Evolução do temperamento de bovinos de corte mantidos a pasto e frequentemente manejados

O objetivo com o presente estudo foi avaliar a evolução do temperamento de bovinos de corte mantidos em sistema de pastejo com um método de lotação rotativa e avaliar como essa evolução do temperamento afeta o ganho de peso dos animais. O estudo foi realizado com bovinos machos inteiros, em fase de terminação, pertencentes a três diferentes fazendas, sendo avaliados um lote de 565 animais na fazenda 1 (F1), quatro lotes totalizando 758 bovinos na fazenda 2 (F2) e quatro lotes totalizando 656 animais na fazenda 3 (F3). Os bovinos foram mantidos em sistema de pastejo com método de lotação rotativa, manejados para troca de piquete a cada quatro dias e conduzidos ao curral, para realização de manejo de pesagem, em média a cada 35 dias. Foram realizadas duas sessões de avaliação do temperamento na F1, três na F2 e quatro na F3, com intervalo médio de 35 dias entre as avaliações. Foram utilizados três indicadores do temperamento durante o manejo de pesagem dos animais no curral: i) escore composto de reatividade (ECR); ii) Velocidade de saída (VS em m/s) e iii) avaliação qualitativa do comportamento (QBA). Para os dados do QBA foi aplicada Análise de Fatores, que permitiu a obtenção de um índice qualitativo de temperamento (IQT), assumindo que quanto menor o valor deste índice, melhor era o temperamento. Para avaliar se houve alteração no temperamento dos animais ao longo do tempo, as médias de ECR, VS e IQT foram comparadas ao longo das sessões de avaliação (AV) com uso da análise de variância (ANOVA) para medidas repetidas no tempo, utilizando o procedimento MIXED do SAS. Para avaliar se houve efeito da alteração no temperamento sobre o desempenho, as médias do ganho de peso médio diário (GMD) foram comparadas em função de três classes de mudança do temperamento ao longo do tempo (aumentaram, mantiveram ou reduziram a expressão do temperamento), com uso de ANOVA. Esta classificação foi feita ...The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperament of beef cattle kept in grazing system with rotational stoking method and evaluate the association between temperament evolution and the animals’ weight gain. The study was carried out with finishing bulls from three different farms, being assessed one group of 565 animals from farm 1 (F1), four groups totaling 758 animals from farm 2 (F2) and four groups totaling 656 animals from farm 3 (F3). The animals were kept in grazing systems with rotational stoking method and handled for picket exchanging every four days and taken to the corral to weighing on average of 35 days. Two temperament assessment sessions were performed on F1, three sessions on F2 and four on F3, on an average of 35 days between assessments. Three indicators of temperament were used during weighing in the corral: i) reactivity composed score (RCE); ii) flight speed (FS in m/s) and iii) qualitative behavior assessment (QBA). QBA data was analyzed by using Factors Analysis, obtaining a Temperament Qualitative Index (TQI) for each animal, assuming that the lower the value of the TQI, the best the animal’s temperament. To evaluate whether there was a change in animal’s temperament over time the averages of RCE, FS and TQI were compared over the evaluation sessions (EV) using variance analysis (ANOVA) for repeated measures using the MIXED procedure of SAS. To evaluate whether there was effect of temperament changing on animal’s performance, the average gain and average daily gain (ADG in g.day-1) were compared according to three classes of temperament changing over time (increased, remained or reduced the temperament expression), using ANOVA. This ranking was done in a group of animals per farm (groups 1, 2 and 6), which were composed only of Nelore cattle. Significant decrease (P <0.05) was observed between the assessment averages of all farms for the three indicators used (RCE, VS and QBA), which can be ..

Implicações da relação humano-animal no bem-estar dos animais de fazenda

Diferentes pesquisas têm documentado a importância do bem-estar animal nos sistemas de produção pecuária. Nesse artigo iremos trazer algumas reflexões sobre esse tema, com foco no conceito de bem-estar animal, em como a relação humano-animal ocorre nos sistemas de produção, qual o efeito direto dessa relação sobre o bemestar dos animais de produção e dos trabalhadores, e por fim, qual a importância das condições de trabalho dos colaboradores (também conhecidos como vaqueiros no meio rural) para a promoção do bem-estar nas fazendas

Impact of Duration of Farrowing Crate Closure on Physical Indicators of Sow Welfare and Piglet Mortality

