Mutilating Procedures, Management Practices, and Housing Conditions That May Affect the Welfare of Farm Animals: Implications for Welfare Research

Abstract

Simple summaryIntensive farming systems are confronted with a number of animal welfare issues such as injuries from horns in cattle and feather pecking in poultry. To solve these problems, mutilating procedures, such as dehorning in cattle and goats and beak trimming in laying hens, are applied routinely. These and other procedures such as early maternal separation, overcrowding, and barren housing conditions impair animal welfare. Scientific underpinning of the efficacy of these interventions and management practices is poor. We advocate that all stakeholders, in particular animal scientists and veterinarians, take the lead in evaluating common, putative mutilating and welfare reducing procedures and management practices to develop better, scientifically supported alternatives, focused on adaptation of the environment to the animals, to ensure uncompromised animal welfare.AbstractA number of mutilating procedures, such as dehorning in cattle and goats and beak trimming in laying hens, are common in farm animal husbandry systems in an attempt to prevent or solve problems, such as injuries from horns or feather pecking. These procedures and other practices, such as early maternal separation, overcrowding, and barren housing conditions, raise concerns about animal welfare. Efforts to ensure or improve animal welfare involve adapting the animal to its environment, i.e., by selective breeding (e.g., by selecting “robust” animals) adapting the environment to the animal (e.g., by developing social housing systems in which aggressive encounters are reduced to a minimum), or both. We propose adapting the environment to the animals by improving management practices and housing conditions, and by abandoning mutilating procedures. This approach requires the active involvement of all stakeholders: veterinarians and animal scientists, the industrial farming sector, the food processing and supply chain, and consumers of animal-derived products. Although scientific evidence about the welfare effects of current practices in farming such as mutilating procedures, management practices, and housing conditions is steadily growing, the gain in knowledge needs a boost through more scientific research. Considering the huge number of animals whose welfare is affected, all possible effort must be made to improve their welfare as quickly as possible in order to ban welfare-compromising procedures and practices as soon as possible.

Importance of Basic Research on the Causes of Feather Pecking in Relation to Welfare

“…We exemplarily discussed this topic with respect to feather pecking. However, we argue that more basic research would also, in the long run, benefit the solutions of other welfare problems in commercial farming, for example those recently summarized by Nordquist et al [1].…”

“…To properly assess an animal's welfare state, we need thorough knowledge of the animal's normal behavioral repertoire and its behavioral needs and abilities [1]. Obtaining that knowledge enables mapping of the underlying motivation for seemingly maladaptive behavior that can be taken as sign of compromised or severely compromised welfare [56].…”

“…Industrial animal farming entails management procedures and housing conditions that may compromise animal welfare [1]. The general public as well as farmers, veterinarians, and animal welfare scientists are aware of these problems and invest in their putative solutions, either applying practical approaches or science-based solutions.…”

The Disturbed Habitat and Its Effects on the Animal Population

“…For centuries, cattle have been grown in a traditional manner, within small farms, mainly grazing. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, the continuous demand of protein products and the availability of grains and protein sources to low costs led to an intensive, highly specialized production system, where animals are "adapted" to meet the constraints caused by their housing conditions and the management practices [5], thus restricting their natural behaviors. Furthermore, individual selection for enhanced production traits has placed an even greater metabolic demand on these animals.…”

“…Small and young animals are more prone to diseases if kept with larger and older animals. For these reasons, groups should be made up with animals of similar age, weight, and sex [5]. Moreover, overcrowding and the reduced space at the manger are one of the most critical factors negatively affecting cattle welfare by increasing competition among pen-mates, causing the buller steer syndrome, decreasing the feed intake, reducing the time spent resting, eating, and ruminating, and increasing lesions, such as trauma on bones and joints, osteoarthropathies, prepuce injury, and tail-tip necrosis.…”