Spain

Severe skin lesions caused by persistent bites of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in a donkey sanctuary of western Spain

Animal sanctuaries are important organisations that promote animal welfare and health as well as social awareness. Following the appearance of several donkeys with severe and distinctive skin lesions in a sanctuary from western Spain in 2021, a multicomponent study was performed to rule out the possible causes. The lesions were mainly concentrated on the extremities and, to a lesser extent, on the face and/or chest. The use of cotton leggings on their extremities as an external barrier to prevent them from bites and treatments with antiparasitic, antiseptic washes and dermatitis lotion showed to be effective measures to improve the donkey lesions. Skin scraping was negative for any relevant causative agents. Histopathological examination of the lesions showed an inflammatory infiltrate at the superficial dermal level, compatible with diffuse chronic dermatitis. A field entomological study was conducted from May to October 2021 to ascertain if any Diptera was responsible for these lesions. Considerable numbers of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans were recorded in both sticky traps and decomposing straw bedding. Several species of haematophagous Diptera were also recorded in lower numbers in other traps placed on the farm facilities. According to the entomological data, the location of the bites and clinical signs, it was concluded that S. calcitrans was the main cause of the skin lesions in the donkeys. To our best knowledge, this is the first clinical case of donkeys affected by the stable fly in Spain. For differential diagnosis, a brief discussion of the evidence caused by other biting Diptera groups is provided.

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Infecção por theileria equi e babesia caballi em asininos da raça Zamorano-Leonês na província de Zamora (Espanha)

Infection by theileria equi and babesia caballi in Zamorano-Leonês donkeys in Zamora Province (Spain)

In the west of the Zamora Province in Castilla y León region, one of the most rural and isolated areas of Spain, the Zamorano – Leonés donkey – a native endangered breed -is still playing a central role in the traditional daily agriculture activities practiced by the local inhabitants. In February 2010 a study was carried out to understand the prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in the population of Zamorano – Leonés Donkey, collecting blood samples from 86 animals in 13 villages in the Zamora Proviince. Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease of equids, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. These intraerythrocytic parasites are responsible for a high morbidity and mortality in equids. The cELISA tests (competitive – inhibition Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) revealed a positive seroprevalence of 21%, with 8 of the 86 donkeys positive for Theileria equi (9.3%), 10 for Babesia caballi (11.7%) and one of these 18 animals positive for both. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the importance of equine piroplasmosis affecting the Zamorano – Leonés donkey population. As far as we know this is the first study on intra-erythrocytic parasites in endangered Iberian breeds of donkeys and the results obtained reveal its importance in order to preserve this unique genetic heritage.

Volume
17
Start page
81
End page
84
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Shelter seeking behaviour of healthy donkeys and mules in a hot climate

Exposure to environmental factors such as high temperatures and solar radiation levels present a welfare concern for many domestic equids. Understanding how these factors influence the shelter use of healthy equids can inform welfare guidelines. While there is research assessing horses’ responses to hot, dry climates, the use of shelter by healthy, semi-free ranging donkeys and mules has not been assessed. We observed the shelter seeking behaviour (SSB) of 109 donkeys and 21 mules, with free access to constructed shelters, across two locations during summer in Southern Spain. The location of each equid, either utilising a constructed shelter, outside unprotected or using natural protection, was observed. This was recorded alongside measures of environmental conditions including temperature, lux, wind speed and level of insect harassment. Equids were observed using some form of protection from the elements in 39% of observations. Increasing temperatures and lux levels predicted increased shelter use whereas temperature and wind speed were key predictors of outside protection use. Compared to donkeys, shelter seeking by mules was more sensitive to changes in a number of environmental factors including lux, temperature and level of insect harassment. Results indicate that rates of protection use are quite high in these conditions and that shelters are utilised under particular environmental conditions: high temperatures, high lux levels and increased wind speeds, indicating they are likely to confer a significant welfare advantage.

