Synopses & Reviews
This book, written by the leading international research scientists in the field, is the first to cover all aspects of research into the welfare of dairy, veal and beef cattle. The book provides a thorough and critical review of the most up-to-date research on the welfare of cattle, covering behaviour, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, stockmanship, and stress physiology, as well as transport and slaughter. It provides a detailed and critical analysis of the main indicators of animal welfare and covers the main threats to animal welfare in modern cattle production systems. Although the focus is largely on cattle in developed countries, this book should also be of relevance in developing countries, where issues affecting the welfare of domestic animals are beginning to be addressed. The book is intended for researchers and research students in veterinary and animal science and animal welfare science, as well as professionals in the beef and dairy industries.
Synopsis
Animal welfare is attracting increasing interest worldwide, but particularly from those in developed countries, who now have the knowledge and resources to be able to offer the best management systems for their farm animals, as well as potentially being able to offer plentiful resources for companion, zoo and laboratory animals. The increased attention given to farm animal welfare in the West derives largely from the fact that the relentless pursuit of financial reward and efficiency has led to the development of intensive animal production systems that challenge the conscience of many consumers in those countries. In developing countries, human survival is still a daily uncertainty, so that provision for animal welfare has to be balanced against human welfare. Welfare is usually provided for only if it supports the output of the animal, be it food, work, clothing, sport or companionship. In re- ity, there are resources for all if they are properly husbanded in both developing and developed countries. The inequitable division of the world's riches creates physical and psychological poverty for humans and animals alike in many parts of the world. Livestock are the world's biggest land user (FAO, 2002) and the population is increasing rapidly to meet the need of an expanding human population. Populations of farm animals managed by humans are therefore increasing worldwide, and there is the tendency to allocate fewer resources to each animal.
Synopsis
This book covers all aspects of research into the welfare of dairy, veal and beef cattle, covering behavior, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, stockmanship, and stress physiology, as well as transport and slaughter. It also offers a detailed and critical analysis of the main indicators of animal welfare and covers the main threats to animal welfare in modern cattle production systems.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction: what is animal welfare? Part 1: Indicators of animal welfare Chapter 2. Health, disease and productivity Chapter 3. Stress and physiological indicators of animal welfare Chapter 4. Animal behaviour Part 2: Challenges to animal welfare Chapter 5. Acute or short term challenges to animal welfare Chapter 6. Housing for adult cattle Chapter 7. Housing for growing animals Chapter 8. Feeding and nutrition Chapter 9. Stockmanship and the interactions between people and cattle Chapter 10. Conclusions