Evaluation of Two Practical Tools to Assess Cognitive Impairment in Aged Dogs.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is the most common cause of cognitive decline in aged dogs. Early diagnosis is crucial because the sooner treatment is implemented, the greater the chance of slowing the progression of the disease. Assessment tools to assess cognitive decline may differ depending on the environment in which the dogs live. The aims of this study were threefold, first, to describe two feasible methods to evaluate cognitive impairment in aged dogs living in different environments: (i) a Canine Cognitive Assessment Scale (CCAS) for dogs living in a home environment and (ii) a practical cognitive test (PCT) potentially useful for dogs not living in a home environment (NHE); second, to assess the effect of age on the outcome of both tools and, finally, to compare the results of the CCAS with those of the PCT. Both methods were found to be practical to perform. Age was found to significantly predict the score obtained by the CCAS (p = 0.0011) and the outcome of the PCT (p = 0.009). However, the reversal phase from the PCT did not significantly predict the outcomes of the CCAS (p = 0.97). Taken together, these findings suggest that the CCAS is a practical method to evaluate age related cognitive changes in owned dogs. The fact that the PCT has not been proven to be related with the CCAS calls into question the use of the PCT as a sensitive tool to assess cognitive impairment. Further studies in this field are suggested.

Welfare and Performance of Post-Weaning Sows and Piglets Previously Housed in Farrowing Pens with Temporary Crating on a Spanish Commercial Farm: A Pilot Study.

The study investigated the effect of farrowing environment on the weaning adaptability of sows and piglets. One farrowing crate (FC) and two farrowing pens with temporary crating (TC: SWAP and JLF15) were compared. Sixty-four sows and 663 piglets were followed until 5 days post-weaning. At weaning (D24), sows and piglets were moved to group pens and nursery pens, respectively. Sows and piglets' behaviors were observed on D24, D25, and D26. On D23, D25, and D26, piglets' skin lesions were counted, and sows and piglets' saliva samples were collected for stress biomarkers (cortisol and chromogranin A, CgA). Piglets were weighed on D23 and D29. All the piglets' skin lesions increased on D25 and decreased on D26 (p < 0.05). Compared to D23, cortisol of JLF15 and CgA of FC piglets increased, whereas those of SWAP piglets remained similar after weaning (p < 0.05). Post-weaning performance in piglets was similar across farrowing systems. SWAP sows vocalized more than FC and JLF15 on D24 and D25 (p < 0.001). Results suggested that SWAP piglets showed a lower weaning stress response. Frequent post-weaning vocalization in SWAP sows might be linked with a negative effect of the abrupt separation from the piglets.

Alteration in Activity Patterns of Cows as a Result of Pain Due to Health Conditions.

The main conditions and diseases considered painful in dairy cows are mastitis, lameness, calving (including dystocia and caesarean section) and metritis. The cattle literature reports that deviation from normal daily activity patterns (both increased and/or reduced daily lying time) can be indicative of painful conditions and diseases in cows. This narrative review discusses on how pain due to several health conditions in dairy cows modifies its activity pattern and explores if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are capable of restoring it. Divergent outcomes may differ depending upon the painful cause, the severity and the moment, and consequently its interpretation should be properly explained. For instance, cows with clinical mastitis reduced their time lying and increased the number of lying bouts and stepping due to pain caused by the swollen udder when cows are lying. However, lame cows show longer lying times, with a lower number of lying bouts and longer and more variable lying bouts duration, as compared to non-lame cows. When the relationship between painful disorders and daily activity patterns is studied, factors such as parity, bedding type and severity of disease are important factors to take into consideration. The potential benefits of the NSAIDs treatment in painful health disorders depend upon the type of drug administered, its dosage and administration mode, and the time of administration relative to the painful health disorder. This narrative review can be used as a tool to properly interpret and grade pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and proposes directions for future investigations.

Assessment of fluralaner as a treatment in controlling Dermanyssus gallinae infestation on commercial layer farms and the potential for resulting benefits of improved bird welfare and productivity.

