Veterinary authorities and animal welfare organizations--is cooperation possible?

Veterinarians and private animal welfare workers both work for the importance of animal welfare in our society. Although both work for a common cause, co-operation and communication between the veterinary administration and animal welfare members is often difficult. This paper will demonstrate the cause of problems between the two bodies and the benefits of co-operation will be assessed. Strategies to optimise the co-operation between the veterinary administration and animal rights organisations will be described using the local district Kleve as an example. Experiences with the animal welfare societies in this region will be illustrated with the aim to show the important supporting possibilities of the animal rights organisations to back the official authorities activities. Also the need to encourage the partly disappointing co-operation between these two bodies with the exchange of information would be beneficial for both bodies.     

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.     

Behaviour of cows in cubicles and its possible relationship with laminitis in replacement dairy heifers

The behaviour of cows in cubicles was studied in two dairy herds which were under the same ownership and had similar buildings and management systems. One of the herds had an annual problem of lameness due to laminitis leading to solar ulceration in the replacement first lactation heifers. There were considerable behavioural differences between the cows in the two herds. In the problem herd the heifers and cows stood for significantly longer, more heifers were seen not to use the cubicles, and there were more examples of aberrant behaviour than in the other herd. Less straw was used for cubicle bedding in the problem herd and when the amount used was increased to one bale per 10 cows per day no new cases of laminitis and solar ulceration occurred in the heifers.     

Cubicle housing systems for cattle: Comfort of dairy cows depends on cubicle adjustment

Housing is important for the welfare of cows. Although recommendations have been proposed, abnormal movements and injury problems are still observed in cubicle houses. We conducted a survey on 70 French dairy farms that used cubicles. We examined the design of the cubicles, and the behavior, injuries, and cleanliness of the cows. Most of the cubicles did not comply with the recommendations, often being too narrow and/or too short. Difficulties in lying behavior and injuries were more common when the neck rail was high. No improvement was noted when cubicles of a recent design were used ("U.S." cubicles), apparently because these cubicles were most often cantilevered on a double head rail rather than fixed on freestanding posts. An experiment was conducted, making similar measurements, on 84 cows to compare two configurations for U.S. cubicles (cantilevered on a double head rail as observed in the survey with a high and rear neck rail vs. fixed on freestanding posts as recommended) and another recent cubicle type (Euroconfort, cantilevered on head rails, but with a large space between the rails and fixed as recommended), with and without a brisket board. In U.S. cubicles on rails, cows spent more time lying and less time fully standing inside the cubicles than in the other cubicles (percentage of time: lying, 53.9 vs. 51.5; fully standing, 7.3 vs. 8.5); in Euroconfort cubicles, they hit bars more often when getting up than in U.S. Cubicles (percentage of observations: 42.4 vs. 26.4. Without a brisket board, cows lay down more often in a fore position in U.S. cubicles than in Euroconfort ones. Somatic cell counts increased with time in U.S. cubicles on rails and decreased in the other cubicles. It is suggested that the position of the neck rail in U.S. cubicles cantilevered on rails did not leave enough space for the cow to stand inside the cubicle, thereby encouraging the cow to lie down. This could in turn favor udder contamination and/or inflammation. It is concluded that the positioning of the neck rail is of prime importance, that U.S. cubicles should be used with a brisket board and with correct positioning of the neck rail (even when a head rail is used), and that leaving a large space between head rails does not offer an adequate remedial solution for keeping a free head space in front of the cubicle.     

Four milk cows dead by electrocution

Two dairy cows were found dead in their cubicles and a third was found lying dazed in a stall but the animal stood up 5 minutes later. Two days later; two other cows were found dead in the same row of cubicles. Death was due to electrocution caused by an electric wire in a steel pipe connected to front of the cubicles. Post-mortem findings supported this diagnosis.     

Housing of dogs and cats in animal shelters]

The results of an examination of 10 animal shelters was, that anyone was unical. The everyday and fundamental problems in administration, housing animals and animal care were the same: Most of them employ laity, which do their job with a lot of commitment but without knowledge. Therefore they come into conflict with the demands of animal protection. Veterinary surgeons, responsible authorities and communities are strongly asked to take steps against the situation. The reason for the fact, that such steps are missed, is, that there is no guideline or recommendation available for these persons, which handles animal shelters relative to "animal justice" and the right housing of animals. The results of the survey helps to make a guideline for animal home owners and builders, veterinary surgeons, veterinary authorities and communities, which gives suggestions to build, equip and run animal shelters for cats and dogs responsible regarding the individual circumstances and in the best way for animals.     

