Trading off animal welfare and production goals: Brazilian dairy farmers' perspectives on calf dehorning

The Easiest Becomes the Rule: Beliefs, Knowledge and Attitudes of Equine Practitioners and Enthusiasts Regarding Horse Welfare

Inadequate management conditions can impair the welfare of captive-bred horses. Understanding individuals' viewpoints and the factors influencing their decisions about adopting or avoiding certain practices may provide insights into their motivations and decision-making processes. This is particularly relevant in the equestrian community, where equine practitioners and enthusiasts often engage in harmful practices. We explored the beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes of equine practitioners and enthusiasts about horse welfare and the barriers that prevent them from employing better management practices that are essential to promoting horses' welfare. The study consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in person with 31 individuals directly involved in the equestrian environment in Brazil. Responses were analyzed through thematic analysis with a data-driven deductive approach. Participants' beliefs, knowledge and attitudes to horse welfare were divided into three themes. The first theme, "Let the horse be a horse", captured participants' perceptions about how physical and mental aspects related to the nature and welfare of horses. The second theme, "Everyone does it like that", includes the social norms that influence decisions about the practices that impact on the welfare of the horses. The third theme, "Beyond utopia: how and why horses are managed the way they are", covered barriers that participants perceived as impediments to the use of best practices for the welfare of horses. While participants demonstrated awareness of welfare issues and acknowledged factors that negatively impact horses, there was a notable discrepancy between this knowledge and the implementation of improved management practices. This could be explained by several perceived barriers to implementing management practices that could enhance horse welfare, including lack of financial resources, limited physical space, shortage of qualified labor, time constraints, inadequate tools, and insufficient knowledge. Additionally, we identified deeply rooted social norms within the equestrian community and culturally established practices that limit approaches to horse welfare. Participants underscored the influence of these norms and different interpretations of "letting the horse be a horse" based on the horse's value and purpose. Concerning low-value horses, the primary justifications for stall housing and concentrated feeding were linked to elevated costs involved in spatial demands and labor; in contrast, for high-value horses used in performance and aesthetics, the arguments shifted to potential benefits to the horses' well-being. From an ethical perspective, ideally, individuals should refrain from owning horses if they cannot ensure the animals' welfare. Additionally, if the equestrian community neglects public attitudes towards animal welfare, it risks eroding its social license.

Current Attitudes of Chinese Dairy Practitioners to Pain and Its Management in Intensively Raised Dairy Cattle

Pain in dairy cattle is gaining attention globally. This study investigated the current attitudes of Chinese dairy practitioners to pain and its management in intensively raised dairy cattle. A total of 465 valid questionnaires with 26 painful conditions scored on numerical rating scales were collected from dairy practitioners. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and multivariate regression models. Dystocia was perceived as the most painful, while mild mastitis with milk changes only was perceived as the least painful. Respondents who agreed with the statement “pain management is worthwhile” tended to give a higher pain score. Young respondents (≤23 years old) and those from farms with ≤1000 cattle had lower pain scores for conditions with severe pain and low variability but higher pain scores for conditions with less severe pain and high variability, whereas highly educated respondents had consistently lower pain scores. As for pain management, older respondents (≥24 years old) tended to choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and farms with >1000 cattle were more likely to use analgesics. Training in pain perception and management should be emphasised with the hope of promoting animal welfare and reducing unnecessary production losses.

Ontario Dairy Producers’ Perceived Barriers and Motivations to the Use of Pain Control for Disbudding and Dehorning Calves: A Qualitative Study

Simple Summary

This study aimed to understand influences on producer behaviour towards the use of pain mitigation for disbudding and dehorning. Calf comfort, post-operative performance, and better farmer experiences were common motivators for pain control use. Barriers included cost, education, and producer attitude. Quality assurance requirements for disbudding and dehorning practices were received well by participants; however, there were requests for more education surrounding the application of pain control for these procedures. Veterinarians were highly influential for participants and were mentioned as an avenue for the reduction of pain control barriers via producer education.

