Animal Welfare And Behaviour Under The Spotlight

26 June 2002

The intriguing question of whether sheep regard humans as predators will be just one of the issues discussed at an international animal welfare and behaviour conference to be held in Hamilton over the 27th and 28th of June.

Animal Welfare and Behaviour: From Science to Solution is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) and the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE).

Emeritus Professor Des Fielden of Massey University says the conference draws together an impressive range of international and national scientific research and presenters concerned with advancements in farm animal welfare, the behaviour of farm and wild animals, and humane management methods for wildlife.

An additional purpose of the conference is to highlight some of the benefits of the Operational Research funds made available by MAF over the last eight years.

"Animal Welfare and behaviour are complex issues that attract a wide range of views. This conference provides an open and interactive environment in which they can discussed.

"Creating linkages with other scientists and perspectives is crucial for advancement in policy and practice," he said.

Over the next two days there will be two keynote addresses presented by Professor John McInerney from the University of Exeter and Dr Andrea Gavinelli from the European Commission. Professor Marian Stamp Dawkins from Oxford University will present the Ron Kilgour Memorial Lecture.

There will also be18 short papers of new work and nine reviews on a variety of topics including non invasive measures of animal welfare, assessing libido implications for the cow and bull, vertebrate pest control methods, on-farm handling and environments.

For more information please contact:

Philippa White

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Communications Adviser

025 223 1875

ANIMAL WELFARE AND BEHAVIOUR: FROM SCIENCE TO SOLUTION

27 - 28 June 2002

Conference Programme

Wednesday 26 June

1830 Welcome reception

Thursday 27 June Chair: L Matthews

0820 - 0830 Conference Opening

Concepts and Directions

0830 - 0920 Ron Kilgour Memorial Lecture

Marian Stamp Dawkins "What animals want: the assessment of welfare from the animal's point of view"

0920 - 1000 Keynote speaker:

Andrea Gavinelli "Animal Welfare: Past Present and Future - A European Perspective"

1000 - 1030 Tea

1030 - 1110 Keynote speaker:

John McInerney "Animal Welfare: Ethics, Economics and Productivity"

1110 - 1125 Xavier Boivin; Grignard, L.; Garel, J.P.; Trillat, P.; Le Neindre, P. "Crush test, Docility test, Flight speed test, Human approach test..: Consistent or specific situations for assessing beef cattle reaction to handling?"

1125 - 1140 Tamara Diesch; Mellor, D.J.; Stafford, K.J.; Ward, R.N. " The physiological status of dairy calves at birth"

1140 - 1155 Nicky Roberts; Fisher, A.D.; Bluett, S. "The effects of shade on cow body temperature and behaviour in summer"

1155 - 1210 Gwyneth Verkerk; Fisher, A.D.; Stewart, M.; Morrow, C.J.; Matthews, L.R. "Stand-off management practices for improved dairy cow welfare: A science-based solution"

1210 - 1245 Lunch

1245 - 1315 Posters

New Measures and Issues Chair: D Fielden

1315 - 1355 Keynote speaker:

Al Schaefer; Matthews, L.R.; Cook, N.J.; Webster, J.; Scott, S.L. "Novel non-invasive measures of animal welfare"

1355 - 1410 Christian Cook; Drake, K.; Lowe, T.; Thomas, D. "The use of low invasive technologies to improve results in animal welfare studies"

1410 - 1450 Keynote speaker:

David Mellor; Stafford, K.J. "Animal welfare implications of neonatal mortality in farm animals"

1450 - 1505 Maria Jose Hotzel "Mother-offspring interactions in confined and outdoor reared pigs"

1505 - 1530 Tea

Behavioural Measures and Applications Chair: D Fielden 1530 - 1610 Keynote speaker:

Lindsay Matthews "Behavioural priorities: deciding which behaviours are most important"

1610 - 1625 Catherine Sumpter; Foster, T.M.; Temple, W. "The use of concurrent schedules in the assessment of animal preferences"

1625 - 1640 Mary Foster; Sumpter, C.E.; Temple, W. "Functions and the assessment of animal needs: some cautions"

1640 - 1655 Ngaio Beausoleil; Stafford, K.J.; Mellor, D.J. "Do sheep regard humans as predators?"

1655 - 1710 Greg Cronin; Schirmer, B.N.; Leeson, E.; Barnett, J.L. "Resumption of "normal" activity patterns in experimental sows following general anaesthesia and surgical implantation of an indwelling catheter"

Friday 28 June

Animals and the Environment Chair: D Mellor

0830 - 0910 Keynote speaker:

Bruce Warburton; O'Connor, C. "Assessing the humaneness of vertebrate pest control methods"

0910 - 0925 Kate Littin; O'Connor, C.E.; Eason, C.T.; Gregory, N.G.; Mellor, D.J. "How humane is 1080 for possums?"

0925 - 0940 Tim Day; Matthews, L.R.; Waas, J. "Feeding behaviour of birds towards baits containing repellents"

0940 - 1020 Keynote speaker:

Neville Gregory "Welfare aspects of trauma caused by firearms and explosives"

1020 - 1045 Tea

1045 - 1125 Keynote speaker:

Paul Hemsworth; Barnett, J.L. "On-farm handling and environments - impact on animal welfare"

1125 - 1140 Melanie Vivian " Behavioural effects of environmental enrichment with

chimpanzees"1140 - 1155 Andrew Fisher; Stewa

1140 - 1155 Andrew Fisher; Stewart, M.; Tacon, J.; Matthews, L.R. "The effects of stock crate design and stocking density on environmental conditions for lambs on road transport vehicles"

1155 - 1255 Lunch

Practices and Solutions Chair: D Bayvel

1255 - 1335 Keynote speaker:

David Wells "Health and welfare of cloned and transgenic animals"

1335 - 1350 Bryce Jerebine; Fisher, M.W.; Johnstone, P.D. "Assessing libido - implications for the cow and bull"

1350 - 1405 Joyce Kent; Molony, V.; Hosie, B.D.; Sheppard, B. "A field trial of more humane ways to castrate and tail dock housed lambs"

1405 - 1420 Shauna Sylvester; Stafford, K.J.; Mellor, D.J.; Bruce, R.A.; Ward, R.N. "Behavioural responses of calves to amputation dehorning with and without local anaesthesia"

1420 - 1435 Tony Pearse; Webster, J.; Shaefer, A.; Matthews, L.R. "Development of methods for humane velvet removal"

1435 - 1500 Tea

1500 - 1540 Keynote speaker:

Kevin Stafford; Mellor, D.J. "Organic livestock farming and animal welfare"

1540 - 1550 Closing summary: David Mellor and Lindsay Matthews

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