TY - JOUR
T1 - Sheep animal welfare in a low rainfall Mediterranean environment: a profitable investment
AU - Kingwell, Ross
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Public concern over the welfare of animals used for agricultural production has grown over the last 20 years. This paper examines sheep animal welfare in a dryland farming system in a Mediterranean environment. The farming system examined is an integrated livestock-crop system in the Merredin region of Western Australia. A model of the farming system is used to examine the impact on farm profits of pursuing various management strategies that impact on sheep animal welfare. Results suggest that maintaining the animal welfare of sheep is the most profitable strategy. By contrast, neglect of animal welfare results in less farm profit. Hence, aside from ethical considerations, there are strong profit motives to maintain animal welfare in the dryland farming system reported here. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - Public concern over the welfare of animals used for agricultural production has grown over the last 20 years. This paper examines sheep animal welfare in a dryland farming system in a Mediterranean environment. The farming system examined is an integrated livestock-crop system in the Merredin region of Western Australia. A model of the farming system is used to examine the impact on farm profits of pursuing various management strategies that impact on sheep animal welfare. Results suggest that maintaining the animal welfare of sheep is the most profitable strategy. By contrast, neglect of animal welfare results in less farm profit. Hence, aside from ethical considerations, there are strong profit motives to maintain animal welfare in the dryland farming system reported here. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
U2 - 10.1016/S0308-521X(01)00086-5
DO - 10.1016/S0308-521X(01)00086-5
M3 - Article
SN - 0308-521X
VL - 74
SP - 221
EP - 240
JO - Agricultural Systems
JF - Agricultural Systems
ER -
