Influences on the assessment of resource- and animal-based welfare indicators in unweaned dairy calves for usage by farmers

Consumers, industrial stakeholders, and the legislature demand a stronger focus on animal welfare of all livestock at the farm level by using suitable indicators in self-assessments. In order to deduce farms’ animal welfare status reliably, factors that influence indicators’ results need to be identified. Hence, this study aimed to apply possible animal welfare indicators for unweaned dairy calves on conventional dairy farms with early cow–calf separation and evaluate influencing factors such as age and sex of calves or climatic conditions on the applied indicators’ results. An animal welfare assessment using 7 resource-based and 14 animal-based indicators was conducted at 42 typical Western German dairy farms (844 calves) in 2018 and 2019 by two observers. The effect of influencing factors was calculated by binary and ordinal logistic regressions and expressed as odds ratios. Although every unweaned calf was assessed during the farm visits, most farms had relatively few unweaned calves (average number of calves ± standard deviation = 20.1 ± 6.7 calves), with six farms having not more than 10 calves. The small sample sizes question the usage of those indicators to compare between farms and to set thresholds at the farm level. Only one assessed indicator (cleanliness core body) was not statistically affected by the evaluated influencing factors. Calf age was identified as the most decisive factor, as it affected 16 of 21 evaluated indicators, and calf age distribution on-farm varied greatly. Climatic conditions (ambient temperature and rainfall) influenced resource-based indicators such as access to concentrate and water or the cleanliness of feeding implements and bedding as well as animal-based cleanliness indicators and the occurrence of health-related impairments such as coughing and diarrhea. The authors found differences between calves on farms assessed by the different observers not only in resource-based hygiene indicators but also in animal-based indicators such as hyperthermia or hypothermia, highlighting the need for further evaluation of quality criteria in dairy calf welfare assessments. Nevertheless, animal welfare assessments by farmers themselves could be useful tools to sensitize farmers to animal welfare and thereby improve calves’ welfare.     

The management and welfare of some common ovine obstetrical problems in the United Kingdom

This review approaches sheep welfare during the periparturient period from a veterinary practitioner viewpoint. At the most fundamental husbandry level, the general hygiene standards adopted on many sheep farms in the United Kingdom (UK) during the lambing period are unacceptable and require urgent improvement. Concerns also arise from obstetrical conditions attended by farmers which cause pain that can be identified using clinical criteria such as altered demeanour and behaviour of the ewe, and the presence of inflammation of the reproductive tract. Reduced production is evidenced by poor milk production and hungry lambs, the necessity to rear such lambs artificially and, in neglected cases, death of the ewe and her lambs. The correction of dystocia, periparturient vaginal, uterine and rectal prolapses is greatly facilitated after epidural injection of lignocaine, or a combination of xylazine and lignocaine administered by a veterinary surgeon. However, the perceived high professional fees charged for these services, and for Caesarean operations, result in few sheep receiving veterinary care, with such neglect directly contributing to poor welfare standards and an increased ewe mortality rate during the periparturient period. Whilst ending any welfare concern, the destruction of ewes rather than requesting veterinary services purely for economic reasons is a disturbing trend in sheep production in the UK and raises concerns regarding positive interaction between veterinary practitioner and farmer. In this article, veterinary treatments which provide effective analgesia are described and costed for obstetrical conditions in sheep. Recommended treatment protocols are described for the common obstetrical problems in sheep. In addition to appropriate treatment of obstetrical problems and alleviation of pain, if veterinary involvement could reduce ewe periparturient mortality from estimated figures of 4-2% this would save an estimated 400,000 ewes annually in the UK. Sheep welfare could be considerably improved by practising veterinarians providing practical instruction to small groups of clients with funding provided by government agencies.     

