&21&/86,216 Welfare – definitions and measurements 1.
Animal welfare can be assessed in an objective and quantitative manner, and indicators of welfare include health, bodily functions, and behaviour. Each set of indicators has to be validated for the species under consideration. For an adequate assessment of welfare, a wide range of indicators must be used, although single indicators can show that welfare is at risk.
General aspects of carnivore and rodent biology 2. 3.
There is a high diversity in the habitat and biological characteristics of the carnivore and rodent species that are used for fur production. The diversity of the living conditions in the wild of these species is likely to contrast with the relative uniformity of farming conditions across species.
Domestication 4.
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Domestication has been defined as an evolutionary process by which a population of animals becomes adapted to man and to the captive environment by genetic changes occurring over generations including those predisposing to environmentally-induced developmental events recurring in each generation. From a welfare point of view, the crucial aim is a well-adapted individual, regardless of the extent to which this is due to genetic or ontogenetic events. Important characteristics of domesticated animals include a capacity to live under constraints imposed by humans without problems such as reduced reproductive success or substantial fearfulness towards humans. Low fearfulness can be achieved by genetic selection, early handling and by rewarded contacts with humans. All animal species kept for fur production have been submitted to some degree of domestication, but have different domestication histories. The ferret is the most domesticated species of animals kept for fur production. In other species, there has been only a limited amount of selection for tameness and adaptability to captive environments. Selection has not eliminated the motivation of animals kept on fur farms to perform some behaviours nor favoured altered responses to social stimuli. However, there may be some potential for such selection. Selection for reduced fearfulness towards humans is successful and results in positive welfare effects in the species studied: silver fox and mink. Generally, in comparison with other farm animals, species farmed for their fur have been subjected to relatively little active selection except with respect to fur characteristics. Specific welfare problems related to intense genetic selection, e.g., for altered fur colour or for increasing body weight, can be encountered and, therefore, the possible welfare consequences of such selection need to be strictly monitored. Scientific evidence of behavioural and welfare effects of domestication of species kept for fur production is still incomplete.
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