Cross-sectional survey of husbandry for pet guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) in New Zealand.

AIMS: To describe basic husbandry (veterinary care, substrate and bedding, toys, frequency of cleaning) provided to guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) by a sample of owners in New Zealand. METHODS: Respondents were invited to complete a survey disseminated through the social media channels of animal interest and advocacy groups (3 September 2020 to 3 November 2020). Respondents who agreed to participate were asked a range of questions regarding the provision of husbandry to their oldest pet guinea pig. Descriptive statistics are reported here relating to husbandry, length of ownership, provision of substrate, bedding and toys, frequency of cleaning and veterinary care. RESULTS: A total of 503 responses were received, of which 329 complete responses were analysed. Of these respondents, 208/329 (63.2%) had owned guinea pigs for more than 2 years. Most owners provided a cage with a wooden base as substrate (144/321, 44.9%), bedding (308/329; 93.6%) and toys (169/329; 51.1%). Half (176/329; 53.5%) of respondents reported taking their guinea pig to a veterinarian. Just over half of the owners surveyed cleaned water (165/329; 50.1%) and food (181/329; 55.0%) bowls daily, and a third picked up droppings (109/329; 33.1%) daily. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While owners provided an array of toys, and a range of bedding and substrate types to their guinea pigs, cages were cleaned out less frequently than recommended, and it was common for guinea pig cages to be cleaned out less frequently than recommended. Future research is required to provide robust and evidence-based links between husbandry and the welfare of pet guinea pigs.

Winter condition variability decreases the economic sustainability of reindeer husbandry.

Wild and semidomesticated reindeer are one of the key species in Arctic and subarctic areas, and their population dynamics are closely tied to winter conditions. Difficult snow conditions have been found to decrease the calving success and survivability of reindeer, but the economic effects of variation in winter conditions on reindeer husbandry have not been studied. In this study, we combine state-of-the-art economic-ecological modeling with the analysis of annual reindeer management reports from Finland. These contain local knowledge of herding communities. We quantify the occurrence probabilities of different types of winters from annual management reports and analyze the effects of this variation in winter conditions on reindeer husbandry using an age- and sex-structured bioeconomic reindeer-lichen model. Our results show that difficult winters decrease the net revenues of reindeer husbandry. However, they also protect lichen pastures from grazing, thereby increasing future net revenues. Nonetheless, our solutions show that the variability of winter conditions overall decrease the net income of herders compared to constant winter conditions. Low lichen biomass appears to make reindeer management more sensitive to the effects of difficult winter conditions. We also found that it is economically sensible to use supplementary feeding during difficult winters, but the net revenues still decrease compared to average winters because of the high feeding costs. Overall, our analysis suggests that the increasing variability of winter conditions due to climate change will decrease net revenues in reindeer husbandry. This decrease will still occur even if the most extreme effects of climate change do not occur. This study shows that combining a state-of-the-art bioeconomic model and practitioner knowledge can bring compatible insights, ideas, results, and a bottom-up perspective to the discussion.

Effect of moving from being extensively managed out in pasture into training on the incidence of equine gastric ulcer syndrome in Icelandic horses.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) in Icelandic horses moving from pasture into training. ANIMALS: 81 horses (median age, 3 years; interquartile range, 1 year) from 10 farms representing 4 different Icelandic regions. PROCEDURES: Initial gastroscopy was undertaken within 2 weeks of moving from pasture into a training establishment. A total of 71 horses underwent endoscopic examination again 8 weeks later. Various management and behavioral factors were assessed through face-to-face questionnaires with the owners or trainers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors contributing to any change in ESGD and EGGD severity score during the 8-week training period. RESULTS: Incidence of EGGD and ESGD in this feral population was similar to that found in domesticated horses. ESGD incidence (severity score, ≥ 2; score range, 0 to 4) reduced from an initial 71.6% (58/81) to 25.4% (18/71). On multivariable analysis, sex (ie, being a stallion or a female vs gelding) increased the likelihood of ulcer grade reduction. Being fed preserved forage 3 or more times a day also improved the likelihood of ESGD reduction (odds ratio, 17.95; 95% CI, 1.67 to 193.40; P = .017). Overall, the farm explained 35% of the variance, confirming the importance of management factors. Incidence of EGGD (severity score, ≥ 1; score range, 0 to 2) reduced from 47% (38/81) to 40.8% (29/71) during the same period. No measured variables were associated significantly with EGGD incidence or reduction. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pasture provision (without supplementary feed or forage) does not result automatically in a low incidence of gastric ulcers. Regular provision of preserved forage is a key factor in reducing ESGD incidence.

