Sheep Updates 2007 - part 2

This session covers six papers from different authors: CONCURRENT SESSIONS FINISHING LAMB AND BEEF 1. Precision Feedlot Lamb, Ian McFarland, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Feeding sheep under high heat load did not decrease intake of feedlot rations, Catherine Stockman, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia & Murdoch University, Anne Barnes, Murdoch University David Pethick, Murdoch University 3. Taking the stress out of fifishing lambs and cattle - EasyFeed solutions, Jenny Davis, Brett Thomson, Milne AgriGroup, Welshpool WA, Ron Leng, Emeritus Professor, University of New England, Armidale, NSW WOOL 4. DAFWA algorithm selects Western Australian fine tip wool from auction, Sara Pieruzzini Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 5. Why is adoption of forward contracts by Western Australian producers so limited? Elizabeth Jackson, Mohammed Quaddus, Curtin University of Technology, Nazrul Islam, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, John Stanton, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology 6. Genetic programs and the imposition of contract supply conditions on wool fibre diameter, John Stanton, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology, Melanie Dowling, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australi

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment as a Method to Identify Potential Stressors during Commercial Sheep Transport

Land transport is an unavoidable experience for most livestock, yet there is limited research comparing animal welfare under different conditions. We video recorded sheep responses during short (2 h) commercial road transport journeys. Using Qualitative Behavioural Assessment, observers (blinded to the treatments) scored the behavioural expression of sheep and reached significant consensus in their scoring patterns (p < 0.001). There were also significant effects of vehicle crate design (sheep transported in a ‘standard’ crate were more calm/relaxed than those transported in a ‘convertible’ crate), deck position (sheep on upper decks were more curious/alert than those on lower decks), and sheep breed (fat-tail sheep were more agitated/distressed than merino sheep) on observer scores. We only found marginal differences for sheep originating from feedlot or saleyard. Significant effects of vehicle driver (included as a random factor in all but one of our analyses) suggest driving patterns contributed to demeanour of the sheep. Finally, the fourteen drivers who participated in the study were asked their opinions on livestock transport; none of the factors we tested were identified by drivers as important for sheep welfare during transport. This study supports the use of qualitative measures in transport and revealed differences that could inform truck design

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment as a Method to Identify Potential Stressors during Commercial Sheep Transport

Land transport is an unavoidable experience for most livestock, yet there is limited research comparing animal welfare under different conditions. We video recorded sheep responses during short (2 h) commercial road transport journeys. Using Qualitative Behavioural Assessment, observers (blinded to the treatments) scored the behavioural expression of sheep and reached significant consensus in their scoring patterns (p < 0.001). There were also significant effects of vehicle crate design (sheep transported in a ‘standard’ crate were more calm/relaxed than those transported in a ‘convertible’ crate), deck position (sheep on upper decks were more curious/alert than those on lower decks), and sheep breed (fat-tail sheep were more agitated/distressed than merino sheep) on observer scores. We only found marginal differences for sheep originating from feedlot or saleyard. Significant effects of vehicle driver (included as a random factor in all but one of our analyses) suggest driving patterns contributed to demeanour of the sheep. Finally, the fourteen drivers who participated in the study were asked their opinions on livestock transport; none of the factors we tested were identified by drivers as important for sheep welfare during transport. This study supports the use of qualitative measures in transport and revealed differences that could inform truck design

Qualitative Behavioural Assessment of Angus steers during pre-slaughter handling and relationship with temperament and physiological responses

This study examined the behavioural expression of cattle immediately prior to slaughter through the process of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA), and compared these results to measurements of physiology and temperament. Twenty-eight Angus steers were filmed while in a funnel chute as they were being moved towards an abattoir killing box. Footage of cattle was shown in random order to 15 observers. Observers assessed the cattle using a qualitative approach based on Free Choice Profiling (FCP) methodology, which gives observers complete freedom to choose their own descriptive terms. Data were analysed with Generalised Procrustes Analysis (GPA). There was significant consensus (P 5.7 (classified as a 'dark cutter') had a low value for GPA dimension 2 (scored as relatively more 'annoyed'/'frightened'). The findings from this study suggest that QBA could contribute to assessing pre-slaughter animal handling, highlighting potential issues to be followed up with additional measures. The significant correlations between GPA dimension 1 with slaughter order and plasma lactate warrant further investigation, comparing behavioural expression with aspects of meat quality

Sheep Updates 2007 - part 2

This session covers six papers from different authors: CONCURRENT SESSIONS FINISHING LAMB AND BEEF 1. Precision Feedlot Lamb, Ian McFarland, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 2. Feeding sheep under high heat load did not decrease intake of feedlot rations, Catherine Stockman, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia & Murdoch University, Anne Barnes, Murdoch University David Pethick, Murdoch University 3. Taking the stress out of fifishing lambs and cattle - EasyFeed solutions, Jenny Davis, Brett Thomson, Milne AgriGroup, Welshpool WA, Ron Leng, Emeritus Professor, University of New England, Armidale, NSW WOOL 4. DAFWA algorithm selects Western Australian fine tip wool from auction, Sara Pieruzzini Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia 5. Why is adoption of forward contracts by Western Australian producers so limited? Elizabeth Jackson, Mohammed Quaddus, Curtin University of Technology, Nazrul Islam, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, John Stanton, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology 6. Genetic programs and the imposition of contract supply conditions on wool fibre diameter, John Stanton, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology, Melanie Dowling, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australi

Validating the use of qualitative behavioral assessment as a measure of the welfare of sheep during transport

We tested the application of qualitative behavioral assessment (QBA) as a welfare assessment tool. Sheep were exposed to road transport treatments, and behavioral expressions were compared between experimental treatments and validated by correlation with physiological measures. We compared journeys differing in ventilation (closed vs. open-sided trailer), flooring (grip vs. nongrip flooring), and driving styles (stop–start vs. continuous driving). Blood samples were collected immediately before loading and after unloading; heart rate and core body temperatures were recorded continuously. Continuous video footage was edited to show individual sheep to observers for QBA using free-choice profiling (observers used their own descriptive terms). There was significant consensus in observers’ scores for the sheep in each experiment (p < .001). Observers distinguished between sheep exposed to flooring (p = .014) or driving-style (p = .005) treatments, but not between ventilation treatments. QBA scores were compared (p < .05) with plasma leptin, glucose, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations; white blood cell profiles; red blood cell counts; hematocrit; body temperatures; and heart rate variability. Observer assessments reflected treatment differences, and correlations between behavioral expression and physiological responses were found