Qualitative welfare risks of cows offered to a Dutch mobile slaughter unit

In the Netherlands, a pilot was initiated of a mobile slaughter unit (MSU) for the killing of cull dairy cattle not fit for transport but suitable for slaughter, in order to save valuable meat. The Office for Risk Assessment & Research (BuRO) was asked to assess the risks for animal welfare. As a thorough risk assessment would have been very time consuming, a qualitative framework was used instead. The goal of the current study was to qualitatively describe the relevant risks for cow welfare involved in the use of an MSU compared with current practice by carrying out a rapid comparative risk assessment of animal welfare. The assessment framework consisted of the following steps: identification and description of scenarios, followed by assessment and comparison of the most relevant animal welfare risks in these scenarios, including hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure, and characterization of the risk to animal welfare. Two main scenarios were identified, one with and one without an MSU. The second scenario was split into three sub-scenarios: killing on the farm/in a housing unit, emergency slaughter, and conventional transport to the slaughterhouse. The most relevant risks associated with operating an MSU were as follows: leaving the cow alive on the farm when it was not fit for slaughter; forcing the cow to walk to and into the MSU (however, this risk is likely higher under conventional transport of unfit cows); and insufficient stunning and bleeding, leading to questionable unconsciousness (however, this risk is likely higher in an emergency slaughter scenario). The MSU is a means of preventing the exacerbation of welfare deterioration in cows that are unfit for transport but fit for slaughter, and it reduces exposure to stressors (hazards) that are conventionally present during transport and at a stationary slaughterhouse. This rapid comparative risk assessment of animal welfare supported swift decision-making: the national competent authority (i.e., the NVWA in the Netherlands) and policymakers were able to improve and develop risk-mitigating actions and to decide on allowing the use of an MSU. When appropriately designed and used, and with sufficient supervision, mobile slaughter facilities can reduce welfare risks in cull dairy cows that are unfit for transport but fit for slaughter

Indirect Genetic Effects for Growth in Pigs Affect Behaviour and Weight Around Weaning

Selection for indirect genetic effects (IGE), i.e. the genetic effect of an individual on a trait of another individual, is a promising avenue to increase trait values in plant and animal breeding. Studies in livestock suggest that selection for IGE for growth (IGEg) might increase animals’ capacity to tolerate stress. We assessed the effect of a stressful phase (weaning) on the behaviour and performance of pigs (n = 480) divergently selected for high or low IGEg. High IGEg pigs were significantly slower to explore the feed and gained less weight than low IGEg pigs in the days after weaning. In line with previous findings, high IGEg animals may have prioritized the formation of social ranks.</p

Loadings^a on the first five factors extracted by principal component analysis, after orthogonal rotation, of variables recorded in barren housed pigs (n = 212) during a back test at 2 weeks of age, a novel environment test at 3 weeks of age and a novel object test at 13 weeks of age, including saliva cortisol variables.

<p>Proportions of total variation explained by each factor are given.</p>a<p>Loadings >0.30 or <−0.30 are indicated in italics, and loadings >0.50 or <−0.50 are also indicated in bold.</p><p>Loadings^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107040#nt126" target="_blank">a</a>} on the first five factors extracted by principal component analysis, after orthogonal rotation, of variables recorded in barren housed pigs (n = 212) during a back test at 2 weeks of age, a novel environment test at 3 weeks of age and a novel object test at 13 weeks of age, including saliva cortisol variables.</p

Factor scores of victims and non-victims of tail biting at time of weaning.

<p>Behavioural and physiological responses of pigs to novelty (pre- and post-weaning) were summarized in five factors using a PCA. Factor scores are presented per type of pig, i.e. victim (with tail wound) or non-victim (without tail wound) at time of weaning. <b>A:</b> Barren housing. <b>B:</b> Enriched housing. +P<0.10, *P<0.05.</p

Factor scores of barren housed pigs classified as biters, victims, biter/victims or neutrals with respect to tail biting post-weaning.

<p>Behavioural and physiological responses of pigs to novelty (pre- and post-weaning) were summarized in five factors using a PCA. Factor scores are presented per type of pig, i.e. tail biter, victim (with tail wound), both tail biter and victim (biter/victim), or pigs that were neither tail biter or victim (neutral). <b>A:</b> Phase 1 post-weaning. <b>B:</b> Phase 2 post-weaning. <b>C:</b> Phase 3 post-weaning. +P<0.10, *P<0.05. Pig types lacking a common letter differ significantly (a/b) or tend to do so (x/y/z).</p

Loadings^a on the first five factors extracted by principal component analysis, after orthogonal rotation, of variables recorded in enriched housed pigs (n = 212) during a back test at 2 weeks of age, a novel environment test at 3 weeks of age and a novel object test at 13 weeks of age, including saliva cortisol variables.

<p>Proportions of total variation explained by each factor are given.</p>a<p>Loadings >0.30 or <−0.30 are indicated in italics, and loadings >0.50 or <−0.50 are also indicated in bold.</p><p>Loadings^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107040#nt128" target="_blank">a</a>} on the first five factors extracted by principal component analysis, after orthogonal rotation, of variables recorded in enriched housed pigs (n = 212) during a back test at 2 weeks of age, a novel environment test at 3 weeks of age and a novel object test at 13 weeks of age, including saliva cortisol variables.</p

Factor scores of enriched housed pigs classified as biters, victims, biter/victims or neutrals with respect to tail biting post-weaning.

<p>Behavioural and physiological responses of pigs to novelty (pre- and post-weaning) were summarized in five factors using a PCA. Factor scores are presented per type of pig, i.e. tail biter, victim (with tail wound), both tail biter and victim (biter/victim), or pigs that were neither tail biter or victim (neutral). <b>A:</b> Phase 1 post-weaning. <b>B:</b> Phase 2 post-weaning. <b>C:</b> Phase 3 post-weaning.</p

Blood 5-HT measures at 8 (T1), 9 (T2) and 22 (T3) weeks of life and given per type of pig (with respect to tail biting) in enriched housing over three phases of life (weaner, grower, finisher) post-weaning^a.

a<p>Untransformed LSmeans. LSmeans lacking a common letter differ by P<0.05 (a/b) or P<0.10 (y/z).</p>b<p>Whole blood 5-HT level in nmol/ml; Platelet 5-HT level in nmol/platelet 10⁹; Platelet 5-HT uptake velocity in pmol/platelet 10⁹/min.</p>c<p>B = Main effect of tail biter; V = Main effect of victim; B×V = Interaction between main effects resulting in Biter, Victim, Biter/Victim and Neutral.</p><p>−Not tested.</p><p>+P<0.10.</p><p>*P<0.05.</p><p>**P<0.01.</p><p>***P<0.001.</p><p>Blood 5-HT measures at 8 (T1), 9 (T2) and 22 (T3) weeks of life and given per type of pig (with respect to tail biting) in enriched housing over three phases of life (weaner, grower, finisher) post-weaning^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0107040#nt117" target="_blank">a</a>}.</p

Pigs subjected to three behavioural tests.

<p><b>A:</b> Back test. <b>B:</b> Pre-weaning novel environment exposure (pNEe). <b>C:</b> Novel object exposure (NOe).</p