Consumer perceptions of antimicrobial use in animal husbandry: A scoping review.

Antimicrobial use in animal agriculture is often perceived to play a role in the emerging threat of antimicrobial resistance. Increased consumer awareness of this issue places pressure on animal husbandry to adopt policies to reduce or eliminate antimicrobial use. We use a scoping review methodology to assess research on consumer perceptions of antimicrobial drugs in meat products in the United States, Canada, or the European Union. Evaluating peer-reviewed and grey literature, we included studies for assessment if they met these topical and geographic requirements, involved primary data collection, and were originally published in English. Our screening process identified 124 relevant studies. Three reviewers jointly developed a data charting form and independently charted the contents of the studies. Of the 105 studies that measured consumer concern, 77.1% found that consumers were concerned about antimicrobial use in meat production. A minority of studies (29.8% of all studies) queried why consumers hold these views. These studies found human health and animal welfare were the main reasons for concern. Antimicrobial resistance rarely registered as an explicit reason for concern. A smaller group of studies (23.3%) measured the personal characteristics of consumers that expressed concern about antimicrobials. Among these studies, the most common and consistent features of these consumers were gender, age, income, and education. Regarding the methodology used, studies tended to be dominated by either willingness-to-pay studies or Likert scale questionnaires (73.64% of all studies). We recommend consideration of qualitative research into consumer views on this topic, which may provide new perspectives that explain consumer decision-making and mentality that are lacking in the literature. In addition, more research into the difference between what consumers claim is of concern and their ultimate purchasing decisions would be especially valuable.

Aspects of Breeding Stallion Management with Specific Focus on Animal Welfare.

Risk prevention is often counterproductive to stallions' living conditions when assessed under welfare aspects. In the wild, stallions live in social groups, but under domestic conditions, the majority of breeding stallions live in individual boxes with limited social contact. This stimulates aggressiveness and the incidence of stereotypic behavior. While racehorse stallions start their breeding career after having finished their performance career, riding horse stallions are often simultaneously used for breeding and performance. Training, performance, and the associated stress are unlikely to impair semen characteristics, but performing stallions may benefit from more opportunities for social contact. With regard to accommodation of stallions in single boxes, changes in the construction of the partition between them may help to improve social contact from merely visual to much more physical. This will help to reduce social isolation but requires careful observation if neighbors tend to either sympathize or fight with each other. Careful organization of the barn is thus of great importance. Under certain conditions, even keeping adult stallions in groups on spacious pastures is possible. Interestingly, the frequency of agonistic interactions usually decreases quickly and remains low after successful group integration. General changes in the husbandry of young stallions and at their transfer into the future career may help to produce stallions with better social skills and facilitate accommodation under improved welfare conditions.

A systematic approach to analyse the impact of farm-profiles on bovine health.

In this study we present systematic framework to analyse the impact of farm profiles as combinations of environmental conditions and management practices on common diseases in dairy cattle. The data used for this secondary data analysis includes observational data from 166 farms with a total of 5828 dairy cows. Each farm is characterised by features from five categories: husbandry, feeding, environmental conditions, housing, and milking systems. We combine dimension reduction with clustering techniques to identify groups of similar farm attributes, which we refer to as farm profiles. A statistical analysis of the farm profiles and their related disease risks is carried out to study the associations between disease risk, farm membership to a specific cluster as well as variables that characterise a given cluster by means of a multivariate regression model. The disease risks of five different farm profiles arise as the result of complex interactions between environmental conditions and farm management practices. We confirm previously documented relationships between diseases, feeding and husbandry. Furthermore, novel associations between housing and milking systems and specific disorders like lameness and ketosis have been discovered. Our approach contributes to paving a way towards a more holistic and data-driven understanding of bovine health and its risk factors.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of animal farm owners/workers on antibiotic use and resistance in Amhara region, north western Ethiopia.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics in animal and human plays a role in the emergence and spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics which threatens human health significantly. Although extensive use of these antibiotics could contribute to the development of drug resistance, information on the knowledge, attitude and practice of antimicrobial resistance and use among animal farm owners/workers in north western Ethiopia is rare. The objective of the present study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of animal farm owner/workers towards antibiotic resistance and use in Amhara regional state north western Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted in selected cities of Amhara regional state from January to February, 2020. Data was collected from 91 participants using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSSS version 23. The results showed that 96.7% of respondents gave antibiotics to treat their livestock from different sources. Most of the respondents bought their antibiotics from private pharmacies without prescription and the most frequently mentioned antibiotics used to treat animal diseases was tetracycline (76.9%), followed by ampicillin (72.5%). Although, 90.1% of the animal farm owners heard about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance from different sources, they did not know the factors contributing to the transmission of resistant bacteria to humans and the impact of antibiotic resistance on human and animals' health. Using the mean score 4.44 ± 0.15 as the cut-off, half of the animal farm owners/workers had good knowledge about antimicrobial resistance and use. 52.5% of animal farm owners/workers had positive attitudes towards wise antibiotic use and resistance with a mean score of 28.4 ± 0.5. However, 52.75% participants had poor practice with the mean score of practice 4.95 ± 0.17. Better knowledge, positive attitudes and better practices on antibiotic use and resistance were associated with farm owners/workers who engaged in higher education. Although poor awareness on antimicrobial resistance was perceived by 76.9% of respondents as very important factors that contribute to increasing antibiotic resistance, increasing the use of complementary treatments was perceived by the majority of respondents as very important strategies that contribute to reduce antibiotic use and resistance. The current study disclosed that there is low level of awareness among animal farm owners about the correct use of antibiotics and resistance. It is necessary to raise awareness, develop and implement interventions to reduce antimicrobial use and antibiotic resistance in the study area.

