Welfare implications of sheep ear tags

Development and application of a novel approach to scoring ear tag wounds in dairy calves

Application of ear tags in cattle is a common husbandry practice for identification purposes. Although it is known that ear tag application causes damage, little is known about the duration and process of wound healing associated with this procedure. Our objective was to develop a detailed scoring system and use it to quantify wound healing in dairy calves with plastic identification tags. Calves (n = 33) were ear tagged at 2 d of age, and wound photos were taken weekly until 9 to 22 wk of age. This approach generated 10 to 22 observations per calf that were analyzed using a novel wound scoring system. We developed this system to score the presence or absence of external tissue types related to piercing trauma or mechanical irritation along the top of the tag (impressions, crust, and desquamation) and around the piercing (exudate, crust, tissue growth, and desquamation). Ears were scored as "piercing only" when tissue around the ear tag was intact. We found that impressions, crust, tissue growth, and desquamation were still seen in many calves by 12 wk of age. This suggests that extrinsic factors, such as mechanical disturbance and irritation, may have contributed to prolonged wound healing. Indeed, impressions along the top of tag, likely caused by rubbing against the ear, were observed for nearly the full duration of the study. Further research is warranted to understand ways to improve the ear-tagging process.

Exploring the Potential of Precision Livestock Farming Technologies to Help Address Farm Animal Welfare

The rise in the demand for animal products due to demographic and dietary changes has exacerbated difficulties in addressing societal concerns related to the environment, human health, and animal welfare. As a response to this challenge, Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies are being developed to monitor animal health and welfare parameters in a continuous and automated way, offering the opportunity to improve productivity and detect health issues at an early stage. However, ethical concerns have been raised regarding their potential to facilitate the management of production systems that are potentially harmful to animal welfare, or to impact the human-animal relationship and farmers' duty of care. Using the Five Domains Model (FDM) as a framework, the aim is to explore the potential of PLF to help address animal welfare and to discuss potential welfare benefits and risks of using such technology. A variety of technologies are identified and classified according to their type [sensors, bolus, image or sound based, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)], their development stage, the species they apply to, and their potential impact on welfare. While PLF technologies have promising potential to reduce the occurrence of diseases and injuries in livestock farming systems, their current ability to help promote positive welfare states remains limited, as technologies with such potential generally remain at earlier development stages. This is likely due to the lack of evidence related to the validity of positive welfare indicators as well as challenges in technology adoption and development. Finally, the extent to which welfare can be improved will also strongly depend on whether management practices will be adapted to minimize negative consequences and maximize benefits to welfare.

The welfare of ewes on stud and meat farms in southern Brazil

Context Brazilian sheep production chain includes farms that raise sheep to produce breeding rams and ewes, i.e. stud farms, and farms that raise sheep to breed lambs for meat. However, there are few studies on sheep welfare in Brazil. Aims To assess the welfare of sheep in Brazil, comparing ewes on stud and meat farms. Methods Seven stud (S) and 10 meat (M) farms were assessed in the metropolitan regions of Curitiba and Castro, State of Parana, using the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol for sheep. Results of both groups were compared using Fisher’s exact test for yes or no questions, Mann–Whitney test for non-normal data and linear mixed models to check each indicator, with significance level at 0.05. Key results Main characteristics that reduce sheep welfare were low body condition scores (40.6% on both groups), lesions to the legs (S = 45.9%, M = 56.0%), and pain induced by tail docking, with most ewes having a short tail length (S = 79.1%, M = 85.6%). Comparing both groups, ewes from stud farms presented less light faecal soiling (S = 1.3%, M = 27.0%), less faecal soiling and dags (S = 0%, M = 15.7%), better fleece cleanliness (S = 64.8%, M = 19.8%), fewer lesions to the head and neck (S = 3.2%, M = 12.3%), and higher frequency of panting (S = 28.0%, M = 1.5%). Conclusions We were able to identify the main welfare restrictions in both stud and meat farms, and the hypothesis that welfare is higher on stud farms was not confirmed. Implications The identification of on-farm welfare concerns as well as the differences between stud and meat farms allows for readily applicable recommendations, tailored to improve welfare within the prevalent sheep-rearing systems in southern Brazil. This experience with the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol for sheep in the Brazilian context may facilitate further studies and implementation of permanent welfare monitoring and action plans.

