Observations on the use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in teleosts and elasmobranchs at a public aquarium, 728 cases, 2007-2020.

Between 2007 and 2020 at New England Aquarium, Boston, MA, USA, we implanted passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags into 728 fish representing 105 teleost and elasmobranch species to identify animals as individuals. At the time of retrospective data analysis, mean longevity interval (median, range) after tag placement for animals that remained alive (n = 236) was 4.7 years (4.5, 0.3-13.8). Mean interval (median, range) between tag placement and death (n = 317) was 2.1 years (1.6, 0-11.2); and mean interval (median, range) between tag placement and transfer to other facilities (n = 175) was 2.5 years (3.1, 0.1-9.3). Possible adverse effects of tagging were extremely rare. Using the described methods, the equipment cost for every 10 PIT tag implantations was $2.83. PIT tag implantation in fishes is a safe and cost effective method to identify individuals, providing an opportunity to accumulate valuable data regarding individual longevity, welfare, basic demographics, and outcome of medical management. PIT tag implantation is recommended as a routine aspect of acquisition, quarantine, and medical management of fish under human care.

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.

#Eggs: social and online media-derived perceptions of egg-laying hen housing.

Enormous quantities of data are generated through social and online media in the era of Web 2.0. Understanding consumer perceptions or demand efficiently and cost effectively remains a focus for economists, retailer/consumer sciences, and production industries. Most of the efforts to understand demand for food products rely on reports of past market performance along with survey data. Given the movement of content-generation online to lay users via social media, the potential to capture market-influencing shifts in sentiment exists in online data. This analysis presents a novel approach to studying consumer perceptions of production system attributes using eggs and laying hen housing, which have received significant attention in recent years. The housing systems cage-free and free-range had the greatest number of online hits in the searches conducted, compared with the other laying hen housing types. Less online discussion surrounded enriched cages, which were found by other methods/researchers to meet many key consumer preferences. These results, in conjunction with insights into net sentiment and words associated with different laying hen housing in online and social media, exemplify how social media listening may complement traditional methods to inform decision-makers regarding agribusiness marketing, food systems, management, and regulation. Employing web-derived data for decision-making within agrifood firms offers the opportunity for actionable insights tailored to individual businesses or products.

Quantifying poor working equid welfare in Nepalese brick kilns using a welfare assessment tool.

BACKGROUND: Across Asia the brick-kiln industry is expanding. In Nepal, urban dwelling has increased in recent years, raising requirement for low-cost, mass produced bricks to meet the population needs. Working equids (WEs) play a key role in non-mechanised kilns. Assessing the welfare of these equids is the starting point to addressing concerns. In line with One Welfare principles, the health and welfare of animals, people and the kiln environment are interlinked. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In December 2019, 119 WEs were assessed in seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal, using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool, developed by The Donkey Sanctuary. The objective was to measure welfare at the start of the brick kiln season. RESULTS: Horses were the predominant species of WE. Hazardous housing and environments were seen in all kilns. Behaviour responses were mixed. Owner responses and animal examination indicated poor working conditions. Signs of harmful practice were evident in most animals. The majority were underweight, with poor general health, skin alterations and musculoskeletal issues. CONCLUSION: The welfare of equids prior to starting brick kiln work is poor, posing significant concerns for the actual working period. Intervention to enhance health and welfare is required.

Welfare of horses from Mexico and the United States of America transported for slaughter in Mexico: Fitness profiles for transport and pre-slaughter logistics.

