MAW 002 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2021

 

ASSIGNMENT - 2

Course Code: MAW-002         

                                                                                                      Maximum Marks: 100

Answer all the questions. Each question carries 20 marks

1.     List out the specific animal welfare issues in dairy animals and calves. Discuss the supporting and against arguments in disbudding, dehorning and horn tipping in dairy animals.

ANSWER - Dairy animals: -

Dairy animals are the animals reared for the aptitude to produce large amounts of milk, from which dairy goods are made. The dairy animals can be generally classified under the following two categories:

a.      Common Dairy Animals

·         Cattle

·         Buffalo

·         Goat

·         Sheep

·         Camel

b.      Less Common Dairy Animals

·         Yak

·         Mithun

·         Horse

·         Reindeer

·         Donkey

The number and composition of dairy animal herds differ considerably among regions and countries.

Animal welfare issues in dairy animals and calves: -

India is the world’s foremost milk producer, with 22 % of worldwide production, followed by the USA, China, Pakistan and Brazil. By more animals rather than a rise in efficiency per head, India has enlarged its share in global milk production.

The general restrictions faced by dairy animals in India with associated implications to animal welfare are:

·      Unfavourable environments - hot and /or humid (Freedom from suffering, thermal and physical distress).

·         Low-quality feed sources (Freedom from starvation, thirst and malnutrition).

·         Diseases and partial access to amenities (Freedom from discomfort, injury and disease)

·         Low inherent potential for milk production and resultant cross-breeding (Ethical breeding).

·         Dairy farm management performs (Freedom from discomfort, distress and expression of usual behaviour).

The cross-bred animals give extra milk but need improved production management, feeding, housing and veterinary care. Most milk is produced by small-scale native / cross-bred cattle and buffaloes under extensive or semi extensive production systems. The human-animal bonding is positive, economics are secondary and welfare concerns are generally taken care within the available resources.

Disbudding: -

Disbudding is the removal of the undeveloped horns/horn buds from a young dairy animal. The horn buds are cauterised and destroyed before they are grown into horns. Initial age disbudding is favoured, rather than the older animal.

Most commonly used methods are: -

·         Thermal cautering of the horn bud by a trained worker using an electronic dehorner.

·         Elimination of the horn buds with a blade or scoop when the calf is under two months old.

·      Application of chemical paste or corrosive to cauterise the horn buds when the calf is under one week old.

Dehorning: -

Dehorning is the procedure of eliminating the horns of mature dairy animal. It contains the removal of the horn by cutting or sawing through the base of the horn near to the skull.

Horns are detached mainly due to two reasons:

·         As part of treatment.

·          As part of dairy farm management processes to avoid injuries to supervisors.

Horn Tipping: -

Horn tipping is cutting of horn’s pointed end in developed dairy animals that were not dehorned. It is less worrying on the animal as there is no blood loss and lack of nerve endings at the tip. It decreases the risk of eye loss and perforation wounds.

Supporting and against opinions in disbudding, dehorning and horn tipping

a.      Supporting arguments

·         Horns may cause injuries to trainers or other animals.

·         Horned animals take up more space for nourishing, watering, transportation etc.

·         Injuries cause harm to hides.

·         Horned animals may need particular equipment, such as feeders and angulate crushes.

·         In some strains, horns may grow towards the head, ultimately causing self-injury.

·         Horns may develop broken, affecting blood loss and latent for infection.

·         Horned animals may develop trapped in fences or vegetation, producing self-injury.

b.      Against arguments

·         Dehorning and disbudding without anaesthesia is very painful to the animal.

·         Horns are the usual defence instrument to defend self and calf from predators.

·         Horns deliver a secure point for fastening or holding the animal’s head.

·         Horns are old-style and breed standards may require their existence (e.g., Hallikar cattle breed in Karnataka).

·         Horns are of social significance, often being decorated or even trimmed into odd shapes.

·         In very hot climates, horns are beneficial for thermoregulation and freezing.

 

2.     Name the common identification methods used in pig farming. Discuss the welfare implications of different identification methods.

  ANSWER - Pig farming

Piggery or Pig farming is rearing and upbringing of local pigs as farm animals generally for meat (pork). Pigs are omnivorous with an exclusive skill to alter food waste and agricultural by-products into the meat. They are fast developing animals with a feed alteration proportion of 3:1.

