F. Luzi

Welfare aspects in rabbit rearing and transport

Abstract The review starts with the description of the rabbits’ (Oryctolagus cuniculus) main habits and the current situation concerning the rabbit husbandry and management systems, as well as their effects on the welfare of these animals. As far as the intensive rabbit husbandry systems are concerned, the main problems are related to the time since rabbits have been domesticated and their adaptive capacity and coping styles as respects the farming environment and management systems. Both these aspects have implications in the present and future of rabbit rearing for different purposes. Examples are given on the effects of different housing and management systems on rabbit welfare, as well as examples of the ethological, physiological and productive indicators used to evaluate these effects. Transportation and, more generally, pre-slaughter phases including catching, fasting and lairage at the abattoir are considered major stressors for farmed rabbits and might have deleterious effects on health, well-being, performance, and finally, product quality. A general statement of the recent scientific studies considering the effects of pre-slaughter factors on physiological and productive measurements are reported. Finally, some indications in order to improve rabbit welfare, already present at the European level, are also outlined, together with the European Food Safety Authority opinions.

Potential application of thermography (IRT) in animal production and for animal welfare. A case report of working dogs

INTRODUCTION The authors describe the thermography technique in animal production and in veterinary medicine applications. The thermographic technique lends itself to countless applications in biology, thanks to its characteristics of versatility, lack of invasiveness and high sensitivity. Probably the major limitation to most important aspects for its application in the animal lies in the ease of use and in its extreme sensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS This review provides an overview of the possible applications of the technique of thermo visual inspection, but it is clear that every phenomenon connected to temperature variations can be identified with this technique. Then the operator has to identify the best experimental context to obtain as much information as possible, concerning the physiopathological problems considered. Furthermore, we reported an experimental study about the thermography (IRT) as a noninvasive technique to assess the state of wellbeing in working dogs. RESULTS The first results showed the relationship between superficial temperatures and scores obtained by the animal during the behavioral test. This result suggests an interesting application of infrared thermography (IRT) to measure the state of wellbeing of animals in a noninvasive way.

A Monitoring System for Laying Hens That Uses a Detection Sensor Based on Infrared Technology and Image Pattern Recognition

In Italy, organic egg production farms use free-range housing systems with a big outdoor area and a flock of no more than 500 hens. With additional devices and/or farming procedures, the whole flock could be forced to stay in the outdoor area for a limited time of the day. As a consequence, ozone treatments of housing areas could be performed in order to reduce the levels of atmospheric ammonia and bacterial load without risks, due by its toxicity, both for hens and workers. However, an automatic monitoring system, and a sensor able to detect the presence of animals, would be necessary. For this purpose, a first sensor was developed but some limits, related to the time necessary to detect a hen, were observed. In this study, significant improvements, for this sensor, are proposed. They were reached by an image pattern recognition technique that was applied to thermografic images acquired from the housing system. An experimental group of seven laying hens was selected for the tests, carried out for three weeks. The first week was used to set-up the sensor. Different templates, to use for the pattern recognition, were studied and different floor temperature shifts were investigated. At the end of these evaluations, a template of elliptical shape, and sizes of 135 × 63 pixels, was chosen. Furthermore, a temperature shift of one degree was selected to calculate, for each image, a color background threshold to apply in the following field tests. Obtained results showed an improvement of the sensor detection accuracy that reached values of sensitivity and specificity of 95.1% and 98.7%. In addition, the range of time necessary to detect a hen, or classify a case, was reduced at two seconds. This result could allow the sensor to control a bigger area of the housing system. Thus, the resulting monitoring system could allow to perform the sanitary treatments without risks both for animals and humans.

Use of thermographic imaging in clinical diagnosis of small animal: preliminary notes

INTRODUCTION The authors, after a description of the physics of infrared thermographic technique (IRT), analyze the reading of images and the main applications in the veterinary field, compared to the existing literature on the subject and to their experimental researches. IRT lends itself to countless applications in biology, thanks to its characteristics of versatility, lack of invasiveness and high sensitivity. Probably the major limitation to its application in the animal lies in the ease of use and in its extreme sensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS From September 2009 to October 2010, the experimental investigation with the thermo camera took into consideration 110 animals (92 dogs and 18 cats), without any selection criteria. All patients were brought to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Milan University by the owner, to be examined by a specialist, or to undergo one of the following diagnostic procedures: X-rays, computed tomography, or ultrasound examinations; finally some patients were brought in for surgical procedures. With the consent of the owner, 1 to 10 thermographic images were recorded from each clinical case. RESULTS In this first experimental investigation, thermography has shown a high sensitivity (100%), but a low specificity (44%). This figure excludes the use of thermal imaging technology to replace other imaging techniques such as radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, it does not show any ability to recognize the etiology of the disease, but only the thermal alteration, and this is restricting its use. However, this experimental study has demonstrated that thermography can be used in veterinary medicine, and specifically in dogs and cats. It is hoped that in the field of targeted diseases this technique will become an important tool for diagnostic purposes by using working protocols validated and repeatable.

