动物福利为代价的生产,对家禽的生长造成了不良的生理和心理反应,导致呼吸道疾病、腹水症等的爆发,降低了生产性能、经济效益和产品质量。近年来,各国对动物福利问题日益重视。本文通过总结和分析肉鸡福利评价的指标,旨在为我国家禽福利评价体系的建立提供理论依据,提高肉鸡养殖福利水平,推动畜牧业的健康发展。     

Ethical stockmanship

The objective of this review is to consider the ethics of stockmanship, particularly from the perspective of the nature and extent of the duties of stockpeople to their farm animals. It will consider what science tells us about the impact of stockmanship on the animal, particularly the welfare of the farm animal. The effects of human-animal interactions on the stockperson will also be considered, since these interactions affect the work performance and job satisfaction of the stockperson and thus indirectly affect animal welfare. Animal ethics is broader than animal welfare and includes economic as well as philosophical, social, cultural and religious aspects. This paper is predicated on the view that farm animals can suffer, and that animal suffering is a key consideration in our moral obligations to animals. Housing and husbandry practices affect farm animal welfare and thus farmers and stockpeople have a responsibility to provide, at minimum, community-acceptable animal housing and husbandry standards for their animals. The farmer's or stockperson's attitudes and behaviour can directly affect the animal's welfare and thus they also have a responsibility to provide specific standards of stockmanship for these animals. However, research suggests that the behaviour of some stockpeople is not as correct as it might be. Such situations exemplify the inevitably unequal human - domestic animal relationship, and this inequality should be considered in analysing the boundary between right and wrong behaviour of humans. Thus ethical discussion, using science and other considerations and involving stockpeople, livestock industries, government and the general public, should be used to establish and assure acceptable stockperson competencies across the livestock industries. Training programs targeting the key attitudes and behaviour of stockpeople presently offer the livestock industries good opportunities to improve human-animal interactions.     

Natural living—a precondition for animal welfare in organic farming

This article discusses animal welfare in organic farming systems in relation to values and aims in organic farming. It sums up experiences from a 4-year interdisciplinary project. An important finding is that animal welfare is understood somewhat differently in organic farming from what is common in conventional agriculture. It is interpreted in terms of natural living, which includes the possibility to perform a natural behaviour, feed adapted to the animal's physiology and a natural environment. Some of the criticism of animal welfare in organic farming may stem from different understandings of what “welfare” actually means. However, although welfare is an important aim in organic farming, the overall concern is to develop sustainable farming systems. This causes some welfare dilemmas. For example, a healthy system does not automatically mean good welfare for the individual. Based on available literature the actual welfare situation in organic systems was scrutinized. Unfortunately little research has been done, but a careful conclusion was that animal health is as good or better than in conventional farming—with the exception of parasitic diseases. Organic farming systems have a “welfare potential”, but organic farmers must deal with the dilemmas and take animal welfare issues seriously.     

农场动物福利的评估

畜牧业中的动物福利问题越来越为人们所关注,评估动物福利是提高畜禽福利的基础。行为是评价动物福利最容易理解和最通常使用的指标,特别是异常行为的出现。应激相关生理表征也说明动物处于不适环境。但福利评估是一个复杂而棘手的问题,其他很多指标也可用于福利评估,特别是情感状态。论文较为全面地介绍了动物福利常用的评估指标和新的评估手段。     

Reproductive Problems in the Management of Dairy Cattle

The author outlines the significance of herd health programs and the manner in which they are explained, and developed with clients.

Reproductive problems account for a major part of the herd health program, but also included are nutrition, preventive vaccination programs, calf management, mastitis surveillance, feet and leg problems, worming, dehorning, castration, record keeping and identification.

The differential diagnoses of reproductive problems are discussed in detail and specific treatments are outlined. The prognosis of various conditions in relationship to treatment is emphasized.

     

Do citizens and farmers interpret the concept of farm animal welfare differently?

Animal welfare is of increasing importance in livestock production and consumption debates. However, discordance exists between citizens' and farmers' perception of animal welfare. Since the search for, and the realization of improvements towards farm animal welfare is strongly driven by citizen expectations, it is of utmost importance to better understand this perceptual discordance. A quantitative study was done in Flanders, Belgium during 2006, including citizens as well as farmers, to obtain a detailed insight in the way the multi-dimensional concept of farm animal welfare is valued. This allowed to discriminate between issues of agreement and disagreement. In general, a similar interpretation of farm animal welfare in terms of animal welfare related aspect's ranking was found. Differences were mainly related to aspects dealing with the ability to engage in natural behaviour on the one hand and with production process-related aspects on the other hand. Citizens evaluate the current state of animal welfare as rather problematic, while farmers report a more satisfactory evaluation of the present condition of farm animal welfare. Especially differing opinions regarding the ability to engage in natural behaviour, together with aspects related to pain, stress and the availability of space seem to contribute to the discordance between farmers and citizens in terms of evaluative beliefs.