Abstract

Canadian dairy farmers are required to use a local anesthetic and analgesic prior to all disbudding and dehorning procedures. This study was done to investigate the opinions of Ontario dairy farmers on the use of pain control for disbudding and dehorning calves and their perspectives on the current requirements of the quality assurance program. Interviews were conducted with 29 dairy farmers across Ontario. All participants used a cautery iron to disbud or dehorn their calves and some form of pain control (i.e., NSAID and/or local anesthetic). Of the 29 producers that were interviewed, 22 (76%) were in compliance with the proAction requirements for pain control. Many participants felt positive about the use of pain control for these practices. Education from veterinarians was one of the most commonly listed resources to reduce barriers to pain control use by producers. A farmer’s attitude was highly referenced as an influence on producer behaviour. Although participants had positive views of pain control use, full compliance with national quality assurance requirements for disbudding and dehorning was not met by all. Producer education through veterinarians is a potential avenue to encourage the adoption of pain control use for disbudding and dehorning practices.

Views of Western Canadian dairy producers on calf rearing: An interview-based study

Calf rearing practices differ among farms, including feeding and weaning methods. These differences may relate to how dairy producers view these practices and evaluate their own success. The aim of this study was to investigate perspectives of dairy producers on calf rearing, focusing on calf weaning and how they characterized weaning success. We interviewed dairy producers from 16 farms in Western Canada in the following provinces: British Columbia (n = 12), Manitoba (n = 2), and Alberta (n = 2). Participants were asked to describe their heifer calf weaning and rearing practices, and what they viewed as successes and challenges in weaning and rearing calves. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis from which we identified the following 4 major themes: (1) reliance on calf-based measures (e.g., health, growth, and behavior), (2) management factors and personal experiences (e.g., ease, consistency, and habit), (3) environmental factors (e.g., facilities and equipment), and (4) external support (e.g., advice and educational opportunities). These results provided insight into how dairy producers view calf weaning and rearing, and may help inform the design of future research and knowledge transfer projects aimed at improving management practices on dairy farms.

Dairy calves show behavioural responses to hot iron disbudding after local anaesthesia with procaine

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of procaine as anaesthetic for disbudding of calves is largely unknown. Likewise, information about effect of interval from local anaesthesia to disbudding and the size of the hot iron used is missing.

METHODS

A total of 167 dairy calves were disbudded after cornual nerve block with procaine. Time from administration of anaesthetic to disbudding varied, and calves were disbudded using two different sizes of hot iron. The calves' behavioural responses to disbudding were recorded based on (1) getting up, (2) kicking, and (3) lifting head. Using logistic regression, the associations between calves showing at least one of these three behaviours and interval from administration of anaesthetic to disbudding and size of the hot iron were evaluated.

RESULTS

Overall, 42% of calves showed at least one of the three behaviours, even though they had received a cornual nerve block prior to disbudding. Using the large hot iron was associated with a 2.3 times higher odds of the calf reacting behaviourally compared to the small iron. Interval from administration of anaesthetic to disbudding was not significantly associated with the odds of behavioural responses.

CONCLUSION

Approximately 40% of calves disbudded after cornual nerve block with procaine showed signs of inadequate local anaesthesia. This was especially problematic when hot irons with larger tips were used.

A Retrospective Literature Evaluation of the Integration of Stress Physiology Indices, Animal Welfare and Climate Change Assessment of Livestock

Simple Summary

Rapidly expanding global human population has led to increased supply chain demands on animal-based farming systems and the desire for environmentally friendly products. This has also resulted because of socio-political pressure and increased public concerns over the impacts of conventional agriculture on the environment. In order to be sustainable, animal production systems must also advance animal welfare, avoiding physically and psychologically stressful situations for the animals and apply innovative methods of reducing contribution of farming practices to global climate change while also functioning at optimum productivity. Consequently, to achieve a practical and effective improvement towards environmental sustainability, animal-based agriculture should consider animal welfare assessment, objective measures of physiological stress, climate change evaluation and animal productivity in a multi-dimensional and holistic approach.

