Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)

Simon J. More; Dominique Bicout; Anette Bøtner; Andrew Butterworth; Paolo Calistri; Klaus Depner; Sandra Edwards; Bruno Garin-Bastuji; Margaret Good; Christian  Gortazar Schmidt; Virginie Michel; Miguel Angel Miranda; Søren Saxmose Nielsen; Antonio Velarde; Hans-Hermann Thulke; Liisa Sihvonen; Hans Spoolder; Arjan Stegeman; Mohan Raj; Preben Willeberg; Denise Candiani; Christoph Winckler

doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782

Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)

Simon J. More, Dominique Bicout, Anette Bøtner, Andrew Butterworth, Paolo Calistri, Klaus Depner, Sandra Edwards, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Margaret Good, Christian Gortazar Schmidt, Virginie Michel, Miguel Angel Miranda, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Antonio Velarde, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Liisa Sihvonen, Hans Spoolder, Arjan Stegeman, Mohan Raj, Preben WillebergDenise Candiani, Christoph Winckler

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Abstract

This scientiﬁc opinion addresses animal welfare aspects of slaughtering of livestock pregnant animals.Term of Reference (ToR) 1 requested assessment of the prevalence of animals slaughtered in a criticaldevelopmental stage of gestation when the livestock fetuses might experience negative affect. Limiteddata on European prevalence and related uncertainties necessitated a structu red expert knowledgeelicitation (EKE) exercise. Estimated median percentages of animals slaughtered in the last third ofgestation are 3%, 1.5%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 0.2% (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,respectively). Pregnant animals may be sent for slaughter for health, welfare, management andeconomic reasons (ToR2); there are also reasons for farmers not knowing that animals sent forslaughter are pregnant. Measures to reduce the incidence are listed. ToR3 asked whether livestockfetuses can experience pain and other negative affect. The available literature was reviewed and, at asecond multidisciplinary EKE meeting, judg ements and uncertainty were elicited. It is concluded thatlivestock fetuses in the last third of gestation have the anatomical and neurophysiological structuresrequired to experience negative affect (with 90–100% likelihood). However, there are two differentpossibilities whether they perceive negative affect. It is more probable that the neurophysiologicalsituation does not allow for conscious perception (with 66–99% likelihood) because of brain inhibitorymechanisms. There is also a less probable situation that livestock fetuses can experience negativeaffect (with 1–33% likelihood) arising from differences in the interpretation of the fetalelectroencephalogram, observed responses to external stimuli and the possibility of fetal learning.Regarding methods to stun and kill livestock fetuses at slaughter (ToR4), sets of scenarios andrespective actions take account of both the probable and le ss probable situation regarding fetal abilityfor conscious perception. Finally, information was collated on methods to establish the dam’sgestational stage based on physical features of livestock fetuses (ToR5).

Original language	English
Article number	4782
Journal	E F S A Journal
Volume	15
Issue number	5
Number of pages	96
ISSN	1831-4732
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782
Publication status	Published - 2017

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Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killingof pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horsesFinal published version, 7.35 MBLicence: CC BY-ND

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More, S. J., Bicout, D., Bøtner, A., Butterworth, A., Calistri, P., Depner, K., Edwards, S., Garin-Bastuji, B., Good, M., Gortazar Schmidt, C., Michel, V., Miranda, M. A., Nielsen, S. S., Velarde, A., Thulke, H.-H., Sihvonen, L., Spoolder, H., Stegeman, A., Raj, M., ... Winckler, C. (2017). Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses). E F S A Journal, 15(5), Article 4782. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782

More, SJ, Bicout, D, Bøtner, A, Butterworth, A, Calistri, P, Depner, K, Edwards, S, Garin-Bastuji, B, Good, M, Gortazar Schmidt, C, Michel, V, Miranda, MA, Nielsen, SS, Velarde, A, Thulke, H-H, Sihvonen, L, Spoolder, H, Stegeman, A, Raj, M, Willeberg, P, Candiani, D & Winckler, C 2017, 'Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)', E F S A Journal, vol. 15, no. 5, 4782. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782

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title = "Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)",

abstract = "This scientiﬁc opinion addresses animal welfare aspects of slaughtering of livestock pregnant animals.Term of Reference (ToR) 1 requested assessment of the prevalence of animals slaughtered in a criticaldevelopmental stage of gestation when the livestock fetuses might experience negative affect. Limiteddata on European prevalence and related uncertainties necessitated a structu red expert knowledgeelicitation (EKE) exercise. Estimated median percentages of animals slaughtered in the last third ofgestation are 3%, 1.5%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 0.2% (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,respectively). Pregnant animals may be sent for slaughter for health, welfare, management andeconomic reasons (ToR2); there are also reasons for farmers not knowing that animals sent forslaughter are pregnant. Measures to reduce the incidence are listed. ToR3 asked whether livestockfetuses can experience pain and other negative affect. The available literature was reviewed and, at asecond multidisciplinary EKE meeting, judg ements and uncertainty were elicited. It is concluded thatlivestock fetuses in the last third of gestation have the anatomical and neurophysiological structuresrequired to experience negative affect (with 90–100% likelihood). However, there are two differentpossibilities whether they perceive negative affect. It is more probable that the neurophysiologicalsituation does not allow for conscious perception (with 66–99% likelihood) because of brain inhibitorymechanisms. There is also a less probable situation that livestock fetuses can experience negativeaffect (with 1–33% likelihood) arising from differences in the interpretation of the fetalelectroencephalogram, observed responses to external stimuli and the possibility of fetal learning.Regarding methods to stun and kill livestock fetuses at slaughter (ToR4), sets of scenarios andrespective actions take account of both the probable and le ss probable situation regarding fetal abilityfor conscious perception. Finally, information was collated on methods to establish the dam{\textquoteright}sgestational stage based on physical features of livestock fetuses (ToR5).",