Every year thousands of horses from Mexico and the United States of America (USA) are transported to slaughter in Mexico, but little is known about their welfare or pre-slaughter logistics. In this study, we recorded the origin, sex, age and condition of horses (121 journeys, 2648 animals) upon arrival to an abattoir in northern Mexico, including transport details. Horse welfare was measured indirectly via individual scores for body condition, coat quality, lameness, ocular and nasal discharge, as well as reactivity to a chute restraint test, all performed shortly after unloading. The average journey duration was 9.69 (±7.6) hours for horses from Mexico and 16.77 (±4.51) hours for horses from the USA (77 % of all journeys). The prevalence of ocular discharge, nasal discharge, skin wounds, lameness and diarrhoea, were 23 %, 12 %, 11 %, 9 %, 1 % (respectively) of all the horses observed, with no significant differences between Mexican and American horses (P ≥ 0.05). During the chute test the American horses were calmer than the Mexican ones (P < 0.001), who were more restless and aggressive (P = 0.001). Likewise, vocalizations in their three variants during the restraint, neigh/whinny (P = 0.018), nicker (P < 0.001), and snort (P = 0.018), were more common in horses from Mexico. In order to help characterize fitness for transport, a two-step cluster analysis was applied using the welfare indicators, suggesting the existence of four clusters (C) evaluated on arrival at the abattoir (from good to very poor fitness): good (profile C4, n = 769, 29.1 %), average (profile C1, n = 799 horses, 30.2 %), poor (profile C3, n = 586, 22.1 %) and very poor (profile C2, n = 494, 18.6 %). In fact, the C4 best welfare group had 0% lame, 0% nasal discharge, 16.4 % ocular discharge, 7.9 % skin wounds. Instead, the C2 poorest welfare group had 45.8 % lame, 61.1 % nasal discharge, 42.8 % ocular discharge, and 19.9 % skin wounds. Results show potential for using nasal discharge, lameness and ocular discharge as key indicators of horse fitness and welfare on abattoir. The study provides detailed scientific data to help establish strategies regarding optimal days of recovery post-transport and fattening for homogenization of weights between animals of different origins, logistic planning, and optimization of logistic resources to minimize the biological cost of long-distance transport.

Assessment of Small Ruminant Welfare in Ethiopia - An Abattoir-Based Study.

This paper presents the results of a cross-sectional study assessing the welfare of sheep and goats in a large abattoir in central Ethiopia, using qualitative and quantitative approaches. A total of 384 nonhuman animals (192 sheep and 192 goats) underwent clinical examination and behavioral observation in 2014. The study also included behavioral observation of 57 animal handlers, and a qualitative assessment of animal welfare conditions at the abattoir. Clinical examination revealed dirty wool/hair (54.9%), poor body condition (15.8%), and respiratory disorders (14.0%). The most commonly observed behaviors were refusing to move (17.1%), panting (15.8%) and reversing (10.4%). Significantly higher proportion of sheep exhibited resistance behaviors such as refusing to move (21.4% of sheep and 13.0% of goats; p < 0.030) and resistance to being pulled (12.5% of sheep and 6.3% of goats; p < 0.0036). Handlers frequently beat (87.7%), pushed (57.9%) and pulled (49.1%) the animals. Poor handling of animals was very common and could result in animal distress and falls. In collaboration with the abattoir workers, the authors developed simple good practice to improve welfare and reduce losses from poor welfare.

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Little research has been carried out into how guinea pigs are cared for in the UK, and information regarding potential welfare issues is sparse. This study was designed to examine the five welfare needs, collecting data on the extent to which these are each met by a sample of UK guinea pig owners. METHODS: A survey of 4590 owners was conducted. RESULTS: Guinea pigs were housed in a variety of ways, but a hutch or cage, with no attached run, was the most common enclosure. The majority reportedly lived with a conspecific, although some lived on their own, or with a rabbit. Significant associations between aspects of housing and husbandry, and behaviour and health were found, for example, the frequency of positive behaviours displayed was higher in those guinea pigs housed with a conspecific and those in larger enclosures, while the number of reported health issues was lower in animals receiving green vegetables more often. CONCLUSION: This study has identified common practices, and highlighted some potential welfare issues, which would benefit from further research. The authors suggest improved availability of targeted information may enable owners to improve issues identified here.

On-farm welfare assessment of commercial Pekin ducks: a comparison of methods.