BACKGROUND: Poultry red mite (PRM) (Dermanyssus gallinae) infestations are a cause of anaemia, impaired productivity and stress-related behaviours linked to reduced hen welfare. A study investigated the potential health, welfare and productivity benefits following fluralaner treatment to eliminate PRM from infested hens. METHODS: A PRM-infested layer house was selected on a free-range farm (5400 hens) and an aviary farm (42,400 hens). Fluralaner (Exzolt®; 0.5 mg/kg body weight) was administered twice, 7 days apart (Weeks 0 and 1), via drinking water. Mite populations were monitored by traps. Cameras recorded nighttime hen behaviours weekly, pre- and post-treatment. On the free-range farm, daytime behaviours were also recorded weekly. For pre- and post-treatment corticosterone assessments, eggs were randomly collected on both farms, and blood samples were collected from 50 randomly selected aviary farm hens. Production parameters were assessed using farm records. RESULTS: Throughout the post-treatment period, fluralaner efficacy against PRM was > 99% on both farms. On the aviary and free-range farms, treatment was followed by significant nighttime increases in the proportion of resting hens (P < 0.0001; P = 0.0175, respectively). Significant post-treatment versus pre-treatment nighttime reductions were observed in head shaking (aviary, P < 0.0001; free-range P = 0.0233) and preening (P = 0.0032; P = 0.0018) and on the aviary farm in bouts of body shaking (P = 0.0108), vertical wing shaking (P = 0.0002), head scratching (P = 0.0335), and gentle feather pecking (P < 0.0001). On the free-range farm there were significant daytime reductions in head scratching (P < 0.0001), head shaking (P = 0.0492) and preening (P = 0.0012). Relative to standard production parameters, no differences were detected on the aviary farm, but on the free-range farm the laying rate decline with increasing age was less than expected and the increase in egg weight greater than expected. Post-treatment increases in egg and plasma corticosterone were suggestive of stress factors in addition to mite infestation. Red blood cell counts and haematocrit increased following treatment. CONCLUSION: Fluralaner treatment eliminated mite challenge, leading to improved hen welfare and health, based on reductions in stress-related behaviours and restoration of the anaemia-inducing effects of mite blood feeding.

Oral Meloxicam Administration in Sows at Farrowing and Its Effects on Piglet Immunity Transfer and Growth.

Many factors can lead to an inadequate development of piglets during their first days of life, including poor maternal behavior, which can be due to pain caused by farrowing, and reduced colostrum ingestion. This study investigates the action of meloxicam administered orally at farrowing on piglet weight gain and immunity transfer. Thirty-five multiparous sows were divided into two groups and treated with 0.4 mg/kg of oral meloxicam (oral meloxicam group; n = 18) or with a mock administration (control group; n = 17). A total of 382 piglets were individually weighed on the farrowing day (day 0), as well as on days +9 and +20. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and A (IgA) concentrations in piglet serum and in sow's saliva, colostrum and milk were measured. Additionally, Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interferon gamma (IFN-⋎) in serum of piglets and in sow's milk or colostrum were studied. All samples were obtained on days +1, +9, and +20. Piglets from sows in the oral meloxicam group tended to grow faster from day +9 to day +20 than did piglets from control sows (p = 0.059), and this difference was also observed in piglets with low body weight (BW) at birth (p = 0.056). The oral meloxicam group sows tended to increase the colostrum levels of IgA and IgG, as compared with control sows on day +1 (p = 0.068 and p = 0.072, respectively). IgA levels in piglet serum from the oral meloxicam group were significantly higher than in the control group on day +1 and +9 (p = 0.019 and p = 0.011 respectively). Furthermore, IL-2 and IL-4 levels in the serum of piglets from sows in the oral meloxicam group tended to be higher than that in the control group on day +9 (p = 0.078 and 0.056, respectively). The administration of meloxicam orally at the beginning of farrowing in multiparous sows increased immunoglobin and cytokine concentrations in colostrum, improving both humoral and cellular immune response of piglets. Pre-weaning growth of piglets born with a low BW improved in the meloxicam-treated group.

Assessment of laying-bird welfare following acaricidal treatment of a commercial flock naturally infested with the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae).

