Validating indicators of sheep welfare through a consensus of expert opinion
C.J. Phythian,
E. Michalopoulou,
P.H. Jones,
A.C. Winter,
M.J. Clarkson,
L.A. Stubbings,
D. Grove-White,
P.J. Cripps,
J.S. Duncan
Affiliations
C.J. Phythian
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
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
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
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
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
LSSC Ltd 3 Fullers Close, Aldwincle, Kettering, NN14 3UU, UK
D. Grove-White
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
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
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 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.