Effectiveness of a non-surgical alternative to the Mules operation in sheep

Objective To measure changes to the perineal bare area, local tissue reaction and healing responses of young sheep, following intradermal administration of cetrimide and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), with and without ethanol, to the breech and tail. Method A needle‐less injector was used to deposit formulations containing 40 g/L cetrimide and 30 g/L PVP (group 2) or 20 g/L cetrimide, 30 g/L PVP and 15 g/L ethanol (group 3), within the dermis of the tail and the region surrounding the perineal bare breech area of groups (N = 8) of Merino weaner sheep. The dimensions of the perineal bare area (length, width and diagonal distances left and right) and tail width were recorded before and at intervals after treatment for 60 days. Observations of swelling and bruising and scab formation at the treatment sites were recorded for up to 35 days after treatment. Rectal temperatures were monitored for up to 35 days after treatment and bodyweight for up to 60 days after treatment. An untreated control group (group 1) was included. Results Comparison of day ‐3 and day 35 measurement data showed that both treated groups had significantly (P < 0.05) wider breech bare areas compared to the untreated controls and that group 2 sheep had significantly (P < 0.05) longer breech bare areas compared to group 3 sheep or to the untreated controls, which were not significantly different. At this time scabs were still firmly in place on many treated sheep. At day 35 there was no increase in tail bare area caused by either treatment. By day 60 there was no significant difference between the treated and control groups in either the breech or tail regions indicating that the changes present at day 35, were not permanent. Mean weight gain in the groups throughout the 60‐day interval was unaffected by treatment. Intradermal treatment was associated with a significant elevation in body temperature. This effect lasted for 3 days and was associated with signs of discomfort and depressed appearance in at least some of the treated sheep. Bruising was mild to severe in all treated sheep within two days of treatment but was not evident in any sheep by day 21. Mild to moderate swelling was also associated with treatment but was not uniform across sheep in the groups. The tail of one sheep was severely swollen for several days. Swelling remained obvious in most treated sheep until day 14 but was not present at day 21. Conclusion Under the conditions of this study intradermal injection of cetrimide had no permanent effect on bare area measurements on the breech or the amount of wool‐bearing skin on the tail. It also caused signs of discomfort and pain that raise welfare concerns.     

Strategic use of crutching and dicyclanil to protect unmulesed sheep against breech strike

Objective   To test strategies for the application of dicyclanil and mid-season crutching to maximise protection of unmulesed sheep against breech strike.
Procedure   Three hundred and eighty unmulesed Merino weaners were randomly allocated to four groups either left untreated or treated by different strategies with 50 g/L dicyclanil. Treatments included breech treatment alone and breech plus body treatment, with two application times, immediately after shearing and 6 weeks after crutching or shearing. To assess protection, larval implants with newly hatched Lucilia cuprina larvae were applied to 10 different sheep from each group at 3, 4, 5 and 6 months after crutching and shearing and assessed for the development of strike at 48 hours. The concentration of dicyclanil was measured in wool samples clipped from the breeches of the test sheep.
Results   All dicyclanil treatments gave significant reduction in strike in comparison to controls up until 4 months after crutching but protection in the sheep treated immediately after shearing had waned at 5 months. Treating at 6 weeks after crutching provided significant reduction ( P < 0.05) in strike for 6 months. Results for strike incidence immediately after shearing and concentration of dicyclanil in the breech wool also suggested improvements in protection by delaying treatment for 6 weeks.
Conclusion   In most environments it should be possible to protect unmulesed sheep against breech strike with a carefully planned integrated control program incorporating strategically timed crutching, shearing and dicyclanil application. Delaying treatment with dicyclanil to at least 6 weeks after shearing or crutching increased the protection provided in comparison to treatment immediately after shearing.     

