Farmers Views on the Implementation of On-Farm Emergency Slaughter for the Management of Acutely Injured Cattle in Ireland

Four management options for acutely injured cattle in Ireland exist: treatment, unless cattle are severely injured; on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES); casualty slaughter (CS) if the animal is certified fit for transport; or euthanasia. OFES is designed to prevent transport of welfare-compromised ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2023-01, Vol.13 (3), p.450
Main Authors: McDermott, Paul, McKevitt, Aideen, Santos, Flavia H, Hanlon, Alison J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abattoirs
Agricultural economics
Agriculture
Animal welfare
Availability
Beef
casualty slaughter (CS)
Cattle
Dairy cattle
Dairy farming
Dairy farms
Design
Euthanasia
farm animal welfare
Farmers
Farms
fitness to transport
Injury prevention
on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES)
perceptions
Professionals
Regulation
Slaughter
Surveys
Veterinarians
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Summary:Four management options for acutely injured cattle in Ireland exist: treatment, unless cattle are severely injured; on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES); casualty slaughter (CS) if the animal is certified fit for transport; or euthanasia. OFES is designed to prevent transport of welfare-compromised cattle. An online survey of farmers in Ireland was carried out between April and July 2021 and focused on events during 2020. A theoretical framework of capacity, willingness, and opportunity was used to explore farmers' perceptions. Responses from 94 farmers (49 dairy and 45 beef) were analysed; not all respondents answered all questions. Respondents indicated that the incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland is low. A majority reported not having an acutely injured animal for greater than 36 months. Most respondents had a positive attitude towards OFES for animal welfare reasons and were aware of relevant regulations and guidelines. Barriers to OFES included a lack of availability of OFES, and dairy farmers indicated that it had a similar financial impact as euthanasia. A parallel study with veterinarians indicated a higher incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland; the current results may be due to the demographic or the sensitivity of the topic. Nationwide electronic data capture on the cause of mortality could support improvements in the management of acutely injured cattle and enable surveillance of the proportion of these cattle undergoing OFES, euthanasia, or CS.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani13030450