Practical experiences with the new guidelines "Animal Welfare Aspects for the Organization of Pet Markets"of the German Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs

Though being controversially discussed in the fore field the new guidelines "Animal Welfare Aspects for the Organization of Pet Markets" of the German Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs create a standard supported by the main associations of both animal welfare activists and keepers of animals concerned by this subject. This standard was created as a means of achieving high animal welfare standards at these markets all over Germany. First practical experience with the guidelines show that their strict application can greatly improve conditions for the animals. It remains a challenge for the veterinary authorities however to develop inspection concepts for each market jointly with the organizer. Inspections at each event followed by appropriate executive measures further help to ensure conditions in accordance with German Animal Welfare legislation. Besides the opportunity of making conditions with the obligatory licence of pet merchants should be taken.     

The management of intensive dairy farms can be improved for better welfare and milk yield

The intensive breeding is often considered a risk of low welfare in dairy cows. Namely, the high yield has been suggested to be per se a cause of well-being reduction. Conversely, we have in many farms demonstrated that high milk yielding cows are not necessarily in a bad welfare condition, while many environmental and management problems can cause a distress situation and a reduced milk yield. To confirm these results, in an average yielding dairy farm affected by several problems, the welfare was assessed according to an Integrated Diagnostic System which considers health status, milk yield and quality, feeding strategy, blood profiles etc. The same check-up has been repeated a year later, after some attempts to correct main mistakes previously observed: dry and lactating cow diets, n° of cubicles, hygiene conditions, preparation and milking procedures etc. In one year only part of the mistakes have been fully corrected; nevertheless, the animal response was definitively improved suggesting a better welfare situation: improvement of teat and body condition (BCS) scores and reduction of open days, of legs and feet lesions and of somatic cell count (SCC : 283 vs. 456 cells/μl) as well as an increase of milk yield (25.2 vs. 20.1 kg/d).

Results confirmed that better breeding techniques can optimise the animal welfare and optimise milk yield in the intensive systems.     

2018年进口奶牛检疫情况分析

随着十多年的超速发展,我国奶牛业已由单一品种的散养方式逐步转变为高产品种的规模化、集约化养殖方式。然而,我国奶牛整体遗传素质不高,多为进口高产奶牛与地方奶牛的低代次改良品种,以致原奶质量参差不齐,严重制约了我国奶业的健康发展。因此,大规模引进高品质的奶牛品种,已成为我国优化奶牛基因、推动畜牧业产业化发展的重要抓手,但同时也为检疫工作带来了挑战。本文通过分析2018年我国进口奶牛数量、来源国、疫病检出、进境口岸及隔离检疫场分布等数据,结合各来源国的疫病防控特点,有针对性地提出检疫要点,为我国全面提升进口奶牛的检疫水平、切实做好奶牛群体遗传改良计划、加快推进畜牧业转型升级提供参考。     

Herd and cow characteristics affecting the odds of veterinary treatment for disease – a multilevel analysis

Background

Research has indicated that a number of different factors affect whether an animal receives treatment or not when diseased. The aim of this paper was to evaluate if herd or individual animal characteristics influence whether cattle receives veterinary treatment for disease, and thereby also introduce misclassification in the disease recording system.

Methods

The data consisted mainly of disease events reported by farmers during 2004. We modelled odds of receiving veterinary treatment when diseased, using two-level logistic regression models for cows and young animals (calves and heifers), respectively. Model parameters were estimated using three procedures, because these procedures have been shown, under some conditions, to produce biased estimates for multi-level models with binary outcomes.

Results

Cows located in herds mainly consisting of Swedish Holstein cows had higher odds for veterinary treatment than cows in herds mainly consisting of Swedish Red cows. Cows with a disease event early in lactation had higher odds for treatment than when the event occurred later in lactation. There were also higher odds for veterinary treatment of events for cows in January and April than in July and October. The odds for veterinary treatment of events in young animals were higher if the farmer appeared to be good at keeping records. Having a disease event at the same date as another animal increased the odds for veterinary treatment for all events in young animals, and for lameness, metabolic, udder and other disorders, but not for peripartum disorders, in cows. There were also differences in the odds for veterinary treatment between disease complexes, both for cows and young animals.The random effect of herd was significant in both models and accounted for 40–44% of the variation in the cow model and 30–46% in the young animal model.

Conclusion

We conclude that cow and herd characteristics influence the odds for veterinary treatment and that this might bias the results from studies using data from the cattle disease database based on veterinary practice records.     