Pig rearing is cost-effective due to the following reasons:

·         Pigs have high fertility, high feed change efficacy, early development, small age group interval and comparatively require lesser space.

Pigs are versatile animals providing meat and many valued byproducts like fat, bristles etc.

Identification Processes of pig farming

Animal ID is essential for the recording of several supervision parameters, treatment and killing. Pigs need to be separately recognized throughout life for management and traceability of animals for safety or assurance systems. The general identification measures are: -

1.      Ear clipping / Ear notching

2.      Ear tagging /Micro-chipping

3.      Tattooing

1.      Ear clipping / Ear notching

Ear clipping/notching is completed by using U or V designed cutting forceps for ID. New-born animals are main candidates for ear notching, as they will require it for identification purposes from a very early age. Ear notching is marked on both ears, with the position and number of notches suggesting different things. The right ear is used for the identification of the litter number. Pigs in the same litter must have the identical ear notch in the right ear. The left ear is showed specific identification for the respective pig in the litter.

2.      Ear Tagging / Microchipping

The most common technique of categorizing pigs is through tagging with soft ear or neck tags. Ear tags are applied to ears by using tag applicator. They bring an optical number.

A technology-enabled ID is through RFID (radio frequency identification) by using a transponder to communicate the animals’ data and location. The microprocessor chip is a transponder chip implanted behind ears using a needle and distinct syringe. Electronic implants are transistors fenced in very small non-reactive implantations that are placed below the skin at the base of the ear. They will collect an extensive variety of data that can be read using a microchip reader and associated mobile.

3.      Tattooing

Pigs may be tattooed with a recognizing number. Tattooing is the most consistent technique of ID either as the main method or as a backup. It is generally common between pig farmers.

The benefits of tattooing are:

·         An enduring form of identification

·         Consistent

·         Fast

·         Simple

·         Moveable

·         Appropriate for every phase - piglet to a farm to the slaughterhouse to market

·         Economical

In this process, letters and numbers are tattooed by using a sequence of pointed steel dyes on the inside of the ear or the skin of the neck area behind the ear. Liable on the age, size, and gender of the pig, the dyes can vary in various dimensions from 8 – 16 mm.

Welfare Disputes in different ID procedures

The animal welfare benefits of identification procedures comprise:

·         Traceability / quick ID of pigs with the risk of the sickness permitting rapid treatment or euthanasia so reducing suffering related to the ailment.

·         Healthier observing of pigs with distinct needs.

·         Allow quick identification of poor wellbeing or cruelty cases as part of welfare checking.

Though, all the identification procedures cause fear, pain and discomfort. Ear notching is achieved without anaesthesia or pain release. Afterwards, ear notching piglets can effort to escape, squeal and head shake, all behaviours representing piglets find the technique worrying & painful. Tagging must be performed rapidly with negligible stress to pigs. Confirm good preventive system. Check tags are fresh and in working order. If essential, confirm that the antiseptic/disinfectant solution is accessible to clean pliers and/or ears. Different other procedures of identification, ear notching is not officially essential and is instead an intentional on-farm management choice. While other methods of identification procedures like ear tagging or tattooing may be required due to the welfares to animals for traceability. Non-invasive approaches such as biometric identifiers are well-being friendly.

 

3.     What is meant by beak trimming in poultry? Explain the main welfare concerns, alternatives and precautions in beak trimming.

 ANSWER -Beak trimming

Beak trimming comprises eliminating a part of the beak which is often experienced to lessen feather pecking, destructive pecking and cannibalism in resting hens. Beak trimming is the elimination of almost one-quarter to one-third of the upper beak, or both upper and lower beak of a bird. Beak-trimming is also generally identified as “debeaking”. It is performed generally after 6 weeks of age and most regularly in the grower house. It can be done in the brooder house also at an initial age.

Beak-trimming will permanently cause a deficiency of physical input in the beak; the end goal would be the escaping of beak-trimming overall through genetics, housing environments, and management.

