Sickinger M, Wehrend A
Clinic for Ruminants and Herd Health Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany 35392.
Veterinary Clinic for Reproductive Medicine and Neonatology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany 35392.
JDS Commun. 2025 Mar 3;6(3):368-372. doi: 10.3168/jdsc.2024-0687. eCollection 2025 May.
In the dairy industry, surplus calves have been reported to be especially prone to poor welfare on farms and to inappropriate killing of male calves for economic reasons. Therefore, this study aimed to examine calf carcasses for evidence of inappropriate killing and diseases that may have caused prolonged suffering and unnecessary pain in the course of their lives. Our study was conducted during March 2022 and from April to May 2023 in 2 animal byproduct processing plants, where we carried out external inspections of the carcasses to record the sex of the animals and check for the presence of identification marks. We paid particular attention to findings relevant to animal welfare that suggested improper killing or unnecessary suffering and pain in the animals. The examinations included observations on the skinned carcasses (in plant 1), as well as on carcasses in the blanket, the opening of the trachea, and the carpal and tarsal joints (i.e., partial necropsy). In total, 981 calves from dairy cattle and beef cattle herds were examined on 19 delivery days. This encompassed 450 calves at the first location and 531 at the second location. In total, 515 calves were male and 465 were female. The sex of one animal could not be determined because of the nutritional trace on the carcass. Ear tags were not inserted in 588 calves. Five of the 588 calves initially had ear tags. Ear tags were detected in 393 calves. At partial necropsy, 18 animals were diagnosed with profound emaciation. Additionally, arthritis existed in 9 animals. Chronic diseases other than arthritis were observed in 27 (2.8%) of 981 animals. Arthromyodysplastic syndrome was diagnosed in 26 animals. Fractures were found in 38 animals, of which only 3 cases occurred antemortem. The remaining 35 cases of fracture occurred postmortem as a result of transportation. No animal had signs of improper obstetric care. Amniotic fluid was detected in the lumen of the trachea of 122 stillborn calves (i.e., death sub natu). In contrast to the situation reported in pigs, no evidence existed in the 2 animal byproduct processing plants investigated for calf carcasses that inappropriate killing and diseases leading to prolonged suffering and unnecessary pain before death represented systemic problems. No fundamental need for routine testing of animal carcasses existed in either animal byproduct processing plant.
在乳制品行业，据报道，多余的犊牛在农场特别容易出现福利状况不佳的情况，并且由于经济原因，雄性犊牛会被不恰当宰杀。因此，本研究旨在检查犊牛尸体，寻找不恰当宰杀的证据以及可能在其生命过程中导致长期痛苦和不必要疼痛的疾病迹象。我们的研究于2022年3月以及2023年4月至5月期间，在两家动物副产品加工厂进行，在那里我们对尸体进行了外部检查，记录动物的性别并检查是否有识别标记。我们特别关注与动物福利相关的发现，这些发现表明动物存在不恰当宰杀或不必要的痛苦和疼痛。检查包括对去皮尸体（在工厂1）、包裹着的尸体、气管开口以及腕关节和跗关节的观察（即部分尸检）。在19个交付日，总共检查了981头来自奶牛和肉牛群的犊牛。其中，第一个地点有450头犊牛，第二个地点有531头犊牛。总共有515头犊牛为雄性，465头为雌性。由于尸体上的营养痕迹，有一头动物的性别无法确定。588头犊牛没有佩戴耳标。在这588头犊牛中，有5头最初佩戴有耳标。在393头犊牛身上检测到了耳标。在部分尸检中，有18头动物被诊断为极度消瘦。此外，9头动物存在关节炎。在981头动物中，有27头（2.8%）观察到除关节炎以外的慢性疾病。26头动物被诊断患有关节肌发育异常综合征。在38头动物身上发现了骨折，其中只有3例骨折发生在死前。其余35例骨折是由于运输导致死后出现的。没有动物有不当产科护理的迹象。在122头死产犊牛（即自然死亡）的气管腔内检测到了羊水。与猪的情况不同，在所调查的两家动物副产品加工厂的犊牛尸体中，没有证据表明不恰当宰杀以及导致死前长期痛苦和不必要疼痛的疾病是系统性问题。两家动物副产品加工厂均不存在对动物尸体进行常规检测的根本需求。