Veterinary dairy herd health management in Europe: constraints and perspectives

The nature of veterinary work in dairy health management in Europe has changed over the past years and will change even more dramatically in the near future. The consumers and the media show increasing concern about animal welfare, safety of products of animal origin and traceability of animal products. Farmers in Europe have to produce under strict, often expensive and laborious regulations, while still commercially competing with farmers outside the EU and not subject to the same rules. Veterinarians should adapt their knowledge and skills to the new challenges and developments of the dairy sector. Dairy farmers nowadays ask for support in areas that go beyond clinical activities: environmental protection, welfare, nutrition, grassland management, economics and business management. Bovine practitioners should be able to advise in many different areas and subjects--that is the challenge to our profession. Veterinary education with regards to cattle health management should start with individual animal clinical work, which constitutes the basis of herd health advisory programmes. The bovine practitioner should then look beyond that and regard the herd as the unit. Each diseased cow or group of cows should be detected early enough to avoid financial losses or such losses should be prevented altogether by detecting and managing risk factors contributing to disease occurrence. Herd health and production management programmes represent the first level to optimise dairy farm performance. Expansions to that should further be considered, comprising both animal health and welfare issues, as well as food safety and public health issues. The latter could be addressed by quality risk management programmes following the HACCP-principles. Cattle veterinarians should follow recent developments and invest in new skills and knowledge in order to maintain their usefulness to the modern dairy farmer. Finally we are convinced that the cattle practitioner should evolve into this direction, otherwise the veterinarian as we know him will miss the train in the next years.     

Welfare assessment in intensive and semi-intensive dairy cattle management system in Sicily

The present study aimed to compare the welfare of dairy cows kept in two traditional husbandry systems (semi-intensive and intensive farming) in south-eastern Sicily. A total of 18 dairy farms (nine semi-intensive and nine intensive) were evaluated with a multicriteria system adapted for Sicilian conditions and obtained simplifying the model of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Values of welfare measures, collected by inspections of the farms (general well-being indicators, ventilation system, resting areas [cubicles or bedding], flooring, milking parlours and waiting area, manger and watering equipment), and those of health categories (cases of abortions, hypocalcemia, displacement of abomasum, acidosis/ketosis, enteritis, hoof problems, and mastitis) obtained through the farm records, were compared using Mann–Whitney and Chi-squared tests, respectively. Data showed significant differences (p ≤ .05) about the variables related to welfare categories such as housing ventilation system, resting area, manger, and water equipment that were better in the semi-intensive system than the intensive system. No significant differences were observed about the variables related to health indicators. The results demonstrated that in Sicily the semi-intensive farm is better than the intensive to satisfy the conditions of animal welfare.     

The national milk safety program and drug residues in milk.

There are a number of factors that must be considered in any attempt to control animal drug residues in milk and milk products. Dairy herds vary greatly in number of cows. Milk from individual cows and farms is pooled, diluting drug residues that may be present in the milk from a single treated cow. Management techniques, including the handling, administration, and record keeping of animal drugs, vary greatly from one dairy to another. It is important that both veterinarians and nonveterinarians adhere to adequate milk discard times for animal drugs used to treat dairy animals. Observance of appropriate safeguards at the farm level, such as record keeping and clearly identifying treated animals, is critical for controlling and preventing the presence of illegal animal drug residues. Within the framework of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act, the FDA is working with state and other regulatory agencies and industry to better ensure the absence of illegal animal drug residues in milk and milk products. Preventive measures concentrate on minimizing the need to administer animal drugs to lactating cows, and diverting milk containing drug residues from the human food supply. Monitoring programs concentrate on screening milk and tracing violations to the individual producer. Minimizing illegal drug residues in milk and milk products requires close cooperation between farmers, veterinarians, the dairy industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and regulators.     

Is experience on a farm an effective approach to understanding animal products and the management of dairy farming?

The understanding of animal products and dairy farming is important for the promotion of dairy farming. Thus, to examine the effects of farm experience on the understanding of animal products and the management of dairy farming, the interaction between students and dairy cows was investigated in groups of first‐year veterinary nursing students in 2011 and 2012 (n = 201). These students included 181 women and 20 men. Nine items about dairy cows were presented in a questionnaire. The survey was performed before and after praxis on the educational farm attached to the authors' university. After praxis on the farm, increases occurred in the number of positive responses to the items involving the price of milk, dairy farming and the taste of milk. For these items, a significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between the scores obtained before and after training. The results of the study suggested that farm experience is useful for improving the understanding of animal products and dairy farming.     

Farm animal welfare research in interaction with society

Over the last 30 years concern about farm animal welfare has increased and has become a public issue in the Netherlands. Public discussion has stimulated research in this field, financed by both government and industry. Dutch society in general and consumers of animal products in particular, want to see high standards of welfare for production animals. Good animal welfare has gradually gained more impact in the total quality concept of the product. This will encourage scientists to continue to analyse the welfare status of animals and to come up with innovative solutions for the remaining problems. At ID-Lelystad much effort is put into farm animal welfare research. This research includes for example, the development of behavioural tests for quantifying and interpreting fear in cattle, investigations into the effects of dietary iron supply and a lack of roughage on behaviour, immunology, stress physiology, and pathology in veal calves, studies of the ontogeny of tail biting in finishing pigs and feather pecking in laying hens as well as evaluation of the welfare effects of automatic milking in dairy cows. The results of these projects contribute to concrete improvements in animal husbandry and expertise and support policy making and legislation. The animal industry as well as retailers should aim at the further implementation of this knowledge and to specify welfare standards to guarantee consumer acceptance of animal production.     