Abstract

In this retrospective study, we conducted a desktop-based analysis of published literature using the ScienceDirect™ search engine to determine the proportion of livestock research within the last 7 years (2015–2021) that have applied animal welfare assessment combining objective measures of physiological stress and evaluation of climate change factors in order to provide an account of livestock productivity. From the search results, 563 published articles were reviewed. We found that the majority of the literature had discussed animal production outcomes (n = 491) and animal welfare (n = 453) either individually or in conjunction with another topic. The most popular occurrence was the combination of animal welfare assessment, objective measures of stress physiology and production outcomes discussed collectively (n = 218). We found that only 125 articles had discussed the impact of climate change (22.20%) on livestock production and/or vice versa. Furthermore, only 9.4% (n = 53) of articles had discussed all four factors and published research was skewed towards the dairy sector. Overall, this retrospective paper highlights that although research into animal welfare assessment, objective measures of stress and climate change has been applied across livestock production systems (monogastrics and ruminants), there remains a shortfall of investigation on how these key factors interact to influence livestock production. Furthermore, emerging technologies that can boost the quantitative evaluation of animal welfare are needed for both intensive and extensive production systems.

My pigs are ok, why change? - animal welfare accounts of pig farmers

Intensive pig production systems are a source of stress, which is linked to reduced animal welfare and increased antimicrobial use. As the gatekeepers of the welfare of the animals under their care, farmers are seen as the stakeholder responsible for improving animal welfare. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of pig farmers towards pig welfare and the impact of such attitudes on farmers' selection of management strategies on the farm. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 44 pig farmers in one of the main pig producing regions of Brazil. Interviews covered knowledge and attitudes towards pig sentience and behaviour and welfare-related issues commonly observed in intensive pig farms (belly-nosing, fights, tail-biting, diarrhoea and castration without pain control) and farmers' conception and attitudes towards pig welfare. We identified many management and animal-based indicators of poor welfare, such as the use of painful and stressful management practices and use of environments that limit the expression of natural behaviours. However, most farmers were satisfied with animal welfare standards at their farms. Farmers' perceptions are aligned with their understanding of animal welfare. Although they identified all the dimensions that impact the welfare of a pig on a farm (affect, biological functioning and naturalness), their social reality, industry demands and available advice pushed them to perceive their range of action limited to biological and environmental aspects of the animals that do not necessarily benefit affective state. This precluded farmers from making associations between good health and the animal's ability to express a full behavioural repertoire, as well as from viewing abnormal behaviours as problems. The negative consequences for the welfare of the animals were commonly alleviated by routines that relied on constant use of medication, including high dependence on antibiotics. Expressions of estrangement from the production chain were common voices among the participants. This suggests that farmers may not be sufficiently informed or engaged in responding to consumers' expectations and commitments made by companies, which can pose a severe economic risk for farmers. The findings of this study indicate that economic, technical and social factors restrict farmers' autonomy and their ability to perform their role as stewards of animal welfare. (Re)connecting different human, animal and environmental interests may be a step to changing this scenario.

On the Road to End Pig Pain: Knowledge and Attitudes of Brazilian Citizens Regarding Castration

We explored the attitudes of Brazilians towards different methods to deal with boar taint in pork (surgical castration without pain control, SC; surgical castration with pain control, SC+PC; immunocastration, IC; raising entire males, EM). Two surveys (Sv1, n = 441 and Sv2, n = 768) containing closed and open questions were conducted. Nearly 70% of Sv1 and Sv2 participants were unaware that meat of entire males may have boar taint and that SC is widely used in pig production in Brazil. In Sv1, acceptability of SC+PC (63%) and IC (53%) was greater than of SC (15%). In Sv2, acceptability of IC (55%) and EM (52%) was greater than of SC (18%). Open-ended responses indicated that participants objected to inflicting pain to pigs to attain a production goal, and were concerned with organoleptic traits and risks of exogenous residues in pork. Participants' views regarding the potential increases in the cost of meat due to adoption of alternative methods varied; some argued that avoiding pain justifies an increase in the price of pork and others that this would impact especially lower income citizens. Our findings indicate that participants opposed surgical castration without pain control, and supported alternative methods. However, the concern with potential risks of presence of residues in meat, expressed by a few participants, may need to be addressed among consumers.

