1
|
Bukhari SSUH, Parkes RSV, Sneddon LU, McElligott AG. The behavior and welfare of neglected species: some examples from fish and mammals. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17149. [PMID: 38560452 PMCID: PMC10981888 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare is the state of an animal's body and mind and the level to which its requirements are satisfied. Animal welfare is affected by human decisions and actions. Numerous decisions concerning animals are driven by human desires to enhance their own lives, and some of these decisions may be influenced by self-interest or a strong emphasis on economic factors. How to assess the welfare state of animals is a central issue in animal welfare science. Two critical questions can be used to address animal welfare: first, is the animal healthy, and second, does the animal have what it needs? Both of these questions can potentially be answered using the study of animal behavior. The development of behavioral methodologies is crucial for evaluating welfare in contexts where concern for animal welfare is often highest, such as on intensive modern farms and sites where working animals are used. Herein, we discuss animal welfare by focusing on some of its major concepts and explanations. Later, to illustrate key aspects of animal welfare, we chose to examine the information that is available for some 'neglected' livestock species, which are commercially important on a global basis and found in large numbers: buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), camels (Camelus dromedarius), donkeys (Equus asinus), mules (Equus asinus × Equus caballus), and lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus). We chose these species because there are major ongoing concerns about their welfare, and more research is required to help solve the various problems. Overall, there are strong imbalances in terms of the species that are usually studied in terms of animal welfare research, and we call for greater attention to those that have traditionally been neglected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Syed S. U. H. Bukhari
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rebecca S. V. Parkes
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Large Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George’s University, True Blue, St. George’s, Grenada, West Indies
| | - Lynne U. Sneddon
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alan G. McElligott
- Centre for Animal Health and Welfare, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Masebo NT, Zappaterra M, Felici M, Benedetti B, Padalino B. Dromedary camel's welfare: literature from 1980 to 2023 with a text mining and topic analysis approach. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1277512. [PMID: 38026661 PMCID: PMC10665734 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1277512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dromedary camels are the preferable livestock species in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Most of the world's camel populations are managed under a subsistence/extensive system maintained by migratory pastoralists but intensification is getting more frequent. Even though recently the welfare of camels has been receiving more attention, in many countries there are no regulations to protect their health and welfare. The objectives of this article were to explore the main research topics related to camel welfare, their distribution over time and to highlight research gaps. A literature search was performed to identify records published in English from January 1980 to March 2023 on Dromedary camel welfare via Scopus®, using "Camel welfare," "Camel behaviour," "She-camel" and "Camel management" as search words. A total of 234 records were retained for analysis after automatic and manual screening procedures. Descriptive statistics, text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) were performed. The result shows that even though there were fluctuations between years, records on camel welfare have increased exponentially over time. Asia was the region where most of the corresponding authors were located. The first five most frequent words were, "milk," "calv," "behaviour," "femal," and "breed," the least frequent word was "stabl." TA resulted in the five most relevant topics dealing with "Calf management and milk production," "Camel health and management system," "Female and male reproduction," "Camel behaviour and feeding," and "Camel welfare." The topics that contained the oldest records were "female and male reproduction" and "camel health and management system" (in 1980 and 1983, respectively), while the topic named "camel behaviour and feeding" had the first article published in 2000. Overall, even though topics related to camel behaviour and welfare are receiving more attention from academia, research is still needed to fully understand how to safeguard welfare in Dromedary camels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naod T. Masebo
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia
| | - Martina Zappaterra
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Felici
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Benedetti
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Padalino
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Padalino B, Menchetti L. The First Protocol for Assessing Welfare of Camels. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:631876. [PMID: 33585612 PMCID: PMC7876076 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.631876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop and describe a protocol for assessing welfare in camels reared in intensive or semi-intensive systems. A literature review was conducted searching for scientific papers on assessment of animal welfare and camel behavior, management, physiology, and pathology. The paradigms of Five Freedoms, the Five Domains Model, and the welfare principles and criteria applied by the Welfare Quality® and AWIN methods were then adapted to camels. A combination of animal-, resource- and management-based indicators were selected and categorized according to three levels of assessment: (i) Caretaker, (ii) Herd, and (iii) Animal. The Caretaker level is an interview of 23 questions exploring the caretaker's background, experience, and routine management practices. The Herd level is a check of the herd and of the place (i.e., box/pen) where camels are kept. The Animal level is a visual inspection aiming at evaluating individual camel behavior and health status. The selected indicators are presented for each welfare principle and level; for instance for the principle of “Appropriate nutrition,” feeding management is investigated at Caretaker level; feed availability and quality, the number of feeding points, and camel feeding behavior are recorded at Herd level, while body condition score (BCS) is evaluated at Animal level. In this study recording sheets for the assessment at the three levels are proposed and how to conduct the assessment is described. Limitations of the proposed protocol are also discussed. Further applications of this protocol for assessing camel welfare on a large number of farms is needed to validate the proposed indicators and identify the thresholds for their acceptability as well as to develop overall welfare indices and welfare standards in camels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Padalino
- Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Menchetti
- Division of Animal Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang Q, Li D, Guo A, Li M, Li L, Zhou J, Mishra SK, Li G, Duan Y, Li Q. Whole-genome resequencing of Dulong Chicken reveal signatures of selection. Br Poult Sci 2020; 61:624-631. [PMID: 32627575 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2020.1792832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
1. Dulong Chickens (DLCs) live at high altitude (~3000 m) and humidity (~90%), are endemic to the Yunnan province, and have gradually developed unique physiological characteristics, but their genetic basis is still unclear. Using the fixation index (FST ) approach, based on whole-genome resequencing, DLCs were analysed to uncover the genomic architecture of the population and candidate genes involved in selection during domestication. 2. A total of 469 candidate genes were obtained to be putatively under selection in DLCs. Further investigations revealed the genic footprint for local adaptation (high-altitude and high-humidity) as the genic signatures that are involved in economic traits (related to egg production). 3. Candidate genes were identified that may be associated with disease resistance, aggressiveness, small body size and positive selection of vision in DLCs. 4. These data revealed loci of selective signals that operate during selection for production at high altitude and humidity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Q Wang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China (Southwest Forestry University), Ministry of Education , Kunming, China.,Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China
| | - D Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu, China
| | - A Guo
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China (Southwest Forestry University), Ministry of Education , Kunming, China.,Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China
| | - M Li
- School of Mathematics and Computer Science, Yunnan Nationalities University , Kunming, China
| | - L Li
- Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China
| | - J Zhou
- Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China
| | - S K Mishra
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu, China
| | - G Li
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China (Southwest Forestry University), Ministry of Education , Kunming, China.,Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China
| | - Y Duan
- Technology Center, China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co., Ltd ., Kunming, China
| | - Q Li
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China (Southwest Forestry University), Ministry of Education , Kunming, China.,Life Science College, Southwest Forestry University , Kunming, China.,Kunming Xianghao Technology Co. Ltd ., Kunming, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iglesias Pastrana C, Navas González FJ, Ciani E, Barba Capote CJ, Delgado Bermejo JV. Effect of Research Impact on Emerging Camel Husbandry, Welfare and Social-Related Awareness. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E780. [PMID: 32365928 PMCID: PMC7277471 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of applied scientific research on camels, despite them being recognized as production animals, compels the reorganization of emerging camel breeding systems with the aim of achieving successful camel welfare management strategies all over the world. Relevant and properly-framed research widely impacts dissemination of scientific contents and drives public willingness to enhance ethically acceptable conditions for domestic animals. Consumer perception of this livestock industry will improve and high-quality products will be obtained. This paper draws on bibliometric indicators as promoting factors for camel-related research advances, tracing historical scientific publications indexed in ScienceDirect directory from 1880-2019. Camel as a species did not affect Journal Citation Reports (JCR) impact (p > 0.05) despite the journal, author number, corresponding author origin, discipline and publication year affecting it (p < 0.001). Countries with traditionally well-established camel farming are also responsible for the papers with the highest academic impact. However, camel research advances may have only locally and partially influenced welfare related laws, so intentional harming acts and basic needs neglect may persist in these species. A sustainable camel industry requires those involved in camel research to influence business stakeholders and animal welfare advocacies by highlighting the benefits of camel wellbeing promotion, co-innovation partnership establishment and urgent enhancement of policy reform.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Iglesias Pastrana
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain; (C.I.P.); (J.V.D.B.)
| | | | - Elena Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Cecilio José Barba Capote
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain; (C.I.P.); (J.V.D.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Monaco D, Lacalandra GM. Considerations for the development of a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) semen collection centre. Anim Reprod Sci 2019; 212:106239. [PMID: 31864495 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.106239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The dromedary camel (DC) is a strategic animal for the exploitation of the desert and unhospitable lands (arid and semiarid areas). These animals are a genetic resource, locally adapted and more resilient to these environs, that may significantly contribute to food security and sustainable development of marginal land areas. Artificial insemination is the least invasive, least expensive technique for improving genetic selection and minimising transmission of venereal disease among animals and herds. Besides semen preservation protocols, specific approaches for the development of DC semen collection centres - biosecurity measures, screening for infectious diseases, management of animals, welfare, nutrition, control of seasonality, training, hygiene of semen collection and processing - have been considered less important aspects. The aim of this research is to describe the aspects related to the development of a DC semen collection centre, summarising the latest studies in the field of welfare, reproduction and diseases, and describing biosecurity and hygiene aspects related to semen collection and handling. Scientific gaps and requirements for maximising the production of good quality and safe-to-use semen doses with minimal risks of disease transmission are also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Monaco
- Department of Veterinary Medicine (DiMeV), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Italy.
| | - G M Lacalandra
- Department of Veterinary Medicine (DiMeV), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Italy
| |
Collapse
|