MAW 004 SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2021

 

ASSIGNMENT - 4

Course Code: MAW-004         

                                                                                                                             Maximum Marks: 100

Answer all the questions. Each question carries 20 marks

1.What is meant by Gaushala? Discuss the important recommendations of ‘National Commission on Cattle’ to solve the stray cattle problem.

 ANSWER- Stray animal is domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost. So, cattle in general and cow and its progeny in particular, roaming on the streets of villages, towns and cities can be called as stray cattle.

Gaushala, a Sanskrit word (“Gau” means cow and “Shala” means a shelter place), means the abode or sanctuary for cows, calves and oxen. Apart from providing shelter, the Gaushala also rescues the animals destined for illegal slaughter . As per Rajastan Goushala Act (1960), Gaushala means a charitable institution established for the purpose of keeping, breeding, rearing and maintaining cattle or for the purpose of reception, protection and treatment of Gaushalas infirm, aged or diseased cattle and includes a Pinjarapole or a Gosadan where such cattle are kept.

Ever increasing number of cattle in general and cow and its progeny in particular, roaming on the streets of towns and cities as stray cattle is a serious problem to the environment, transport system and general living of people and well as cattle themselves. These stray animals are a source of infection and also cause traffic accidents. It is a country-wide problem, spreading from rural areas to metropolitan cities. It is also the crucial issue, generally put forward whenever the question of total ban on cow slaughter arises. Time and again, it has been said that stray cattle are indication of the fact that these are unfit and their rearing is uneconomic. That is why the owners just push them out on the ultimate journey to the slaughterhouse. The National Commission on Cattle examined this issue and recommended the strategies to tackle the problem of stray cattle (Kothari and Mishra, 2013)

Committee Recommendations

 The strategies to tackle the problem of Stray Cattle and ‘so-called’ useless or dry cattle have to be implemented at all levels and as a combined effort of various agencies. The following strategies are recommended for the purpose by the ‘National Commission on Cattle’:

1) Establishment of Village Gosadans

2) Establishment of Cow Sanctuaries, and

3) Establishment of Cattle Colonies

2.Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of slated and solid floors in farrowing pens of pigs along with the welfare implications.

 ANSWER-A farrowing shed is a planetary intended for sows and piglets during farrowing. A farrowing shed has bangers for distinct sows, permitting planetary for the piglets together with their mother and room for the sow to change around and access her food and water without contaminating them.

Advantages and disadvantages of slated floors

The slatted bottom is better than the solid floor bottom to keep hygiene and welfare. The slates may be either malleable, adhesive concrete or iron. To protect the crushing of piglets, sows are usually confined in the crate during lactation. Though, it is not favoured from the animal welfare point of assessment. But to safeguard the piglets from crushing, confinement of sow is practised. Readymade plastic or cement concrete slates are available. Measurement of 2.4m length and 1.8m width is enough for one slated base farrowing pen. To provide warmth, an electric heating plate is best suitable for piglets. Otherwise, an infrared bulb or ordinary bulb of higher wattage can be used for providing the brooding temperature comfort to the newborn piglets.

To maintain the cleanliness, slated floors are used. Through the slated floor, urine is readily passed to the manure pit placed below the pen which helps the pen to remain dry. Some quantity of dry solid faeces also slowly passes through slates and recurrent removal of dry faeces benefits to keep the floor of the pen very clean. There is no room for waterlogging on the slated floor and piglets don’t get the chance to lick such dirty/contaminated water. The sow cannot turn in the farrowing crate and don’t get the chance to lie over its faeces or urine, which keep the udder and teats remain clean and chances of infection are minimized. Irregular washing of hind digs of a sow with the exclusion of faeces is enough to retain the sow and the pen clean. But, restraining sows in such narrow crates is a welfare issue.

Advantages and disadvantages of solid floors

In maximum of the pig farmhouses in India, the base of farrowing pen is fabricated with cement concrete. In such a condition, the sow usually gets dirty with urine and faeces. With systematic washings, it is not possible to clean the sow totally. The udder along with teats gets dirty. There is every possibility of infection for the piglets from such unclean udder.

In majority of cases, after washing with water, little amount of water along with faeces and urine retained in small holes of damaged floors. Piglets usually don’t drink water for up to 7 days, if the milk production of the sow is optimum. However, if milk production is low and inadequate, they may drink water before 7 days of age. The piglet’s pickup infection, if they lick or drink such contaminated water from the floor.

