Consultation ahead of animal welfare changes for pain relief

New animal welfare recommendations include pain relief for disbudding and castration of all ages of bovines.

The recommendations by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Animal Health and Welfare (SACAHW) are being considered by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC), and interested parties were asked to make submissions.

In its submission on calf burdizzo castration without anaesthetic, Teagasc did not support recommended pain relief (non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs) at castration, but was in favour of recommendations that the 28 days upper age limit of bovine disbudding, and the eight days upper age limit of lamb tail docking by rubber ring remain unchanged.

Nor did Teagasc support recommendations they be castrated as young as possible, and that the upper age limit be reduced from six to two months.

For lambs, a recommended burdizzo application across the width of the tail proximal to and following rubber ring docking, in order to reduce acute pain and accelerate healing, was not supported by Teagasc, which proposed that further research is required.

Teagasc said further research is necessary to support SACAHW recommendations that castration be performed in lambs as young as possible, and that a burdizzo be used following rubber ring application.

It agreed that upper age limits of lamb castration of eight days by rubber ring and three months of castration by Burdizzo remain unchanged, until research to the contrary is available

SACAHW provides the Agriculture Minister with expert advice on various issues of animal health and welfare (its report led to the banning of electro-immobilisation in 2007).

The Teagasc response was part of a wide consultation taking views of all stakeholder interest groups and individuals on the SACAHW recommendations, which are also being considered by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC), whose role is to safeguard and promote farm animal welfare.

The Department of Agriculture was anxious that as wide a view as possible was canvassed before a proposed course of action in mid-2016, and before legislation is drafted.