A win-win for animal welfare

Stock handlers interact regularly with their farm animals at several levels. Many interactions are associated with regular observation of the animals, but animals in most farms have to be moved and, in addition to visual and auditory contact, handlers often use tactile interactions to move their animals.

Human-animal interactions also occur in situations in which animals must be restrained for management or health procedures. 

These interactions may be positive, neutral or negative for the animal and consequently the history of these interactions can affect the quality of the human-animal relationship from the animal’s perspective, says Paul Hemsworth from the University of Melbourne’s School of Land and Environment, and Director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre (AWSC).

In the hope of enhancing animal welfare as well as productivity, this long and close relationship between farm animals and their carers is being studied by Professor Hemsworth and colleague Grahame Coleman from the AWSC.

“Australia relies heavily in many ways on its livestock industries and thus the increased awareness of animal welfare in these industries is very encouraging,” says Professor Hemsworth.

“However, what is not widely recognised is the impact of the day-to-day relationship with the person – the animal carer – on an animal’s wellbeing.”

For instance, certain behaviours such as sudden movements, shouting and loud noises used frequently by stockpeople are known to stress animals.

Researchers from the AWSC looked at the effects of handling techniques on fear and stress physiology in pigs, cattle, sheep and laying hens across hundreds of farms around the world and found that animal fear of humans accounted for a significant amount of the variation in animal productivity across farms.

“We find the attitudes and behaviour of the stockperson towards the animal can have very influential effects on the animal’s welfare because inappropriate handling can lead to animals developing a strong fear response to humans.” 

If an animal has a negative emotional state, like fear, this can create high stress levels and the release of stress hormones can disrupt the animal’s growth, health and reproduction, limiting not only animal welfare but also animal productivity.

In order to improve the welfare of farm animals, the AWSC developed ProHand, a computer-based training program for stockhandlers.

The ProHand program uses a cognitive-behavioural technique to target and change the key attitudes and behaviours of handlers toward their animals, with courses currently available for stockpeople in the dairy, pork and red meat abattoir sectors.

“The aim is for participants to understand the impact of interactions between stockpeople and farm animals on animal behaviour, and to reduce inappropriate behaviour in order to lessen the fear response in animals,” says Professor Coleman.

ProHand has been shown to improve handlers’ attitudes and behaviour at pig and dairy farms and abattoirs.

Other key benefits were up to a five per cent increase in growth and reproduction in pigs and milk yield in dairy cows, and improved job satisfaction, work ethic and motivation to learn among handlers.

Professor Hemsworth says it’s a win-win situation.

“If the relationship is right, not only does the animal perform well from a production and welfare perspective, but life becomes easier for the stockperson as animals are easier to handle and work with, and of course there is an economic benefit to increased productivity as well,” he says.

In Tutunup, Western Australia, Oscar Negus has had success with the program on his farm currently milking 1000 cows.

Mr Negus said staff gained a greater understanding of how cows react in certain situations through the training experience.

“Farms of all sizes can benefit from the ProHand program”, says Mr Negus.

“There is always something to learn and some dairy farms may have workers with habits that need to change.”

The AWSC is a partnership of the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries, South Australian Research and Development Institute and the University of Adelaide, and the Ohio State University. An important focus of its research, development and extension targets the human-animal interaction to improve animal welfare.

www.animalwelfare.net.au