The passive immunity obtained through intake of colostrum protects the piglets normally up to 14 days of age and later the piglets are more vulnerable to infections. However, a certain amount of immunoglobulins presents in milk also protects the piglets to some extent when they are in the nursing stage. On the other hand, when sow milk production is not sufficient to supply all the nutrients required for piglets after 7 days of lactation and the piglets start searching for feed or other liquid. Intake of feed or liquid by the piglets increases when milk production of the mother declines after the third week of age. Therefore, if the floor is unclean, which is a normal case in a solid floor, and the intake of colostrum’s and milk is not up to the mark, piglets suffer from infection (mostly diarrhoea) resulting in high mortality, which may go up to 40%.

 

3.Explain the minimum standards for registration and stockmanship of layer farms along with good management practices.

ANSWER- Minimum Standards for Registration and Stockmanship Registration

1)Persons or entities owning or having charge of farms keeping such number of hens and/or pullets per farm as may be specified by the Registering Authority of the concerned State or Union Territories shall apply to get their farms registered with the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) of the concerned State Governments/Union Territories.

2) The AHD of the State shall, while granting registration, impose such conditions as it may deem fit as per other existing local laws.

3) The application for registration shall include the farm layout, bio-security for Commercial Layers arrangement as prescribed from time to time by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (Govt. of India) and other relevant information (required under the rules).

4) The registering authority, if satisfied that the enclosures are as per the rules, shall register the farms and issue a certificate of registration.

5) The certificate of registration will be valid for five years from the date of its issuance. The certificate may be renewed from time to time through an application made by the person owning or in charge of the farm to the registering authority, within three months from the date of expiry of the existing certificate of registration.

6) Every farm operating prior to the commencement of these rules shall, within a period of three months from the date of its commencement, register itself with the AHD of the concerned State.

7) The registration certificate shall be displayed in a conspicuous place at the farm.

 Stockmanship (Responsibility of Poultry Farm Owner or Farm Operator)

1) The owner/operator/highest ranking official of farm/company/society/ organisation shall be responsible for ensuring the compliance of these rules as per the given environmental conditions for the welfare of layer hens.

2) In case of contract farming between contractor and farmers, where inputs for poultry farming are provided to the farm owner by the contractor, both the farm owner and the contractor shall be responsible for ensuring compliance of these rules.

3) Where a farm is owned by a government, the responsibility of compliance of these rules shall be on the head of the institution.

Good Management Practices in Stockmanship

·       Effective welfare of flock depends mostly on farm owners/farm workers/ stockman who should be aware of the welfare needs of layer poultry birds.

·       Sufficient well-motivated and competent personnel are employed to carry out all necessary tasks. Staff should be well managed and supervised, fully conversant with the tasks they will be required to undertake and competent in the use of any equipment.

·       The required stockmanship knowledge and skills related to general management, feeding, breeding and healthcare can be acquired through training or by working with an experienced person on-farm.

·       In order for birds to become accustomed to the stockman’s presence without fear, there should be frequent, quiet but close approach from an early age so that birds are not unduly frightened.

·       All keepers should have a full and demonstrable understanding of the welfare needs and basic biology of the birds. At least, they should be able to:

o Recognise whether or not the birds are in good health;

o Understand the significance of behavioural changes in the birds, and

o Appreciate the suitability of the total environment for the birds’ health and welfare.

 

4.Why alternatives to use of animals in teaching are important in view of animal welfare? Discuss any three alternative models in teaching.

ANSWER-Animals are used for teaching purposes at various levels. The use of amphibians, small animals and large animals are common in paramedical schools, veterinary and medical colleges. The examples for alternatives include:

·       Models instead of dissection to teach students the principles of Anatomy.

·       Avoiding normal dissection of animals to see physiological parameters (e.g. students examining their own physiological parameters such as heart rate, vision or hearing).

Although not a replacement for dissection in a strict sense, this type of models/ exercises has the following benefits:

1) The alternatives are both educational and stimulating.

2) They do not involve the harming or killing of animals and have the added benefit of providing, albeit indirectly, a lesson in compassion.

3) Alternatives are durable and usually economical - even if initially expensive, most alternatives become highly cost-effective over time.

4) For some alternatives, students can use them repeatedly without incurring further costs.

5) Most importantly, alternatives are humane and welfare friendly.

6) They offer educators and students numerous ways to teach and learn, respectively, all types of information without harming or killing other beings.

The following are few examples of alternatives to animal usage in teaching at various levels.