This study examines effects of opening hinged farrowing crates 4 or 7 days post-farrowing. Sows (n = 696) allocated to 3 treatments: PC—crate closed, T4—crate opened day 4, and T7—crate opened day 7 were assessed for body condition score (BCS), lameness, shoulder lesions and teat lesions. Piglet mortality was higher in T4 (27.8%) compared to T7 (23.9%) and PC (25.9%) (p &lt; 0.05) which did not differ with T7 (p &gt; 0.05). No difference in risk of being laid on was found 1–3 days post-farrowing with all crates closed (p &gt; 0.05). Day 4–6, piglets in T4, experienced higher risk of being laid on compared to PC (IRR = 2.5, p &lt; 0.05), and T7 (IRR = 2.3, p &lt; 0.05). Days 7–15 post-farrowing, risk of piglets dying from being laid on was higher in open crates, T4 and T7, versus PC (T4: IRR = 3.89, T7: IRR = 3.5, p &lt; 0.05). We found higher risk for teat lesions in PC sows at weaning (p &lt; 0.05). With crates open, risk of piglets being laid on increased between 7 days and weaning, but total piglet mortality did not differ and the sow’s risk for teat lesions decreased. Our results, therefore, support opening crates at day 7

Using an observer rating method to assess the effects of rotational stocking method on beef cattle temperament over time

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to propose behavioral-based definitions for the adjectives used in an observer rating method, and to use this approach to characterize temperament over time in cattle kept under rotational stocking method. We also analyzed the feasibility of the rating method under commercial cattle farming conditions. We evaluated the temperament evolution of 1,979 pure and crossbred Nellore young bulls over time on three commercial farms located in Northeastern Pará State, Brazil. All animals were kept under a rotational stocking method. The observer rating method included 14 behaviorally predefined adjectives for which we defined the minimum and maximum scores. The first factor was considered a qualitative temperament index (QTI) ranging from 'relaxed'/'calm'/'comfortable' to 'fearful'/'agitated'. According to the QTI, cattle temperament improved over time. For Farms A and B, QTI decreased over evaluations, and for Farm C, QTI did not differ from the first to the second evaluations, but decreased from the second assessment onwards. The observer rating method consisting of behaviorally pre-defined adjectives is an adequate indicator of cattle temperament that may be feasible under farm conditions. The method captures different aspects of cattle temperament and distinguishes between slight variations in cattle body language that successfully reveal temperament changes over time

Environmental enrichment for rabbits reared in cages reduces abnormal behaviors and inactivity

ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of environmental enrichment with forage (as extra food) on the time spent in inactivity and expressing self-cleaning and abnormal behaviors by rabbits kept in cages. The study was conducted in 17 New Zealand multiparous females at the rabbit facilities in Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV-UNESP). Three species of forages were offered simultaneously as environmental enrichment, sugar cane ( Saccharum officinarum sp.), mulberry ( Morus alba ) and ramie ( Boehmeria nivea ). Behavioral observations were carried out before and after enriching the environment; this was done in four observational periods for each condition, two in the morning (from 06h00min to 09h30min) and two in the afternoon (from 15h00min to 18h00min). Rabbits' behaviors where recorded by direct observation with instantaneous records (with 2min sampling interval) and using animal focal sampling. The time spent in six behavioral categories (I = inactivity, SC = self-cleaning, AB = abnormal behaviors, CI = concentrate and FI = forage ingestion, and OA = other activities) were recorded before and after adding the environmental enrichment. Data were compared using Wilcoxon test. Animals used the environmental enrichment in both periods of the day, and it reduced significantly (P<0.05) the time spent in AB and SC in the morning and I in the afternoon. We concluded that offering forage as environmental enrichment improves the welfare of rabbits kept in cages, as shown by the reduction in the time spent by them showing self-cleaning, abnormal and inactive behaviors

Flunixin Meglumine Is Superior to Meloxicam for Providing Analgesia after Surgical Castration in 2-Month-Old Goats

Farm animals are exposed to various painful procedures during their productive lives, making it necessary to implement anesthetic and analgesic protocols. However, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness of these drugs. Our objective was to compare the analgesic effects of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): meloxicam (MEL) and flunixin meglumine (FLU), in goat kids subjected to surgical castration under local anesthesia. Anglo-Nubian goat kids (60 days old) were allocated into two groups: MEL (n = 9), and FLU (n = 8), each administered 5 min before starting castration. All had been previously subjected to local anesthesia with lidocaine, injected bilaterally into the testes, plus subcutaneous in the scrotal raphe. Pain sensitivity was evaluated using the von Frey monofilaments test. Reactions were recorded before castration (M0), immediately after castration (M1), and once-daily for three consecutive days post-castration (M2, M3, and M4, respectively). Pain assessments were conducted in three body regions: at four points of the scrotum (dorsal and ventral; left and right lateral; R1); medial region of the pelvic limb, gracilis muscle (R2); and hypogastric region of the abdomen (R3). MEL goats had considerably greater pain reaction in R1 and R2 over time, mainly in M2; therefore, FLU was a more effective analgesic than MEL, resulting in less pain reaction