Why Beak-Trimming

Farmers regularly do beak-trimming due to following financial and behavioural motives:

Beak trimming is accomplished timely in the life of commercial hens to lessening damages caused by the behavioural bad conducts (vices) like:

·         Pecking and eating one’s species (cannibalism)

·         Bossing over others (bullying)

·         Feather and vent pecking.

·         To avoid feed wastage

·         To avoid egg-eating vice.

·         It reduces aggressive interaction among birds

When Beak-trimming is Performed?

The general ages for birds for beak-trimmed are:

·         Day-old (very common)

·         5–10 days old (accuracy or block beak-trimming)

·         4–6 weeks

·         10–12 weeks (re-trimmed)

Welfare concerns, substitutions and precautions in beak trimming

Welfare concerns-

In a standard poultry bird, the purposes of the beak are:

·         Feed particle identification

·         Investigation of the atmosphere

·         Grooming – Keep behaviour using beak to situation and interlock feathers, clean plumage and retain ectoparasites in check.

·         Public defence

Welfare concerns of beak-trimming include:

Acute and chronic pain creating from the severed end which leads to a decrease in:

·         Feed consumption

·         Pecking efficacy

·         Pecking preferences

·         Drinking capability

·         Removal of sensory receptors with loss of temperature and touch sensations.

·         The stress of varying nature depending on the age of bird and method of beak trimming.

Beak injury, shorten and uneven beak leading to:

·         The impaired ID of feed particles.

·         Inability to explore the atmosphere.

·         Impaired grooming and social protection.

Alternatives to Beak-trimming

1.      Genetic Interventions

Gene mapping, molecular technology, and biotechnology tools offer alternate approaches for refining welfare such as regulator of pecking behaviour. Assortment for low mortality decreases the propensity of birds to progress feather pecking and cannibalism.

2.      Housing Enrichment and Changing the Light Intensity

Environment supplemented cages with adequate perch space, good water and feed management and litter quality expands welfare of birds by dropping aggressive behaviour and striking. Light plays an important role in operating the social behaviour of the flock. Now, the most valuable way to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism is to house birds under very dim white light.

3.      Nutrition Interferences

Lower density diets with developed fibre levels will make birds occupy more time on feeding. Insertion semi-solid milk blocks in the house, hanging green leafy vegetables and scattering grass trimmings can stop feather pecking. Millrun oat hulls, rice hulls and Lucerne meal are real sources of fibre. Providing satisfactory minerals, amino acids and vitamins minimise biting mortality.

Beak-Trimming Precautions

Precautions before Beak-trimming

·         You will expect blood loss when the beak is cut. Therefore, administering vitamin K through drinking water 2 to 3 days before trimming can decrease blood loss.

·         Birds should not be exposed to stress from housing, vaccination or deworming throughout the week before or after trimming.

·         Sick birds should not be beak-trimmed.

Precautions during Beak-trimming

·         You should grasp the bird in such a way that it neither moves it head nor suffocates.

·         The beaks are unlocked with the help of the index finger and the tongue is held back.

·         The upper beak is cut first to the suggested level. The beak is held alongside the blade and spherical motion is given for at least 2 seconds while holding to effect proper cauterization (blocking of cut blood vessels by temperature).

·         Lower beak is then cut as per the approval.

·         Appropriate cauterization is once again guaranteed before the bird is left into the pen.

Protections after Beak-trimming

·         Feeders must be kept full of feedstuff to help birds eat effortlessly. Possibly, this is the only time when feeders are full of feed.

·         Vitamins B-complex, C and K to be given with water to lessen stress.

·         All the birds must be observed wisely for any bleeding.

 

4.     Name the commonly encountered welfare issues in performing elephants. Discuss any two of them in detail.

ANSWER -Welfare issues in performing elephants

Performing animals are the animals which are used for mostly entertainment. The animals used for performing are generally divided into five broad categories:

·         Fighting (bullfights)

·         Circuses (horses, birds, dogs & elephants)

·         Races (bullock cart race, tonga race, dog races etc.)

·         Tourism (elephants, horses & camel’s enjoyment drives)

·         Sports (cock competition fight, jallikattu, Kambala etc.).

The welfare concerns are those issues that are affecting the welfare of an animal destructively i.e. the conditions because of which the animal’s welfare is compromised. The use of animals in entertainment generates serious welfare problems which are painful and cause stress. Welfare issues could be due to the resources or also could be rightly seen as output i.e. the impact of input resources on the animals.

