Animal category: Cattle

Scientific review of the reasons why intensive livestock farming continues to be the dominant farming system in Europe, and the measures that need to be taken to encourage livestock sectors to make the transition to non-intensive farming methods.

Answer to a question on the European Commission's position on the banning of the transport of live animals when the temperature exceeds 30°C, and on how it intends to strengthen the regulations to better control such transport of live animals.

Scientific review of the benefits and risks of grazing for dairy cows, measures that can be used to assess the welfare of cows on pasture, and the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to develop specific welfare indicators.

Scientific paper to evaluate the possible economic impact of improved animal welfare in abattoirs; to develop an economic model demonstrating the theoretical contribution of animal welfare to the profitability of abattoirs; and to validate this economic model through focus groups of Swedish abattoir personnel.

Scientific article presenting the available methods to control or confine of farm animals through the use of electric shocks and reminding readers that their use, which is likely to cause pain, must be ethically justifiable and provide clear welfare benefits. It sets out the potential welfare implications of each method.

bonds, environmental influences on social behavior and welfare, mechanisms and development of social behaviors, ways to promote positive social interactions and minimize disruptions to basic social bonds

Report by Res Publica outlining proposals to enable animal welfare to be taken into account in international trade, to UK animal food products, which are subject to high animal welfare standards that result in additional costs, from being penalised internationally.

Thematic dossier providing information on French  regulations, the number of abattoirs in France, the role of veterinary services in abattoirs, and the controls carried out for animal protection purposes.

Scientific review on the use of precision farming techniques to improve the health, welfare and production of farm animals. It emphasizes the importance of affordable, reliable and easy-to-use equipment, providing data that reflect - adequately and in real time - different aspects of animal welfare status within the herd.

Scientific review describing organic milk production systems, and the husbandry practices they include that could affect animal welfare, including alternative methods of pain management during calf disbudding and treatment of mastitis in cows as well as management of adverse behaviours during milking.