Although a number of welfare assessment methods have been developed for poultry, none have been evaluated for use in commercial duck farms. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability and relative accuracy of 4 duck welfare assessment strategies. Over 2 experiments, 12 flocks of commercial meat ducks (5,850 to 6,300 ducks/flock) aged 30 to 34 D were evaluated. During experiment 1, six flocks were evaluated using 2 welfare assessment methods: transect walks (TW) and catch-and-inspect (CAI). During TW, 2 observers walked predetermined transects along the length of the house and recorded the number of ducks per transect that were featherless, were dirty, were lethargic, had bloody feathers, had infected eyes, and/or had plugged nostrils or were found dead. During CAI, a total of 150 ducks per flock were corralled and individually evaluated. The same welfare indicators were assessed using both methods. During experiment 2, six flocks were initially evaluated using CAI, TW, and a distance evaluation (DE; a total of 50 ducks per flock evaluated from a walking distance) and then reassessed within 24 h during the loadout (LO) process. Data were analyzed in SAS (version 9.4) to determine the observer and method effects on the incidence of welfare indicators. Interobserver reliability was high (P > 0.05) across methods for most welfare indicators. The assessment method affected the measured outcome variables in both experiments (P < 0.05). CAI resulted in higher estimated incidences of most welfare indicators than TW (experiment 1 and 2) and LO (experiment 2). DE yielded intermediate results compared with other methods (experiment 2). Results obtained using TW and LO were most similar, the only difference being the number of dead birds observed using each method (P < 0.0001). The average time required for CAI, TW, DE, and LO was 2.40 ± 0.004, 1.12 ± 0.02, 1.54 ± 0.001, 3.56 ± 0.006 h, respectively. Bootstrapping analyses showed that the observed welfare indicator prevalence estimates were affected by the number of transects (TW) and number of birds (CAI) sampled.

Assessment of farmers' compliance in implementing recommended cow comfort changes and their effects on lying time, stall and cow cleanliness within smallholder dairy farms in Kenya.

Our study aimed to evaluate farmers' compliance in implementing recommendations of farm-specific cow comfort changes, and the effects of these changes on lying time, stall cleanliness and cow cleanliness using a randomized controlled trial carried out on 100 smallholder dairy farms in Kenya, with 62 and 11 farms remaining in the intervention and control groups, respectively. On the first farm visit, data loggers were attached on lactating cows to determine lying time and questionnaires utilized to collect baseline data. Three days later, stall design and management recommendations were given to the intervention group of farmers orally and in written form. After an average of 39 ±â€¯7 days, data loggers were re-attached, compliance was assessed, and a post-intervention questionnaire was administered to the intervention group on the third visit. Three days subsequent to the first and third visits, data loggers were removed from all cows. Data were analysed in Stata 14.2® using proportion tests and Kruskal-Wallis rank tests to compare cleanliness scores and lying time, respectively. Interaction effects between treatment groups and visits were assessed using multivariable mixed linear and logistic regression models. While 46 of the 62 intervention farmers (74%) made at least one recommended change to cow comfort, 63% of the 324 overall recommendations were implemented. The odds of a recommendation being implemented were significantly higher when:1) major recommendations were given relative to minor recommendations (OR = 6.28); 2) recommendations were related to floor characteristics (floor softness and flatness) in comparison to recommendations related to stall design (OR = 3.14). The odds of compliance were lower on: 1) farms where the farm-hands received the recommendations compared to farms that had the female principal farmer receive the recommendations (OR = 0.01); 2) farms that had recommended changes related to roof, alley and sharps fixes relative to stall design fixes (OR = 0.13). Post-intervention, stall, udder and upper hind-leg cleanliness scores improved significantly (p < 0.0001, p = 0.021 and p = 0.017, respectively) in the intervention farms but not in the control farms. There was no significant difference in lying times between intervention and control farms, with 0.6 and 0.2 h/day increases being recorded in the intervention and control groups, from the 10.9 and 10.4 h/day at baseline, respectively. Giving farm-specific cow comfort recommendations to smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, and providing them with a participatory role in the formulation and implementation of improvement recommendations ensured good acceptance and a high degree of implementation, and led to a subsequent improvement in cow comfort and cleanliness.

An Assessment of Welfare Conditions in Wildlife Markets across Morocco.

The welfare of wild-caught animals in markets has generally been overlooked by both wildlife trade and welfare studies, despite the potential negative impacts on the animals. Morocco is a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health and has proposed draft legislation prohibiting mistreatment or abuse of animals in captivity. There is still, however, a bustling wild animal trade, and vendor compliance with industry-standard best practices is lacking. This study provides insight into the conditions of 2113 wild-caught animals in markets in six of the largest cities in Morocco by scoring their welfare based on four of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee Five Freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom to express normal behavior, and freedom from distress. Over 88% of animals were housed in situations that broke all four of the freedoms measured, and only 9 animals were in situations that broke none. Access to water, sun/heat exposure, and ability to hide from stressors were particularly poor. We urge the Moroccan government to fulfill its commitment to establish welfare laws and devote resources to their application.

Welfare assessment of conventional and organic broilers in Denmark, with emphasis on leg health.

