M’sia’s ‘Dr Dolittle’ fights for livestock’s welfare

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KUALA LUMPUR: The sight of any chicken dishes, either fried or curried apart from a host of other chicken-based culinary delights, would tend to stimulate one’s taste buds.But do we ever wonder about the welfare of this poultry life before its meat, in the culinary form, reached our dining table.

A video show during a recent talk by Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Professor Dr Zulkifli Idrus was really an eye opener on how the live chickens were ‘handled’ before being brought to the slaughter house.

Prof Zulkifli was giving a lecture on ‘Poultry Welfare in Modern Agriculture, Opportunity or Threat’ at the UPM campus in Serdang.

The video showed that right from the very first minute, the birds were roughly grabbed from their enclosures before being shoved and cramped into basket-like containers aboard a lorry.

No one appeared to be bothered whether the birds were ‘broken’ or hurt.

As long as the job was done, nobody really cared.

The baskets were then piled up before the lorry began its journey to the slaughter house. A trip that would usually takes hours.

For the chickens in the baskets that were on top of the stack, there could be some air for their comfort.

But what about those in baskets in the middle and bottom of the stacks? The long journey definitely posed great discomfort to this poor poultry life.

Even though the video recording was not that of a local scenario, it would make us ponder upon whether a similar situation happened to the chickens in the nation’s poultry industry.

When speaking to Bernama after the lecture, Prof Zulkifli said the public awareness on the welfare of livestock in Malaysia is still ‘zero’.

Prof Zulkifli, also known as Malaysia’s very own Dr Dolittle Malaysia among friends, said such awareness needed the participation of all parties, including the society and those directly involved in the poultry farming industry.

“Awareness on the welfare of the livestock should be there, as long as the animals are under our care and as long as they are alive.

“The same with chickens and ducks, let’s say that the life of the chicken is six weeks before being slaughtered. The breeders should take care of this livestock during its life span”.

According to Prof Zulkifli, the perception that the chicken would finally end up in slaughter houses is the main reason why their welfare is being neglected.

“Why care? Who cares? To me this is a wrong perception. Right to the very end of its life, we must take care of the livestock’s welfare.

“This is what I have always stressed. If the animals are pet dogs and cats, we see how people take care of them as if they are a part of their family,” he said.

He depicted a scenario over the situation of live chickens at the slaughter houses. The birds were left for a long time without food and water. They were left cramped in small basket-like containers without room to move.

No doubt, some would die even before catching a glimpse of the slaughterman’s knife.

That particular point should be noted by the operator of the slaughter house and also the consumers.

He also cited an example where it has become a habit in some countries to shove a sheep, with its legs tied, into a car.

“That is the concept that we want to change. Not only that the slaughter should be according to the Muslim or proper way. But we want it to be the Muslim way right from the beginning,” he said.

According to the information available in the Selangor Veterinary Service Department website, well taken care livestock coupled with comfortable environment would grow well and maximise the farm’s output.

It begins right from the time when the chicks were obtained, until the chickens were sent to the market.

Maximum output requires integrated factors like the quality of the chicks, quality of the feeding, healthcare management and environment.

Any form of stress should be avoided as it would affect the poultry’s productivity and resistance to disease.

Quality chicks would grow well. The feed should be in good quality and amount. Each chicken should have enough space, feed and water according to the respective growth stages.

The height of the feed and water containers should be correct  respective of the growth. All of these avoid stress and wastage apart from ensuring uniformity in growth.

The technology utilised should boost the care of the livestock. For example an enclosure with adequate and regulated ventilation that provide cooler and more comfortable surroundings to the chickens.

According to the provisions stated, the concept of well-cared livestock farming brings along maximum returns.

However, is the implementation by livestock farmers according to the criteria stated by the Veterinary Service Department? How many of the poultry farmers adhere to the recommendations? The live chickens need bigger space but there are many among the poultry farmers who leave their livestock in very cramped enclosures to the extent the chickens having to ‘step on each other’ when feeding.

This cramped condition is also a key factor in inviting poultry diseases.

For example, an infection on the chicken’s sole appears nothing to us but it is extremely painful to the bird.

Prof Zulkifli said there is no emphasis on livestock’s welfare in the third world and poor countries like those in Southeast Asia and Africa.

In the west, like the European Union (EU) countries and United Kingdom, this is a major issue.

In developing countries, the issue is considered trivial as the priority is on providing enough food for the population, therefore there is no room to think about the welfare of the livestock, he said.

“In Malaysia, the awareness should be present as the country has reached the developed stage. We can see many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) carrying the cause on issues over pets and animals in the zoo, but we have yet to see the NGO fighting for the welfare of livestock.

“We should realise that the responsibility is not only on the shoulders of the livestock breeders. Consumers should also play their role. If they want the livestock breeders to take the initiative, then the consumers should be willing to also share the high costs shouldered by the livestock breeders,” he said.

He said the issue is not something that threatens the industry or that which could create anger from those in the industry.

Prof Zulkifli said this may offend the industry if too many restrictions are imposed.

“But in terms of costs, this is unfair. If bigger enclosures are used, then the egg price will go up. But consumers sould not allow the livestock farmers to bear all of the costs. They should be willing to pay more,” he said.

For example in the EU nations, they labelled the egg and chicken meat differently.

For the poor, the welfare of the chickens is secondary. For those who can afford it, they will buy the items.

“It is the same with the Omega 3 egg concept here. For those who can afford it, they will buy. The choice is with the consumers. We want those who can afford it like doctors, lawyers and other professionals to be aware over this issue. Then the welfare of the livestock can be improved.

“Maybe many take it easily. Chicken…so what. But we should realise the chickens have feelings too, they feel pain and sorrow. I am confident that continuous education will boost the public awareness on this issue,” he said. — Bernama