Welfare Assessment and Identification of the Associated Risk Factors Compromising the Welfare of Working Donkeys (Equus asinus) in Egyptian Brick Kilns

Abstract

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Working donkeys suffer from many welfare challenges associated with, for example, physical health, poor living conditions, and unfair treatment. The aim of this study is to assess the welfare of working donkeys in the El-Saf brick kilns, identifying the health risk factors, establishing welfare regulations, enacting legislation, and implementing welfare strategies aimed at improving the quality of life of donkeys and owners within communities. The study found that working donkeys in Egypt suffer from many types of wounds associated with parts of the harness, such as the saddle, breeching, and neck collar, and with excessive force/beating, the shaft of the cart, and improper tethering. They often live in unhealthy housing situations, and a high percentage suffer from aggressive behavior. The study found an association between these health risks, behavioral parameters, and body condition in Egyptian working donkeys. Body condition was affected by multiple factors, including the number of hours worked/day, the number of donkeys/kilns, the distance from loading to unloading bricks in an oven, and the amount of concentrated food/donkey. ABSTRACT: Donkeys are a cornerstone in human existence, having played an important role throughout history in different economic activities, such as working in brick kilns in Egypt. This study was conducted from January 2017 to the end of April 2017 in the El-Saf brick kilns, which are located to the south of the Giza Governorate and 57 Km away from Cairo. Physical clinical health and behavior data were collected from 179 donkeys spanning over a random sample of 20 brick kilns selected from the El-Saf brick kilns. Behavioral, physical health, harness, and environmental parameters were assessed and recorded. The study found that 80 ± 3% (n = 179) of kiln donkeys have some type of wound, and the most serious wound is a beating wound (49 ± 3.7%), which is caused by drivers hitting the donkeys. The drivers are mostly children, who have insufficient knowledge, skills, and ...