The aim of this study was to survey and report the walking ability in broilers housed in both conventional and organic production systems in Denmark. To this end, the authors assessed the walking ability, by using the Bristol scale, in 31 conventional broiler flocks and in 29 organic broiler flocks distributed across Denmark. In addition, assessment of contact dermatitis, leg abnormalities, scratches and plumage cleanliness, as well as postmortem analysis of tibial dyschondroplasia, was performed in conventional broilers. The survey found a prevalence of 77.4 per cent of impaired walking ability (gait score (GS) >0) in conventional broilers and 38.1 per cent in organic broilers. The prevalence of severe lameness (GS >2) was 5.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent for conventional and organic broilers, respectively. The prevalence of tibial dyschondroplasia in conventional broilers was 4.7 per cent. The results on other welfare indicators are also presented for conventional broilers. The results from the present and previous surveys indicate that the prevalence of impaired walking ability in broiler chickens in the Danish conventional production system is high, but the severity has been steadily decreasing over the last 19 years. Furthermore, the results from the survey of organic broilers suggest that lameness is less prevalent and severe in this system relative to conventional production.

Epidemiological investigation of euthanasia in an Ontario animal shelter.

Objectives The objective was to evaluate factors associated with euthanasia in an animal shelter in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Methods Data from 3737 cats admitted to the shelter between January and December 2011 were evaluated. Results Overall, 1989/3737 (53%) of admitted cats were euthanized. Male cats had greater odds of being euthanized than females (odds ratio [OR] 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-2.05; P <0.001) and surrendered cats were more likely to be euthanized than strays (OR 38.0, 95% CI 14.8-97.69; P <0.001). Black cats were more likely to be euthanized than cats of another color (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.16-1.80; P <0.001). Cats that spent >5 days in the shelter were more likely to be euthanized than those that spent <5 days in the shelter (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.25-1.97; P <0.001). Cats that spent >20 days in the shelter were less likely to be euthanized than those that spent <5 days in the shelter (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.19-0.34; P <0.001). Age, an age quadratic term, neuter status and interactions among these variables were statistically significant; the odds of unneutered animals being euthanized was high and relatively stable across age groups, but in neutered animals the odds of being euthanized increased with age before plateauing in older cats. Conclusions and relevance With >50% of the cats admitted to the shelter in 2011 euthanized, it is important to understand the contributing risk factors that predispose shelter cats to euthanasia and what changes can be made to the shelter system and in owner education to lower the incidence of euthanasia.

Association between a shelter-neuter-return program and cat health at a large municipal animal shelter.

OBJECTIVE To determine effects of a shelter-neuter-return (SNR) program on cat admissions and health at a large municipal animal shelter in Northern California. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS 117,383 cats for which data were recorded in the San Jose Animal Care Center database between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013. PROCEDURES Shelter records were analyzed for trends in cat demographic data, shelter intake and outcome types, and prevalence of upper respiratory infection (URI) over the 8-year period and before and after initiation of an SNR program on March 8, 2010. RESULTS Number of cats admitted to the shelter each year decreased significantly over 8 years; beginning in 2010, duration of stay decreased. Proportion of cats euthanized decreased from 66.6% (28,976/43,517) in the pre-SNR period to 34.9% (11,999/34,380) in the post-SNR period, whereas prevalence of URI increased from 5.5% to 6.8%, and median duration of shelter stay decreased from 6 to 5 days for cats < 4 months of age and from 8 to 6 days for older cats. With implementation of the SNR program and a new treatment policy for cats with URI, more cats received treatment with less medication, yielding cost savings. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Initiation of the SNR program was associated with a decreased number of cats admitted to the shelter and a lower proportion euthanized. With increased resources to care for cats with URI and changes in the URI treatment protocol, fewer cats were euthanized for URI and more cats were treated at lower cost and with a briefer shelter stay.

The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population.

