Summary report 768. Extended summary Report 768. High welfare, high containment

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1 Extended summary Report 768 High welfare, high containment Maart

2 Colofon Uitgever Wageningen UR Livestock Research Postbus 65, 8200 AB Lelystad Telefoon Fax Internet Redactie Communication Services Copyright Wageningen UR Livestock Research, onderdeel van Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, 2014 Overname van de inhoud is toegestaan, mits met duidelijke bronvermelding. Aansprakelijkheid Wageningen UR Livestock Research aanvaardt geen aansprakelijkheid voor eventuele schade voortvloeiend uit het gebruik van de resultaten van dit onderzoek of de toepassing van de adviezen. Wageningen UR Livestock Research en Central Veterinary Institute, beiden onderdeel van Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek vormen samen met het Departement Dierwetenschappen van Wageningen University de Animal Sciences Group van Wageningen UR (University & Research centre). Losse nummers zijn te verkrijgen via de website. De certificering volgens ISO 9001 door DNV onderstreept ons kwaliteitsniveau. Op al onze onderzoeksopdrachten zijn de Algemene Voorwaarden van de Animal Sciences Group van toepassing. Deze zijn gedeponeerd bij de Arrondissementsrechtbank Zwolle. Abstract By the approach Reflexive Interactive Design (RIO) feasible and acceptable solutions to improve animal welfare are constructed for the high containment animal facilities of CVI. Keywords Reflexive Interactive Design, system innovation, Animal welfare, pigs, High Containment Units Referaat ISSN Auteur(s) Error! Reference source not found.. M.A. (Monique) van der Gaag A.P. (Bram) Bos P.W.G. (Peter) Groot Koerkamp Titel High welfare, high containment Samenvatting Middels het proces van Reflexief Interactief Ontwerpen zijn haalbare en acceptabele oplossingen ontwikkeld voor het verbeteren van dierenwelzijn van varkens in high containment proefdierfaciliteiten. Trefwoorden Reflexief Interactief Ontwerpen, systeeminnovatie, dierenwelzijn, varkens, proefdier, high containment unit 2

3 Preface Regulation and implementation In the European Union about 11,5 million animals are used for experimental or other scientific purposes (EU, 2013). The new European Directive 2010/63/EU for laboratory animals contains specific requirements with respect to animal welfare such as species specific climate specifications, bedding and enrichment materials. The Directive is firmly based on the principle of the Three Rs, to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals used for scientific purposes. The mandatory standards of care and accommodation set out in Annex III to the Directive must be implemented by 1 January From the perspective of standardisation, in many experiments the environmental enrichment is limited. Some researchers are concerned that enriched housing would compromise the validity of animal experiments by disrupting environmental standardization. This argument turned out to become a major obstacle for the implementation of enriched housing for laboratory rodents (Würbel and Garner, 2007). If enrichment indeed increases variation or structural effects in the data, this would mean that more animals would be needed for each experiment, thereby creating a conflict between refinement and reduction. New experiments on this topic showed that enrichment also can improve experiments and reduce the variation in data (e.g. Verwer, 2011). In most of these studies rodents are used, representing over 80% of all laboratory animals. Agricultural animals represent only a few percent of the total number, which is still over 100,000 animals a year (EU, 2013). A limited number of facilities are equipped for research under Biosafety Level 3 or 4, since also specific conditions due to biosafety of people and environment are in place. Besides the question whether environmental enrichments influence the experiments, in these facilities the demands for animal welfare and biosafety are hard to reconcile. Facilities can request for (and often receive) an exemption for housing regulations. However, in the future, it is necessary that all animal facilities comply with the Directive 2010/63/EU. It is desirable that exemptions due to technical impossibilities are eliminated, although exceptions because of the experiments occasionally occur. In summary: instead of a trade-off between biosafety and animal husbandry, it is desirable to meet both aspects. 3

