Estudo de caso: o uso do protocolo AWIN de avaliação de bem-estar para monitorar um grupo de jumentos abandonados

O objetivo deste estudo foi formular um diagnóstico das condições de vida de jumentos abandonados mantidos em uma área restrita de uma propriedade através da avaliação de seu nível de bem-estar, utilizando o protocolo AWIN como ferramenta metodológica. Estes animais seriam destinados ao abate, porém, depois da suspensão temporária da atividade, foram abandonados pelos proprietários. O protocolo de avaliação de bem-estar foi associado às condições ambientais e sanitárias gerais. Informações sobre os índices de mortalidade também foram coletadas. De acordo com os resultados da avaliação de bem-estar, as condições de vida destes animais estavam aceitáveis em algumas áreas, embora não houvesse sombreamento e abrigo suficientes, um período de restrição alimentar de 3 meses e um índice de mortalidade acima de 70%. Estes resultados demonstram que protocolos de avaliação de bem-estar devem ser adaptados a situações de crise, e bancos de dados para indicadores de bem-estar em condições diversas devem ser criados.The objective of this study was to reach a diagnosis of the living conditions of abandoned donkeys kept in a restricted farm area through the assessment of their welfare level utilizing the AWIN protocol as a methodological tool. These animals were supposed to be sent to slaughter, but after the activity was temporarily banned, they were abandoned by traders. The protocol of welfare assessment was associated with general environmental and sanitary conditions. Information regarding the mortality rates was also gathered. According to the welfare assessment results, the living conditions of these animals were acceptable in some areas, despite the insufficient shade and shelter, a 3-month food restriction period, and a mortality rate of over 70%. These results demonstrate that welfare assessment protocols must be adapted to crises and databases for welfare indicators in diverse conditions must be created

Leite de jumenta: saúde e bem-estar animal

In Brazil, donkeys have lost their economic value and since 2016, have not been accounted for by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). As a consequence, their abandonment has been intensified. Most of these animals are found in the northeastern region of Brazil (80%) and their expressive numbers have caught the attention of Chinese markets, which have attempted to establish the slaughter and commercialisation of donkey skin as a means to reintroduce them into the brazilian economy. Therefore, this study aims to contextualise the social, economical and cultural situation of donkeys in Brazil, assess the welfare conditions of donkeys destined for slaughter, and explore possibilities of reintroducing donkeys in the brazilian economy through the sustainable and ethical production of asinine milk. A case study was conducted to assess the welfare of abandoned donkeys (Farias, 2021a), an experiment to assess the welfare of jennies during milking (Farias, 2021b), other about physical and chemical parameters of asinine milk of the Pêga breed and a study on the effects of supplementation with asinine milk on behaviour, productive parameters and immunity of piglets before and after weaning. The studies concluded that it is observable that asinine milk samples collected in this study did not suffer composition changes throughout lactation, which is in agreement with other studies with donkey and mare milk and supplementation with asinine milk did modulate the expression of genes related to inflammation, resulted in a decrease in salivary cortisol post-weaning in the afternoon, and did not alter the behavioural expression of stress in the tests conducted. Therefore, further studies on the supplementation with asinine milk are warranted. All data were analysed in the SAS software and for all presented tests, average pairs were compared to 5% probability. The objective of this study is to explore possibilities of reintroduction of donkeys in the brazilian social and economic scenarios through the sustainable and ethical production and commercialisation of asinine milk.No Brasil, os jumentos perderam sua funcionalidade econômica e não são contabilizados pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) desde 2016. Como consequência, seu abandono tem se intensificado. A maioria desses animais é encontrada na região nordeste do Brasil (80%) e seu grande número tem chamado a atenção dos mercados chineses, que têm tentado estabelecer o abate e comercialização da pele de jumento como forma de reintroduzi-los na economia brasileira. Portanto, este estudo tem como objetivo contextualizar a situação social, econômica e cultural dos jumentos no Brasil, avaliar as condições de bem-estar dos jumentos destinados ao abate e explorar possibilidades de reintrodução de jumentos na economia brasileira por meio da produção sustentável e ética de leite asinino. Foi realizado um estudo de caso para avaliar o bem-estar de jumentas abandonadas (Farias, 2021a), um experimento para avaliar o bem-estar de jumentas durante a ordenha (Farias, 2021b), outro sobre parâmetros físico-químicos do leite asinino da raça Pêga e um estudo sobre os efeitos da suplementação com leite asinino no comportamento, parâmetros produtivos e imunidade de leitões em fase de maternidade. Os dois últimos estudos concluíram que é observável que as amostras de leite asinino coletadas neste estudo não sofreram alterações de composição ao longo da lactação, o que está de acordo com outros estudos com leite de jumenta e égua e a suplementação com leite asinino modulou a expressão de genes relacionados a inflamação, resultou em diminuição do cortisol salivar pós-desmame no período da tarde, e não alterou a expressão comportamental do estresse nos testes realizados. Portanto, mais estudos são necessários. Todos os dados foram analisados no software SAS e para todos os testes apresentados, os pares médios foram comparados a 5% de probabilidade. O objetivo deste estudo é explorar possibilidades de reintrodução de jumentas no cenário social e econômico brasileiro por meio da produção e comercialização sustentável e ética do leite asinino

Systems of group-housed without and with access to external area: animal welfare and zootechnical performance of sows and piglets in the reproductive phase

