Husbandry Procedures
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 are either by blade or rubber ring. At present, castration is carried out as a routine husbandry procedure on young animals without the use of anaesthetic or pain relief.
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.
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 their state or territory. If farmers are operating within the law, the RSPCA inspectors who enforce animal protection legislation cannot prosecute them.
What is sheep freeze branding (or steining) and is it an acceptable alternative to mulesing sheep?
Sheep, especially Merinos, have woolly wrinkles and folds around the tail and breech area which attract blowflies and may become infested with maggots (flystrike). Sheep farmers have traditionally used mulesing to reduce flystrike risk.
What are some of the painful procedures experienced by sheep on farm?
Currently, painful husbandry procedures are routinely carried out in many sheep farming systems. Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with tissue damage. Any husbandry procedure that results in damage to living tissue should be assumed to cause pain and approached accordingly.
What are some of the painful procedures experienced by cattle on farm?
RSPCA defines a painful farm animal husbandry procedure as any action that alters or removes a specific body part of a farm animal and causes pain, suffering or distress. Any procedure that results in tissue injury should be assumed to cause pain, and therefore must be approached accordingly.