4 Extended summary of preliminary study in The Netherlands Recently, a study was carried out to design feasible and accepted designs for welfare improvements in a high containment unit in the Netherlands. The Central Veterinary Institute (CVI) in Lelystad is working to further improve animal welfare in compliance with the conditions for biosafety and has made progress in recent years. A number of problems remain meeting the animal welfare aspects of pigs. Using the Reflexive Interactive Design (RIO in Dutch) approach Wageningen Livestock Research constructed feasible and acceptable solutions for the animal facilities of CVI matching the requirements of the current and upcoming legislation. The methodology of Reflexive Interactive Design is a design-based approach using a thorough system and actor analysis, a process of collaborative and interactive learning and explicit anticipation of changes in practice. RIO combines insights from Transition Management, Interactive Technology Assessment and Structured (engineering) Design. One core idea of RIO is that current systems and ways of doing are the historical product of development driven by conditions and goals that may be outdated. Through systematic reflection on assumptions, goals and functions apparent contradictions (e.g. between requirements related to economy, environment and animal welfare) appear to be softened or re-designed (Bos, 2010). An important part of RIO is structured and interactive design, which is based on Methodical Design (Siers, 2004). In this engineering approach the analysis of the problem is the central issue, instead of the solution. By focusing on the functions (what to do), instead of the solutions (how it works) the ultimate solution space is enlarged. Above, by organizing this structured design process in an interactive fashion, participating stakeholders take part in the learning process, increasing the feeling of ownership of ideas, and the chances of further development and adoption in practice. The study focused specifically on those aspects of the legislation dealing with animal welfare related to housing and care. The study was conducted in four phases: 1) problem formulation (by means of interviews, a Brief of Requirements prepared), 2) problem analysis (in a workshop the problem is focussed to three dilemmas), 3) design (in a design workshop with a varied palette of actors the dilemmas are translated to functions and then to solutions) and 4) the analysis and evaluation of the solutions. Based on phase one and two, the three main dilemmas were to provide: suitable bedding and/or sleeping place, a resting area for all animals, and environmental enrichment. In the study, designs were developed providing a solution for all three dilemmas. Since those responsible for the daily management of the facilities took part in the design process, the results were quickly appropriated by the facility/cvi and are further developed in practice. To visualise the implication, a professional artist drew explanatory pictures. Bedding materials in high containment units Normally, straw is needed as bedding material in experiments with pigs. The straw must be renewed because it gets dirty. Since the possibilities to remove materials during the experiments are limited (due to the biosafety procedures), solutions can be found in reducing the needed volume of materials or increasing the storage capacity (Figure 1), covered bedding meeting most of the ethological needs of the pig (Figure 2) or materials that dissolve (Figure 3). 4

5 Figure 1 Reduction of (bedding) material needed or increasing storage capacity Figure 2 Covered bedding material meeting ethological needs of the animal 5

6 Figure 3 Materials that dissolve or disappear (are eaten by the animals, dissolve in acid, alkaline or high temperature outside the reach of the animals). Environmental enrichment The different ideas to meet the ethological needs such as to explore, to forage, to have social interaction and play are combined in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Figure 4 Automatic rotation of play materials, projection of games with food rewards, feeding in troughs with materials which are easy to decontaminate (the pigs can express their need to forage) 6

7 Figure 5 Using sound, colour and smell to enrich the environment Figure 6 Different versions of playing materials and feed rewards Resting area and total designs One of the designs focussed on optimisation of meeting the ethological needs without using loose materials (Figure 7). It is also possible to include loose materials in this design. 7

8 Figure 7 Integrated design with different function areas, meeting individual needs for thermoregulation and exploration Conclusion This study increased the number of possibilities to improve animal welfare for pigs in the animal facilities. The designs are intended to meet the ethological requirements of the animals as well as the current and coming regulations. By sharing knowledge and experiences and by enlarging the solution space in the mindset of different stakeholders (e.g. researchers, employees in the facilities, managers, inspection officers, welfare organisations, etc.), animal welfare of agricultural animals in research facilities can be (further) improved. Besides the technical and management possibilities in high containment units, also other questions have to be answered. For instance, what are the physiological effects of adjustments in housing and handling, are there effects on the test results, etcetera. 8

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