Volume
222
Publication date
Country

Documenting the welfare and role of working equids in rural communities of Portugal and Spain

Recently, the need for a more holistic approach to welfare assessment has been highlighted. This is particularly pertinent in the case of working equids who provide vital support for human livelihoods, often in low- to middle-income countries, yet suffer from globally low standards of welfare. This study aimed to provide insight into the welfare status and traditional use of working equids in rural Western European communities using the new EARS welfare tool, designed to provide a broad view of the welfare of working equids and the context in which they are found. Other questions on the topics of equid management practices, social transmission of expertise, environmental stressors, and traditions, alongside physical and behavioural welfare assessments were also included to explore the impact of these wide-ranging factors on an understudied population of working equids. The protocol was trialled on 60 working equid owners from communities in Portugal and Spain where, despite the decline in traditional agricultural practices and livestock keeping, donkeys and mules remain working animals. Many owners stated that the help donkeys provided was invaluable, and donkeys were considered to be important for both farming and daily life. However, participants also recognised that the traditional agricultural way of life was dying out, providing insights into the traditional practices, community structure, and beliefs of equid owners. Questions investigating the social networks and social transfer of information within the villages were effective in finding local sources of equid knowledge. Overall, welfare was deemed fair, and the protocol enabled the identification of the most prevalent welfare problems within the communities studied, in this case obesity and the use of harmful practices. The findings suggest that the new protocol was feasible and detail how contextual factors may influence equid welfare. Increasing understanding of the cultural context, social structure, and attitudes within a community, alongside more traditional investigations of working practices and animal management, may, in the future, help to make equid welfare initiatives more effective.

Journal
Volume
10
Issue
5
Start page
790
Publication date
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Donkeys and humans – how the use of donkeys as livestock units on agriculture schemes in Ireland potentially influences government-NGO interactions

Joseph A. Collins
Presentation date

Background

In many parts of the developing world, donkeys are kept as working animals and used primarily for transport (of goods and people) and agricultural activities (such as ploughing). In these regions, donkeys are of particular value due to their low purchasing price, ease of management and efficiency of work output. Similarly in the past in Ireland, donkeys proved to have innumerable uses, being capable of surviving and working on terrain that was unsuitable for horses, which latter, people could not afford in any case. Today, donkeys are mainly kept either as companion animals or as Livestock Units (LUs) registered on agricultural area aid schemes to aid in the collection of farm subsidies. In 2017 the Department of Agriculture (DAFM) who administer the subsidy scheme, also made an ex gratia payment of €120,000 to The Donkey Sanctuary to support its work in rescue/rehoming, in controlling indiscriminate breeding and in providing veterinary services to privately owned donkeys in Ireland.

Methods

Information was gathered concerning the mapping of areas eligible for subsidy payments, the numbers of applicants, the place of origin of applicants and the numbers of registered donkeys (and other equidae) these applicants used as LUs for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. The value of payments made to applicants registering equidae as LUs during these years was also gathered. The Donkey Sanctuary provided information regarding their interactions with private-donkey owners including subsidy applicants – the collection of background information, the provision of veterinary services and the rehoming of donkeys to applicants who might register them as LUs.

Results

Subsidy year Total equine-applicant payments
€uro value
Horse/donkey Livestock Unit numbers Total equine Livestock Unit numbers
2010 € 4,030,377     10480
2011 € 6,214,130     18447
    Horses Donkeys  
2012 € 2,374,996 4546 2222 6768
2013 € 2,284,832 3564 2593 6157
2014 € 2,305,650 2606 2544 5150

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table: €uro value of ANC equine-applicant payments and the numbers of equines registered as Livestock Units (LUs) on ANC during the years 2010 to 2014.

In the first 11 months of 2017, The Donkey Sanctuary provided donkey welfare improvement services to 176 owners of 700 private donkeys including circa 90 castrations, 450 farriery, 50 dental treatments, 130 identification and 60 husbandry including nutritional advice. They rehomed approximately 40 donkeys to subsidy applicants who might use them as LUs. The detail will be presented.

Conclusion

DAFM administer an agriculture subsidy scheme which permits the use of donkeys as Livestock Units but does not have an ostensible animal welfare function; never-the-less they make ex gratia animal welfare payments to NGOs such as The Donkey Sanctuary in support of services targeted at the owners of private donkeys. This provides an opportunity for government and NGOs to engage in such a way that public monies might be better used to support animal welfare improvements.

