Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
by introducing the animals to a competitive environment,
the possibility of bullying and fighting and an introduc-
tion, therefore, of 'fear. It should be possible, however, to
measure up any husbandry system against the principles
expressed in the five basic needs. Any animal housing sys-
tem, for example, should provide the following:
(Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989, implementing
Council Directive 86/287/EEC. The aim of these regula-
tions is to prevent the build-up of potentially toxic
substances in the soil, the contamination of watercourses,
the spread of disease and the creation of noxious odours.
Despite these regulations and associated codes of prac-
tice, pollution of watercourses is a regular occurrence, as
is the stocking of land with farm animals, especially cattle
and sheep, after organic wastes have been applied.
1
Readily accessible fresh water and nutritionally
adequate food as required.
2
Adequate ventilation, to control humidity, irritant gas
concentrations and dust and a suitable environmental
temperature. (In controlled-environment houses, e.g.
broiler and intensive pig houses, there must be a warn-
ing system for electrical failure and a back-up system.)
3
Sufficient light for inspection purposes. Pigs should
not be kept in permanent darkness.
4
A dry lying area.
5
A flooring, whether slats or solid, which neither harms
the animal nor causes undue strain, injury or distress.
6
The correct stocking density. Both over-crowding and
understocking can cause problems.
7
Internal surfaces and fittings of buildings and pens
with no sharp edges or projections.
8
Internal surfaces of housing and pens which can be
cleaned and disinfected effectively.
Intensive methods of husbandry, which involve auto-
matic feeding systems, and slatted houses, which require
little daily cleaning, greatly reduce contact between people
and the animal. This increases the stress on the animal
when it has to be handled for marketing, loading and
transport. Hauliers report that pigs collected for slaughter
from some large birth-to-bacon units are much more dif-
ficult to drive and load than those from finisher units
where the pigs will have changed premises one or more
times. Thought should be given to enriching the pigs'
environment by introducing toys, such as rubber balls or
chains, or walking through the pens regularly to increase
their contact with humans. It has been suggested that leav-
ing a radio on in a pig-finishing house accustoms the ani-
mals to human voices and makes them easier to handle.
Good stockmanship is the single most important fac-
tor in ensuring the welfare of livestock on farm. A man-
agement system may be acceptable in principle, but
without competent, diligent stockmanship, the welfare of
animals cannot be adequately safeguarded.
Animal welfare on the farm
The welfare of an animal is its state as regards its attempt
to cope with its environment Broom (1986). Welfare
therefore includes the extent of failure to cope, which
may lead to disease or injury, but also the ease of coping
or difficulty of coping. Hence, the welfare of an animal is
related to its health.
Increased concern as to the welfare of animals within
Europe, led in 1997 to an amendment to the European treaty,
contained within the Treaty of Amsterdam, to define animals
as 'sentient' rather than merely as agricultural products.
An animal's welfare, whether on farm, in transit, at mar-
ket or at a place of slaughter, should be considered in terms
of the 'five freedoms. These freedoms define ideal states
rather than standards for acceptable welfare. They form a
logical and comprehensive framework for analysis of wel-
fare within any system together with the steps and compro-
mises necessary to safeguard and improve welfare within
the proper constraints of an effective livestock industry:
1
Freedom from hunger and thirst
By ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain
full health and vigour
2
Freedom from discomfort
By providing an appropriate environment includ-
ing shelter and a comfortable environment
3
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
By prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment
4
Freedom to express normal behaviour
By providing sufficient space, proper facilities and
company of the animal's own kind
5
Freedom from fear and distress
By ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid
mental suffering
Some intensive systems of agriculture make the attain-
ment of these goals impossible in the short term, but
national and European regulations on animal welfare are
gradually moving to make them a legal requirement. The
banning of all dry sow stall and tethering systems, which
restrict the 'freedom to display most normal patterns of
behaviour' by January 1999 in the United Kingdom and in
Europe by 2013, was a move in this direction. However,
many pig farmers suggest that keeping sows in groups may,
in fact, be more stressful on the animals than a stall system
Assessment of an animal's welfare
The most obvious indication of poor welfare is behavioural
changes which indicate that the individual animal is failing
to cope with its environment. Interpretation of behavioural
signs is fraught with difficulty as different species, type and
individual animals may react differently to a given situa-
tion. For example, while pigs may vocalise when injured,
sheep will remain dumb. However, Bradshaw, Hall and