BACKGROUND: The welfare of pet rabbits is an area of growing interest in Europe and the UK. This study analyses questionnaire results from a diverse population of 1254 rabbit owners from three different geographical areas in England with the aim of providing an accurate representation of how pet rabbits are currently housed and cared for and key aspects of their health and welfare. RESULTS: Rabbits were kept in a variety of different housing types, the most common being a traditional hutch/cage (59%). Although the majority had additional exercise areas, access was often unpredictable, or ill-timed, which may compromise welfare. Only 41.9% of owners kept their rabbit with conspecifics, limiting their ability to engage in social behaviour. Of those rabbits housed with a companion, although many were reported to be amicable and to engage in positive interactions, over a quarter were reported to fight at least occasionally (25.3%), whilst 22.7% guarded resources and 27.1% avoided one another. Whilst low levels of some of these behaviours may be a normal part of social interaction, the relatively high levels reported here suggest that not all cohabiting pairs of rabbits are compatible, which is potentially a significant welfare issue.Although the vast majority of owners fed hay for over 10% this was less than daily. Pelleted foods were very popular (71.4% at least daily) compared to commercial muesli mixes (32.6%). As in previous studies, dental problems were commonly reported (12.2% of rabbits); however, so were eye problems (12.9%), digestive problems (11.5%) and parasites (11.3%). A large proportion of rabbits (58%) were thought to be fearful of loud noises, and 61% were not reported as calm when handled by their owner, which may be a significant concern for this species. CONCLUSION: This study has confirmed and expanded on previous findings: many pet rabbits were found to be in good health, had compatible companions and were provided with enriched living areas. However, it also found numerous welfare issues that affect large numbers of pet rabbits. We suggest further studies are required exploring the accuracy of owner reports (which possibly under-report many problems) and prioritising the issues raised here.

The role of cognitive styles and sociodemographic characteristics in consumer perceptions and attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare.

Given the increasing importance of exploring consumers' concerns about the welfare of farmed animals, a survey questionnaire was designed to investigate the role of cognitive styles along with sociodemographic characteristics in consumers' perceptions about nonhuman animal welfare (AW) and their willingness to pay for animal-friendly products. The results revealed that the survey respondents were concerned about AW and had negative perceptions of the way animals were treated. They showed positive attitudes toward some actions to be taken for improving AW and strongly agreed to pay more for animal-friendly products. Consistent with previous studies, results revealed significant associations between sociodemographics and concern toward AW. However, some observed differences were highlighted by cognitive styles rather than by sociodemographic characteristics. These results indicate a significant link between cognitive styles and perceptions and attitudes toward AW, which may outweigh previously found sociodemographic differences and fuel the contemporary debate on AW.

The Internet and health information: differences in pet owners based on age, gender, and education.

OBJECTIVE: The research assessed the attitudes and behaviors of pet owners pertaining to online search behavior for pet health information. METHODS: A survey was conducted with a random sample of pet owners drawn from two US metropolitan areas and surrounding cities. Participating clinics were chosen randomly, and each participating clinic was asked to distribute 100 surveys to their clients until all surveys were disbursed. RESULTS: Although some perceptions and behaviors surrounding the use of the Internet for pet health information differ based on gender, age, or education level of pet owners, there are many aspects in which there are no differences based on these demographics. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the study suggest that closer examination of the common perception that gender, age, or education level has an effect on Internet behavior as it relates to veterinary medicine is required. Recommendations are made pertaining to the growing presence of the Internet and its impact on veterinary medicine.

Demographic and needs assessment survey of animal care and control agencies.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize demographic and needs assessment information for animal care and control agencies in Ohio. DESIGN: Mail survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 222 animal care and control agencies. PROCEDURE: A questionnaire was mailed to animal care and control agencies in Ohio. Data were collected for 1996. RESULTS: Of 222 agencies contacted, 180 (81%) responded. Agencies estimated that they spent $28.4 million ($2.47/person). Approximately 339,207 animals were taken in, comprising 214,143 (63%) dogs, 114,877 (34%) cats, and 10,187 (3%) wildlife or other species. Of these animals, a fourth were adopted, about a tenth were reclaimed by their owners, and two thirds were euthanatized. Approximately 302,589 animal control complaints were received, and 22,053 (7%) citations were issued. One hundred three (57%) agencies reported 25,564 cruelty complaints; criminal charges were filed for 543 (2%) cases, with 445 (82%) resulting in guilty verdicts. Among 155 agencies that provided information, 87 (56%) had spay/neuter policies. Only 69 of 178 (39%) agencies reported an association with a veterinarian. Less than half (64/150; 43%) of the agencies administered vaccinations, and 69 of 152 (45%) treated animals for intestinal parasites. The top 5 things needed by agencies were capital/facility improvements, increased funding, improved legislation for animals, educational needs, and veterinary services. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In Ohio in 1996, 9.9% of dogs and 4.5% of cats received care or assistance from animal care and control agencies. Only 39% of animal care and control agencies have an association with a veterinarian.