Preliminary Study Exploring Caretaker Perspectives of Euthanasia on Swine Operations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of euthanasia training, caretaker perceptions of euthanasia, and available resources for individuals who perform euthanasia as part of their job on swine operations in the United States. An online survey was distributed via an e-newsletter and in-person recruitment at swine industry events. Survey questions were related to training, attitudes towards performing euthanasia, work environment, and communication. Forty-five responses (17 workers, 21 managers, 7 owners) were recorded and summarized. The majority of workers (n = 14, 82%) agreed that they had “received enough training to euthanize pigs correctly” and that training had made them “confident about performing euthanasia”, yet 35% (6) also indicated they would like more euthanasia training. Less than one-third of workers indicated that strategies for dealing with “personal stress” (4, 24%) and “emotional wellness” 29% (5) were included in training programs but the majority (14, 82%) agreed that “trainings included human safety while performing euthanasia”. Most caretakers (37, 82%) agreed that they felt they could “communicate with my supervisors” if they felt uncomfortable performing euthanasia. Opportunities for the future include enhancing euthanasia training opportunities and content to include more awareness of strategies to deal with stress related to euthanasia.

Audience engagement when disseminating livestock information through infographics on social media

“…Beef and dairy cattle followers in this study tended to be younger than average ages previously reported for U.S. beef (55 to 70 years) and dairy cattle producers (>50 years; Martin et al, 2018;Sitienei et al, 2020;USDA NASS, 2015Wagner et al, 2020). In contrast, age demographics observed for equine, poultry, and swine followers were consistent with past reports for U.S. equine caretakers (45 to 60 years) and poultry (35 to 64 years) and swine producers (averaged 37 to 51 years; American Horse Council, 2018; Simpson et al, 2020;Stowe, 2012;USDA NASS, 2014, 2020. Gender demographics for dairy cattle and equine followers aligned past U.S. producer and caretaker demographic reports that found a majority were female (American Horse Council, 2018;Stowe, 2018;USDA NASS, 2019;Wagner et al, 2020).…”

“…Gender demographics for dairy cattle and equine followers aligned past U.S. producer and caretaker demographic reports that found a majority were female (American Horse Council, 2018;Stowe, 2018;USDA NASS, 2019;Wagner et al, 2020). However, previous reports show the majority of U.S. beef cattle, poultry, and swine producers are male (Simpson et al, 2020;Sitienei et al, 2020;USDA NASS, 2014, 2015, 2020. While the primary target audiences of livestock Extension Facebook pages are producers and caretakers, social media sites allow for a more expansive audience.…”

Preliminary Exploration of Weekly Peer Group Discussions as a Strategy for Coping with Feelings Associated with Euthanasia in Dairy Caretakers

“…Although the average age of the current study participants was relatively young compared to other aforementioned studies, perhaps the participants’ experience with having to make euthanasia decisions helped them accept euthanasia as an inevitable and sometimes essential component of animal care, similar to individuals who have had several pets over their lifetimes. Swine caretakers and veterinarians have indicated in previous survey studies that performing and making decisions about euthanasia gets easier with more experience [ 54 , 55 ]. Perhaps job experience could be explored in future studies as another factor impacting feelings associated with the loss of production animals due to euthanasia.…”

Frequency of disagreements between producers and veterinarians about pain management in cattle

“…There are opportunities to create continuing education resources for both veterinarians and producers that combine current scientific information about pain management and on-farm practical application. Other studies suggest veterinarians and caretakers are eager for more training on a variety of topics including euthanasia (McGee et al, 2016;Simpson et al, 2020), so it is reasonable to believe that producers and veterinarians would welcome more educational opportunities. This is one of the first studies exploring the nature of producerveterinarian conversations regarding pain management for cattle.…”