Promoting farmer engagement and activity in the control of dairy cattle lameness

Many 'influencers' allied to the agricultural industry support farmers to implement management changes that affect animal welfare. Developing approaches to working with farmers that achieve both engagement and subsequently management changes is critical. As an example, the generation of action points and implementation of change to control dairy cattle lameness is reported and discussed here. Action plans were generated on farms receiving both lameness monitoring and intervention support (MS group; n=117) as part of a 3year intervention project. At the start of year 1, MS farmers received action planning advice from a veterinary surgeon, and then at the start of years 2 and 3, farmers generated their own lameness control action plans with facilitator support. Engagement was achieved with 114 MS farmers who generated 692 action points in total. Two hundred and sixteen of these resulted from veterinary advice and 476 were generated by the farmers with facilitator support. In terms of activity, MS farms implemented a mean of 8.22 changes per farm as compared to 6.77 on farms which only received annual lameness monitoring (MO group; n=72). While these levels of change were similar, fewer changes implemented on the MS farms (8.5%) were judged 'likely to increase the risk of lameness' compared to the MO farms (16.5%). Farmers generated substantial numbers of lameness control action points for their own farms aided by a facilitator and, crucially, veterinary or facilitator involvement reduced changes that were likely to compromise lameness control.     

The intra- and inter-assessor reliability of measurement of functional outcome by lameness scoring in horses

The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of lameness scoring in horses. One veterinary surgeon examined nineteen lame horses on four occasions. Gait was recorded by camcorder, and scored from 0 to 10 ranging from sound to non-weight bearing lameness. A global score of overall change in lameness during the study was also determined for each horse. To measure intra-assessor reliability of the scoring systems, one veterinary surgeon scored videotapes of the horses' gaits on two occasions. To measure inter-assessor reliability, three veterinary surgeons viewed the videotapes, assigning individual lameness scores plus global scores to each horse. Reliability of individual lameness scoring was good intra-assessor, but only just within our acceptable limit inter-assessor. However, global scoring of change in lameness throughout the study was found to be reliable overall. Since clinician scoring is commonly used to assess lameness in horses, this is an important finding, fundamental to future clinical studies.     

Effect of the RSPCA Freedom Food Scheme on the welfare of dairy cattle

To evaluate the effect of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Freedom Food (FF) scheme on the welfare of dairy cattle in England, 28 FF and 25 non-FF farms were assessed during the winter of 2000 to 2001. The assessments were based on a protocol which included the examination of the farms' records, the farmers' estimates of the incidence of disease, and independent observations of the behaviour and physical condition of the cows. The data were analysed to identify which measures of welfare were affected by FF membership and to assess the number of farms on which intervention would be required, as defined by a panel of 50 experts. The FF farms had better results for 12 of the welfare indicators, including those for mastitis, non-hock injuries, cow cleanliness and body condition, and poorer welfare indicators for eight of the measures, including hock injuries, lameness and restrictions in rising behaviour. Except for the prevalence of dull coats (which was lower on the FF farms) there were no significant differences in the proportions of FF and non-FF farms on which intervention was required according to the experts' assessment.     

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of meloxicam in cats with painful locomotor disorders.

The ability of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to modify the clinical manifestations of pain associated with locomotor disease was assessed. Sixty-nine cats with acute or chronic locomotor disorders were recruited from 14 first opinion UK veterinary practices and randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups. Group A received meloxicam drops (0.3 mg/kg orally on day 1 followed by 0.1 mg/kg daily for four more consecutive days) and group B received ketoprofen tablets (1.0 mg/kg orally once daily for five days). Each cat underwent a full clinical examination before treatment, 24 hours after initiation of treatment and 24 hours after completion of treatment. General clinical parameters (demeanour and feed intake) and specific locomotor parameters (weightbearing, lameness, local inflammation and pain on palpation) were scored using a discontinuous scale scoring system. The two groups did not differ in terms of age, weight, gender distribution or duration of clinical signs; nor did they differ in terms of general clinical or specific locomotor scores pretreatment. Both treatment regimens resulted in a significant improvement in demeanour, feed intake and weightbearing, and a significant reduction in lameness, pain on palpation and inflammation. No significant difference was observed between the two treatment groups with respect to any of the parameters measured and both treatments were associated with minimal observed side effects. Meloxicam and ketoprofen were found to be effective analgesics and well tolerated in cats with acute or chronic locomotor disorders when administered for short-term treatment (five days) in such cases. However, meloxicam was assessed to be significantly more palatable than ketoprofen.     