Management of preweaned bull calves on dairy operations in the United States

Many calves born on dairy farms are male, but little research to date has focused on the management of these calves. The objective of this study was to survey management practices of preweaned dairy bull calves and compare these practices with those used for heifer calves on the same operations. This study was conducted as part of the USDA National Animal Health Monitoring System Dairy 2014 study and included a sample of 42 operations from 10 states. On average, 2.4% of bull calves died before leaving the operation, with most operations selling bull calves before weaning (97.6%). Bull calves left the operation at an average age of 7.6 d (median = 4 d). Producers reported that 96.3% of bull calves received colostrum. Of bulls that were fed colostrum, the vast majority (95.4%) were hand-fed; the remaining calves received colostrum via a combination of hand-feeding and suckling (3.1%) or by suckling only (1.5%). In contrast, all heifer calves on those operations were only hand-fed colostrum. On average, bull calves received 3.1 L of colostrum at their first feeding at 4.3 h after birth compared with 2.9 L at 2.9 h after birth for heifer calves. In the first 24 h, bull and heifer calves received 4.8 and 5.5 L of colostrum, respectively. Only 21.4% of operations dehorned bull calves; in comparison, heifer calves were dehorned on 90.5% of operations. Few operations used analgesics or anesthetics when dehorning bull calves, whereas 28.9% of operations used anesthetics or analgesics when dehorning heifer calves. Overall, 27.8% of operations castrated bull calves. Of the operations that did castrate bulls, 70.0% used a band at an average age of 6.3 wk; the remaining 30% of operations used a knife at 14.7 wk of age on average. Few operations used analgesics or anesthetics when castrating. These results illustrate differences in the care of bull and heifer calves and suggest the need to improve education regarding recommended colostrum feeding and pain management practices in all calves regardless of sex.

Views of dairy farmers, agricultural advisors, and lay citizens on the ideal dairy farm

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the shared and divergent views among Brazilian dairy farmers, agricultural advisors, and lay citizens on what characteristics they viewed were most important on an ideal dairy farm. Responses from 107 dairy farmers, 170 agricultural advisors (including veterinarians), and 280 lay citizens were subjected to thematic analyses. Five themes were identified: milk quality, animal welfare, economics, society, and the environment. Although all 3 groups made reference to each of the 5 themes, they emphasized different characteristics. The lay citizens placed the most emphasis on milk quality. In contrast, both the farmers and the advisors highlighted economics as the most important characteristic of an ideal dairy farm. When considering only animal welfare, we noted differences in the use of the constructs of animal welfare: farmers and advisors referred mostly to aspects related to biological functioning, whereas lay citizens emphasized affective states and naturalness. All 3 stakeholder groups referred to the use of pasture as being an important component of an ideal dairy farm but again differed in their reasons; citizens referred to pasture in the context of naturalness, whereas the other 2 stakeholder groups almost always referred to pasture using economic terms. Technology was highlighted by all 3 groups as an important characteristic of an ideal dairy farm but differences were noted in their justification for this view. For example, lay citizens viewed technology as a tool to improve milk quality, whereas farmers and advisors both referred to technology as an important vehicle to improve quality of life for those working in the industry. Lay citizens raised several concerns associated with the overuse of antibiotics and other chemicals, but farmers and advisors rarely mentioned these types of concerns. The latter 2 stakeholders placed considerable emphasis on the quality of life of dairy farmers and workers, an issue rarely discussed by lay citizens. Overall, our findings highlight several disconnects between the expectations of the lay citizens, and farmers and their advisors. We suggest that dairy farmers and agricultural advisors should both reflect on the desires of the lay public in what they view to be an ideal dairy farm, as this may help bridge some of the current disconnects.

Lameness on Brazilian pasture based dairies-part 1: Farmers' awareness and actions