基于动物福利视角的规模化奶牛养殖场经济效应分析

本研究遵循动物福利"5F"原则,结合150家规模化奶牛养殖场实地调研数据,构建奶牛场动物福利评价体系,测度动物福利水平,并进一步建立嵌入动物福利水平测度值的规模化奶牛养殖场收入函数,验证关联效应.结果表明:生理福利和环境福利是影响我国规模化奶牛养殖场动物福利的最重要的2个维度,受访的规模化奶牛养殖场生理福利和环境福利的...     

Official veterinary supervision of zoos--experiences in Brandenburg

Based on the law of animal welfare and on the EU-rule about keeping of wild animals in zoological gardens 15 zoological gardens in Brandenburg were inspected by a temporary team consisting of one veterinarian from the state office of feeds and agriculture, the local authorized veterinarian and one director of the zoogardens. Data of every zoological garden at first were recorded by special lists of queries. So it was possible to estimate the keeping conditions and to realize deficiencies and the main problems. During the local inspection these data were controlled and the structure of keeping units as well as the conditions and behaviour of the animals were evaluated. Every unit was evaluated taking into consideration all points of view. If necessary proposals for improvements were made which were to enforce by the local authority. Furthermore the documentation and the economic areas were inspected. The number of kept species and animals was relatively low. Only two zoological gardens were to classify as mean ones. The majority of the fences and aviaries corresponded with the minimal demands of the today rules resp. was larger in the dimension and space. There were very nice keeping units, but also some deficiently in the structure or in the quality of the ground. By some photographs positive and negative examples are demonstrated. The feeding and also the veterinary service were on high level. The team found out that staffs of the zoogardens had a positive position to animal welfare. Step by step they improved the keeping conditions. The central inspection by a multi-professional team was estimated positively and should be repeated in certain intervals. The used lists of queries were suitable. The valid rules and guide lines should be revised in near future.     

Management practices associated with udder health of first-parity dairy cows in early lactation

This study aimed at investigating associations between management routines including feeding, housing, and milking around calving, and udder health of first-parity cows in early lactation in Swedish large, high producing, low bulk-milk somatic cell count (SCC) dairy herds housed in free stalls. Seventy-two dairy herds participated and data concerning 1189 first-parity cows calving during the study period (October 2005-January 2006) was collected. Multivariable regression analysis were performed with three different outcomes; within-herd number of first-parity cows veterinary treated for clinical mastitis at days -10 to 60 after calving, within-herd number of first-parity cows with a SCC> or =200,000cells/mL at first test-day, and SCC of first-parity cows at first test-day. Cow factors significantly associated with good udder health of first-parity cows (few cases of clinical mastitis and or low SCC) were being of the Swedish Red breed, having a high milk yield at first test-day, and a milk-urea > or =5mmol/L at first test-day. Herd factors significantly associated with good udder health were having mattresses as flooring in the cubicles in the lactating cow housing, and to house the first-parity cows in tie stalls 1 month before calving. Cow factors significantly associated with poor udder health of first-parity cows were having a milk-urea <4mmol/L at first test-day. Herd factors significantly associated with poor udder health of first-parity cows were feeding first-parity cows sugar-beet pulp or corn silage, and to give silage from a different batch to pregnant heifers than to lactating cows. Moreover, to have sawdust or shavings in the calving pen, to be moved from the calving pen > or =2 days after calving, to milk first-parity cows at the calving site instead of in the parlor, and to rinse, clean or disinfect milking units before a first-parity cow was milked were also significantly associated with poor udder health of first-parity cows. The results indicate that different control measures must be taken depending on the nature of the udder health problem.     

The role of councils on animal ethics in assessing acceptable welfare standards in agriculture

The way production animals are treated is a matter of public concern, and public opinion is often a driving force to introduce new animal welfare legislation. In Norway, a Council on Animal Ethics has been appointed by the authorities since 1993. The composition of the council is broad and it encounters both lay people and experts. The council is independent and advisory, only. It shall be a “guard dog” and follow the developments in animal production and other areas where man makes use of animals, and give advice to the authorities on the need for change in legislation and administrative practices. An important task for the council is also to contribute to and facilitate an informed public debate on animal welfare standards and animal ethics.