Blowfly strike in sheep flocks as an example of the use of a time-space scan statistic to control confounding

The use of a time-space scan statistic--defined by a cylindrical window with a circular geographic base and height corresponding to time--was investigated as a method of detecting clustering in veterinary epidemiology whilst controlling confounding. The example data set consisted of farmer-recorded occurrence of body strike and breech strike between August 1998 and May 1999 in 26 sheep flocks located in two local government areas of southeastern Queensland, Australia. This information was derived from a questionnaire survey mailed to farmers. Potentially confounding factors included in the investigation were flock size (< or = median, > median), flock structure (proportion of lambs, wethers, ewes and rams), pesticide application for flystrike control (yes, no) and rainfall (< or = median, > median). The total sheep population within selected flocks was 92,660; 1012 (1.09%) and 518 (0.56%) cases of body strike and breech strike were reported in 16 and 10 flocks, respectively.Clustering analyses of body strike and breech strike were undertaken separately, because different predisposing factors are associated with these diseases. Significant clustering of body strike (28.76 degrees S, 151.82 degrees E) during March 1999 and breech strike (28.73 degrees S, 151.16 degrees E) between February and May 1999 was detected. Adjusting for flock structure, flock size, pesticide use and rainfall did not alter the most likely cluster of body strike identified--although the relative risk changed (> 10%) after adjusting for flock structure. Adjustment for flock structure and rainfall resulted in different clusters of breech strike being identified.     

Health and welfare of dairy cows in different housing programs

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two Swiss animal welfare friendly housing programs, 'regular access to outdoor facilities' (RAUS) and 'improved loose housing systems' (BTS) on health and welfare of dairy cows. During two years, the following indicators of health and welfare were observed on 136 randomly selected dairy farms: injuries around the joints, callosities, lameness, teat injuries, cleanliness, behaviour during lying and rising, body condition score, and incidence of medical treatments. Farms participating in both housing programs (BTS + RAUS) and farms with the program RAUS were compared to traditional farms that did not participate in a program. Housing system and management practice were recorded as additional factors influencing health and welfare of cows. Cows on farms participating in BTS + RAUS had, on average, fewer injuries around the hocks and fewer callosities at the carpal joints than cows in farms which did not participate in a housing program. Lameness was most frequent in cows of farms without housing program, followed by cows in tie stalls with the program RAUS and cows in loose housing systems with BTS + RAUS. There were fewer antibiotic treatments in farms with BTS + RAUS compared to the other farms.     

空怀期云南半细毛羊钙需要量研究

本研究旨在探讨日粮钙水平对空怀期云南半细毛羊各营养成分消化代谢的影响，为云南半细毛羊钙需要量的标准制定提供数据支撑。试验选取50只空怀期体况健康、体重接近、经产两胎的云南半细毛羊，随机分成5组，分别饲喂5种不同钙含量日粮（0.48%，0.67%，0.82%，1.00%和1.13%）。试验分为预试期（14 d）和正试期（30 d），在正式期第7天从每个试验组中随机选取5只羊，放入代谢笼进行为期7 d的消化代谢试验。试验结果表明，随着日粮钙含量的升高，空怀期云南半细毛羊的干物质采食量总体呈先下降后升高趋势（P>0.05）。各养分的表观消化率没有受到日粮钙含量的影响（P>0.05）。空怀期云南半细毛羊日粮钙水平越高，粪钙的排出量越大（P<0.05），排泄钙量也越大（P<0.05）。通过回归分析，由不同钙水平日粮对平均日增重的线性关系得出，空怀期云南半细毛羊的钙维持需要量为7.93 g/d（R²=0.5827）。摄入钙与沉积钙之间的线性回归分析表明，空怀期云南半细毛羊沉积钙最大值为3.64 g/d。综上所述，空怀期云南半细毛羊日粮钙水平的提高，对干物质采食量有一定的影响，而对各养分的表观消化率没有显著影响。空怀期云南半细毛羊粪钙和排泄钙随着日粮钙水平的提升而升高。不同日粮钙水平下空怀期云南半细毛羊摄入钙与日增重的相关性不大。     

