Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 1. Management practices

This review summarises research of management practices that potentially impact on the welfare of farmed deer. The processes of capture and initial domestication of feral deer caused many welfare problems but are now essentially complete in New Zealand. The health and production status of farmed deer, and readily visible indicators of their welfare are generally good, although preventive medicines and optimum management practices have not been universally adopted. Research into social behaviour, effects of yarding, weaning, mating, calving, shelter, shade and nutrition has identified ways of improving the welfare of farmed deer and has provided recommendations for deer industry quality assurance programmes. Research has identified transport design and practices that minimise the impact of transport on deer welfare and reduce carcass wastage caused by bruising during transport. Time in lairage prior to slaughter should be minimised and electrical stunning is a humane method of slaughter. Ongoing research is needed on management practices and farm environments to further improve the welfare of farmed deer, consistent with the goals of the New Zealand deer industry and its proactive approach to date.     

Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 1. Management practices

This review summarises research of management practices that potentially impact on the welfare of farmed deer. The processes of capture and initial domestication of feral deer caused many welfare problems but are now essentially complete in New Zealand. The health and production status of farmed deer, and readily visible indicators of their welfare are generally good, although preventive medicines and optimum management practices have not been universally adopted. Research into social behaviour, effects of yarding, weaning, mating, calving, shelter, shade and nutrition has identified ways of improving the welfare of farmed deer and has provided recommendations for deer industry quality assurance programmes. Research has identified transport design and practices that minimise the impact of transport on deer welfare and reduce carcass wastage caused by bruising during transport. Time in lairage prior to slaughter should be minimised and electrical stunning is a humane method of slaughter. Ongoing research is needed on management practices and farm environments to further improve the welfare of farmed deer, consistent with the goals of the New Zealand deer industry and its proactive approach to date.     

Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 2. Velvet antler removal

This paper reviews published data on welfare aspects of stag restraint and velvet antler removal, and prevention of antler growth. Several studies of physical restraint and handling demonstrate behavioural and physiological changes both during and after velvet antler removal. Interpretations vary as to whether the act of velvet antler removal imposes a welfare cost additional to that of handling and restraint alone. Chemical restraint presents immediate and delayed welfare risks to the animal. Surgical removal of velvet antler can be achieved without acute pain using a high dose rate of local anaesthetic applied as a ring block, rather than as regional nerve blocks, provided the wait time is adequate. However, there is evidence of less than optimum reproducibility. Lignocaine hydrochloride produces rapid analgesia of short duration, whilst bupivacaine has a delayed onset, but longer duration of analgesia. Mepivacaine has a rapid onset and intermediate duration of analgesia. Mixtures of long and short-acting local anaesthetics provide rapid onset and long duration of analgesia. Present methods for electronic analgesia are aversive and not sufficiently effective. The efficacy and possible aversiveness of compression techniques for inducing analgesia of antlers are currently under evaluation. Post-operative pain and the need for its control have been insufficiently researched. Post-operative sequelae are uncommon, but include clostridial infection. Antler growth in most stags can be prevented by rubber-band application to the growing pedicle, although behavioural changes after ring application suggest this practice may be painful. The procedures used for velvet antler removal, and whether practices are acceptable on the balance of welfare costs and benefits, should be reviewed on an ongoing basis as science, using an increasing range of techniques and measures, provides more data about the welfare implications of this practice.     

Protection of farmed camels (Camelus Dromedarius): Welfare problems and legislative perspective

In the last years animal welfare has assumed an increasing interest in our society, influencing legislation to enact many provisions aimed at the protection of animals. Along with increased consumer awareness of the need to maintain ethically acceptable conditions of raised animals, scientists too have begun to investigate the conditions of animal welfare, the tools for its evaluation and for its improvement. Although there are many advances in knowledge, much remains to be investigated concerning many species considered "minor", that is, camels and dromedaries. Dromedaries, recently, have attracted the interest of some breeders following the results of studies concerning the nutritional and therapeutic properties of their products ‐ milk in particular ‐ that make them ideal for some particular categories of consumers, such as diabetics, obesity sufferers, lactose‐intolerant subjects, menopausal women and so on. Considering their use in dairy husbandry, dromedaries are reared under intensive and/or semi‐intensive systems with the resulting emergence of specific needs, which should be fulfilled in order to have appropriate welfare. This paper's purpose is to give practical elements in order to find out dromedary welfare standards, promoting a comprehensive set of regulations on welfare, care and protection of this animal.     

