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Not enough space?
Farmers know that giving animals enough space is good for their health and well-being. They work with experts like veterinarians and feed nutritionists to ensure that each animal has easy access to feed and water, and room to move and lie down. Science-based research on animal welfare recommends the appropriate amount of space needed for
a certain number of animals—in the farming world, this concept is called “stocking density”.
And sometimes, no matter how much space animals are given, they like to be very close to each other for a greater sense of protection and warmth.
Research is ongoing into the best ways to raise healthy animals while producing safe food and recognizing environmental and economic realities.
Livestock monitoring
on the go
Increasingly, farmers can control heat
and electricity in their barns from their computers, tablets, or smart phones. The majority of farms also have generators to make sure that their barns have electricity if the power goes out. And a growing number of farms are installing sensors and smart systems to track everything from feed consumption to how many steps a day a cow takes—all in an effort to keep animals healthy.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario
Genetics and Animal Breeding
Farmers have been selectively breeding animals for years in attempts to build herds or ocks of animals that are healthier and more productive. This process involves selecting parents that have desirable traits, which offspring tend to inherit. Over time, more animals in the herd will be born with the desired trait(s).
Traits are passed from parents to offspring via one or more genes, which are segments
of DNA. Animal geneticists have developed techniques, such as genomic selection, that identify and isolate genes to convey desirable traits such as milk production or disease resistance. These techniques provide animal breeders with the ability to identify and select animals with desirable genes more ef ciently.
Some farmers breed their animals naturally, while others may choose a process called arti cial insemination (AI). In this case, semen from the male animal is collected and delivered to the female’s reproductive tract, to create offspring. AI makes it possible to introduce the best traits available into a herd, even though males with those traits might not live nearby. AI also limits the transmission of disease, and increases safety for the animals and farmers60. Farmers can more accurately predict the date that an animal will give birth, so they can provide better care for both the mother and offspring at that time.
Career Pro le
Animal Care Researchers
Karen Schwean-Lardner and
Bart Lardner
Karen Schwean-Lardner and Bart Lardner share many things including their children, grandchildren and granddogs to name a few. But they also share
a passion for animal care and for passing their expertise onto others. Both earned Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees at the University of Saskatchewan before becoming faculty members.
Schwean-Lardner’s work focuses on how good management practices impact the welfare and productivity of laying hens, chickens and turkeys. Her research helped to establish international lighting standards for poultry barns and develop the rst enriched housing system for laying hens in North America. She is also passionate about teaching the next generation of poultry scientists.
Lardner’s work focuses on applied research in everything from cattle nutrition to forage and pasture management. “I have always felt that I
am an intermediary between the farmers and the research community,” said Lardner, “It’s important that the research can be disseminated to farmers in a way that it can be put to use on their farms.”
QUICK
FACT
An arti cial intelligence system called Ida analyzes the behaviour of dairy cows to predict when an animal might become sick. This can help reduce antibiotic use and increase milk production.
Chapter 4: Humane treatment of farm animals 25