Study on Calcium Requirement of Non-Pregnan Yunnan Semi-fine Wool Sheep

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of different dietary calcium levels on nutrient digestion and metabolism of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep during the empty pregnant period,and to provide basis for formulating the standard of calcium requirement of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep.Fifty Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep with healthy body condition,close body weight and 2 births were randomly allocated to 5 groups,which were groupsⅠ (0.44% calcium),Ⅱ (0.67% calcium),Ⅲ (0.82% calcium),Ⅳ (1.00% calcium) and Ⅴ (1.13% calcium).The experiment was divided into pre-trial period (14 days) and formal period (30 days).On the 7th day of the formal period,five sheep were randomly selected from each experimental group and placed in separate metabolic cages for digestive and metabolic tests.The experimental results showed that:With the increase of dietary calcium content,the dry matter intake of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep in empty pregnant period decreased at first and then increasing (P>0.05).The higher the dietary calcium level of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep in empty pregnant period,the greater the excretion of fecal calcium (P<0.05),and the greater the excretion of calcium (P<0.05).Regression analysis showed that the calcium maintenance requirement of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep in empty pregnant period was 7.93 g/d and R²=0.5827 according to the linear relationship between different calcium levels of diets and average daily gain.Linear regression analysis between calcium intake and deposited calcium showed that the maximum deposited calcium of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep during empty pregnant period was 3.64 g/d.In conclusion,the increase of dietary calcium level of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep during empty pregnant period had a certain effect on dry matter intake,but had no significant effect on the apparent digestibility of each nutrient.Fecal calcium and excreted calcium of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep in empty pregnant period increased with the increase of dietary calcium level.Under different dietary calcium levels,the calcium intake level had little correlation with the daily gain of Yunnan semi-fine wool sheep in empty pregnant period.     

Content and structure of Swedish animal welfare legislation and private standards for dairy cattle

In this study the animal welfare legislation and three private standards in Sweden, focusing on dairy cows, were analysed. The aim was to investigate to what extent these regulations consisted of resource-, management- or animal-based requirements, to analyse the content and discuss consequences. The results showed a higher proportion of management- and resource-based requirements than animal-based in all regulations. However, the borders between these categories were not as distinct as expected. The private standards put slightly more emphasis on the animal-based requirements and on animal welfare at herd level. It was primarily the organic standard that included higher animal welfare demands than the legislation. Due to vague wording and guideline statements it was not always clear if the welfare level achieved would be the same in practice although the requirements were similar. It will be necessary to clearly distinguish between requirements and measures to make the policy process more transparent.     

Prevalence of breech-strike in mulesed, clipped and unmulesed Merino hoggets in south-eastern Australia

Objective To compare the prevalence of breech flystrike (‘breech‐strike’) on 12–20‐month‐old Merino hoggets that were mulesed, had breech and tail clips applied (‘clipped’) or were left unmulesed but treated strategically with long‐acting insecticide. Design A cohort study on three farms in southern Victoria. Methods Three treatment groups were established at lamb marking on each farm. The unmulesed group was treated with dicyclanil when 12 months old in September or October (‘early‐season treatment’). The prevalence of breech‐strike and key risk factors, including soiling of the breech with faeces (‘dag’) and urine (‘stain’), and breech wrinkle, were compared between the groups. Results Over all the farms, breech‐strike occurred on 1.1% of mulesed sheep and 7.7% of clipped sheep. Clipped sheep had a relative risk of breech‐strike of 18.2‐, 16.8‐ and 3.0‐fold that of mulesed sheep on the three farms. Unmulesed sheep treated with dicyclanil had a similar prevalence of breech‐strike to that of mulesed sheep (overall 0.9%, range 0–2.5%), but had significantly more dag, stain and wrinkle. Conclusion Early‐season treatment of unmulesed sheep prevented most breech‐strikes during the spring and early summer, and offers a short‐ to medium‐term option for the control of breech‐strike in south‐eastern Australia. There were some benefits associated with using clips, namely less dag and stain, and a shorter time spent crutching. However, to control breech‐strike the clipped sheep should be treated the same as unmulesed sheep. Reducing the prevalence and severity of dag will be a major component of strategies to control breech‐strike of Merinos in this region.     

