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Animal Welfare, Environment Hygiene I

Course developer

Prior knowledge

Biol1019, Animal Biology, Ecology and Ethology I

Biol1020, Animal Biology, Ecology and Ethology II

Biol1021, Animal Biology, Ecology and Ethology III

LauZ1019, Forage Production and Animal Nutrition I

LauZ2028, Forage Production and Animal Nutrition II

LauZ3141, Animal Husbandry I

LauZ3142, Animal Husbandry II

Vete2016, Animal and Environmental Hygiene I

Vete6022, Physiology I

Vete6023, Physiology II

Replaced course

VeteB018 [GVETB018] Animal Welfare, Environment Hygiene I

Course abstract

Students gain knowledge and understanding of animal welfare, hygiene, various aspects and concepts of welfare in relation to animal health and productivity; learn to assess the quality of animal housing and care in the context of the 'Five Freedoms', using animal indicators (physiological and behavioral measurements) as well as the environmental resources provided to animal; learns the basic principles of welfare management and gradation.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Knowledge: of animal welfare and hygiene as a set of measures to meet the physiological and ethological needs of animals.
Skills:
• understand and justify the impact of welfare and hygiene on animal health and productivity;
• apply regulatory enactments, scientific articles, as well as non-formal educational resources for situation/case analysis and interpretation of welfare criteria and indicators
Competence: to be able to apply the acquired knowledge in practice to promote animal health and welfare
Assessment:
Analysis of two scientific articles / publications on the topics “Impact of animal keeping and care (welfare) on animal health, productivity, reproduction”, formulation of conclusions, suggestions and preparation of presentations.
Case study about “Ensuring the five freedoms for the animal (s)”, assessment of situation, Formulation of conclusions and proposals, preparation of presentations.
Test - knowledge test on the topics acquired in the study course.

Course Content(Calendar)

1) Animal welfare, Environment hygiene: Introduction (1h)
■ Definitions and terminology
■ Environmental hygiene - a component of Animal welfare
■ The concept of animal needs
■ Classification of animals by the type of it’s use
■ Animal welfare from a Scientific, Ethical and Legislative point of view
Practical work (1h)
2) Introduction to animal welfare ethics (2h)
■ Ethical theories about the moral status of an animal
■ Animal Welfare v/s Animal Rights
■ The relationship between animal welfare and human prosperity
■ Animal welfare and environmental factors
Practical work (1h)
3) Legislation on Animal welfare and Animal protection (1h)
■ Different legislative models and types of regulatory enactments
■ Conditions for the compliance with regulated requirements
■ Reasons why regulatory requirements sometimes are ineffective in practice
Practical work (1h)
4) Assessment of welfare and “Five Freedoms” (2h)
■ Introduction to scientific methodology
■ Evaluation using the "Five Freedoms"
Practical work (1h)
5) Physiological measures of animal welfare (1h)
■ Autonomic Nervous System and Neuroendocrine
Practical work (1h)
6) Disease and production indicators of animal welfare (2h)
■ Relationship between welfare and disease
■ Relationship between welfare and production
■ Biosafety
Practical work (1h)
7. Behavioural measures of animal welfare (1h)
■ Normal and abnormal behaviour: motivation and choices
■ Behavioural indicators of animal welfare
■ Identification of possible causes of abnormal behaviour
Practical work (1h)
8. Group assessment and management of welfare (1h)
■ Principles of welfare assessment at group level, methods for assessment
■ Management of health and welfare in group systems
■ Graduation of welfare
Practical work (1h)
9. Influence of the market place (1h)
■ Influence of the local market
■ Choice of consumer
■ Intensification of animal husbandry
■ The role of global and national traders
■ Impact of the WTO

Requirements for awarding credit points

Successfully completed final test; analysis and presentation of 2 scientific articles. Absence of lectures and practical works are not more than 30% of the total number of lessons.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

The student must independently find and analyze 2 scientific articles on animal welfare and welfare related topics, formulate and present own findings, opinions, proposals.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Student skills are assessed in accordance with the procedures specified in the tasks of the practical work.
Study course tests are evaluated in accordance with the criteria of the 10-point system scale indicated in the LLU Study Regulations.
To get the final grade of the study course "passed", the test must be successfully passed and 2 scientific articles must be analyzed and presented.