author = "More, {Simon J.} and Dominique Bicout and Anette B{\o}tner and Andrew Butterworth and Paolo Calistri and Klaus Depner and Sandra Edwards and Bruno Garin-Bastuji and Margaret Good and {Gortazar Schmidt}, Christian and Virginie Michel and Miranda, {Miguel Angel} and Nielsen, {S{\o}ren Saxmose} and Antonio Velarde and Hans-Hermann Thulke and Liisa Sihvonen and Hans Spoolder and Arjan Stegeman and Mohan Raj and Preben Willeberg and Denise Candiani and Christoph Winckler",

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T1 - Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)

AU - More, Simon J.

AU - Bicout, Dominique

AU - Bøtner, Anette

AU - Butterworth, Andrew

AU - Calistri, Paolo

AU - Depner, Klaus

AU - Edwards, Sandra

AU - Garin-Bastuji, Bruno

AU - Good, Margaret

AU - Gortazar Schmidt, Christian

AU - Michel, Virginie

AU - Miranda, Miguel Angel

AU - Nielsen, Søren Saxmose

AU - Velarde, Antonio

AU - Thulke, Hans-Hermann

AU - Sihvonen, Liisa

AU - Spoolder, Hans

AU - Stegeman, Arjan

AU - Raj, Mohan

AU - Willeberg, Preben

AU - Candiani, Denise

AU - Winckler, Christoph

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - This scientiﬁc opinion addresses animal welfare aspects of slaughtering of livestock pregnant animals.Term of Reference (ToR) 1 requested assessment of the prevalence of animals slaughtered in a criticaldevelopmental stage of gestation when the livestock fetuses might experience negative affect. Limiteddata on European prevalence and related uncertainties necessitated a structu red expert knowledgeelicitation (EKE) exercise. Estimated median percentages of animals slaughtered in the last third ofgestation are 3%, 1.5%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 0.2% (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,respectively). Pregnant animals may be sent for slaughter for health, welfare, management andeconomic reasons (ToR2); there are also reasons for farmers not knowing that animals sent forslaughter are pregnant. Measures to reduce the incidence are listed. ToR3 asked whether livestockfetuses can experience pain and other negative affect. The available literature was reviewed and, at asecond multidisciplinary EKE meeting, judg ements and uncertainty were elicited. It is concluded thatlivestock fetuses in the last third of gestation have the anatomical and neurophysiological structuresrequired to experience negative affect (with 90–100% likelihood). However, there are two differentpossibilities whether they perceive negative affect. It is more probable that the neurophysiologicalsituation does not allow for conscious perception (with 66–99% likelihood) because of brain inhibitorymechanisms. There is also a less probable situation that livestock fetuses can experience negativeaffect (with 1–33% likelihood) arising from differences in the interpretation of the fetalelectroencephalogram, observed responses to external stimuli and the possibility of fetal learning.Regarding methods to stun and kill livestock fetuses at slaughter (ToR4), sets of scenarios andrespective actions take account of both the probable and le ss probable situation regarding fetal abilityfor conscious perception. Finally, information was collated on methods to establish the dam’sgestational stage based on physical features of livestock fetuses (ToR5).

AB - This scientiﬁc opinion addresses animal welfare aspects of slaughtering of livestock pregnant animals.Term of Reference (ToR) 1 requested assessment of the prevalence of animals slaughtered in a criticaldevelopmental stage of gestation when the livestock fetuses might experience negative affect. Limiteddata on European prevalence and related uncertainties necessitated a structu red expert knowledgeelicitation (EKE) exercise. Estimated median percentages of animals slaughtered in the last third ofgestation are 3%, 1.5%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 0.2% (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,respectively). Pregnant animals may be sent for slaughter for health, welfare, management andeconomic reasons (ToR2); there are also reasons for farmers not knowing that animals sent forslaughter are pregnant. Measures to reduce the incidence are listed. ToR3 asked whether livestockfetuses can experience pain and other negative affect. The available literature was reviewed and, at asecond multidisciplinary EKE meeting, judg ements and uncertainty were elicited. It is concluded thatlivestock fetuses in the last third of gestation have the anatomical and neurophysiological structuresrequired to experience negative affect (with 90–100% likelihood). However, there are two differentpossibilities whether they perceive negative affect. It is more probable that the neurophysiologicalsituation does not allow for conscious perception (with 66–99% likelihood) because of brain inhibitorymechanisms. There is also a less probable situation that livestock fetuses can experience negativeaffect (with 1–33% likelihood) arising from differences in the interpretation of the fetalelectroencephalogram, observed responses to external stimuli and the possibility of fetal learning.Regarding methods to stun and kill livestock fetuses at slaughter (ToR4), sets of scenarios andrespective actions take account of both the probable and le ss probable situation regarding fetal abilityfor conscious perception. Finally, information was collated on methods to establish the dam’sgestational stage based on physical features of livestock fetuses (ToR5).

U2 - 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782

DO - 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4782

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1831-4732

VL - 15

JO - E F S A Journal

JF - E F S A Journal

IS - 5

M1 - 4782

ER -

Animal welfare aspects in respect of the slaughter or killing of pregnant livestock animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats,horses)

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