Differenti tipologie di gestione, quale benessere per gli asini?

Since the early 90 the world population of donkeys is reported to be rapidly shrinking. The fall in population is pronounced in developed countries: in Europe, the total number of donkeys fell from 3 million in 1944 to just over 1 million in 1994. However, in recent years, the growing affirmation of a culture sensitive to environmental protection and to the rediscovery of the traditions has resulted in a renewed interest in the species. The definition of objective parameters for animal welfare in animal science and related guidelines is a fundamental objective of the Veterinary Public Health. In this study we were evaluated some specific immunity parameters (serum lysozyme, the serum bactericidal activity, total haemolytic complement and oxidative stress) executed in two different types of donkeys management. The values obtained from this survey, in addition to asses any differences between the two groups, can be considered a starting point for the determination of the reference baseline levels, to assess the immune status in donkey species