Three alternative models in teaching.

1.     Montessori

Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman in Italy to earn her physician's degree, developed the educational model that bears her name while teaching a class of 50 poor students on the outskirts of Rome in 1907. Dr. Montessori, who previously worked with special needs students, rejected the notion that children were born as "blank slates." Rather, she believed that children were born with absorbent minds and were fully capable of self-directed learning. Montessori developed the framework for a prepared educational environment in which children, empowered with the freedom to choose how they would spend their time in school, would seek out opportunities to learn on their own. Her pioneering work formed the basis for the Montessori classroom, which endures primarily in preschool and elementary school settings today.

2. Steiner/Waldorf

The curriculum that defines the Waldorf method has remained relatively unchanged in the last 90 years. Steiner believed the first 7 years of a child's life, a period marked by imitative and sensory-based learning, should be devoted to developing a child's noncognitive abilities. To that end, kindergartners in Waldorf schools are encouraged to play and interact with their environment instead of being taught academic content in a traditional setting. Steiner also believed that children should learn to write before they learned to read, and that no child should learn to read before the age of 7. From age 7-14, creativity and imagination are emphasized. During this stage, Waldorf school students may learn foreign languages, as well as eurythmy, an expressive dance developed by Steiner, and other performing arts. By age 14, students are ready for a more structured environment that stresses social responsibility.

3. Harkness

Reggio Emilia schools emphasize the importance of parents taking an active role in their child's early education. Classrooms are designed to look and feel like home and the curriculum is flexible, as there are no set lesson plans. Reggio Emilia stresses growth on the students' terms. Art supplies are an important component of any Reggio Emilia classroom and traditional schools have an atelierista, or art teacher, who works closely with the children on a variety of creative projects. Reggio Emilia teachers often keep extensive documentation of a child's development, including folders of artwork and notes about the stories behind each piece of art.

5)Discuss the overall and indicator wise ranking of India on animal protection as per Animal Protection Index (API).

ANSWER-India is one of the better-performing countries in the global Animal Protection Index 2020, created by international animal welfare charity, World Animal Protection.

The Animal Protection Index (API) aims to showcase where countries are doing well, and where they fall short on animal welfare policy and legislation, so they can take steps to improve.

The index ranks countries from A (being the highest score) to G (being the weakest score) according to their policy and legislation.

India has attained a C ranking in the index, along with countries like New Zealand, Mexico, France, and Spain.

However, there is room for improvement in many domains related to animal welfare. For instance, animals used in scientific research are exempt from cruelty considerations in the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act 1960.

Furthermore, there is a lack of regulations regarding the rearing of farm animals, notably with unregulated urban dairy systems developing quickly with very poor welfare standards.

"India has strong laws on the protection of animals; however, the welfare of dairy animals is yet to part of any such law. Cows are considered to be sacred in India but millions of cows and buffaloes continue to suffer in cruel conditions every day in dairies within our cities. This index is a good reminder of the work that still needs to done to protect every animal", said Gajender K Sharma, Country Director, World Animal Protection, India.

New research reveals poor animal welfare practices, in the trade and farming of wild animals and livestock, which provides the perfect breeding ground for viruses to mutate and spread. If animal welfare laws aren't improved, we face the risk of disease outbreaks becoming more frequent. This is just one of the ways that governments are failing to protect animals and people, says the report.

World Animal Protection assessed the animal welfare policies and legislation of 50 countries and clearly identified a worrying lack of adequate animal welfare laws. It is pushing for urgent improvements.

The index will help countries to put in place good animal welfare practices such as keeping animals clean, healthy and with sufficient space to exhibit natural behaviours.

"Good animal welfare practices for domesticated animals can help prevent disease, by keeping animals clean, healthy, and providing sufficient space for them to exhibit natural behaviour. Ending the commercial trade in wild animals, that have been taken from their natural habitats or intensively bred in captivity, will reduce the serious human health hazards associated with moving stressed, sick and injured wildlife through international trade routes", said Kelly Dent, Global Director of External Engagement at World Animal Protection.

Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Austria are rated with the highest scores, which is encouraging. More countries need to follow their lead and World Animal Protection is calling on all governments to immediately improve their animal welfare standards, not only for the benefit of animals but also to reduce the risk to public health.

World Animal Protection last year launched a 60-second film to highlight the many ways that we are failing to protect animals, asking the question: does the life of an animal mean nothing at all? A question, we need to ask the governments which currently lack the most basic animal welfare policies.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article

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