Animal welfare

What is the highest priority energy use in animals?

Maintenance

What does maintenance energy include?

Tissue repair, thermoregulation, and vital system function

What happens if energy intake is limited?

All energy goes to maintenance and production stops

What is production energy used for?

Growth, reproduction, lactation

Approximately what % of feed energy is used for maintenance?

~50%

What effect does environmental stress have on productivity?

Increases maintenance energy, reducing productivity

List physical environmental factors affecting livestock

Temperature, humidity, wind, light, altitude

List biological environmental factors affecting livestock

Pathogens and parasites

List management environmental factors affecting livestock

Nutrition, space, handling, pollution

Key principle of energy use in animals?

More energy spent coping with environment = less for production

What is intensive farming?

High input system using technology, labour, capital

Give examples of intensive farming

Poultry sheds, pig confinement, dairies

One advantage of intensive farming?

Controlled environment and consistent feed

One disadvantage of intensive farming?

Higher stress and stereotypic behaviours

What is extensive farming?

Animals graze in natural environments

One advantage of extensive farming?

More natural behaviour expression

One disadvantage of extensive farming?

Exposure to climate extremes

Define homeostasis

Maintaining stable internal conditions

What is the thermal neutral zone (TNZ)?

Range where heat production equals heat loss with minimal energy use

What happens in TNZ?

Maximum productivity with minimal energy expenditure

What is the cool zone?

Slightly below optimal temperature within TNZ

Cool zone behavioural response?

Huddling and seeking shelter

Cool zone physiological response?

Vasoconstriction

What is lower critical temperature (LCT)?

Temperature where heat production must increase

Cold stress response?

Shivering, increased feed intake, increased activity

Cold stress consequence?

More energy used for maintenance, less for growth/milk

What affects LCT?

Insulation, age, nutrition

Warm zone response?

Reduced activity and feed intake, vasodilation

What is upper critical temperature (UCT)?

Point where active cooling is required

Heat stress cooling methods?

Sweating, panting, evaporative cooling

Pig heat adaptation?

Wallowing due to few sweat glands

Bird heat adaptation?

Panting and wing spreading

Cattle heat adaptation?

Sweating and increased respiration

Effects of heat stress on animals?

Reduced feed intake, growth, milk, reproduction

Heat stress fertility effect?

Reduced ovulation and increased embryonic death

Dairy cow heat threshold effect?

Reduced milk above ~27°C

What is disease?

Disturbance of normal body function

Types of infectious disease?

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, parasites

Types of non-infectious disease?

Deficiencies, genetic disorders, toxins, injury

What are clinical signs?

Visible symptoms like fever and weight loss

What is subclinical disease?

Hidden disease affecting productivity

What is a lesion?

Physical tissue damage

What is aetiology?

Cause of disease

Disease transmission methods?

Contact, equipment, water/food, air, vectors, humans

Predisposing factors for disease?

Stress, poor nutrition, overcrowding, poor ventilation

How does disease prevention occur?

Vaccination, biosecurity, nutrition, monitoring

What is stress?

Physiological response to a threat

What is a stressor?

Internal or external challenge

Types of stressors?

Physical, social, psychological

What is the alarm stage of GAS?

Immediate fight-or-flight response

What systems activate in alarm stage?

SAM system and HPA axis

What is the resistance stage?

Body adapts and conserves energy

What is exhaustion stage?

Resources depleted and health declines

SAM system function?

Fast adrenaline response increasing heart rate and energy

HPA axis function?

Slow cortisol response, energy mobilisation and immune suppression

Effects of chronic stress?

Reduced growth, fertility, immunity, increased disease

What is stereotypic behaviour?

Repetitive abnormal behaviour with no function

Give examples of stereotypic behaviour

Crib biting, tongue rolling, sham chewing, bar biting

Causes of stereotypic behaviour?

Confinement, poor diet, lack of stimulation, frustration

What is animal welfare?

Physical health, mental state, and ability to cope

Name the Five Freedoms

Hunger/thirst, discomfort, pain/disease, normal behaviour, fear/distress

Biological functioning approach focuses on?

Measurable outcomes like growth and reproduction

Feelings approach focuses on?

Subjective experience and behaviour

Limitation of welfare assessment?

No single reliable indicator

Good management practices include?

Nutrition, housing, disease prevention, monitoring

Thermal stress management methods?

Shade, ventilation, cooling systems, windbreaks