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, a potential vector of pathogens to animals and humans, causes impaired bird welfare. A study investigated changes in behavioural variables, physiological biomarkers, and health parameters following acaricidal treatment of PRM infestation of laying hens on a commercial farm. Mite traps determined the challenge to 12,700 hens before and after drinking water administration of the acaricide, fluralaner (Exzolt®, 0.5 mg/kg; Weeks 0 and 1). Weekly daytime direct observations and night-time video recordings monitored bird behaviours from Weeks -6 through +6. Blood samples were collected from randomly-selected birds (Weeks -6, -1, and +6). Following treatment, mite count reductions (>99%) were statistically significant (P < 0.0001), as were night-time reductions in the percent of hens showing activity, preening, head scratching (all P < 0.0001), and head shaking (P = 0.0007). Significant daytime reductions were observed in preening and head scratching (both P < 0.0001), head shaking (P = 0.0389), severe feather pecking (P = 0.0002), and aggressive behaviour (P = 0.0165). Post-treatment, comb wounds were significantly reduced (P = 0.0127), and comb colour was significantly improved (P < 0.0001). Heterophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly reduced at Weeks 1 and 6 (P = 0.0009 and P < 0.0001, respectively). At Week 6, blood corticosterone (P = 0.0041) and total oxidant status (P < 0.0001) were significantly reduced, and haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin significantly increased (P < 0.0001). Farm production records indicated that those post-treatment improvements were accompanied by significant reductions in weekly mortality rate (P = 0.0169), and significant recovery in mean weekly egg weights (P < 0.0001) and laying rate (P < 0.0001). The improvements in behavioural variables, physiological biomarkers, and health parameters that were observed following the elimination of PRM on a commercial farm indicate that infestations can be a cause of reduced hen welfare.

Welfare Benefits of Intradermal Vaccination of Piglets.

Vaccination is reported as a stressful and painful event for animals. This study investigated whether needle-free intradermal vaccination improves the welfare of weaned pigs through the reduction of stress and pain biomarkers and improvement of behavioural parameters compared to traditional intramuscular injection with a needle. A total of 339 weaned piglets were allocated to 3 treatment groups: Intradermal Application of Liquids (IDAL) pigs, vaccinated against Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by means of intradermal vaccination using a needle-free device Porcilis® PCV ID; Intramuscular (IM) pigs vaccinated against PCV2 with Porcilis® PCV intramuscularly with a needle; CONTROL pigs were managed identically but did not receive any vaccine injection. At the time of the injection, the reaction of IDAL piglets was similar to control piglets, whereas a greater percentage of piglets vaccinated intramuscularly displayed high-pitch vocalizations (7% CONTROL, 7% IDAL, 32% IM) and retreat attempts (3% CONTROL, 7% IDAL, 39% IM). The day after vaccination, IDAL piglets did not differ from the control piglets for any of the behavioural variables studied through scan samplings. IM piglets showed a lower frequency of social negative interactions (p = 0.001) and rope manipulation (p = 0.04) compared to the CONTROL group. Resting postures did not differ between treatments. At 28 h post-vaccination, IDAL piglets presented lower blood C-reactive protein levels (CONTROL = 20 µg/mL; IDAL = 39 µg/mL; IM = 83 µg/mL, p < 0.0001) and blood Haptoglobin (CONTROL = 1.8 mg/mL; IDAL = 1.9 mg/mL vs. IM = 3.1 mg/mL, p < 0.0001) compared to IM piglets. Salivary chromogranin A and alpha-amylase did not differ between treatment groups when measured 25 min post-vaccination. The method of vaccination did not affect the growth of the piglets or their rectal temperature. These results support that needle-free intradermal vaccination reduces vaccination-related pain in growing pigs.

'Phasing out pig tail docking in the EU - present state, challenges and possibilities'.

