Forum :: 13th Expert Forum on Farm Animal Well-being
13th Expert Forum on Farm Animal Well-being, Edinburgh (Scotland), 2022
Connections between animals and their human caretakers play a significant role in the overall welfare of both the livestock and their stewards. For people caring for cattle, it is important to understand how their everyday interactions can affect the health, welfare and performance of the animals.
In June 2022, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health will hold the 13th edition of its International Expert Forum on Farm Animal Well-Being in Edinburgh, UK. Over the years, this Forum has become a recognised discussion platform which facilitates communication and transfer of knowledge between veterinarians and animal scientists from around the world. The diversity of backgrounds encourages a multidisciplinary exchange of ideas.
Take a look at our summary video of the event!
LECTURES
Food and Animal Welfare
Emma RoeUniversity of Exeter, UK
Animal welfare offers a vital lens through which to explore the economies, culture and politics of food. From the practicalities and limitations of establishing a basic standard of care for livestock, to the ethics of selling welfare as a product in the supermarket, it is worth exploring how animal welfare is defined, advocated, assessed and implemented by farmers, veterinarians, distributors, and consumers.
Reflection on Computing Assisted Livestock Management and Cattle Well-being
Christopher H. KnightBreatheScience, UK
Sensor technologies could revolutionise global dairy farming in a positive way. There are significant barriers but also benefits to animal wellbeing, profitability and sustainability that could result if the technologies are implemented to a significant extent.
How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants?
Prof. Cathy DwyerAnimal Welfare SRUC, UK
Several indicators have been developed to assess farm animal welfare, and several specific protocols have been proposed for welfare evaluation. Most of the indicators, however, focus on the negative aspects of animal welfare (e.g., lameness, lesions, diseases, etc.). To guarantee high welfare standards, animals should also experience positive conditions that allow them to live a life that is really worth living.
Which sensor technology for Cattle Welfare Assessment?
Prof. Xavier MantecaSchool of Veterinary Science Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
The assessment of the welfare of cows involves audits that are time-consuming and expensive, as welfare is a complex multidimensional phenomenon. Integration of valid and reliable precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies is needed to allow for real-time assessment of farm animal well-being. Data collected during on-farm monitoring has high potential to assess different aspects of cattle welfare, and currently available technologies can provide animalbased welfare information.
Do cows think grass tastes good?
Dr. David BeggsUniversity of Melbourne, Australia
In contrast to the intensive nature of dairy production, where cows may be housed in sheds or feedlots for large parts of their lives, most Australian dairy cattle spend at least part of the day grazing or foraging on pasture. When pictures of pretty scenes with cows eating grass are shown to consumers, they associate this with good animal welfare. However, beautiful scenery can be misleading, and there are animal welfare challenges associated with pasture-based farming, especially as herds increase in size.
What would a cow prefer?
Dr. Jennifer Van OsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin, USA
Housing facilities, management and husbandry practices, and handling…there are many ways in which farmers can affect the welfare of the animals in their care. Some management systems are designed to be convenient for our human uses, but how do we make sure farm animals have the best lives possible? Studying the biology and behavior of dairy cows may help us better meet the animals’ needs while making farms more efficient and consumers less wary.
Can you see I´m in pain?
Prof. Marie HaskellAnimal Welfare Science SRUC, UK
Detection of emotional states through automatic decoding of facial expressions is an emerging area of investigation with potential applications in health care. The variation in facial expression can provide a clue for occurrence of pain and help when the patients cannot verbally describe or rate their level of pain. But how can this work with cows?
Human–animal interactions: effects, challenges and progress
Dr. Maria Camila CeballosUniversity of Calgary, Canada
Interactions between animals and their human caretakers play a significant role in the overall welfare of both the livestock and their stewards. In modern farming systems, the quality of human-animal interactions can have a profound impact on the productivity and welfare of farm animals. It is influenced by the attitude and behaviour of stockpeople, as well as their technical skills, knowledge, job motivation, commitment and job satisfaction.
How stockpeople attitudes and behaviors can positively impact the welfare of cattle
Dr. Elena de TorresAnimal Universidad de La República de Uruguay
Stockpeople’s attitude towards their animals is directly associated with their behavior during handling and rough practices can negatively affect animal welfare, increasing animals’ fear towards humans. On the other hand, when the animals experience positive interactions with humans, they become less fearful, which, in turn, facilitates handling.