Measurement of green total factor productivity on Chinese laying hens: From the perspective of regional differences.

Eggs contain the essential cholesterol and protein for the human body, which plays an irreplaceable role in human survival, production and life. There are significant differences in the development of laying hens feeding in different regions. It is of great significance to improve egg production and reduce pollution emission for China's laying hens industry. Based on the SBM model, this paper constructs MML index, considering unexpected output under common frontier, to comprehensively evaluate the green total factor productivity on Chinese laying hens (GTCL). The results show that: (1) GTCL shows a large spatial and temporal differentiation under both the common frontier and the regional frontier. Compared with the eastern region and central region, the western region has obvious advantages in GTCL. (2) GTCL overall shows a downward trend, however, it emerges an upward trend in recent years. (3) Compared with small-scale and large-scale, middle-scale GTCL has advantages. According to the above empirical results, combined with the China's actual national situation, this paper finally puts forward some policy recommendations to improve GTCL.

Demographic Characteristics and Husbandry and Biosecurity Practices of Small Poultry Flocks in Ontario, Canada.

As part of a 2 yr disease surveillance project of small poultry flocks, owners of birds submitted for postmortem examination to the Animal Health Laboratory were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to gather information on the characteristics of the flock and its environment, how the flock was managed, and biosecurity measures used. A total of 153 unique questionnaires were received. Personal consumption of meat or eggs was the most common reason for owning a small flock (69.3%). Almost all owners (97.4%) reported having chickens on their property, while 21.6% had waterfowl, 15.7% had turkeys, and 15.7% had game birds. Nearly 70% (69.9%) of the flocks had some degree of outdoor access. For those with indoor access, the most common bedding material provided was soft wood shavings (70.2%). Kitchen waste or leftovers were offered to 65.3% of flocks, and well water was the most common source of drinking water (80.6%). For flocks with indoor access, dedicated shoes and clothes were used when entering or cleaning the coop by fewer than half of owners, and shoes were rarely disinfected before or after contact with the flock. Most owners (93.8%) reported washing their hands after contact with their birds, although only 48.3% reported washing their hands before contact. Among owners who sourced birds from a hatchery, only 36.8% indicated that the birds had been vaccinated, and 21.1% were unsure if vaccines had been administered. Among owners using medication (60.5%), the use of antibiotics was common (60.9%). Overall, questionnaire responses describe a wide range of husbandry and biosecurity practices, often suboptimal, and point out the need for educational material for Ontario small flock owners.