This cross-sectional survey aimed to verify farmers' awareness and knowledge about lameness in grazing dairy cows and to analyze their perspectives and actions intended to control this issue. Farms (n = 44, mean herd size: 42, SD = 11.2) located in southern Brazil were visited twice in 2015. On the first visit the farmers were requested to answer a questionnaire on lameness knowledge (relative importance as a health issue, aetiology, impacts on culling) and management (prevention, treatment and veterinary assistance) on their farms. Farmers were asked to estimate the number of lame cows present on their farms at each visit. All lactating cows on each farm were locomotion scored by a veterinarian to estimate lameness prevalence on both visits. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to test similarity between the veterinarian and farmer estimated lameness prevalence. Mixed-effects linear models were fitted to investigate the associations between veterinarian lameness estimated prevalence and farmers' answers regarding lameness importance and impacts on culling cows at the farms. On average, farmers underestimated lameness prevalence during both visits; however, when assessing only severe lameness, veterinarian and farmer prevalence lameness ratings were very similar on the second visit (ICC 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6-0.9, n = 43, P < 0.01). The veterinarian's estimated lameness prevalence was about 10% higher on herds where farmers identified lameness as a primary health issue (40.24%) or as a reason for culling (41.7%) versus farms where the farmer did not recognize lameness as a health concern or reason for culling. Farmers' most reported causes of lameness on their farms were categorized as hoof trauma, inadequate feeding practices associated with acidosis-laminitis, high moisture on walking surfaces, and individual features of cows. Farmers mentioned frequently that they made use of antibiotics and topical hoof products to treat lame cows; they also reported low use of anti-inflammatories/analgesics and hoof trimming as treatment remedies and no one mentioned adoption of regular preventative measures for lameness. Farmers reported having no training on lameness management, and cited an overall lack of veterinary support to control lameness on their farms. The farmers seemed unaware of the extent of lameness on their farms. Interventions aimed at reducing lameness in small scale herds in this region of Brazil should include a preventative veterinary assistance approach focused, initially, to increase farmers' knowledge and awareness on lameness.

Welfare Effects of the Use of a Combination of Local Anesthesia and NSAID for Disbudding Analgesia in Dairy Calves-Reviewed Across Different Welfare Concerns

Across the international dairy industry, the vast majority of dairy herds have dehorned cows. Farmers choose to dehorn calves for different reasons such as easier handling of non-horned cattle and reduced risk of injuries in animals and staff. This review focuses on disbudding by use of hot-iron cautery as is practiced by dairy farmers in calves <3 months of age. We examine welfare effects of the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic including indicators relevant for the three major welfare concerns-affective states, basic health, and functioning as well as the possibility to behave naturally. Across indicators of animal welfare, the majority of available evidence suggest that the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic is advantageous in terms of animal welfare, and no studies suggest that NSAIDs are a disadvantage to animal welfare. However, irrespective of the welfare concern, use of NSAIDs combined with a local anesthetic does not fully eliminate the welfare challenges from disbudding. Further research is needed in order to fully understand the effects of this medication protocol on calf welfare, including knowledge about the duration of healing and the presence of long-term pain. At present, this lack of knowledge challenges the precise formulation of adequate pain management-in terms of medication protocol, duration, dosage, and type of administration.

Characterisation of smallholding dairy farms in southern Brazil

Smallholder dairy farmers that are responsible for 90% of the milk produced in Santa Catarina State, in southern Brazil, transitioned in recent decades from milk production for self-consumption to commercial dairying. The objective of this study was to identify groups sharing common characteristics, potentials and limitations and compare their main management practices, milk production and milk quality. We collected data from 124 farms distributed in 24 municipalities, using semi-structured interviews, inspection of the housing and milking environment, and live observations during one complete milking. Multivariate analyses revealed three groups of farmers: ‘Semi-Intensive’ (n = 51), ‘Pasture-Based’ (n = 50), and ‘Extensive’ (n = 23). Group differences included land and herd size (both larger in Semi-Intensive, P < 0.002); feeding management of dairy cows (e.g. greater use of pasture improvement techniques in Extensive and Pasture-Based, and more efficient rotational grazing management in Pasture-Based, P < 0.04); use of external inputs (e.g. lower use of concentrate and silage in Pasture-Based, P < 0.001); milking infrastructure and hygiene practices (better in Semi-Intensive, P < 0.04), and milk productivity (greater in Semi-Intensive, P < 0.001). The Extensive group conserves several features of the subsistence, traditional mode of milk production, and makes inefficient use of costly feeding practices, which threatens its sustainability. The two other groups of farms took different, almost opposite directions to deal with the limitations in farm area: the Semi-Intensive group have adopted an entrepreneurial farming style and the Pasture-Based, a more agroecological path. These results highlight the need to develop specific strategies and policies to help these different types of producers to coexist in the dairy production chain.