What are the animal welfare issues with docking dogs’ tails? Tail docking is the term given to the surgical removal of puppies’ tails for cosmetic purposes. The procedure was usually...
Why are many male farm animals castrated? Male sheep, cattle, goats and pigs are routinely castrated in order to reduce aggression and subsequent injury. Methods of castration...
What is the RSPCA’s view on dubbing poultry for show purposes? The RSPCA regularly receives complaints from members of the public regarding the practice of dubbing of exhibition poultry. RSPCA policy on...
Why are cattle dehorned and is it painful? Dehorning is the removal of a cow or calf’s horn in order to reduce the incidence of bruising and potential...
What is boar taint and how can it be prevented? As male pigs reach puberty, they start producing andosterone, a male sex hormone, and skatole, a digestive by-product formed in...
What are the animal welfare issues with shearing of sheep? Shearing is the process whereby the sheep’s fleece (wool) is removed using mechanical shears called ‘handpieces’. For sheep breeds that...
What is teat clipping in dairy calves and goats? Dairy calves and dairy goat kids may be born with extra teats on the udder, called supernumerary teats. These extra...
Why are the tails of dairy cows docked? Routine tail docking of up to two-thirds of the cow’s tail at 12-18 months old, was adopted by some dairy...
Why are painful procedures performed without anaesthetic? Farm animals may require invasive husbandry procedures that are intended to benefit the animal or group of animals involved. These...
Can the RSPCA prosecute farmers for performing painful husbandry procedures without anaesthetic or pain relief? The RSPCA can only prosecute farmers for cruelty if they have broken laws relating to animal welfare that apply in...
Why does the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme allow for beak trimming of hens? There are many types of bird-to-bird pecking that hens perform, some types can cause severe injuries to the birds. Injurious...
Why do farmed deer have their antlers removed? The removal of antlers, or de-antlering, of deer is performed to help protect other animals and handlers from injury. However,...
What is beak trimming and why is it carried out? Beak trimming is the partial removal of the tip of the beak, and results in a beak that is blunt or...
What is electro-immobilisation and what impact does it have on animal welfare? Electro-immobilisation is a restraining method that runs a low-voltage electrical current down the animal’s spine to induce temporary paralysis, thereby...
Why are cattle spayed? Cattle spaying is done to avoid unwanted pregnancy of animals, often in extensive pastoral areas where females cannot be segregated...
Why does the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme allow for beak trimming of turkeys? Beak trimming is a procedure that is used to avoid injuries from birds pecking each other, sometimes to death (cannibalism)....
What are the animal welfare issues with piglet husbandry procedures? In their first few days of life, piglets may undergo several painful husbandry procedures such as teeth clipping, tail docking,...
Is the tail docking of dogs legal in Australia? In 2004, the cosmetic tail docking of dogs was banned nationwide. This means that a veterinary surgeon must not dock...