Discipline: Ergonomics

Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Section 7: Animal Welfare. Chapter 7.3: Transport of Animals by Land

WOAH

Published in 1982

Code sanitaire de l’OMSA pour les animaux terrestres pour le transport par voie maritime

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Cattle, Goats, Horses, Mammals, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry

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Ensuring ethical beef production: A comprehensive risk assessment of animal welfare during transportation and slaughter processes

Piotr Janiszewski, Marco Misuraca, Egidia Costanzi, Beniamino Cenci Goga

Published in 2025

EFSA project seeking to produce an updated cattle handling pathway during transport and slaughter that would reduce stress, reliance on coercive devices and the risk of injury due to trama or falls. The project demonstrates how compliance with animal welfare standards can be harmonized with operational efficiency, safety, and product quality.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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A scoping review of (dis-)incentives for animal welfare-improving farming practices

Trevor Woolley, Sharon Pailler, Jonathan McFadden, Zach Raff, Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky, Kevin Kuruc

Published in 2025

Analysis of the literature on economic incentives and barriers to the adoption of animal welfare practices animal welfare the perspective of producers. Costs are a major barrier, while certain improvements to the rearing environment can benefit health and productivity.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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Review on environmental enrichments for farmed rabbits

Moles Xenia, Abdelli Nedra, Tolini Clara

Published in 2025

Summary of the different types of environmental enrichment used for domestic rabbits.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Monogastric

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Focusing on biological stimuli: a new framework for environmental enrichment in aquaculture and fisheries fields

Yijie He, Zonghang Zhang, Zhenghao Xiao, Bo Liang, Jiezhang Mo, Boshan Zhu, Wenhua Liu

Published in 2026

Scientific synthesis on environmental enrichment for captive fish. Enrichment enhances fish adaptability and welfare, but its development is hampered by methodological and conceptual limitations. The authors propose new theoretical and practical frameworks to strengthen scientific rigor and guide the design of multisensory enrichment, particularly biotic enrichment, in aquaculture.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

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Considerations for the Welfare of Ruminants During Transport

Lily Edwards-Callaway, Genaro C. Miranda de la Lama, Daniela M. Meléndez, Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein

Published in 2025

Article covering critical areas of transport that veterinarians must consider when striving to maintain and improve the welfare of ruminants.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Ruminants

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Behavioural adaptations of livestock to environmental stressors: implications for welfare and productivity

Oke OE, Eletu TA, Akosile OA, Fasasi LO, Adeniji OE, Ojedokun MZ, Oni AI

Published in 2025

Synthetic article analyzing behavioral adaptations associated with environmental stressors in livestock and emphasizing the importance of assessment tools and targeted management strategies for the improvement of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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The road to reform: in support of a strong revision of animal transport rules

Gabriela Kubikova

Published in 2025

Guidance note on reforming European regulations on the transport of live animals

Document Types: Opinions

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

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A review: effect of different floor surfaces and space allocation on the welfare and performance of indoor finishing beef cattle

Keane, M. P., Cuevas-Gómez, I., Earley, B.

Published in 2025

Review analyzing the effects of floor type and available space on the welfare and performance of beef cattle. Soft flooring, straw bedding and sufficient space improve comfort and locomotor activity, while allometric equations help the more precise calculation of space requirements.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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Impacts of Reduced Stocking Density on Broiler Welfare During Transport: Evidence from a Hungarian Study Under Moderate Climatic Conditions

László Szőllősi, Dániel Fróna, Laura Mihály-Karnai, Attila Csorbai

Published in 2025

Hungarian study showing that the reduction in  the transport density of broiler chickens recommended by the EFSA to improve their welfare can nevertheless result in higher mortality, and more injuries and condemned carcasses. The results suggest that increasing the space allowance does not necessarily improve welfare under moderate temperature conditions and that further research is required.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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