Acesso à informação sobre boas práticas de bem-estar animal: efeitos sobre a qualidade do manejo, temperamento e bem-estar de bovinos de corte
Data
2017-10-02
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Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
O objetivo desta tese foi avaliar os efeitos do acesso de vaqueiros à informação sobre boas práticas de manejo de gado de corte na a qualidade do manejo, o temperamento e o bem-estar dos bovinos. Os objetivos específicos foram: 1) Contribuir para uma maior compreensão da relação entre a interação humano-animal, temperamento, resposta ao estresse e performance reprodutiva de novilhas nelore submetidas ao protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo; 2) Avaliar o potencial impacto do treinamento de vaqueiros em boas práticas de manejo sobre as atitudes e a qualidade de manejo dos mesmos e o bem-estar do gado; 3) Comparar fazendas onde todos os vaqueiros foram treinados com fazendas onde alguns foram treinados e fazendas onde ninguém foi treinado e; 4) Estudar se a qualidade do manejo do gado deteriora ao longo de um dia de trabalho. Para o primeiro objetivo específico, um total de 571 novilhas foram usadas para avaliar dois indicadores de temperamento (a velocidade de saída - VS e o escore composto de reatividade REA), cinco indicadores de interação humano animal (manejo negativo - MN, acidentes - ACIDENTES, defecação e micção – DEF-MIC, comportamentos indesejados - CI e tempo de entrada - TE) e a sujidade na região perineal - SUJIDADE. Todos esses indicadores foram avaliados no dia d0, d7 e d11 de um protocolo de inseminação a tempo fixo. Adicionalmente, dois indicadores de estresse (cortisol – CORT e relação neutrófilo: linfócito – N:L) foram avaliados em uma sub-amostra de 99 novilhas no dia d0 e d11 do protocolo. A ocorrência de MN foi associado com maiores graus de VS, REA, CI, DEF-MIC E SUJIDADE (P < 0.05). Novilhas mais reativas mostraram CI, DEF-MIC e ACIDENTES, e maiores concentrações de CORT e relação N:L (P < 0.05). Novilhas mais sujas na região perineal tiveram menor probabilidade de ficarem prenhas quando comparadas com as mais limpas (χ2 = 6.75; P < 0.05). O manejo negativo resulta em animais mais reativos, incrementando a expressão de comportamentos indesejados e o risco de acidentes nos animais, tornando o manejo mais difícil e arriscado. Novilhas mais reativas são mais sujas na região perineal, o que esteve associado com menor taxa de prenhes. O segundo estudo foi realizado em 24 fazendas comerciais de gado de corte, classificadas em três grupos, segundo o acesso ao treinamento dos vaqueiros: 1) regularmente treinadas, 2) ocasionalmente treinadas e, 3) não treinadas. Um total de 150 vaqueiros foram categorizados segundo ao seu treinamento como: i) treinados, ii) não treinados mas trabalham com alguém treinado e, iii) sem treinamento. Os indicadores de qualidade de manejo (incluindo comportamento dos animais, atitudes e comportamentos dos vaqueiros) foram medidos durante um dia de manejo de vacinação. Observamos que as fazendas sem nenhum tipo de treinamento teve a pior qualidade de manejo assim como comportamento dos animais durante o manejo (P < 0.05) quando comparada com os outros grupos de fazendas. Vaqueiros que foram treinados tiveram melhores comportamentos e atitudes perante o gado, quando comparados com vaqueiros não treinados. Observamos também que a medida que vai passando o tempo durante o dia de trabalho nas fazendas sem treinamento, o manejo se torna pior. Concluímos que treinar os vaqueiros em boas práticas de manejo de gado promove melhorias nas suas atitudes e comportamentos perante o gado. Assim, programas de treinamento de vaqueiros que lidan diariamente com os animais são uma boa estrategia para promover interações humano-animal positivas, melhorando a qualidade de vida dos animais e vaqueiros.
