Lecture 8: How to asses animal welfare

What initiated scientific research on animal welfare?

Ethical concerns over the quality of life of animals.

What is the role of animal welfare science?

To objectively evaluate welfare and integrate biological facts with moral views.

Individual differences

Consistent differences in behavioral and physiological patterns between individuals of the same species.

Behavioural syndromes

A suite of correlated behaviors not necessarily studied under stress conditions.

Personality (in animals)

Traits often ignoring emotional components, unlike in humans.

Coping styles

Behavioral and physiological responses to an unfavorable environment and stress.

What are examples of coping styles in rats?

Freezing or burying the probe in response to electric shock.

Passive coping strategy

Can include enhanced SAM and HPA activity.

What does coping style reflect?

The type of response an animal makes to challenges.

What does emotionality indicate?

The level of responsiveness to challenge.

Does coping style equate to success in coping?

No, it describes the strategy, not the outcome.

What was observed in police dogs under stress?

Different coping styles and cortisol responses.

How can selection affect coping style distribution?

Genetic correlations with production traits influence coping styles.

Are coping style, fearfulness, and sociality linked?

No, they are separate traits.

Why is one environment not beneficial for all animals?

Individual differences mean needs vary.

How do mood and personality affect pigs?

They impact pigs' judgment of their environment.

Judgment bias test

A test assessing optimism/pessimism based on ambiguous stimuli.

What influences optimism in pigs?

Personality and housing conditions.

What happens when measuring the same individual multiple times?

Intra-individual variation occurs.

Habituation

Decreased response to a repeated non-threatening stimulus.

Sensitisation

Increased response to a repeated stimulus.

What is the challenge in objectively measuring welfare?

Lack of consensus on parameters.

Biological fitness variables

Life expectancy and reproductive success.

Physiological variables

Indicators like HPA-axis activity, heart rate, and body temperature.

Behavioural measures

Observations of behavior to infer welfare.

What can poor welfare result from besides illness?

Stress, frustration, boredom, loneliness, or grief.

What is a limitation of physiological measures?

They can be influenced by both positive and negative experiences.

Saliva sampling

Less invasive method to measure HPA-axis activity.

Feather cort concentration

Used to measure long-term stress in birds.

Heart rate

Used to assess stress, wellbeing, and pathology.

Infrared thermography (IRT)

Non-invasive technique to measure surface body temperature.

What does a drop in skin temperature indicate?

Sympathetically-mediated vasoconstriction due to stress.

What does asymmetry in thermal images suggest?

Possible pathology or inflammation.

How was IRT used in a zoo elephant?

To identify the source of leg pain.

Why are behavioral indicators important?

They reflect both internal and external conditions.

What is the main thermoregulatory mechanism in chicks?

Seeking heat from the mother or brooder.

What does chick distribution under a lamp indicate?

Environmental temperature suitability.

What can body posture and tail wagging indicate?

Emotional state.

What does ear posture in cows reflect?

Wellbeing and emotional state.

Preference test

Allows animals to choose between environmental options.

What is a limitation of preference tests?

They provide relative, not absolute, information.

How can preference tests be improved?

By offering a wide range of choices and using motivational testing.

Motivational testing

Measures the strength of an animal’s preference.

Cognition

Information processing including attention, learning, memory, and decision-making.

What is a challenge in emotional state testing?

Lack of hypotheses and few tests for positive emotions.

What does play behavior indicate?

Good welfare and pleasurable emotional experience.