Body Modification/Mutilation

Evaluating environmental enrichment as a method to alleviate pain after castration and tail docking in pigs

Castration and tail docking are common management practices performed on commercial swine farms in the US and around the world to reduce adverse behaviors and the occurrence of boar taint. However, these practices themselves are a welfare concern for the...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Analgesia, Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Backus, B. L., McGlone, J. J. 2018. Evaluating environmental enrichment as a method to alleviate pain after castration and tail docking in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 204, 37-42.

Optimum drug combinations for the sedation of growing boars prior to castration

Juvenile male pigs were sedated for castration. Eight five-month old boars were sedated twice (two weeks apart) with a combination of detomidine (0.1 mg/kg), midazolam (0.2 mg/kg) and either butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) (Group MDB, n = 8) or morphine (0.2...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Lehmann, H., Blache, D., Drynan, E. et al. 2017. Optimum drug combinations for the sedation of growing boars prior to castration. Animals 7(8), 61.

Evaluating treatments with topical anaesthetic and buccal meloxicam for pain and inflammation caused by amputation dehorning of calves

To assess the effects of a topical anaesthetic (TA) and buccal meloxicam (BM) on behaviour, maximum wound temperature and wound morphology following amputation dehorning of beef calves, 50 unweaned Hereford calves were randomly allocated to: (1) sham dehorning / control...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Analgesia, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Van der Saag, D., Lomax, S., Windsor, P. A. et al. 2018. Evaluating treatments with topical anaesthetic and buccal meloxicam for pain and inflammation caused by amputation dehorning of calves. PLOS ONE 13(6), e0198808.

Effect of topically applied anaesthetic formulation on the sensitivity of scoop dehorning wounds in calves

The post-operative effects of three formulations of topical anaesthetic and a cornual nerve block on the sensitivity of scoop dehorning wounds in calves were compared in two trials. In Trial 1, 21 female Holstein dairy calves aged 8 to 24...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: McCarthy, D., Windsor, P. A., Harris, C. et al. 2016. Effect of topically applied anaesthetic formulation on the sensitivity of scoop dehorning wounds in calves. PLOS ONE 11(9), e0163181.

All-male social group formation: Does cutting canine teeth promote social integration?

Groups were formed by releasing future group members in same enclosure. Within the first five months after group formation one of 26 animals died and two were killed due to trauma resulting from fighting. We decided to use the webinar...

Year Published: 1994Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Clarke, M. R., Blanchard, J. L. 1994. All-male social group formation: Does cutting canine teeth promote social integration? Laboratory Primate Newsletter 33(2), 5-8.

Introduction to Animal Welfare and the Sheep

Concerns for the lives of animals have been voiced for centuries, with concerns about the welfare of agricultural animals increasing since the 1960s. Animal welfare concerns arise for many reasons: care about the quality of lives of animals, concerns about...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Dwyer, C. M. , Lawrence, A. B. 2008. Introduction to Animal Welfare and the Sheep. In: The Welfare of Sheep. Animal Welfare, volume 6. Dwyer, C. M. (Ed.). Springer: Dordrecht, 1-40.

Castration promotes welfare in group-housed male Swiss outbred mice maintained in educational institutions

Educational institutions maintain group-housed mice of both sexes for training veterinarians and technicians in husbandry, medication, and sampling procedures. Mice kept in all-male groups may experience poor welfare due to fighting. Castrated mice may be used to replace gonadally intact...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Vaughan, L. M., Dawson, J. S., Porter, P. R. et al. 2014. Castration promotes welfare in group-housed male Swiss outbred mice maintained in educational institutions. JAALAS 53(1), 38-43.

Social context and other factors influence the behavioural expression of pain by lambs

There is evidence that the presence of a conspecific can alter the experience of pain in humans and other animals. This ‘social buffering' may be mediated by factors such as relatedness and familiarity. This study investigates whether and how the...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Guesgen, M. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Minot, E. O. et al. 2014. Social context and other factors influence the behavioural expression of pain by lambs. Applied Animal Behavioural Science 159, 41-49.

Evaluation of analgesic efficacy in piglets using a novel pig grimace scale

There is a critical lack of information surrounding methods to improve the wellbeing of piglets undergoing painful procedures. It is not uncommon for piglets to undergo potentially painful procedures without anesthesia or analgesia, particularly for agricultural research projects. The objectives...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Turner, P. V., Viscardi, A., Lawli, P. et al. 2014. Evaluation of analgesic efficacy in piglets using a novel pig grimace scale. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 530 (Abstract #PS12).

Plumage damage in free-range laying hens: Behavioural characteristics in the rearing period and the effects of environmental enrichment and beak-trimming

Severe feather-pecking, whereby birds peck at and pull out the feathers of other birds, is one of the greatest welfare concerns and the most prevalent behavioural problem in laying hens. It can be extremely difficult to control, especially in non-cage...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Hartcher, K. M., Tran, M. K. T. N., Wilkinson, S. J., et al. 2015. Plumage damage in free-range laying hens: Behavioural characteristics in the rearing period and the effects of environmental enrichment and beak-trimming. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 164, 64-72.