BACKGROUND: European legislation dictates that pig tail docking is not allowed to be performed routinely (European Union. Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs. OJ L 47, 18.2.2009). Nevertheless, tail docking is still practiced routinely in many European countries, while four countries stopped routine tail docking completely. Tail docking is also practiced in many countries outside Europe.The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), the European Association of Porcine Health Management (EAPHM) together with the European Commission carried out an online survey to investigate the situation regarding the practice of pig tail docking and the provision of enrichment material across 24 European countries. It also focuses on the role of the veterinary profession and gives an overview on published literature regarding the challenges and possibilities related to the raising of pigs with intact tails. RESULTS: Fifty-seven (57) usable survey responses from 24 countries were received. On average 77% (median = 95%) of pigs are routinely tail-docked. In Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, less than 5% of the pigs are tail-docked. According to the respondents, 67% of pigs (median = 76%) across the 24 EU countries surveyed are given suitable enrichment materials. Training of veterinary practitioners, their role in advising the producer and undertaking a risk assessment of tail biting were more positively valued in countries that stopped routine tail docking than in countries that had not stopped routine tail docking. Initiatives such as training from national authorities to encourage abandoning tail docking and routine recording of tail biting at the slaughterhouse were identified as two successful items to promote the raising of pigs with entire tails. CONCLUSION: In many European countries the majority of the pigs are still routinely tail-docked, which is a violation of the European legislation. To stop routine tail docking it is necessary to raise the awareness and education about risk factors to prevent tail biting. The growing knowledge about the reasons for failing voluntary national initiatives as well as about successful measures taken by some countries to make pig production with intact tails feasible should be distributed throughout the EU pig producing community. The veterinary profession has a significant role to play in raising awareness, facilitate knowledge transfer and to identify risk factors and solutions on farm level for the benefit of pig health and welfare.

Strategies to improve the growth and homogeneity of growing-finishing pigs: feeder space and feeding management.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to test two strategies to improve the growth rate of the slow-growth pigs and to increase the batch's homogeneity at slaughter. In Trial 1 a total of 264 weaned piglets were distributed into 24 pens (11 piglets/pen) according to sex and initial body weight (BW) for the transition period (T; 28 d to 64 d). During the T period, a commercial lidded feeder hopper was used (3.7 pigs/feeder space). When moving to the growing facilities, the 24 pens were maintained and split into two groups of 12 according to sex, feeder type (HD or 5.5 pigs/feeder space and LD or 2.2 pigs/feeder space). In Trial 2 a total of 1067 piglets were used and classified, when leaving the nursery at 63d of age, as Heavy (Hp, n = 524) and Light (Lp, n = 543) pigs. Along the growing period, Hp and half of the Lp pigs were fed with four consecutive feeds, following a standard feeding program (Std). Alternatively, the other half of the Lp pigs were fed according to a budget approach, changing the first three feeds on the basis of an equivalent feed consumption instead of age (Sp). RESULTS: In Trial 1, higher BW (80.2 kg vs. 82.1 kg; P = 0.02), ADG (704 g/d vs. 725 g/d; P = 0.02) and lower number of lesions were observed for pigs raised in the LD treatment, compared to the HD treatment at d 154 (P < 0.05). The CV of the final BW was numerically lower for the LD treatment. In Trial 2, higher BW and ADG and lower CV were observed for the LSp pigs from 83 d until 163 d (P < 0.001) of age compared to LStd. Moreover, an interaction observed for carcass weight at slaughter (P = 0.016) showed that the Sp pigs had a higher carcass weight than did the Std pigs, and the difference increased as the emptying of the barn facility advanced. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that feeder space and feeding management may affect the growth of growing-finishing pigs and body-weight homogeneity at the end of the period.

Effect of the needle-free "intra dermal application of liquids" vaccination on the welfare of pregnant sows.

