NCR131: Animal Behavior and Welfare
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCR131: Animal Behavior and Welfare
Duration: 10/01/2002 to 09/30/2006
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The organizational meeting of the NCR-131 Committee on Animal Care and Behavior was held in Chicago on October 15, 1981. Requests for renewal were submitted and approved in 1983, 1987, 1990, 1993, and 1998. There is a consensus that the committee has served an important role and should be continued. There are two major activities that committee members feel need continuing support:
Addressing animal welfare issues. There is growing concern among the general public, retailers, special interests groups and the scientific community with regard to the well-being of animals used in research and production agriculture. Research efforts concentrating on elucidating behavioral responses to stressors and the cognitive ability of farm animals will help to provide objective data to resolve animal welfare issues. Interaction and exchange or information between committee members is essential for the development of effective quality assurance programs for food producing animals that include animal welfare or humane officer training classes. Networking among members is extremely beneficial for developing or responding to public policy concerns and development of regulations at a state and federal level.
Facilitating animal behavior research. Scientific data that describe impacts of management systems and practices on animal welfare are sparse and inadequate for establishing working guidelines for farm animal workers and producers. There is a continuing need for both basic and applied animal behavior research that is multidisciplinary and individual discipline based to increase knowledge and understanding.
Objectives
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To increase student, researcher, and public awareness and understanding of the intricate relationships between animal behavior, production, and well-being
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To identify factors associated with behavior (including social behavior) that influence animal productivity, reproduction, and well-being.
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To investigate the behavior and correlated physiology of farm animals under existing housing and management systems, and determine the efficacy of alternative systems and practices with respect to improving the production and well-being.
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To improve understanding of the consequences of social isolation and crowding through development and utilization of approaches to the study of animal cognition, which includes perception, awareness, and learning
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To investigate indicators of pain and suffering in domestic animal species.
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Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Members of NCR-131 represent the primary core of academicians and scientists addressing behavioral and animal welfare issues related to domestic food animals in the US. <P> The primary expected outcome of the NCR-131 committee is the exchange of ideas and information. The yearly exchange of the latest research data, new techniques and discussion of animal behavior and welfare issues will keep members abreast of the latest developments and help create an integrated approach to research focused these issues.<P> Our members are the key spokes persons on the topic of food-animal welfare both in this country and abroad. NCR-131 members are working with numerous organizations that developing guideline and audit programs. These organizations include National and State species-specific organizations ( e.g., pork boards), scientific organizations (FASS, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, and Animal Agriculture Alliance) and specific retailers (McDonalds, Food Marketing Institute, National Council of Chain Restaurants). Interaction and exchange of information between committee members is essential for the development of effective quality assurance programs. <P> Members of NCR-131 carry out research in a number of diverse areas. It is expected that in the next 5 years committee members will exchange information on the following research areas; <P> 1) Alternative production and housing systems. <P> a. Understand farm animal basic behavioral, genetic, immunological, and physiological responses to conventional and alternative production systems, and how these responses and systems interact to affect social behavior.<P> b. Use these responses to evaluate alternative or novel production systems and compare them with conventional management systems. <P> c. Use ethology and knowledge gained to devise production systems that will create an optimal social environment for farm animals.<P> 2) Social Behavior: <P> a. Determine the physiological, behavioral, and immunological responses of animals to different social challenges. <P> b. Determine how spacing behavior in group-housed animals is affected by group size, group composition, and social interactions. <P> 3) Animal cognition and motivation: <P> a. Develop approaches to the study of cognitive abilities of farm animals an understanding of perception awareness and learning that, in turn will give an understanding of what animals feel about the conditions under which they are kept and the procedures to which they are subjected.<P> b. Assess the motivational states of animals under various housing and management conditions. <P> 4) Animal Transportation <P> a. Understand farm animal basic responses to animal handling and conventional methods of transportation. <P> b. Suggest methods to minimize stress and ensure animal well-being during transportation.<P>
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
The diversity of research topics and species studied by members of NCR-131 committee places it in an excellent position to provide expertise to educators. The NCR-131 committee has demonstrated leadership in developing the educational web page on animal behavior. The committee will build on this success and 1) identify potential audiences and their respective needs that would benefit from educational programs in behavior and well-being (K-12, Universities, Industry) and 2) consider developing educational programs and materials to meet those needs. In order to address a broad audience various methods of providing educational information will be considered including distance education and web-based programs, extension educator workshops, CD ROMs, white papers etc. Furthermore, many of the committee participants hold appointments at land-grant institutions and have colleagues within their home departments who hold extension appointments. Information exchanged at the annul meeting will be shared with extension personnel and disseminated at producer meetings if appropriate
Organization/Governance
The Executive Committee of NCR-131 shall consist of the Chair and Secretary. A new secretary will be elected each year by the voting members of the Committee. The previous Secretary will become the Chair for one year. The term of Office will end at the adjournment of the regular annual meeting. The new Chair (previous Secretary) will prepare a set of minutes of the annual meting and send it to the Administrative Advisor for distribution to the rest of the Committee.
Chair: The chair of the committee is responsible for organizing the meeting agenda, conducting the meeting, and assuring that task assignments are completed. Normally,
The Chair is elected for a 1 year term. Chairs are eligible for re-election.
Secretary: The secretary is responsible for the distribution of documents prior to the meeting. The secretary is also responsible for keeping records on decisions made
at meetings (a.k.a. keeping the minutes) and assisting in the preparation of the accomplishments report.
Members: Committee membership requires active participation and information exchange at the annual meetings. In addition to carrying out the agreed information exchange, project members are responsible for contributing to the ongoing progress of any committee activity, and communicating their accomplishments to the committee's members and their respective employing institutions. Regular attendance is vital for a committee to be successful. Members that do not attend the annual meeting or send a substitute, two years in a row will be removed from the committee. This policy will be initiated at the 2003 meeting.
Literature Cited