To be the more specific majority of the welfare issues in the elephants used in circuses and rides are due to keeping them in captivity most of the time without any enrichment. Following are the usually faced welfare concerns in such performing elephants:

1.      Tethering

2.      Foot Ailments

3.      Hitting with Ankus

4.      Forced to Stand Unnaturally

5.      Cruelty in Joy Rides

6.      Inadequate Veterinary Care

Details of welfare concerns are: -

1.      Tethering

In imprisonment, elephants are kept continuously bound, incapable to take a step in any direction and many of these smart animals are ambitious silly as a result, stating their huge frustration through repetitive swaying, shocking and head-bobbing behaviours, which are common in imprisonment but not dominant in the wild.

2.      Foot Ailments

They usually suffer from possibly poisonous foot diseases, as well as untreated skin complications, eye infections, and cataracts. The chains injured their legs and cause hurting wounds and pressure lesions that normally become infected. Many elephants used for demonstration and in performances suffer from arthritis and foot rot due to lack of workout and are compulsory to stand on ‘hard concrete bases for long hours’ in their own urine and dung.

3.      Hitting with Ankus

Elephants used in performances are kept continuously bound except when obligatory to perform under the threat of being hooked, hit or prodded with weaponries such as ankus (bullhook), spears or tipped sticks. Even visually weakened elephants were found to be used. Many elephants displayed marks of severe frustration through continuous head-bobbing and convincing - situations not seen in fit animals in the environment.

The use of the bullhook to control elephants is inhumane.

·         It harms elephants physically, psychologically and emotionally.

·         It causes harassment to elephants.

·         Constitutes handling in a manner that causes emotional stress and trauma.

·         Use of bullhook on one elephant has negative consequences for other elephants.

4.      Forced to Stand Unnaturally

It is detected in events that elephants are enforced to perform all types of tricks like:

·         Climb and stable on a small round stage while a gymnast performs on the pachyderm’s back or while put off from the animal’s trunk.

·         Stable herself on one foot while suspended on a circular platform.

·         Stand on her rear legs (forelimbs suspended in the air) on a small dais while a gymnast be seated on the pachyderm’s back.

To complete these acts, elephants are actually harmed, shamelessly hit with woody sticks, and constantly poked and hit on ears, feet and stomach with sticks having sharp tip and ankus, often penetrating their feet. This shows that cruelty is imminent when elephants are forced to execute.

5.      Cruelty in Joy Rides

It is integral when elephants are involuntarily forced to afford joy rides. AWBI’s assessment of elephants used for travel journeys at Amer Fort in Jaipur showed that maximum of the elephants used was under banned ownership, and that hurt and unfit elephants, including those visually impaired, were forced for mandatory work. It was found that strong ankuses, which are banned by the “Rajasthan High Court” in 2010 and chains with points or sharp ends were used to confine the elephants. The animals were constantly tied or bound by more than one foot, their ears had been injured, most of them have severe foot disorders, and many were appealing in stereotypic behaviour, such as continuous influential, head-bobbing, etc. Such behaviour is the outcome of severe frustration and shows thoughtful mental distress and decline in health.

Likewise, the AWBI review report on elephants used for trips in Goa decided that the elephants under unlawful care are unhealthy for work, denied basic supervision care and are exposed to mental and physical suffering. These elephants were observed to be suffering from the hyperkeratinisation of the skin on the fore and hind legs where the metallic chain/ spiked chains come in contact while binding the elephants when they are not actuality used for trips.

The elephants used in the enjoyment trips typically have a solidified skin beneath the lumbar area which is quite delicate and hurting for the elephants. These elephants were also observed with stereotypic behaviour, foot disorders such as weakening of the footpad, cracks on the nails, solidifying of the cuticle nearby the nails etc. due to continuously binding on the solid concrete floor.

Elephants used for enjoyment trips suffer skin injury on back due to the heaviness of saddle and also, grow swellings on the shoulders or hip area due to regularly getting up and lying down on the hard concrete floor.

