NC1029: Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare (NCR131)
Statement of Issues and Justification
To keep American agriculture competitive while ending world hunger is one of the grand societal challenge priority areas outlined within the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative request for applications this year (AFRI, 2010). Keeping American agriculture competitive and ending world hunger will likely require intensive food animal production. Intensive rearing of animals for human food can present significant animal welfare challenges. Therefore, it is crucial that scientific understanding and knowledge of animal welfare be available to the agricultural industry.Animal welfare is an important issue for consumer confidence in animal production. Surveys taken during the past 15 years indicate strong public concern that farm animals have good welfare, or a good life. For example, 95% of respondents to a nationwide survey conducted by Oklahoma State University agreed with the statement, It is important to me that animals on farms are well cared for (2007). In another study (Ohio State University, 2005), 92% of respondents to a survey in Ohio agreed or strongly agreed that it is important that farm animals are well-cared for, and 85% agreed or strongly agreed that even though some farm animals are used for meat, the quality of their lives is important. In addition, 81% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the welfare of farm animals is just as important as the welfare of pets, and 75% agreed or strongly agreed that farm animals should be protected from feeling physical pain. A recent European poll indicated that consumers in the 29 countries surveyed are very concerned about the welfare of animals (Eurobarometer, 2007).
A system that results in poor animal welfare is unsustainable because it is unacceptable to many people. The quality of animal products is being judged in relation to the ethics of production, including impact on the animal's welfare. Customers and consumers are demanding major changes in food animal housing systems, in particular gestation stalls for the breeding sow, conventional cages for the laying hen and stalls for veal calves. These changes have begun to be implemented through education, assessment/certification schemes, third party auditing and legislation.
Animal welfare can also impact world trade as evidenced by the recent establishment of global animal welfare standards on transport and slaughter by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The OIE continues the development of standards and recommendations in new areas of importance to animal welfare. In 2009-2010 the OIE has formed an adhoc group on laboratory animal welfare and two ad hoc groups on animal welfare and livestock production systems ( http://www.oie.int/eng/bien_etre/en_introduction.htm).
Through this multistate project (currently NC-1029), we have established a national scientific committee to generate and disseminate objective scientific information on animal welfare issues. This committee is comprised of approximately 20 scientists working in multiple disciplines at different locations throughout North America. Our research is critical to provide the science and technology to help producers and those involved in animal production maintain their freedom to operate as potential trade barriers are implemented.
The long-term objective of the multistate project is to optimize animal welfare while maintaining animal productivity.
In order to meet this broad objective, we are proposing to provide sound science in the following two areas for the next five years of the project:
1. Development of novel animal behavior measurement techniques to assess where on-farm welfare challenges may exist and to develop alternative management strategies to solve these challenges.
There is a need to develop novel, preferably non-invasive techniques to measure animal behavior. Behavior can be used as an indicator of welfare, and can provide critical and timely information in regards to how an animal is coping, adapting or not coping to a prescribed set of circumstances.
2. Improve understanding of on-farm welfare assessment and auditing programs and understand the appropriateness and feasibility of various methods of measurement. Many animal welfare assessment/certification and third party auditing programs have been introduced in the U.S. in recent years, such as the PQA-Plus for swine, United Egg Producers Certified for layer hens, and the National FARM for dairy cattle. The work of this multistate committee is crucial for the development and implementation of science-based programs. Commodity groups in the U.S. have highlighted that their policies, and programs designed to assess welfare must be based on sound animal welfare science (e.g., National Pork Board, 2002; National Milk Producers Federation, 2009).
The protocols for these two areas of research will be carried out in multiple locations and the outcomes will elucidate the validity of measures across different environments and genotypes of farm animals.
This multistate committee has been successful. Applied animal behavior and animal welfare research is a relatively new scientific discipline in the U.S. A challenge faced by the limited number of researchers working in this area is the ability to have a critical mass of persons and resources in one central location and available funding to support welfare and behavior programs. One of the great strengths of the project is that it fosters collaborative research, therefore leveraging institutional investments, resources, and scientific effort. In addition, some members of the committee also hold teaching and/or extension appointments, allowing the results of the research to be more easily integrated across mission areas and disseminated to all stakeholders of animal agriculture.
Moreover, members of the project conduct research spanning a variety of species and approaches. Therefore, the diversity of experience and skills is an asset. This group is currently at the forefront of behavior and welfare research in domestic animals and members are frequently approached by industry groups to answer questions related to animal welfare. Ideas and approaches from newer members should further contribute to the development of novel methods to measure behavior and assess on farm animal welfare. The project comprises the leading applied animal behavior and welfare researchers and teachers in the U.S. and their wide-ranging skills are likely to yield significant progress in this area.
Over the next five years we will focus on the following objectives:
1. Novel techniques for measuring livestock and poultry behavior; 2. On-farm assessment of livestock and poultry welfare.
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