BACKGROUND: In commercial pig production, sows are often vaccinated several times per gestation period, resulting in reduced welfare. This preliminary experiment investigated whether the needle-free IDAL vaccinator improves welfare through reduction of stress markers, improvement of behavioural and health parameters compared to traditional needle-syringe method. RESULTS: Two treatments (IDAL and NEEDLE) in 6 replicate pens of gestating sows (15 sows per pen) were evaluated using Porcilis® PRRS. The frequency of sows exhibiting an acute fear (or pain) response at the time of injection was significantly lower in the IDAL sows for the four indicators studied (high pitch vocalizations, IDAL = 15.4% vs. NEEDLE = 95.6%, χ2 = 56, P < 0.0001; retreat attempts, IDAL = 2.6% vs. NEEDLE = 56.5%, χ2 = 28, P < 0.0001; turning back, IDAL = 5.1% vs. NEEDLE = 69.6%, χ2 = 36, P < 0.0001; change in behaviour, IDAL = 18% vs. NEEDLE = 95.6%, χ2 = 53, P < 0.001). Sows in the NEEDLE vaccination group had a decreased (P = 0.03) activity the day after vaccination compared to IDAL sows. No significant difference was observed for the other active behaviours and resting postures. Fearful reaction towards the assessor significantly (χ2 = 12, P = 0.001) increased in NEEDLE sows compared to IDAL sows the day after vaccination. At 48 h post-vaccination, IDAL sows tended to have lower blood C-reactive protein levels (IDAL = 21.3 µg/mL vs. NEEDLE = 35.8 µg/mL, P = 0.06) compared to NEEDLE sows. Blood Haptoglobin levels did not differ significantly between treatments 48 h post-vaccination. Chromogranin A tended to show a lower increase after the IDAL treatment, whereas salivary alpha-amylase and salivary cortisol did not differ between treatments when measured 25 min post-vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results support that needle-free intradermal vaccination is a promising strategy to reduce fear and pain reaction of gestating sows during vaccination.

Aggressive behavior and hair cortisol levels in captive Dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas) as animal-based welfare indicators.

Ensuring welfare in captive wild animal populations is important not only for ethical and legal reasons, but also to maintain healthy individuals and populations. An increased level of social behaviors such as aggression can reduce welfare by causing physical damage and chronic stress to animals. Recently, cortisol in hair has been advanced as a non-invasive indicator to quantify long-lasting stress in many species. The sensitivity of social behavior and hair cortisol concentration was evaluated in several groups of dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas). Four different groups of gazelles from three different zoos were observed and the expression of intra-specific affiliative and negative social behaviors was assessed across the different groups. Hair samples were taken from sub-groups of animals and analyzed for cortisol concentrations. Significant differences between groups of dorcas gazelles were found in frequency of negative social behavior and hair cortisol concentration. Despite the low sample size, these two parameters had a positive Spearman correlation coefficient (rs = +0.80, P = 0.20). These results suggest that hair cortisol levels are sensitive to differences in the social structure of dorcas gazelles. Zoo Biol. 35:467-473, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Experimental study on the effect of oral meloxicam administration in sows on pre-weaning mortality and growth and immunoglobulin G transfer to piglets.

Parturation is an intrinsically risky and painful process for both the sow and the piglets that can cause welfare and economic problems. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been demonstrated to partially alleviate inflammation and pain after farrowing in sows. NSAIDs effects on piglet mortality and performance show discrepancies and no previous studies have investigated the underlying mechanism. The effects of oral meloxicam treatment to sows on immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer to piglets around farrowing were investigated. A total of 30 multiparous sows were randomly treated with either oral meloxicam or a mock administration as control group. Treatment was administered as soon as possible at the beginning of the farrowing. A total of 325 piglets were individually weighed at farrowing (day 0) and at weaning (day +21) and piglet mortality was registered during lactation. Four piglets per sow (two piglets suckling from anterior teats and two piglets suckling from posterior teats) were selected for blood sampling at day +1, day +2 and day +20 for IgG analyses. Oral meloxicam treatment to sows significantly increased weight at weaning (mean±SE: 6563±86.3g from oral meloxicam group and 6145±103.2g from control group; P=0.0017) and ADG (mean±SE: 236±3.4g/day from oral meloxicam group and 217±4.5g/day from control group; P<0.001) during lactation, but failed to reduce piglet mortality during lactation (6.7% from oral meloxicam group and 6.8% from control group; P=0.89). IgG levels in piglets from the sows treated with oral meloxicam were significantly higher than the control group at day +1 (mean; median [95% CI] for median=31.9; 31.7 [29.6-33.6] vs. 27.9; 26.8 [25.9-28.3] mg/ml, P=0.0013) and day +2 (27.6; 27.0 [24.8-29.6] vs. 24.5; 24.2 [22.1-25.3] mg/ml, P=0.01). However, at day +20, IgG level in piglet serum was not significantly affected by the treatment (7.6; 7.6 [6.7-8.4] vs. 7.1; 6.9 [6.4-7.3] mg/ml, P=0.59). The administration of meloxicam orally at the beginning of the farrowing in multiparous sows increased the concentration of IgG in serum of piglets and enhanced their pre-weaning growth. Future research is warranted to clearly identify the proximate mechanism behind IgG effect.