Preliminary Study on the Relationship Between Skin Temperature of Piglets Measured by Infrared Thermography and Environmental Temperature in a Vehicle in Transit

During two 14-h journeys, carried out in July and September 2009, respectively, the variation in skin temperature measured by infrared thermography was examined on a total of 12 piglets. A thermal camera was placed in front of the pen during the first journey and above the pen during the second. The temperature inside the vehicle was registered throughout the journeys. A positive linear relationship was observed between skin and internal vehicle temperatures with an R 2 of 0.44 and 0.57 in July and September, respectively. The results obtained in this preliminary experiment showed the possibility of recording thermal images of piglets in transit. Thus, thermography, coupled with other body-temperature-recording techniques, could be valuable for assessing the adaptive efforts of pigs to environmental conditions experienced during transport.

Effect of Transport Distance and Season on Some Defects of Fresh Hams Destined for DPO Production

Simple Summary Transport to the slaughterhouse is a stressful event for pigs. Travel duration and conditions can negatively affect animal welfare and carcass quality. Some defects in fresh hams are strictly connected to pre-slaughter transportation. Journeys with short (<37 km) and long (>170 km) distances may increase damage in fresh hams and decrease Denomination Protected of Origin (DPO) Parma dry-cured ham production. Abstract Pre-slaughter handling is related to defects in fresh hams that result in exclusion from the DPO Parma chain, including hematomas, lacerations, microhaemorrhages and veining. To determine the effects of transport conditions on hams, we collected data on defects in 901,990 trimmed fresh hams from heavy pigs provided by 3,650 batches from slaughterhouse during 2012 and 2013. For all batches, transport distance (1–276 km) season and year of delivery were considered. A decrease of all defect occurrences was observed for increasing distance up to 170 km (P < 0.05). Above 170 km, however, all defects frequencies increased (P < 0.05). Season showed an effect on the incidence of defects, with an increasing of hematomas and lacerations in winter and autumn respectively (P < 0.05) and the highest percentage of veining and hemorrhages in spring (P < 0.05). Summer had the lowest incidence of defects on fresh hams. We concluded that the incidence of the examined defects and the subsequent rejection for DPO Parma ham production is lower in fresh hams transported 38–170 km during the summer.

Development of a Machine Vision Method for the Monitoring of Laying Hens and Detection of Multiple Nest Occupations

Free range systems can improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the access to environmental resources can be partially limited by social interactions, feeding of hens, and productivity, can be not stable and damaging behaviors, or negative events, can be observed more frequently than in conventional housing systems. In order to reach a real improvement of the hens’ welfare the study of their laying performances and behaviors is necessary. With this purpose, many systems have been developed. However, most of them do not detect a multiple occupation of the nest negatively affecting the accuracy of data collected. To overcome this issue, a new “nest-usage-sensor” was developed and tested. It was based on the evaluation of thermografic images, as acquired by a thermo-camera, and the performing of patter recognitions on images acquired from the nest interior. The sensor was setup with a “Multiple Nest Occupation Threshold” of 796 colored pixels and a template of triangular shape and sizes of 43 × 33 pixels (high per base). It was tested through an experimental nesting system where 10 hens were reared for a month. Results showed that the evaluation of thermografic images could increase the detection performance of a multiple occupation of the nest and to apply an image pattern recognition technique could allow for counting the number of hens in the nest in case of a multiple occupation. As a consequence, the accuracy of data collected in studies on laying performances and behaviors of hens, reared in a free-range housing system, could result to be improved.