Artículo Regular­Características demográficas y prácticas de cría y bioseguridad de pequeñas parvadas de aves de corral en Ontario, Canadá. Como parte de un proyecto de vigilancia de enfermedades de dos años de pequeñas parvadas avícolas, se solicitó a los propietarios de aves remitidaspara exámenes post mortem en el Laboratorio de Sanidad Animal que completaran un cuestionario diseñado para recopilar información sobre las características de la parvada y su entorno, cómo se manejó la parva y se que medidas de bioseguridad fueron usadas. Se recibieron un total de 153 cuestionarios únicos. El consumo personal de carne o huevo fue la razón más común para tener una parvada pequeña (69.3%). Casi todos los propietarios (97.4%) informaron tener pollos en su propiedad, mientras que el 21.6% tenía aves acuáticas, el 15.7% tenía pavos y el 15.7% tenía aves para caza. Casi el 70% (69.9%) de las parvadas tenían algún grado de acceso al aire libre. Para aquellos con acceso interior, el material de cama más común proporcionado fue viruta de madera blanda (70.2%). Al 65.3% de las parvadas se le ofrecieron desperdicios de cocina o sobras y el agua de pozo fue la fuente más común de agua potable (80.6%). En el caso de las parvadas con acceso al interior, menos de la mitad de los propietarios utilizaron zapatos y ropa especiales para entrar o limpiar los alojamientos y los zapatos rara vez se desinfectaban antes o después del contacto con la parvada. La mayoría de los propietarios (93.8%) informaron lavarse las manos después del contacto con sus aves, aunque solo el 48.3% informó lavarse las manos antes del contacto. Entre los propietarios que obtuvieron aves de una planta incubadora, solo el 36.8% indicó que las aves habían sido vacunadas y el 21.1% no estaba seguro de si se habían administrado vacunas. Entre los propietarios que usaban medicación (60.5%), el uso de antibióticos era común (60.9%). En general, las respuestas al cuestionario describen una amplia gama de prácticas de críanza y bioseguridad, a menudo subóptimas, y señalan la necesidad de material educativo para los propietarios de pequeñas parvadas en Ontario.

Consumer preferences for reduced antibiotic use in Danish pig production.

Denmark has a large and intensive pig production sector which accounts for around half of the total use of antimicrobials in Demark. The economic feasibility of alternative strategies involving reduced use of antibiotics depends not only on their effects on productivity but also on consumers' demand, and willingness-to-pay (WTP), for pork from pigs with no or lower antibiotic treatment. This study investigates the various concerns that consumers might have about the use of antibiotics in pig production, and how they affect demand and WTP. We used data from an online questionnaire survey of approximately 1000 Danish consumers. WTP estimates were obtained using payment card data analysed in an ordered probit regression. We found that 41 % of the respondents wanted antibiotic use to be reduced substantially, and that they linked reduced use of antibiotics in pig production primarily with reduced risk of antibiotic residues in pork and a lowered risk of resistant bacteria developing. A considerable share of the consumers we sampled also linked reduced antibiotic use with improved animal welfare, and with price increases for pork. Two thirds of the consumers stated a positive WTP for reduced use of antibiotics, but only one in five were willing to pay more than 10 % for pork produced using antibiotics 20 % less than average. The WTP estimates differed with socio-demographic variables (education, geography, gender and age). In addition, the respondents' perceptions of the effects of reducing antibiotic use and of externalities associated with the pig industry, and the frequency of their pork consumption, were found to affect their WTP for pork produced with lower antibiotic use. As the vast majority of the Danish pork is exported, future studies should examine consumer perceptions of antibiotic use in pig production in importing countries.

Effects of hatching system on the welfare of broiler chickens in early and later life.

Broiler chicks usually hatch in the hatchery without access to feed and water until placement at the farm. This can affect their health and welfare negatively. Therefore, alternative strategies have been developed, for instance providing chicks with early nutrition in the hatchery or hatching eggs directly on-farm. However, information on the physical and mental welfare of chicks hatched in these systems compared to conventionally hatched chicks is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of alternative hatching systems on the welfare of broiler chickens in early and later life. A system comparison was performed with chickens that hatched conventionally in a hatchery (HH), in a system which provided light, feed, and water in a hatcher (hatchery-fed, HF), or on-farm (on-farm hatched, OH, where feed and water were available and transport of day-old chicks from the hatchery to the farm was not necessary). Chickens were reared in 3 batches, in 12 floor pens per batch (approximately 1,155 animals per pen), with a total of 12 replicates per treatment. Animal-based welfare indicators were assessed following standard protocols: plumage cleanliness, footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn, skin lesions (all at day 21 and 35 of age), and gait score (day 35). Furthermore, a set of behavioral tests was carried out: novel environment (day 1 and 21), tonic immobility, novel object, and avoidance distance test (day 4 and 35). Plumage cleanliness, hock burn, and skin lesions were affected by age but not by hatching system, with older broilers scoring worse than younger ones (P < 0.05). An effect of hatching system was only found for FPD, with the highest prevalence in HH chickens, followed by HF and OH chickens (P < 0.05). All responses measured in the behavioral tests were affected by age but not by hatching system. In later life, chickens were significantly less fearful than during the first days of life. The results indicate that conventionally hatched chickens scored significantly worse for FPD, whereas, in general, hatching system seemed to have minor effects on other broiler welfare indicators.

Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan for Continuity of Business.

Sheep operations will be subject to movement controls during a US foot and mouth disease outbreak and should be prepared to manage animal and product movement disruptions. The voluntary Secure Sheep and Wool Supply (SSWS) Plan for Continuity of Business provides tools for the sheep industry to develop contingency plans, write enhanced, operation-specific biosecurity plans, and learn about disease surveillance opportunities and challenges. The SSWS Plan is science-based and risk-based, funded by the American Sheep Industry Association, and developed collaboratively with industry, government officials, and veterinarians at Iowa State University. For more information, visit www.securesheepwool.org.

Evaluating the Welfare of Small Ruminants: Practical Management Advice.

This article discusses key welfare issues for small ruminants and gives practical management advice. Welfare assessment is vital to ensure that optimal conditions are provided. Practitioners can play a key role in identifying areas of potential welfare compromise and implement interventions. With the knowledge and careful identification of indicators of welfare, practitioners and producers can develop a management plan that can ensure proper nutrition, environment, and health to allow for natural behaviors and a positive affective state; identification of animal health and management issues; and (3) allocation of adequate resources to improve the welfare of sheep and goats.

Current Challenges for Fasciolicide Treatment in Ruminant Livestock.

Pharmacological treatment remains essential to control fasciolosis in areas where infection is endemic. However, there are major constraints to treating food-producing animals. Of particular concern is the lack of flukicides for treating early Fasciola infections in ruminant livestock in some countries. In addition, the information provided in package leaflets, particularly regarding withdrawal periods, is often incomplete, confusing, and/or contradictory. International regulatory bodies should harmonize the use of flukicides in livestock in favor of fairer, safer international trade. In addition, monitoring the efficacy of fasciolicides on farms is also essential to minimize the spread of drug-resistant populations of Fasciola. The current situation regarding flukicide formulations in the European Union and other, non-European countries is analyzed in this review paper.

Visitors' perceptions of zoo-housed lesser anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla) welfare: Observation plays a larger role than a brief informative talk.

There is a growing ethical concern in modern society about animals' quality of life. We hypothesize that zoo visitors' perception of zoo animal welfare, particularly in the case of lesser anteaters, changes positively after listening to scientific information. Visitors observing active lesser anteaters in their enclosures at Córdoba Zoo (Argentina) were asked to respond to a questionnaire about animal welfare. The treatment group (T) answered the questionnaire after listening to a brief informative talk based on local scientific studies on lesser anteaters. The control group (C) answered the questionnaire without hearing the informative talk. Visitors (87.2%) considered biological, sanitary, and sociocultural aspects to be necessary conditions for optimum wild zoo-housed animal welfare. The majority of visitors considered that natural surroundings provide the highest level of welfare for wild animals. Visitors in the T group ranked the zoo as providing a higher level of animal welfare than those in group C. In reference to management measurements, the T group agreed on the positive effect of the application of environmental enrichment (Likert Medians: C = 4 and T = 5; p = .0443). On the basis of their perception, most visitors in both groups stated that the lesser anteaters at Córdoba Zoo appeared to be in a good state of welfare. We interpret this as meaning that, what these Córdoba zoo visitors personally perceived while observing the lesser anteaters carried greater weight than what they learned from the informative talk, though the talk did slightly affect their opinion.

Incubation and hatching conditions of laying hen chicks explain a large part of the stress effects from commercial large-scale hatcheries.

In commercial egg production, laying hen chicks are exposed to several stressful events during incubation, hatching, and their first hours in life. We have previously shown that hatching and processing are associated with increased corticosterone concentration and further affect behavior and stress sensitivity in a short- as well as long-term perspective. However, it is not known whether these long-term stress effects are caused by the hatchery processing (sex sorting, vaccination, conveying, and loading for transport) or if they are mainly caused by potentially stressful events before processing, during incubation and hatching. In the present study, the aim was to assess the effects of incubation and hatching only, compared to stress effects from the entire hatchery processing. We compared Lohmann LSL chicks incubated, hatched, and processed in a commercial hatchery with chicks incubated and hatched at the same time but not further processed. We studied behavior in a novel arena and during tonic immobility, as well as weight development and corticosterone reaction during a stress challenge. Processed chicks had poorer weight development and were more active in the novel arena test. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in corticosterone reactivity or tonic immobility. When comparing with previous data, both groups had elevated corticosterone concentrations compared to what we had previously reported from chicks hatched under calm and non-stressful conditions. In conclusion, incubation and hatching alone caused long-term stress effects in chickens, but further processing exacerbated these effects to some extent.

Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations recommendations of best practices for the health management of ruminants and pigs used for scientific and educational purposes.

Most ruminants and pigs used for scientific and educational aims are bred not for these purposes but in a farm environment. Given the wide range of diseases that these species might have, ensuring that the animals' health status is appropriate can be complex and challenging. The Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations has previously published recommendations for the health monitoring of experimental colonies of pigs (1998) and, respectively, calves, sheep and goats (2000). Unfortunately, the uptake of those recommendations was poor and insufficiently reported in scientific publications. These new recommendations for best practice focus on the main species of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) and pigs. They provide general and specific information helpful for designing a health management programme for the suppliers and for the user establishments, as well as guidance on animal procurement. Critical thinking based on the fields of use of the animals is promoted, aiming to help in taking informed decisions rather than establishing an exhaustive exclusion list for pathogens. Implementing the best health and welfare management practices should be done under the guidance of a competent attending veterinarian, with expertise and sufficient authority to take the appropriate action, doubled by excellent communication skills. It is strongly recommended that the user establishment's veterinarian works in close collaboration with the supplier's veterinarian.

Knowledge, practices and seroprevalence of Taenia species in smallholder farms in Gauteng, South Africa.

Porcine cysticercosis and associated human infections are endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Poor agricultural practices, sanitary practices, and lack of knowledge increase the burden of the diseases in susceptible populations. This study investigates the seroprevalence of Taenia spp. in township pigs in Gauteng, South Africa and describes knowledge and farming practices of pig farmers regarding T. solium infections. Blood samples were collected from 126 pigs in three Gauteng township areas, and analyzed for active Taenia spp. infection using the B158/B60 Ag-ELISA. Farmer questionnaire surveys were conducted in four township areas to investigate the level of knowledge and practices associated with porcine cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between predictor variables and the outcome variable, knowledge of porcine cysticercosis or knowledge of neurocysticercosis. Overall, 7% of the pigs were seropositive for active Taenia spp. infection. 46% of farmers practiced a free-ranging system, while 25% practiced a semi-intensive system. Latrines were absent on all farms; however, 95% of farmers indicated that they have access to latrines at home. Most farmers had no knowledge of porcine cysticercosis (55%) or neurocysticercosis (79%), and this was not associated with any of the factors investigated. The prevalence of active Taenia spp. infection was reasonably low in this study, yet the knowledge level was also low, thus calling for further educational and training programmes to prevent Taenia spp. transmission in these communities.

Gentle interactions with restrained and free-moving cows: Effects on the improvement of the animal-human relationship.

The animal-human relationship is essential for farm animal welfare and production. Generally, gentle tactile and vocal interactions improve the animal-human relationship in cattle. However, cows that are fearful of humans avoid their close presence and touch; thus, the animal-human relationship first has to be improved to a point where the animals accept stroking before their perception of the interactions and consequently the animal-human relationship can become positive. We tested whether the animal-human relationship of cows fearful of humans is improved more effectively by gentle interactions during restraint, allowing physical contact from the beginning, or if the gentle interactions are offered while the animals are free to move, giving them more control over the situation and thus probably a higher level of agency and a more positive perception of the interactions. Thirty-six dairy cows (median avoidance distance 1.6 m) were assigned to three treatments (each n = 12): gentle vocal and tactile interactions during restraint in the feeding rack (LOCK); gentle vocal and, if possible, tactile interactions while free in the barn (FREE); routine management without additional interactions (CON). Treatments were applied for 3 min per cow on 10 d per fortnight for 6 weeks (i.e., three periods). Avoidance and approach behaviour towards humans was tested before the start of the treatment period, and then at 2-week intervals. The recorded variables were reduced to one score by Principal Component Analysis. The resulting relationship score (higher values implying a better relationship with humans) increased in all groups; the increase was stronger in FREE than in CON, with the increase in LOCK being not significantly different from the other treatment groups. Thus, we recommend that gentle interactions with cows should take place while they are unrestrained, if possible.