Compulsory reading

1. Anon 1992. Farm Animal Welfare Council updates the Five Freedoms. Vet Record 131: 357 http://www.fawec.org
2. Baldock N.M, Sibley R.M (1990) Effects of handling and transportation on the heart rate and behaviour of sheep. In: Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal welfare. Ed.:M.Bekoff, C.A.Meaney. 2nd edition. 2010.
3. Broom D.M, Johnson K.G. Stress and Animal Welfare: key issues in the biology of humans and other animals Second edition. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. 230 p.
4. Baldock N.M., Sibly R.M. Effects of handling and transportation on the heart rate and behaviour of sheep. Animal Behaviour Science, No. 28, 1990, p. 15-39
5. Gregory N.G. Physiology and Behaviour of Animal Suffering. Oxford: Blackwell, 2004, p.12-21.
6. Hemsworth P.H. Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, No. 81, 2003, p. 185-198.
7. Hurnik J.F., Webster A.B., Siegel P.B. Dictionary of Farm Animal Behaviour. 2nd ed. Iowa State University Press, 1985.
8. Mellor D.J. The Sciences of Animal Welfare. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
9. Duncan I.J.D. Welfare is to do with what animals feel. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. Special Suppl. No. 2, 1993, p. 8-14
10. Khoshen, H. (2013). Enrichment and wellbeing of mammals in captivity. A handbook for Central and South America.
Environmental Enrichment and Well-Being of Captive LATAM Mammals
11. Stereotypic Animal Behaviour. G.Mason, J. Rushen (Eds). 2nd edition: Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare, Wallingford, UK: CABI, 2006. Nav liel. b-kās
12. Rollin B. Animal welfare, science and value. J Agric Environ Ethics Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. Special Suppl. No. 2, p. 8-14
13. Webster J. Animal Welfare: A Cool Eye towards Eden. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 1995.
14. Webster J. Animal Welfare. Limping towards Eden. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005.
15. Veterinary & Animal ethics. Wathes C. M., Corr S. A., May S. A., McCulloch S. P., Whiting M. C. Wiley-Blckwell, 2013. 315 p.

16. Whay H.R., Main D.C., Green L.E., Webster A.J. Assessment of the welfare of dairy cattle using animal-based measurements: direct observations and investigation of farm records. Veterenary Record, No. 153, 2003, p. 197-202

Further reading

1. Herlin A.H. Comparison of lying area surfaces for dairy cows by preference, hygiene, and lying down behaviour. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research, No. 27, 1997, p. 189-196.
2. Henry. J.P., Stephens-Larson P. Specific aspects of stress on disease processes. In: MOBERG Animal Stress. G. P. Moberg (Ed.). American Physiological Association. USA: Maryland, 1985.
3. Hosey G., Melfi V., Pankhurst S. Zoo animals: behaviour, management, and welfare. Second edition. Oxford University Press, 2013. Nav lielākajās b-kās
4. Klostermann L.L, Murai J.T., Siiteri P.K. Cortisol levels, binding and properties of corticosteroid-binding globulin in the serum of primates. Endocrinology, No. 118, 1986, p. 424-434.
5. Konarska M., Stewart R. E., McCarthy R. Habituation of sympathetic-adrenal medullary responses following exposure to chronic intermittent stress. Physiology and Behavior, No. 45, 1989, p. 255-261.
6. Korte S.M., Olivier B., Koolhaas J.M. A new animal welfare concept based on allostasis. Physiology & Behavior, No. 92(3), 2007, p. 422-228
7. Maple T.L., Perdue B.M. Zoo animal welfare. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2013. Nav lielākajās b-kās
8. Mendl M, Zanella A.I., Broom D.M. Physiological and reproductive correlates of behavioural strategies in female domestic pigs. Animal Behaviour, No. 44, 1992, p. 1107-1121.
9.Mouttotou N., Hatchell F.M., Green L.E. Adventitious bursitis of the hock in finishing pigs: prevalence, distribution and association with floor type and foot lesions. Veterinary Record, No. 142, 1998, p. 109-114
10. Lawrence A.B., Petherick J.C. et al The effect of environment on behaviour, plasma cortisol and prolactin in parturient sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, No. 39, 1994, p. 313-330.
11.Lane J. Can non-invasive glucocorticoid measures be used as reliable indicators of stress in animals? Animal Welfare, No. 15, 2006, p. 331-342.
12. Ley S.J., Waterman A.E., Livingston A. A field study of the effect of lameness on mechanical nociceptive thresholds in sheep. Veterinary Record, No. 137, 1995, p. 85-87.
13. Stolba A., Wood-Gush D.G.M. The behaviour of pigs in a semi-natural environment. Animal Production, No. 48, 1989, p. 419-425
14. Tucker C.B., Weary D.M. Stall design: enhancing cow comfort. Advances in Dairy Technology, No. 13, 2001, p. 154-167. Available from:
https://wcds.ualberta.ca/wcds/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/wcds_archive/Archive/2001/Manuscripts/Chapter%2013%20Weary.pdf

15. Zanella A.J., Broom D.M., Hunter J.C., Mendl M.T. Brain opioid receptors in relation to stereotypies, inactivity, and housing in sows. Physiol Behav Physiology & Behavior, No.59, 1996, p. 769-775.

Periodicals and other sources

1. https://likumi.lv/
2. https://www.zm.gov.lv/veterinarija/#jump
3. https://www.pvd.gov.lv/en/partikas-un-veterinarais-dienests/statiskas-lapas/startpage?nid=2913#jump
4. http://www.oie.int/
5. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/

Notes

Animal welfare, environment hygiene I
Compulsory course of study programme Veterinary medicine.