Differences of the Intestinal Microbial Flora Diversity and Composition in IGF-1 Transgenic Superfine Wool Sheep and Non-transgenic Sheep

The study aimed to explore the intestinal microbial community changes after transfering the IGF-1 gene into the superfine wool sheep, which would lead to potential problems in the biosafety of transgenic sheep. Forty one individuals in IGF-1 transgene positive group (GP group, female(GPF) 24 and male(GPM) 17), 43 individuals in genetically modified negative group (GN group, female(GNF) 25 and male(GNM) 18) and 29 individuals in non-genetically modified group(NG group, female(NGF) 18 and male(NGM) 11) from clinical healthy sheep in the same field were randomly selected. The rectal fecal samples were collected. The Ⅱlumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to determine bacterial 16S rRNA V3-V4 area sequence, and the bacteria community composition in fecal samples of transgenic superfine wool sheep and non-transgenic sheep was analyzed. There were 17 phyla, 32 classes, 56 orders, 94 families, 228 genera and 185 species. LEfSe analysis showed that there were 10 biomarkers in the GPF group, there were 5 biomarkers in GPM group, all of which were common colonization bacteria of ruminant intestinal flora. The biomarkers in NGF group was Bacteroides BS11 family, the biomarkers in NGM group was Firmicutes. They were the main dominant bacteria of ruminant intestinal flora. Analysis of shared bacteria of intestinal flora in 3 groups showed that the proportion of shared bacteria was as high as 91%-94% in 6 taxa of genus and family. It was confirmed that the introduction of IGF-1 gene did not change the overall distribution of intestinal flora in superfine wool sheep, and the transgenic sheep were biosafety and environmental safety.     

转IGF-1基因超细毛羊与非转基因羊肠道粪便菌群多样性及组成差异分析

旨在探究超细毛羊转入IGF-1基因后是否会引起超细毛羊肠道微生物菌群群落改变而导致转基因羊生物安全存在隐患的问题。本研究在同一羊场随机选取临床健康羊3组,其中转IGF-1基因阳性组（GP组）41只（24母（GDF）,17公（GPM））,转基因阴性羊（GN组）43只（25母（GNF）,18公（GNM））,非转基因超细毛羊（NG组）29只（18母（NGF）,11公（NGM））。取直肠粪样,应用Ⅱlumina HiSeq高通量测序技术测定粪便样本中细菌的16S rRNA V3-V4区序列,分析转基因超细毛羊与非转基因羊间肠道粪样细菌群落组成。结果表明,共计得到17个门,32个纲,56个目,94个科,228个属及185个种;LEfSe分析显示,GPF组有10个生物标记物;GPM组有5个,均是反刍动物肠道菌群的常见定植菌;NGF组的生物标记物为拟杆菌BS11科;NGM组为厚壁菌门。均为反刍动物肠道菌群的主要优势菌。3组肠道菌群的共享菌分析显示,在门纲目科属种6个分类水平拥有共享菌比例高达91%～94%。本研究证实,转入IGF-1基因并未改变超细毛羊肠道菌群的整体结构分布,转基因羊具有生物安全及环境安全性。     

A comparative study of the application of two horse welfare assessment protocols

Two assessment protocols for horse welfare were compared: the Swedish official protocol (OP) and a newly developed horse welfare assessment protocol (HWAP). The protocols differ in composition: the HWAP contains 20 animal-based (35.7%), 28 resource-based (50.0%) and 8 management-based (14.3%) measures whereas the OP has 4 animal-based (8.9%), 21-resource-based (46.7%), 16-management-based (35.6%) and 4-uncategorized measures (8.9%). The HWAP detected more welfare issues than the OP for 11 out of 12 welfare criteria. The OP took less time to assess (2–4?h) compared to the HWAP (3?h 20?min to 8?h 40?min). The added level of detail and more animal-based measures means that the HWAP provides a more thorough assessment of welfare of the individual animal than the OP.     