The objective of this thesis was to assess the effects of the stockpeople access to information about good beef cattle handling practices on the quality of handling, cattle temperament and welfare. The specific objectives were: 1) To further contribute to the understanding of the relationships between human-animal interactions, temperament, stress response, and reproductive performance of Nellore heifers submitted to a FTAI protocol; 2) To evaluate the potential impacts of handling skills training on good practices of cattle handling on stockpeople' attitudes and behavior, and cattle welfare; 3) To compare farms where all stockpeople were trained, to farms where only some where trained, and farms where none where trained and, 4) To study whether the quality of cattle handling deteriorates as the working day time passes. For the first specific objective, a sample of 571 heifers was used to assess two temperament traits (flight speed - FS and the composite reactivity score - RS), five human-animal interaction traits (negative handling - NH, Accidents - ACCIDENT, Defecation-urination - DEF-URI, Undesirable behavior – UB and Entrance time – ET), and perineal region dirtiness – DIRTINESS. All variables were assessed on d0, d7 and d11 of a FTAI protocol. Additionally, two physiological indicators of stress (cortisol - CORT and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio - N:L) were recorded in a subsample of 99 heifers on d0 and d11. The occurrence of NH was associated with the occurrence of ACCIDENTS and with higher grades of FS, RS, UB, DEF-URI, and DIRTINESS (P < 0.05). Excitable heifers showed more UB, DEF-URI and ACCIDENT, with highest CORT concentrations and N:L ratios (P < 0.05). Heifers with dirtier perineal region had lower chances of getting pregnant than cleaner ones (χ2 = 6.75; P < 0.05). Poor quality of handling often results in more reactive animals as well as more undesirable behaviors and an increased risk of accidents. More reactive heifers were dirtier in the perineal region, which in turn was associated with lower pregnancy rates. The second study was conducted in 24 commercial beef cattle farms, classified in three groups, determined by formal handling skills training, provided to the stockpeople: 1) regularly trained, 2) occasionally trained and, 3) never trained. A total of 150 stockpeople working on these farms were categorized according to training, as follow: i) Trained (TS); ii) Non-trained, but had close contact with a trained stockperson (CTS); and iii) Non-trained (NT). Indicators of quality of handling (including animals and stockpeople behaviors, as well as stockpeople attitudes) were measured during one workday, when carrying on vaccination handling procedures. We observed that non-trained farms had the poorest quality of handling, as well animal behaviors during handling (P < 0.05) when compared with the other farm categories. People who participated in a formal training course (TS) had the highest positive and the lowest negative behaviors’ and attitudes scores, compared with the others (CTS and NT). We also observed an effect of the working day progresses within a day (P < 0.05) only on non-trained farms, where handling became worse over time. We conclude that training stockpeople on good cattle handling practices led to better attitudes and behaviors toward cattle. Thus, training the stockpeople can be an effective and practical strategy to promote positive human-animal interaction in beef cattle farms, improving the quality of life of animals and workers.
The objective of this thesis was to assess the effects of the stockpeople access to information about good beef cattle handling practices on the quality of handling, cattle temperament and welfare. The specific objectives were: 1) To further contribute to the understanding of the relationships between human-animal interactions, temperament, stress response, and reproductive performance of Nellore heifers submitted to a FTAI protocol; 2) To evaluate the potential impacts of handling skills training on good practices of cattle handling on stockpeople' attitudes and behavior, and cattle welfare; 3) To compare farms where all stockpeople were trained, to farms where only some where trained, and farms where none where trained and, 4) To study whether the quality of cattle handling deteriorates as the working day time passes. For the first specific objective, a sample of 571 heifers was used to assess two temperament traits (flight speed - FS and the composite reactivity score - RS), five human-animal interaction traits (negative handling - NH, Accidents - ACCIDENT, Defecation-urination - DEF-URI, Undesirable behavior – UB and Entrance time – ET), and perineal region dirtiness – DIRTINESS. All variables were assessed on d0, d7 and d11 of a FTAI protocol. Additionally, two physiological indicators of stress (cortisol - CORT and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio - N:L) were recorded in a subsample of 99 heifers on d0 and d11. The occurrence of NH was associated with the occurrence of ACCIDENTS and with higher grades of FS, RS, UB, DEF-URI, and DIRTINESS (P < 0.05). Excitable heifers showed more UB, DEF-URI and ACCIDENT, with highest CORT concentrations and N:L ratios (P < 0.05). Heifers with dirtier perineal region had lower chances of getting pregnant than cleaner ones (χ2 = 6.75; P < 0.05). Poor quality of handling often results in more reactive animals as well as more undesirable behaviors and an increased risk of accidents. More reactive heifers were dirtier in the perineal region, which in turn was associated with lower pregnancy rates. The second study was conducted in 24 commercial beef cattle farms, classified in three groups, determined by formal handling skills training, provided to the stockpeople: 1) regularly trained, 2) occasionally trained and, 3) never trained. A total of 150 stockpeople working on these farms were categorized according to training, as follow: i) Trained (TS); ii) Non-trained, but had close contact with a trained stockperson (CTS); and iii) Non-trained (NT). Indicators of quality of handling (including animals and stockpeople behaviors, as well as stockpeople attitudes) were measured during one workday, when carrying on vaccination handling procedures. We observed that non-trained farms had the poorest quality of handling, as well animal behaviors during handling (P < 0.05) when compared with the other farm categories. People who participated in a formal training course (TS) had the highest positive and the lowest negative behaviors’ and attitudes scores, compared with the others (CTS and NT). We also observed an effect of the working day progresses within a day (P < 0.05) only on non-trained farms, where handling became worse over time. We conclude that training stockpeople on good cattle handling practices led to better attitudes and behaviors toward cattle. Thus, training the stockpeople can be an effective and practical strategy to promote positive human-animal interaction in beef cattle farms, improving the quality of life of animals and workers.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Comportamento do gado, Fisiologia do estresse, Manejo do gado, Relação humano-animal, Cattle behavior, Stress physiology, Cattle handling, Human-animal relationship