Flock-level risk factors for outbreaks of infectious arthritis in lambs, Norway 2018

BACKGROUND

Outbreaks of infectious arthritis in young lambs associated with Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae (SDSD) lead to reduced animal welfare, increased use of antibiotics and economic losses for sheep farmers. Understanding risk factors is essential when developing strategies to prevent such outbreaks. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study classified sheep flocks of respondents as cases or controls. Flock-level risk factors for outbreaks of infectious arthritis were assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Eighty-four of 1498 respondents (5.6%) experienced an outbreak of infectious arthritis in their flock in 2018, the year of study. Factors associated with a higher risk of outbreak were larger flock size (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.4, per 100 lambs), plastic mesh flooring in the lambing pen (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.3) and a lambing percentage greater than 200 (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5). Flocks where farmers observed infections around the ear tags of lambs also had an increased risk of outbreak (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6-4.3).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk factors identified in this study are characteristic of modern and intensively managed sheep farms in Norway. A distinguishing feature of Norwegian sheep farming is winter housing and indoor lambing. One might expect that this in itself is a risk factor because of high stocking densities during lambing. However, outbreaks of infectious arthritis in young lambs are reported by the industry to be a more recent phenomenon. The current study indicates that intensification of indoor management systems with larger flocks and higher production per ewe may predispose to outbreaks. The results provide a basis for further studies on transmission dynamics of SDSD in sheep flocks with indoor lambing.

Perception of animal sentience by Brazilian and French citizens: The case of sheep welfare and sentience

The study compared the perception of ordinary citizens from Curitiba, Brazil (OB) and Clermont-Ferrand, France (OF), as well as OB, Brazilian veterinarians (VB), biologists (BB) and animal scientists (AB), concerning animal welfare and sentience. An online survey containing 18 open-ended, multiple choices and Likert scale questions was conducted from November 2014 to May 2016. The survey covered questions on demographics, perception of animal welfare, sheep welfare, sentience and animals' emotional capacities. In total, 1103 respondents participated in the survey (388 OB, 350 OF, 248 VB, 92 BB and 25 AB); data were compared using non-parametric tests. Brazilian citizens (46.9%) believed more than OF (3.7%) that welfare is not considered for farm animals and OB attributed higher scores of suffering to sheep during management procedures (median 4, severe suffering) than OF (3, moderate suffering). Additionally, OB gave higher scores of emotions to animals (5) than OF (4). In general, OB and BB had similar perceptions; OB and BB differed from VB and AB who were similar to each other. Citizens (46.9%) and BB (29.3%) believed more than VB (18.5%) and AB (12.0%) that welfare is not considered for farm animals; OB and BB also attributed higher scores of suffering to sheep during management procedures than VB and AB. Women and older respondents showed higher perception of animal welfare issues. There was no clear correlation between perception of animal welfare or sentience and education. Overall, ordinary citizens differed on their perceptions of welfare and sentience in livestock and specifically in sheep, and sheep suffering during management procedures. Ordinary citizens from Curitiba showed higher perception of animal welfare issues as compared to respondents from Clermont-Ferrand and to veterinarians and animal scientists. Ensuring a better consideration of welfare at farm level and in educational programs seems warranted according to the results of this study.

A Comparison of Commonly Used Ear Tags on the Ear Damage of Sheep

The damage caused by ear tags used for sheep identification was investigated in a two-part study. In Part I, ear tags classified as metal loop, golf-tee, single flex or lambtag were inserted into the ears of 62 ewes. The severity of ewe ear lesions was monitored until 20 weeks after ear tag insertion. In Part II, 351 lambs had tags classified as metal loop, plastic loop, golf-tee, double flex, single flap, lambtag and electronic, inserted in their ears. The behaviour of the lambs was observed for 30s after insertion of the ear tag. The severity of lamb ear lesions was monitored until 5 weeks after ear tag insertion. In both ewes and lambs there was a significantly greater risk of severe and persistent ear lesions following the use of metal loop tags as compared with the other types of ear tag (P < 0.001). The single flap tag was difficult to insert in a greater proportion of lambs (P < 0.001), and more lambs haemorrhaged (P < 0.001), vocalized (P = 0.002) and shook their heads (P = 0.004) with it, than with the other types of ear tags. All ear tags resulted in an inflammatory reaction and required correct positioning to minimize the severity of ear lesions.