Broiler chicken health, welfare and fluctuating asymmetry in organic versus conventional production systems

The aim of this study was to test three predictions: (1) that a combination of animal-based parameters indicates better health and welfare in broilers from organic versus conventional farms, (2) that broilers from organic farms show less fluctuating asymmetry (FA) than broilers from conventional farms, and (3) that, at the level of the individual bird, the relationship between FA and welfare is negative and strongest in conventional broilers. On 140 slaughter-age birds randomly selected from seven organic and seven conventional flocks in Belgium we measured standardised FA and five conventional animal-based welfare indicators (tonic immobility duration, latency-to-lie, and condition of the foot pad, hock, and breast). The caeca from the birds from four organic and four conventional flocks were removed for assessing the presence of two bacterial pathogens (Salmonella and Campylobacter) and the concentration of the health-promoting lactic acid bacteria. Finally, the blood serum concentration of the acute phase protein alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), a non-specific indicator of immunological stress, was determined. Salmonella was found in the caeca content of two (2.5%) birds only (both from the same conventional farm), whereas 44 (55.7%) birds were infected with Campylobacter. The prevalence of Campylobacter, the concentration of lactic acid bacteria, the duration of tonic immobility, and the condition of the breast and foot pad did not differ between both production systems. Apart from a higher concentration of AGP, organic birds had better scores for hock condition and a longer latency-to-lie indicating better leg health. In addition, organic birds scored better on the aggregated welfare index (i.e. the average of the five standardised welfare indicators). As both production systems differed in many aspects (e.g. slower-growing genotypes, slaughter age, feed, stocking density, group size) it is impossible to assign differences in welfare/health indicators to a single factor. Whatever the causes may be our findings suggest that, despite the potentially elevated risk of immunological challenge, broiler chicken welfare is generally superior in organic farms as compared with conventional farms in Belgium. Regarding the validity of FA as welfare indicator, the prediction of lower FA in the population with highest aggregated welfare score was confirmed but, at the level of the individual, no associations between FA and the aggregated welfare index were found irrespective of whether data from organic and conventional broilers were analysed separately or combined.     

Demonstration of the sustained anthelmintic efficacy of a controlled-release capsule formulation of ivermectin in weaner lambs under field conditions in New Zealand

Ten field trials were conducted in the North and South Islands of New Zealand to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy and production responses attributable to treatment of weaner lambs with an intra-ruminal controlled-release capsule formulation of ivermectin. A total of 800 Coopworth, Perendale and Romney lambs weighing on average 20.8-34.8 kg were used. Lambs were either untreated or treated shortly after weaning with an ivermectin controlled-release capsule which delivers ivermectin at 0.8 mg per day for 100 days (minimum dose rate 20 microg/kg/day). Bodyweights, faecal nematode egg counts and dag scores (assessment of faecal soiling in the breech area) were determined before treatment and at about 4,8, 12, 14 and 16 weeks after treatment. Sheep treated with the Ivermectin capsule gained significantly more weight (11.6 kg) over the 16 weeks of the trials compared to untreated sheep (7.3 kg) (p < 0.01). Before treatment, faecal strongylid and Nematodirus spp. egg counts were equivalent (p > 0.10) but, at each time point thereafter, egg counts in ivermectin capsule-treated sheep were significantly lower (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). Dag scores were not different at the start of the trial (p > 0.10), but at the end of the trial control sheep had significantly greater dags (p < 0.05) than sheep treated with the ivermectin capsule. These findings indicate that treated animals contributed significantly fewer nematode eggs to the contamination of pasture and therefore pasture contamination should be significantly reduced for at least 112 days. The productivity of the ivermectin capsule-treated sheep over the I6 weeks of the trials was also significantly increased compared to salvage-treated controls. Furthermore, the presence of dags, which predispose sheep to blowfly strike in the breech area and result in production losses due to the costs of dagging and downgrading of breech wool, were also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the ivermectin capsule-treated sheep.