Welfare Research Update
Animal behaviorist highlights what research is telling us
with regard to pain assessment and mitigation.
Understanding better the pain animals may experience and how best to provide relief are the objectives of cattle welfare studies in Canada. During the 2016 International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare (ISBCW) June 8-10 in Manhattan, Kan., Ed Pajor, professor of animal behavior and welfare at University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine, reported on ongoing research.
Ed Pajor said producer interest is growing, relative to pain mitigation for castration, with postoperative administration of anti-inflammatory medication being the primary method recommended by veterinarians.
Pajor said studies of how age and handling by humans influence pain assessments and mitigation are part of a five-year project involving both beef and dairy cattle. Researchers are assessing pain experienced by animals of different ages and the effects of treatment with anti-inflammatory medication (Meloxicam) administered through different methods.
“Researchers want to identify the method and age at which castration causes the least pain and stress, comparing banding versus surgical castration, by looking at various physiological and behavioral indicators,” explained Pajor. “[Researchers] also will be looking at rates of wound healing following castration with different knife incisions — scalpel versus Newberry castrator.”
Other studies are exploring pain and inflammation associated with dystocia, and relative effects of interventions. Pajor said researchers will assess whether administration of anti-inflammatory medication would be helpful to calves stressed as a result of difficult delivery.
“Also being studied is suckle reflex as an indicator of calf vigor. Preliminary data says, ‘yes,’ ” said Pajor, adding that, whether assisted or unassisted, a newborn calf with a weak suckle reflex exhibits less vigor and may be less likely to consume colostrum in a timely manner.
Also discussed was a survey-type benchmarking study to assess cattle producers’ opinions regarding pain management for practices such as C-section, dehorning, castration and branding. Pajor said results suggest that a majority of producers believe some degree of pain is associated with those procedures. Few cattle producers reported the use of pain mitigation for branding or castration, but more apply pain mitigation to dehorning. Increasingly, producers are seeking training from veterinarians in order to apply local anesthetic to block pain when removing horns.
Pajor said producer interest is growing, relative to pain mitigation for castration, with postoperative administration of anti-inflammatory medication being the primary method recommended by veterinarians. He called it evidence that producers are concerned about the welfare consequences of production practices.
“Some ranchers are not waiting for the science. More and more are going ahead with pain mitigation,” concluded Pajor.
Watch for additional coverage of the 2016 ISBCW in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin. Comprehensive meeting coverage is archived at
www.api-virtuallibrary.com/meetings_other_news.html.
Editor’s Note: Troy Smith is a freelance writer and cattleman from Sargent, Neb.