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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Assessment of Donkey (Equus asinus) Welfare at Slaughter in Ghana
Animals, Vol.14(24), pp.1-23
19/12/2024
PMCID: PMC11672695
PMID: 39765577
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Abstract
Donkey slaughter in West Africa has received limited scientific attention, despite increasing over recent years. This study aimed to explore factors affecting donkey welfare, both ante-mortem and at slaughter, in the Upper East region of Ghana. A total of 134 donkeys at five different slaughter points were assessed using animal-based indicators. Slaughter involved either blunt force trauma (BFT) using a wooden pole (1 location) or a metal hammer (2 locations); or non-stun ventral neck incision (VNI) (2 locations). Time to loss of consciousness (or return) was assessed, with behavioural and brainstem signs of sensibility/consciousness. Negative human-animal interactions occurred ante-mortem, with animals struck multiple times and handled using aversive methods. Donkeys hit on the head with the wooden pole were five times more likely to be ineffectively concussed (p < 0.001, OR: 5.4, CI: 1.9-15.4) compared to the hammer and took significantly longer to lose consciousness (p < 0.001). The mean time to loss of corneal reflex for those hit by wooden pole was 166.9 s (SD 21.1; range: 79-425 s), compared to just one animal displaying corneal reflex for 59 s after being hit by metal hammer. For those animals slaughtered through VNI, corneal reflex was observed for a mean time of 96.5 s (SD 4.3, range 26-164 s). The findings of this study highlight major concerns regarding the methods used for donkey slaughter in the Upper East region in Ghana, particularly regarding aversive ante-mortem handling and prolonged time to loss of consciousness during VNI and ineffective BFT in inducing unconsciousness by concussion.
Details
- Title
- Assessment of Donkey (Equus asinus) Welfare at Slaughter in Ghana
- Creators
- Katharine Fletcher - Royal Veterinary CollegeGeorgina Limon - The Pirbright InstituteEric Agongo - Ghana Poultry Network, GAPNET Food & Agr Org FAO, POB CT 5505, Accra, GhanaAnthony Akunzule - Ghana Poultry Network, GAPNET Food & Agr Org FAO, POB CT 5505, Accra, GhanaGloria Essel - Ghana Poultry Network, GAPNET Food & Agr Org FAO, POB CT 5505, Accra, GhanaBarbara Padalino - University of BolognaAndrew Grist - University of BristolTroy John Gibson - Royal Veterinary College
- Publication Details
- Animals, Vol.14(24), pp.1-23
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Number of pages
- 23
- Grant note
- World Horse Welfare
- Identifiers
- 991013293352202368
- Copyright
- © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Veterinary Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article