Animal category: Pigs

Scientific review of innovative methods for collecting data on the emotions of farm animals  that can be used to train artificial intelligence models to classify, quantify, and predict emotional states in pigs and cows at individual and group levels.

Scientific review of the potential animal welfare risks posed by precision farming, whether these are direct, involving  machinery and equipment, technical failures or the poor choice of indicators, or indirect, involving the end-user, changes to animal housing or management, or a reduction in the consideration of ethical issues.  It calls for the systematic consideration of opportunities and risks when using PE techniques.

Scientific paper investigating the effect of an alternative housing system to improve cognitive resilience and also to promote pig welfare. It shows that the provision of social and environmental enrichments, which better meet the basic needs of the animals, appears to be beneficial to the welfare of pigs overall.

Announcement of the publication of the 3rd and final volume on farm animal welfare, produced in association with the MOOC of the same name, and coordinated by the VetAgroSup Chaire Bien-Être Animal.

Technical report presenting the results of a meta-analysis on the impact of climate change events (e.g. heat stress) on livestock welfare and productivity and on the effect of heat-control strategies on animal performance.

News item containing the statistics for herd sizes in EU member countries in 2021: 142 million pigs, 76 million cattle, 60 million sheep and 11 million goats. French herds accounted for 9% of pigs, 23% of cattle, 12% of sheep and 12% of goats in the EU.

Scientific review analysing the different potential risk factors for chronic stress in group-housed pregnant sows, addressing the mechanisms of chronic and prenatal stress, and identifying research needs on these topics.

New technical instruction cancelling and replacing that of 30 December 2021, and giving a new list of training courses recognised as equivalent to authorised animal welfare courses, if they have been followed by persons designated as animal welfare advisors between 1 January 2018 and 1 January 2022.

Conclusions of the monitoring committee for the video-monitoring pilot carried out in 5 volunteer abattoirs, all of which were satisfied with the system and wished to keep it. The advantages and disadvantages of this system are listed, and suggestions are made for improvements.

Article on a guide produced by the OSAV and the Swiss Association of Canton Veterinarians, which sets out the criteria for assessing an animal's suitability for transport and describes precautionary measures to ensure careful treatment of the animals.