Small Ruminant Hoof Inspection as Animal Welfare Indicator: Gran Canaria Study.

Abstract

The care of the hooves in small ruminants often goes unnoticed, and along with most of the housing systems in which these animals live (poorly adapted), welfare and productivity are reduced. Animal welfare is defined as the physical and psychological condition of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies, and is a combination of subjective and objective (qualitative and quantitative) aspects of the animal's living conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hoof conformation of small ruminants in relation to animal welfare using thermal and visual techniques, distinguishing between animal species and slaughter methods. The parameters studied were claw shape, claw splay, toe length, heel shape, fetlock shape, age, interdigital temperature and joint temperature, sorted by animal species, slaughter method and limb. It is concluded that the hoof condition of the animals is generally not ideal (as a considerable number of animals, about 20-30%, have an unfavourable score) and that the hoof conformation of animals destined for the Muslim market was better than the hoof conformation of animals destined for the conventional market