Aspects of animal welfare with regard to the production of farmed fish in aquaculture systems

The most important aspects on animal welfare with reference to fish are presented in this paper. World-wide a fast growing trend with regard to the production of aquatic organisms in aquaculture systems is observed. For the future an increase of the number of basic questions with relevance to animal welfare in this area is to be expected. The main precondition for the creation of appropriate welfare conditions with regard to the farmed fish species is the optimisation of the environmental quality. Careful handling in the course of necessary farming activities minimises the appearance of distrees and damages in live fish.     

Behavioral problems of farmed ostriches in Canada.

Ostriches farmed in Canada often have particular behavioral problems that are brought about by periods of extreme confinement during winter months. Although they still perform normal species specific behaviors such as twirling, kanteling, and kicking, abnormal behaviors become prominent when excessively confined. They include for all age groups of ostriches, feather-picking, behavioral stargazing, dietary indiscretion, pica, anorexia and adipsia, and aggression. These abnormal behaviors initiated by inadequate husbandry techniques, eventually become medical problems because of their severity.     

Prevalent diseases of ostrich chicks farmed in Canada.

In Canada, ostriches are now slaughtered for their meat and hides. The mortality rate in ostrich farming is highest in chick units. An increased chick survival rate impacts positively on production and profit. This paper will focus on common health disorders that affect chick production costs. These are discussed under the following categories: digestive, orthopedic, respiratory, and integumentary disorders. Methods for elimination or reduction of these mortality factors are also discussed.     

A retrospective study of neonatal mortality in farmed elk.

Despite the increasing importance of the Canadian elk industry, the veterinary literature concerning diseases of elk is sparse, in particular for the neonatal period. This study summarizes necropsy findings in 111 farmed elk calves, up to 30 days of age, submitted to the diagnostic laboratory of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine over a 9-year period (990 to 1998). Causes of mortality fit into 3 categories: infectious disease, noninfectious disease, and undetermined. Organisms causing disease included Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Cryptosporidium sp. Starvation, including dehydration, was also a significant cause of mortality. Necropsy records are a useful source of information, but their scope is limited. There is a need for research that determines the prevalence of neonatal elk diseases and identifies risk factors for morbidity and mortality.     

Tropical fish medicine. Necropsy examination of fish

Necropsy examination of moribund or dead specimens is an essential step in diagnosing fish diseases. This article discusses basic anatomy and necropsy procedures. A large part of the article has been devoted to methods of procuring samples for laboratory analysis and histologic examination. To determine which findings are responsible for the mortalities, the entire case history and gross necropsy findings must be reviewed. Careful observations made during the necropsy examination provide valuable information immediately, as well as later on in the interpretation of laboratory data.     

Welfare implications of sheep ear tags.

The damaging effects of ear tags used to identify sheep were studied by examining the ears of sheep after slaughter in three different abattoirs and the ears of sheep on a farm. In total, 1040 ears with tags were examined. There were six types of ear tag: metal 'Ketchum' style loop tags; two-piece rigid plastic tags; 'Allflex' style flexible plastic tags with a male and female part; golf tee-shaped plastic ear tags; one-piece rigid plastic loop tags; and one-piece flexible plastic tags with a flap. The metal loop tags and plastic loop tags caused the most lesions, and the majority of the severe lesions. Ear tags placed near to the tip of the ear appeared to cause more damage. Some of the Ketchum style metal tags and two-piece rigid plastic tags appeared to be relatively new, as if recently fitted. These tags were more often associated with ear lesions, particularly moderate or severe lesions. The Allflex style flexible plastic tags caused the fewest problems, and the golf tee-shaped plastic tags also caused significantly fewer problems than the other tags.     

Tropical fish medicine. Anesthesia in fish

1. Before using anesthesia in fish, check water quality parameters for tropical fish aquariums in the locality. 2. Monitor any changes in water quality that result from anesthetic administration, especially pH and alkalinity. Have adequate buffering agents available to counter these changes. 3. Use one or two preferred agents, and become familiar with the effects they produce. 4. Where possible, withhold food from fish for 24 hours prior to administration of the anesthetic agent. 5. Try to anesthetize a few fish in a group first as a test batch. Wait 12 to 24 hours for signs of delayed mortality before proceeding to anesthetize the rest of the fish. 6. Always provide adequate aeration in holding vessels. 7. Where practical, use water that the fish has come from in the anesthetic tank. 8. Always have a container of the same water for the fish to recover in.