Country

Protection from the elements - part two

Status
Applicant(s)
Collaborator(s)
Researcher(s)
Research award
Start date
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To expand upon the work done in Protection from the Elements Part one. Part two is focussed on warmer climates and implementing changes to provide better protection from the element for working equids in such climates.

Understanding factors which influence the welfare of working equids in arid and tropical climates

Status
Collaborator(s)
Researcher(s)
Country

Continuation of previous Protection from the Elements project, to extend work to cover arid and tropical climates.

Methodology

Data collection for baseline study of shelter seeking behaviour in Portugal and Spain, plus working equid owner questionnaire. Collect data on current working equid management practices and protection from the elements (PFE) in Mescal growing regions in Mexico with comparison to communities in Vera Cruz.

Harness pressure mapping and the development of technology for animal traction: a contribution for the welfare and performance of working donkeys

Status
Applicant(s)
Researcher(s)
Start date
End date
Country
Methodology

Different harness systems were tested (collars and pack saddles), controlling variables that can influence the results, such as draft work when performing different tasks, load displaced, balance of the load, etc.

Phase one:

Seven different collars were tested using pressure pads. Contact area, median, maximum and peak pressures were obtained for the whole collar and critical points. Eight donkeys pulled 20% and 40% of their body weight, using each collar, under controlled conditions.

This phase was mainly focused on the use of pressure pads, determining the force and pressure distribution beneath different harnessing and packing systems in 8 working donkeys (both static and dynamic tests).

Preliminary trials were performed, using a load cell coupling system (dynamometer), fitted between the equipment used, and the animal. Other preliminary tests included the evaluation of workload effort based on physiological parameters (heart rate using a Holter system), with the main purpose of obtaining more reliable parameters for equids’ performance and welfare; and the use of thermal camera to monitor and evaluate all the contact areas of the harnesses used in this project.

Phase two:

Based on the very promising results obtained during the preliminary trials of the first phase of this project; the researchers moved to the second phase. Controlled, real working operations (logging and agriculture) were performed with working donkeys to a) evaluate the three different collars, b) measure the force exerted by the equids using a swingletree dynamometer and c) evaluate the workload effort based on physiological parameters.

Aims

This research will allow the development of easily transportable kit that allows to evaluate in situ any harness system used in donkeys worldwide, assessing its effectiveness and welfare of the animals, allowing to promote changes based on evidence based scientific knowledge.

Objectives

Phase one:

To test existing models and/or contribute to the development of better and more adapted harness system for working donkeys, by assessing the force and pressure distribution beneath the working harness, while monitoring the general health and welfare of the animals.

Phase two:

Objectives were to:

  1. Test the performance of different collars, under real working conditions (logging and agriculture): 3 collars used on phase 1 (collar 1, 5 and 6) were selected based on their performance, and tested under controlled real working conditions while performing logging and agriculture tasks.
  2. Measure the force exerted by the equids: A swingle tree with a dynamometer and data logger was developed, allowing continuous recording of the force exerted by the equids during the work.
  3. Evaluate the workload effort based on physiological parameters (heart rate using a Holter / polar system, attached to the harness used by the donkeys).

 

Results

Phase one:

Contact area and pressures vary between collars and effort, with design and expansion capacity of the collars playing a major role. Simple collars designed specifically for donkeys performed well, with full collars designed for horses also having good results. Due to reduced expansion capacity and contact in the critical points, the breast collars were the least effective.

Phase two:

Results from the three different donkeys, over two different trials, each consisting of 60 samples, amounts to 360 data points. Analysis of this data set showed that there is no statistical significance between the data acquired from a set of two different trials performed under the same conditions. There is a 95% confidence interval that both trials are equal and therefore validates the repeatability of the measuring process under field conditions. 

 

Conclusions

Harness design:

Design, appropriate padding and manufacturing materials and adjustment capacity are key features for good collars, and such parameters are of paramount importance in terms of health and welfare for working donkeys.

Load measurement:

The design and development of a novel load-measuring device integrated within a swingletree provides a new solution to the problem of quantifying the load profile of a working donkey’s task. Following development and validation of the device, further trials are needed under different working conditions, which will comprise phase three of the project.

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