6.      Inadequate Veterinary Care

Absence of appropriate veterinary health care is also a common welfare problem. Most of the elephants used in enjoyment rides are not immunized properly and are deprived of the appropriate quality veterinary facilities when they are sickening.

 

5.     Write short notes on the following in about 150 -200 words each:

a.                  Camel nose pegs  vis-a-vis welfare issues

ANSWER - Camel nose pegs vis-a-vis welfare matters

The old woody nose pegs can fragment and even break. This can lead to the camel’s nose becoming infected which, if left untreated, can hazardously lead to septicaemia which may be fatal in some cases. Even if the nose peg is not fractured or broken, bacteria can endlessly reproduce (multiply) in the pores of the timber/bone of the old-style nose pegs, which, can continue to infect the camel even if the camel is undergoing a course of effective antibiotics.

Recent materials such as polycarbonate can be used to make exceptional nose pegs which are indestructible and do not permit the bacteria to produce on the surface or inside.

·       Welfare Issues of Camels

·         Most usually met welfare matters in working camels are harness/ saddle wounds. As the bulge of the camel is not well provided with blood healing takes a long time, therefore stuffing of the harness is vital.

·         The camel’s nose may be uncertain and may be infected because of the technique of using the nose peg. Typically, the camel vendors use lengthy wooden nose pegs. These woody pegs due to continuous resistance occasionally tear the nasal septum, which may get infected.

 

  B.     The 3Rs concept in lab animal welfare

ANSWER -The welfare of animals used in research is very important. There  are good ethical, scientific, legal and economic reasons for making sure that animals are looked after properly and used in minimum numbers. The guiding principles underpinning the humane use of animals in scientific research are called the three Rs. Any researcher planning to use animals in their research must first show why there is no alternative and what will be done to minimise numbers and suffering, ie:

·        Replace the use of animals with alternative techniques, or avoid the use of animals altogether.

·        Reduce the number of animals used to a minimum, to obtain information from fewer animals or more information from the same number of animals.

·        Refine the way experiments are carried out, to make sure animals suffer as little as possible. This includes better housing and improvements to procedures which minimise pain and suffering and/or improve animal welfare.

C.Devocalization / debarking in pet dogs and cats

ANSWER -Views of humane treatment of animals in both the veterinary profession and our society as a whole are evolving.  Many practicing clinicians are refusing to perform non‐therapeutic surgeries such as devocalization, declawing, ear cropping and tail docking of dogs and cats because these procedures provide no medical benefit to the animals and are done purely for the convenience or cosmetic preferences of the caregiver. At this point, devocalization procedures are not widely included in veterinary medical school curricula.

The veterinary medical term for the devocalization procedure is ventriculocordectomy.  When the surgery is performed for the non‐therapeutic purpose of pet owner convenience, the goal is to muffle or eliminate dog barking or cat meowing. Ventriculocordectomy refers to the surgical removal of the vocal cords.  They are composed of ligament and muscle, covered with mucosal tissue. Partial devocalization refers to removal of only a portion of the vocal cords.    Total devocalization refers to removal of a major portion of the vocal cords   

D.Humane slaughter

ANSWER -Millions of farm animals face unnecessary stress and suffering before and during slaughter – because workers lack the expertise, skills and technology to ensure humane treatment. So we worked with food companies, governments and scientists in Brazil, China and Indonesia to encourage humane slaughter. And our work with partners is helping vets in Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines introduce humane slaughter too.

Changes made in slaughterhouses following our training included:

·        Use of humane handling techniques

·        Pre-slaughter stunning, which stops animals feeling pain

·        Correct use of stunning and restraining equipment

·        Handling pigs in groups to reduce stress on individual animals

·        Installation of blue lamps to calm poultry

·        Use of non-slip floors and low-angle ramps to stop animals falling and getting injured

To make sure change lasts, we:

·        Helped companies introduce policies and guidelines on humane slaughter

·        Called for legislation and codes of practice on humane slaughter

·        Worked with vet schools to introduce teaching on humane slaughter

Benefits for business

A five-year study of our humane slaughter training found that abattoirs earned a better reputation by using humane methods, helping them compete globally. Staff morale improved too. And because fewer animals were injured, fewer carcasses were bruised – improving meat quality. In one slaughter plant in Brazil, 63% fewer animals were bruised following our training.

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