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Validating indicators of sheep welfare through a consensus of expert opinion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2011

C. J. Phythian ,
E. Michalopoulou ,
P. H. Jones ,
A. C. Winter ,
M. J. Clarkson ,
L. A. Stubbings ,
D. Grove-White ,
P. J. Cripps  and
J. S. Duncan
C. J. Phythian*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
E. Michalopoulou
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
P. H. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
A. C. Winter
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
M. J. Clarkson
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
L. A. Stubbings
Affiliation:
LSSC Ltd 3 Fullers Close, Aldwincle, Kettering, NN14 3UU, UK
D. Grove-White
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
P. J. Cripps
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
J. S. Duncan
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Global Health and Infection, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston CH64 7TE, UK
*
†E-mail: C.J.Phythian@liverpool.ac.uk
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Abstract

A consensus of expert opinion was used to provide both face and consensual validity to a list of potential indicators of sheep welfare. This approach was used as a first step in the identification of valid welfare indicators for sheep. The consensus methodology of the National Institute of Health, using pre-meeting consultation and focus group discussions, was used to ascertain the consensus opinion of a panel of sheep welfare experts. The Farm Animal Welfare Council's five freedoms were used as a framework to organise a list of current on-farm welfare issues for sheep. The five freedoms were also the welfare criterion used to identify potential on-farm welfare indicators for sheep. As a result, experts identified 193 welfare issues for sheep and lambs managed on farms across England and Wales. Subsequently, a combination of animal- (n = 26), resource- (n = 13) and management- (n = 22) based indicators was suggested for (i) adult rams, (ii) adult ewes (male and female sheep, over 1 year old), (iii) growing lambs (male and female sheep, over 6 weeks to 1 year old) and (iv) young lambs (male and female lambs, 6 weeks old and under). The results from this study could therefore be used to inform the further development of valid methods of assessing the on-farm welfare of sheep.

Keywords

sheepanimal welfareindicatorexpert opinionvalidity
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 6 , June 2011 , pp. 943 - 952
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

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