Animal Welfare and Ethics

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

72 hours in a total of 120 hours

A physiology subject at 200 level such as:

Recommended Background Knowledge:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject develops knowledge and understanding of systems for regulating body function, and physiological and behavioural processes that are utilised by animals in response to environmental challenge. This basis will allow students to evaluate and assess animal welfare and ethical issues that confront livestock production and amenity use of animals in society. The subject will also develop knowledge in adaptation, preference testing, cognition, and short/long-term biological response.

Specific topics covered include:

• the current debate about animal usage and animal welfare;
• systems regulating the body (homeostasis, motivation and control systems, and development of regulatory systems);
• limits to adaptation (stimulation, tolerance and coping, variation in adaptation);
• stress and welfare (Selye's concept of stress and refinements to the concept, coping and fitness, definition of welfare and its assessment);
• assessing welfare using short- and long-term biological responses;
• assessing welfare using preference testing;
• assessing welfare by studying cognitive skills;
• ethical problems concerning welfare;
• welfare issues in agriculture and the general community; and codes of practice for the welfare of livestock and welfare solutions.

On completion of the course, students should have sound and broad understanding of the systems regulating body function and the behavioural and physiological responses utilised by animals in responding to environmental change. From this theoretical base, students should develop an appreciation of the scientific approaches available to assess animal welfare. Furthermore, students should understand the concepts of animal welfare and be aware of the main welfare issues confronting animals in modern livestock production systems.

• A 3-hour examination, which may include essay and short-answer sections (50%, end of semester),
• one written presentation (2000 words, 35%, due mid-semester)
• and one oral presentation (15%, due last week of semester).

D M Broom & A F Fraser Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare. CAB International, 2007.
B L Hart, The Behaviour of Domestic Animals. W H Freeman & Co, 1985.
A Manning and M S Dawkins, An Introduction to Animal Behaviour. 4th edition, Cambridge University Press, 1993.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

On completion of the subject the students should have developed the following generic skills: Academic excellence, greater in-depth understanding of scientific disciplines of animal behaviour and its application to the humane care and efficient management of farm and companion animals.

The student’s flexibility and level of transferable skills should be enhanced though improved time management and enhanced ability to communicate their ideas effectively in both written and verbal formats.