Preliminary findings on the effect of the pig appeasing pheromone in a slow releasing block on the welfare of pigs at weaning.

The pig appeasing pheromone (PAP) applied in spray has shown to be effective in reducing the frequency of aggression and the stress response of young and adult pigs under experimental conditions. This preliminary experiment investigates the effect of the PAP in a slow releasing block on the behaviour and skin lesions of weaners after mixing on a commercial farm. Two identical rooms containing six replicates per treatment of a commercial weaner building were used. There were two treatments (PAP block and Control) and each room contained one treatment. In the PAP treatment, the day before weaning and after washing and disinfection, two PAP blocks (1 block / 20 m2) were placed hanging on top of the pens. Six hours after mixing, there was a significant effect of the PAP block treatment on the occurrence of social negative behaviour (PAP mean; median [95 % CI] for median = 3.6; 2.7 [1.5-5.4] % vs. Control 8.3; 8.7 [6.1-11.3] % P = 0.003, social positive behaviour (PAP 5.5; 5.1 [4.5-6.8] % vs. Control 1.4; 1.3 [0-2.8] % P = 0.02), feeding (PAP 9.1; 7.4 [5.5-16.5] % vs. Control 1.6; 0.0 [0-6.1] % P = 0.02, drinking (PAP 3.1; 2.9 [2.5-3.9] % vs. Control 0.8; 0.5 [0-1.7] % P = 0.04) as well as on the sitting position (PAP 1.2; 0.9 [0-2.4] % vs. Control 4.1; 4.2 [2.1-6.0] % P = 0.02). Except for social positive behaviour (PAP 5.6; 6.0 [3.9-7.5] % vs. Control 2.9; 2.8 [1.6-4.2] % P = 0.02) those differences were not significant 24 h post-mixing anymore. The prevalence of wounded animals was not significantly different between treatments. The PAP in block form may be a promising tool to reduce food neophobia and aggression after mixing. Still, further research is needed to increase the effect of the PAP block over time under commercial farming conditions.

Pig castration: will the EU manage to ban pig castration by 2018?

BACKGROUND: In 2010, the 'European Declaration on alternatives to surgical castration of pigs' was agreed. The Declaration stipulates that from January 1, 2012, surgical castration of pigs shall only be performed with prolonged analgesia and/or anaesthesia and from 2018 surgical castration of pigs should be phased out altogether. The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe together with the European Commission carried out an online survey via SurveyMonkey© to investigate the progress made in different European countries. This study provides descriptive information on the practice of piglet castration across 24 European countries. It gives also an overview on published literature regarding the practicability and effectiveness of the alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia/analgesia. RESULTS: Forty usable survey responses from 24 countries were received. Besides Ireland, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom, who have of history in producing entire males, 18 countries surgically castrate 80% or more of their male pig population. Overall, in 5% of the male pigs surgically castrated across the 24 European countries surveyed, castration is performed with anaesthesia and analgesia and 41% with analgesia (alone). Meloxicam, ketoprofen and flunixin were the most frequently used drugs for analgesia. Procaine was the most frequent local anaesthetic. The sedative azaperone was frequently mentioned even though it does not have analgesic properties. Half of the countries surveyed believed that the method of anaesthesia/analgesia applied is not practicable and effective. However, countries that have experience in using both anaesthesia and post-operative analgesics, such as Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and The Netherlands, found this method practical and effective. The estimated average percentage of immunocastrated pigs in the countries surveyed was 2.7% (median = 0.2%), where Belgium presented the highest estimated percentage of immunocastrated pigs (18%). CONCLUSION: The deadlines of January 1, 2012, and of 2018 are far from being met. The opinions on the animal-welfare-conformity and the practicability of the alternatives to surgical castration without analgesia/anaesthesia and the alternatives to surgical castration are widely dispersed. Although countries using analgesia/anaesthesia routinely found this method practical and effective, only few countries seem to aim at meeting the deadline to phase out surgical castration completely.