Animal category: Poultry

Final report of an audit of Sweden carried out from 23 November to 2 December 2021 in order to evaluate the protection of the welfare of laying hens at all stages of production

DG SANTE

Published in 2022

Report from DG SANTE concluding that animal welfare regulations for laying hens in Sweden are stricter than those in the EU, and that the effectiveness of the official controls and the internal audit programme on welfare controls is good. It describes the system's the strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Risk management

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Sénat : réponse écrite à la question n°01929 : Règles régissant l’abattage des animaux de consommation

Question: Jean-Louis Masson (Moselle - NI) Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on why, given that several European Union member countries have banned ritual slaughter involving the cutting of the throats of live of animals for human consumption, such bans should be deemed compatible with European law in some countries but not in France.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Awareness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

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The Social Construction of Narratives and Arguments in Animal Welfare Discourse and Debate

Mukhtar Muhammad, Jessica E. Stokes, Lisa Morgans, Louise Manning

Published in 2022

Scientific review analyzing how narrative discourse and the presentation of arguments contribute to the social construction of representations of farm animal welfare in the scientific community. The authors examine the scientific literature and analyse it according to 5 narrative points of view. Depending on the point of view, the reasons given for why farmed animals should lead decent lives are different.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords: Societal issues

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The Double-Edged Sword: International Law and Its Effects on EU Farm Animal Welfare Legislation

Alice Di Concetto

Published in 2022

Scholarly article that analyzes the positive role of international cooperation, facilitated by the Council of Europe, in the adoption of European legislation on farm-animal welfare. It sets out the limitations of these international legal tools in providing adequate regulation of market forces and proposes legal remedies to improve the treatement and welfare of animals where past international efforts have failed.

Document Types: Scientific paper

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

Keywords: Societal issues

French National Assembly : réponse écrite à la question n°615 : conditions de transport des animaux vivants en période de canicule

Journal Officiel of the French Republic

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on whether the French Government intends to revise the July 22, 2019 order restricting the duration of the transport of animals during heat waves, which was deemed insufficient by the questioner

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Stress, Transport

Executive Summmary of the Fitness Check - EU Animal Welfare Legislation

EU Commission

Published in 2022

This summary of the quality assessment highlights the positive role that European regulations have played in advancing animal welfare, particularly for species covered by specific directives. But problems persist, differences in implementation are noted between member countries, and enforcement is insufficient. The review concludes that the current rules do not sufficiently take into account society's growing expectations, ethical concerns, scientific and technological developments and future sustainability challenges.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:All subjects

Farm Environmental Enrichments Improve the Welfare of Layer Chicks and Pullets: A Comprehensive Review

Dan Xu, Gang Shu, Yanting Liu, Pingwu Qin, Yilei Zheng, Yaofu Tian, Xiaoling Zhao, Xiaohui Du

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the different types of environmental enrichment of caged laying hens and their effects on animal behaviours and welfare, but also on productivity and product quality. It emphasizes the need for farm staff to be properly trained to manage enrichment practices effectively.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Manger l’animal ou la gestion du tragique : une brève histoire du lien homme-animal

Païdeia Consulting Group

Published in 2022

This article reviews the history of the gradual distancing of humans from farmed animals, culminating in the questioning of a meat-based human diet.  It proposes ways to reconcile a respect for farmed animals with their slaughter for consumption.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Breeding and rearing systems

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Final report of an audit of Germany carried out from 21 September to 1 October 2021 in order to evaluate the protection of the welfare of laying hens at all stages of production

DG SANTE

Published in 2022

Report from DG SANTE concluding that animal welfare regulations for laying hens in Germany are stricter than those in the EU, and that the effectiveness of official controls is strong. It records the German system's strengths and proposes opportunities for improvement.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Risk management

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Welfare of domestic birds and rabbits transported in containers

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

EFSA scientific opinion on the protection of domestic birds and rabbits during transport. The main welfare consequences during loading and unloading are handling stress, injury, restriction of movement and sensory hyperstimulation; those while travelling and on arrival are injury, restriction of movement, sensory hyperstimulation, movement stress, heat, cold, prolonged hunger and prolonged thirst. These welfare consequences and the indicators measured on the animals are described. The hazards that cause them, and recommendations on how to avoid such hazards and to correct or mitigate their effects on welfare  are presented.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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