Animal category: Cattle

Beyond Minimizing Suffering: A Comparative Review of Positive Welfare Assessment in Fish and Terrestrial Farmed Animals

Papadaki K, Samaras A, Hoorweg FA, and Pavlidis M

Published in 2026

Review highlighting the growing interest in positive animal welfare indicators, but noting a lack of research in aquaculture.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Fish, Porcines, Poultry

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Deep Learning-Based Classification of Wakefulness, Sleep, and Rumination States in Dairy Cows Using Polysomnography and RumiWatch Data

Chuanyi Guo, Emma Ternman, Xinjie Zhao, Kai Liu, Mutian Niu

Published in 2026

Article describing the RumiWatch deep learning model, an accessible sensor-based system that automatically annotates and classifies states of wakefulness, sleep, and rumination in dairy cows based on polysomnographic data.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Dairy Farmers’ Attitudes and Empathy, and Cattle’s Reactions to Humans in Cow-Calf Systems Compared to Early Separation

Anna Rademann, Marie Louise Schneider, Andreas Futschik, Grahame Coleman, Susanne Waiblinger

Published in 2026

Study showing that farmers who allow continued cow-calf contact express more positive attitudes toward cattle and their needs than those who practice early separation, but the farming method does not influence the distance at which calves and cows avoid humans.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Early social housing promotes positive behavioral opportunities in pre-weaned dairy calves

Michail Sabino Moroz, Laura Katherine Whalin, João Henrique Cardoso Costa, Ruan Rolnei Daros

Published in 2026

Study conducted on dairy calves showing that pair housing  from one week of age promotes positive behaviors (exploration, play, mutual grooming) and reduces negative behaviors compared to individual housing or pairing at four weeks of age.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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The public perception of animal welfare in dairy cow farming: a systematic literature review approach

Masi M, Dolfi E, Vecchio Y, Zambianchi L, Mammi LME.

Published in 2026

Meta-analysis showing that the public primarily associates the welfare of dairy cows with the possibility of expressing natural behaviors, particularly through access to pasture and maintaining cow-calf contact, whereas certain farming practices are viewed negatively.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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Finnish Farmers’ Perceptions of the Roles of Farmers, Authorities, and Industry in Farm Animal Welfare and of Subsidy Development

Terhi Simonen-Jokinen

Published in 2026

Study conducted among Finnish cattle and sheep farmers showing that, in their view, improvements to animal welfare depend on better coordination between farmers, authorities, and industry stakeholders, and on appropriate subsidies, clear regulations, reduced paperwork and strengthened support.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Cattle, Sheep

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Review: How Do We Measure Animal Welfare On Farm? Indicators, Proxies, and Gold Standards

C.M. Dwyer, G.H.M. Jørgensen, J.-M. Gautier

Published in 2026

Literature review concluding that the assessment of animal welfare in livestock production should prioritize animal-based measures — particularly behavioral indicators — in order to better understand an animal’s mental state and daily experiences. Current assessment methods still fail to incorporate positive welfare and quality of life sufficiently.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Sustainable livestock farming that respects animal health and welfare

panel of authors

Published in 2026

A special issue of the journal *Innovations Agronomiques* featuring nine articles on the topic of sustainable livestock farming that respects animal welfare and health

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Animal Welfare in the Age of Digitalization: Computer Vision in the Context of Foundational Structure

Bosschaert, M.T., Gremmen, B.

Published in 2026

Article highlighting the need to examine ethical issues beyond the scope of livestock farming practices that are raised by the use of Computer Vision and AI to monitor animal welfare. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Is organic livestock farming more welfare-friendly than conventional livestock farming? – A systematic literature review in terms of animal health, welfare, and management

Wagner, K., March, S., Haager, D., Brinkmann, J.

Published in 2026

Meta-analysis showing that organic farming does not consistently have a more positive effect on animal welfare than conventional farming. The results would appear to indicate that  factors relating to management have a greater influence on animal welfare than the farming system itself.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal Categories: Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs, All Animals, Poultry

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