Objetivou-se com essa pesquisa analisar o bem-estar animal e o desempenho zootécnico de matrizes suínas nas fases de gestação e maternidade e leitões na fase de maternidade, criadas em sistemas de baias coletivas sem e com acesso a piquete. O experimento foi realizado no setor de suinocultura da PUSP-FC, da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Campus Fernando Costa, na cidade de Pirassununga, entre os meses de novembro de 2015 e março de 2016, durante a fase reprodutiva das matrizes suínas; gestação e maternidade. Para isso, foram utilizadas 13 matrizes da linhagem TopGen Afrodite® (linhagem formada pelas raças Large White e Landrace), com as mesmas características fisiológicas (segunda ordem de parto), submetidas a um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso. Foram avaliados os índices zootécnicos da cobertura ao desmame (peso; ganho de peso; escore da condição corporal; das matrizes; número de leitões nascidos vivos; número de natimortos; peso inicial dos leitões; peso final dos leitões), indicadores hormonais (coleta do fluido oral - cortisol salivar), fisiológicos de conforto térmico (temperatura de pele nas regiões da cabeça, paleta e lombo), e parâmetros de bem-estar animal (com base no ambiente e em observações do animal). A partir dos resultados constatamos que as avaliações do ambiente físico e incidência de lesão e doença, as concentrações de cortisol e as temperaturas da surperfície corporal não diferiram entre os sistemas (P>0,05); as matrizes e leitões permaneceram a maior parte do tempo inativos com olhos fechados e quando estavam ativos, os animais alojados no sistema de baias coletivas com acesso à piquete externo forragearam mais do que as matrizes alojadas no outro tratamento; em relação ao desempenho zootécnico observou-se que as matrizes tiveram aumento de peso ao longo da gestação (P1; P2), perderam peso durante o período de lactação (P3) e os demais parâmetros não diferiram entre os sistemas de alojamentos (P>0,05). Com isso, conclui-se que as matrizes alojadas em baias coletivas sem e com acesso à piquete externo tiveram um bem-estar e desempenho zootécnico adequado e equivalente.The objective of this research was to analyze the animal welfare and the zootechnical performance of sows in the gestation and maternity stages, created in group-housed without and with access to external area. The experiment was carried out in no pig industry of PUSP-FC, University of São Paulo (USP), at the Fernando Costa Campus, in the city of Pirassununga, between November 2015 and March 2016, during a reproductive phase of Swine matrices; Pregnancy and maternity. For this, 13 sows of the lineage TopGen Afrodite® (lineage formed by Large White and Landrace races), with the same physiological characteristics, were submitted to a completely random design. The zootechnical indexes of weaning coverage, hormonal weights, hormonal indicators (collection of oral fluid - salivary cortisol), physiological thermal comfort (skin temperature in the heads, palette and loins), and animal welfare parameters (Based on the environment and animal observations). (P> 0.05). From the results obtained in the physical examination and incidence of lesions and diseases, such as cortisol concentrations and body surface temperatures; As permanent sows and piglets in most of the time the products are closed and in which they were found, animals not housed in the system of collective- housed with access to external area foraged more than the matrices housed in the other treatment; (P2), lost weight during the lactation period (P3) and the others did not differ between the housing systems (P> 0.05). Thus, it was concluded that matrices lived in group-housed without and with access to external area had adequate and equivalent welfare and zootechnical performance

Two Hours of Separation Prior to Milking: Is This Strategy Stressful for Jennies and Their Foals?

The goal of this study was to assess whether or not a separation period of 2 h is stressful for jennies and foals, as measured by changes in behaviour, salivary cortisol, and milk production. This study was reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Use and Care of Animals in Research (CEUA) of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo. Fourteen multiparous Pêga jennies (245 kg average body weight) and their foals were assessed from day 45 to 135 of lactation. Dams and foals were separated for 2 h prior to milking. Behavioural assessments and saliva samples were collected before and after separation, every 15 days, resulting in 14 samples per individual animal. Behavioural states (affiliative and inactivity) and events (agonistic, abnormal, eliminative and vocalisations) of the jennies were observed during 6 min in both periods. Moreover, milk yield was measured. Few significant behavioural and salivary cortisol changes were observed, and milk yield was not affected by cortisol levels in response to the separation. The 2-h separation period, on the basis of the collected variables, did not appear to be stressful for the assessed group of Pêga jennies or foals; however, their ability to adapt to milking routine stress remains to be investigated

Two Hours of Separation Prior to Milking: Is This Strategy Stressful for Jennies and Their Foals?

The goal of this study was to assess whether or not a separation period of 2 h is stressful for jennies and foals, as measured by changes in behaviour, salivary cortisol, and milk production. This study was reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Use and Care of Animals in Research (CEUA) of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo. Fourteen multiparous Pêga jennies (245 kg average body weight) and their foals were assessed from day 45 to 135 of lactation. Dams and foals were separated for 2 h prior to milking. Behavioural assessments and saliva samples were collected before and after separation, every 15 days, resulting in 14 samples per individual animal. Behavioural states (affiliative and inactivity) and events (agonistic, abnormal, eliminative and vocalisations) of the jennies were observed during 6 min in both periods. Moreover, milk yield was measured. Few significant behavioural and salivary cortisol changes were observed, and milk yield was not affected by cortisol levels in response to the separation. The 2-h separation period, on the basis of the collected variables, did not appear to be stressful for the assessed group of Pêga jennies or foals; however, their ability to adapt to milking routine stress remains to be investigated