Animal category: Sheep

Review: Exploring the use of Precision Livestock Farming for small ruminant welfare management

C. Morgan-Davies, G. Tesnière, J.M. Gautier, G.H.M. Jørgensen, E. González-García, S.I. Patsios, E.N. Sossidou, T.W.J. Keady, B. McClearn, F. Kenyon, G. Caja, L. Grøva, M. Decandia, L. Cziszter, I. Halachmi, C.M. Dwyer

Published in 2024

Scientific review identifying the main welfare problems of small ruminants and the associated indicators, along with 24 precision farming technologies that could measure these indicators, of which 12 are sensors measuring data derived from animal-based indicators.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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Welfare of sheep and goats during killing for purposes other than slaughter

EFSA Panel of Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2024

EFSA opinion assessing the risks and welfare implications associated with on-farm slaughtering of sheep and goats. It proposes animal-based measures to assess these risks, and preventive and corrective measures to mitigate them.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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National Assembly: written answer to question n°14325: Submission of government report on on-farm slaughtering trials

Question: Lisa Belluco (Ecologist - NUPES - Vienna). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2024

Question from a Member of the French National Assembly on the introduction of mobile on-farm slaughterhouses. The French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty has announced the recent publication of a regulation amending Regulation (EC) 853/53/2004 to regulate the use of mobile on-farm slaughter units.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords: Carcass quality, Euthanasia, Housing,Animal trade, Pain, Transport

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Animal welfare at slaughter: perceptions and knowledge across cultures

Michelle Sinclair, Maria José Hötzel, Natasha Y. P. Lee, Maria Catalina T. de Luna, Arvind Sharma, Musadiq Idris, Mohammad Ariful Islam, Oluwaseun S. Iyasere, Grisel Navarro, Abdelkareem A. Ahmed, Georgette Leah Burns, Michael Curry, Jeremy N. Marchant

Published in 2023

Analysis of a survey of the general public to assess knowledge and attitudes towards animal welfare during slaughter (including religious slaughter), in 14 culturally and religiously diverse countries. The results suggest that concern for reducing animal suffering during slaughter is a universal human tendency rather than a cultural development. Acceptance of slaughter without prior stunning is linked to local interpretations of religious requirements.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Education, Euthanasia, Fear, Human-animal relationships

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Consumers across five European countries prioritise animal welfare above environmental sustainability when buying meat and dairy products

Jeanine Ammann, Gabriele Mack, Nadja El Benni, Shan Jin, Paul Newell-Price, Sophie Tindale, Erik Hunter, Victoria Vicario-Modroño, Rosa Gallardo-Cobos, Pedro Sánchez-Zamora, Simona Miškolci, Lynn J. Frewer

Published in 2024

Analysis of a survey among meat and dairy consumers in five European countries showing that freshness, quality/taste and animal welfare are the characteristics considered to be most important. Environmental factors such as food miles, carbon footprints and organic production appear to bew less important, even if they are perceived as useful.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Education, Carcass quality, Environment, Carcass quality, Pollution, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators, Processing, Societal issues

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Climate change, public health, and animal welfare: towards a One Health approach to reducing animal agriculture's climate footprint

Verkuijl Cleo, Smit Jessie, Green Jonathan M. H., Nordquist Rebecca E., Sebo Jeff, Hayek Matthew N., Hötzel Maria José

Published in 2024

Scientific summary article comparing the potential impacts on public health and animal welfare of three types of strategies often proposed in livestock farming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: (1) "sustainable intensification" methods, (2) "species shift" approaches, and (3) "systemic dietary change" approaches.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Environment, Risk management, Living environment, One Welfare, Pollution, Livestock farming system, Societal issues

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A scoping review of the use of bioacoustics to assess various components of farm animal welfare

Mathilde Coutant, Avelyne S. Villain, Elodie F. Briefer

Published in 2024

Scientific summary article describing the AI bioacoustic tools that are currently available for the assessment and monitoring of the welfare of farm animals. The article does, however, stress that it is currently rare to see these methods used on the ground  to help farm management. 

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Vocalisation

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Bien-être des animaux : quels critères scientifiques pour construire un étiquetage des produits alimentaires ? Rapport de l’Anses

Anses

Published in 2024

News item on an Anses report recommending a harmonized comprehensive food product labeling system using animal-based scientific welfare indicators and also take into account the living conditions of their parents.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Castration, Animal trade, Enrichment, Identification, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Mutilation, Prenatal issues, Sterilization, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transport, Behavioural disorders, Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Monetizing Animal Welfare Impacts for Benefit-Cost Analysis

Budolfson Mark, Espinosa Romain, Fischer Bob, Treich Nicolas

Published in 2024

Article proposing an analytical tool that sites the impacts of public policy on animal welfare within the same framework as impacts on human welfare, the environment and the economy. This would enable the advantages and disadvantages of public policies to be expressed both globally and more accurately, and would make it possible to compare different impacts. To this end, the authors propose a method for monetizing animal welfare that expresses the intrinsic value of impacts on animal welfare in monetary terms.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Wildlife, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Biodiversity, Environment, Risk management, Population management, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Modelling, One Welfare,  Livestock farming system, Societal issues

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The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare - 2023 Report

Nicky Amos, Dr Nathan Rhys Williams MRCVS and Jessica Doten Axberg

Published in 2024

Report from Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), on the ways that major global food companies take animal welfare into account. While 95% of them recognize the importance of animal welfare (versus 79% in 2012), 93% received the lowest scores. Three companies stood out positively.

Document Types: Technical review

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

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Animal trade, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Education, Housing, Abuse, Restraint equipment, Mutilation, Livestock farming system, Pain, Stress, Societal issues, Transport

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