• Scientific Measures of Well-Being
• Social Behavior and Spacing
• Evaluate Practives and Systems to Improve Well-Being
• Bioenergetic Criteria for Environmental Management

Introduction

Animal well-being continues to be an important issue concerning animal production, and a popular theme of press articles and scientific conferences.  These concerns cover issues relating to farm animal handling and management, establishing scientific measures of well-being, and a perceived lack of attention to the well-being of production animals that may be used to restrict international trade.  Animal care and feeding practices are issues being debated as extended practices in Codex as part of World Trade Organization discussions.       

The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior (EEAB) is now online and continually updated through the efforts of scientists in this National Program (www.liru.asft.ttu.edu/efab/index.htm).

Scientists in National Program 105 (NP105) research units participated in the annual meetings of W-173 Committee on Animal Stress, and NCR-131 Committee on Animal Care and Behavior.  Taking part in these meetings strengthens this national program by its interaction with the land-grant research community.

Dr. Donald Lay became the Research Leader of the Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, Indiana, in December, 2000.

Scientists in this National Program have been involved in national collaborations, consultations, and technology transfer over the past year.  Some of these activities include working with United Egg Producers, National Pork Producers Council, and American Humane Association on farm animal production guidelines; providing assistance on farm animal specialty for the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC); and contributing articles to the popular farm and agriculture press.

Research on swine health, well-being, and productivity at the Animal Physiology Research Unit, Columbia, Missouri, in collaboration with University of Missouri was recognized by the 2000 Innovation Award for Basic Research by the National Pork Producers Council.

Scientific Measures of Well-being

Measures of well-being of food producing animals are needed to make scientific assessments. These measures must be scientifically sound and relevant.  The measurements will integrate behavioral, physiological, and productivity parameters of economic importance.

Effect of tail docking.  Tail docking is a contentious issue in livestock management.  Scientists at the Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, Indiana, investigated indicators of chronic pain in Holstein heifers and weaning pigs.  Abnormal neural formations were observed in the tail-stumps of pigs, and the temperature increased in the tail stumps of heifers.  These observations are among those noted in phantom limb pain syndrome of humans.

Social Behavior and Spacing

With the intensification of animal agriculture and the greater number of animals at each location or in production units, a major question is whether intensive management adversely affects an animal's well-being. Research will be conducted to provide a scientific basis for understanding the social behavior of food animals and how the quality and quantity of space influences behavior.  Research to show consequences changes in patterns of social interaction and space utilization will require an integrated research approach.

Lean pigs are more excitable.  Food animal well-being has become an important issue for commodity associations, businesses like McDonald's Corporation and producers.  A multi-discipline team of scientists at the Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, Indiana, integrating production, physiological, and behavior measures of well-being demonstrated that lean-type swine exhibited more anxiety on handling and a difference in immune and neuro-chemistry.  This information will be useful in balancing productivity and well-being traits in future genotypes of swine.

Time of feeding reduces dust.  Feedlot cattle are a significant part of the economy of West Texas. Yet little is known about the behavior of cattle in commercial feedlots.  Excessive cattle movement generates dust exceeding levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  ARS scientists at the Livestock Issues Research Unit, Lubbock, and Texas Tech University collaborators collected behavioral and environmental data indicating higher dust levels at sunset. When cattle were fed near sunset they engaged in dust-generating behavior 20.6 percent of the time, compared to 69.0 percent when cattle ere fed in pens in the morning, the typical practice. The change in feeding time changed behaviors sufficiently to reduce dust levels below EPA allowable limits.

Evaluate Practices and Systems to Improve Well-being

Management practices such as transportation and slaughter and special agricultural practices such as beak trimming, dehorning, branding, tail docking, and castration are important and necessary elements of animal management in current production systems. These practices affect the well-being of animals. Research will address evaluation of the current and alternative practices concerning potential pain, stress or discomfort, and production efficiency.  Alternative environment systems and current management practices will be evaluated for their effect on farm animal well-being and overall goals to improve animal comfort, well-being, and production efficiency. Research to improve both production efficiency and animal well-being will be conducted.

Plasma proteins protect weaning pigs.  Production losses from neonatal morality and low growth performance of surviving piglets are a problem area of major cost to swine production.  Piglets with a lower ability to cope with production stressors, such as disease, constitute a major component of neonatal loss.  ARS scientists in the Animal Physiology Research Unit, Columbia, Missouri, in collaboration with University of Missouri scientists discovered that plasma proteins in weaning diets provide protection from infectious disease.  This discovery is important because it improves piglet health, well-being, and productivity. 

Bioenergetic Criteria for Environmental Management

Adverse environmental conditions cause livestock and poultry losses, decreased production efficiency, and decreased animal well-being. Available technology needs to be adapted for proactively managing environmental stressors.  Research to develop decision support tools is needed to help producers deal with environmental stressors, provide protective measures, recognize livestock and poultry in distress, and take appropriate management actions.

Respiration rate monitoring systems.  Prior research in the Biological Engineering Research Unit in collaboration with an University of Missouri scientist has established respiration rate as an early warning of animal stress and resulted in validation of respiration rate monitoring systems for cattle.  The system has lead to establishment of guidelines for managing cattle during hot weather and development of a swine respiration rate system.