Equine Assisted Interventions (EAIs): Methodological Considerations for Stress Assessment in Horses

Equine assisted interventions (EAIs) are recently facing an increasing popularity, and are characterized by a wide diversity of practices. However, information on the welfare of animals involved in this kind of activity is often lacking. Horses are highly susceptible to work stressors related to physical constraints and/or to the need to control emotions while interacting with humans. Considerations of the emotional state of horses involved in EAIs have multiple valences: for the safety of humans and animals involved, for the quality and efficacy of interventions, as well as for ethical reasons. The aim of this unsystematic narrative review is to summarize the different approaches used for the evaluation of horses’ stress responses, investigate their application in the context of EAIs, and discuss some methodological considerations for researchers and practitioners involved in EAI. The sources of information are mostly based on electronic databases (i.e., Medline, Scopus and Google scholar), as well as on hand searches of the references of retrieved literature, and discussions with experts in the field. At present, a few studies have investigated horses’ stress responses during EAIs, and further studies are recommended, with the final aim to derive a reliable multidimensional method for assessing a horse’s reaction during therapeutic programs, ultimately helping professionals to better develop interventions by taking into consideration the animal’s perspective.

Evaluation of skin temperature change as stress indicator in rabbit through infrared thermography

Abstract Stress-induced reactions in animals include behavioural and physiological modifications aiming at coping towards the stressor, such as manipulations. Thermography, that is the detection of infrared radiation emitted by a subject, permits to measure the superficial temperature without any contact with the animal. A thermographic system was employed in order to detect the rabbit skin zones most suitable for temperature monitoring during stress challenges. The trial was assessed over a 2-month period. At the end of fattening period, 12 rabbits were housed in single cages and fed ad libitum a commercial diet. Water was also administered ad libitum. During the trial, environmental temperature and relative humidity (daily average) were 21°C and 52% respectively. Rabbits were first analysed in their own cages (basal condition) and then after placing into a containment box (stress condition) for 15 minutes. Due to the presence of thick hair on the body, only ocular area (globe and periocular skin) and internal ear pavilion were suitable for thermographic measurements. Basal condition, were observed during 30 min. (rate 1 image/min). Stress condition were recorded in 2 images both from ocular and ear areas. As reference, the rectal temperatures of rabbits were recorded during basal and stress conditions. To analyse corticosterone level variations induced by stress, two blood samples were taken the day before the test (basal condition) and immediately after the stress condition. Blood was collected using an insulin syringe and the serum analysed using a specific commercial kit for mouse and rat based on RIA competition method with double antibodies. Thermographic data, divided per shoot areas (eye/ear) were the average obtained on all rabbits during the 5 trials. The temperature value of each subject is the average of all the images in the same experimental conditions. Corticosterone data were analysed by analysis of variance according to a linear model. The average of the temperatures recorded by infrared camera was 35.4°C (basal condition) and 35.1°C (stress condition) for eye and 35.3°C (basal) and 34.8°C (stress) for ear pavillon. Average rectal temperature was 39.2°C and 39.7°C during basal and stress conditions, respectively. The corticosterone levels increased from 17.7 µg/ml (basal) to 85.2 µg/ml after stress challenge. The results of this study show that the thermography is a suitable method for the evaluation of superficial temperature variation in rabbit, according to the applied stressor. The variations related to the physiological changes during the stress reaction are evidenced in the ear pavilion and periocular area, where vasoconstriction occurs. Further researches are running in order to standardise the methodology.

Electronic identification in rabbits: two body sites of injectable transponder

Abstract Identification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Actual livestock identification systems (ear-tags, tattoos, etc.) are not completely efficient and offer some inconveniences. The use of injectable transponders might be a reliable method for individual identification, allowing the improvement of the data recording and the farm management. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the applicability of injectable transponder in live rabbits. A total of 40 fattening rabbits of 55 days old were injected with 23 mm passive FDX-B transponders (Datamars, Switzerland), preloaded into a needle in a sterilised packaged and applied by using a transponder injector (Planet ID, Germany). Two body locations for transponder’s injection were studied: laterally to the neck (n=20) and armpit (n=20). Readings of the transponders were performed using portable ISO transceiver, before injection, after injection, the day after, after one week, after one month, before the slaughtering process. Rabbits were weighted at the injection, one week and one month after injection, and at slaughtering; a control group of not treated animals were weight to compare the effect of manipulation. Growth performance were studied by analysis of variance, using of GLM procedure. A χ2 test was used to analyse difference in migration rate. Readability of transponders in the fatteners until slaughterhouse was 100%. Recovery of transponder during the slaughtering process was easy with 100% of transponders recovered. Body site of injection didn’t affect the migration rate, nevertheless it was low. In one animal, the transponder was recovered into the scapular muscle. No harmful effects of the transponder injection on the animals were observed. Weight difference of animals was not significant for the two body site of injection, compare to the control group. Preliminary results showed that transponders can be used as a method for traceability and monitoring of live rabbits, allowing the improvement of the management of a farm.