Discipline: Ethology

European Parliament: Answer to Question E-001189/25: Access to open air areas for young organic poultry

Question: Christine Singer (Renew). Answer: Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

European parliamentary question on the need for flexibility and practical solutions in responding to the the requirement for young organic poultry to be given access to outdoor areas, so that animal welfare needs and structural or health constraints can be reconciled. The Commission reminds the deputy that Regulation (EU) 2018/848 provides for continuous outdoor access for at least one-third of a bird's life, sets minimum surface areas for modular areas and provides for transitional periods in which to adapt facilities.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

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Precision farming in aquaculture: non-invasive monitoring of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) behaviour in response to environmental conditions in commercial sea cages for health and welfare assessment

Burke Meredith, Nikolic Dragana, Fabry Pieter, Rishi Hemang, Telfer Trevor, Rey Planellas Sonia

Published in 2025

Study analyzing the swimming behavior of salmon in captivity using a computer vision algorithm. The results reveal that their vertical distribution varies according to temperature and weather conditions, suggesting directions for the improvement of management and welfare in aquaculture.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

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Using deep learning models to decode emotional states in horses

Phelipon, R., Lansade, L. & Razzaq, M.

Published in 2025

Study using machine learning models to predict the emotions of ridden horses on the basis of image analysis, comparing different cropping and training methods for convolutional neural network models. The results showed that cropped images of heads were sufficient to provide very good prediction levels (87% accuracy), and that the features used by the model for interpretation were similar to those used by experts.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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L’enrichissement du milieu de vie

Céline Tallet and Violaine Colson

Published in 2025

Article on environmental enrichment in captive animals. Conditions in captivity restrict the satisfaction of animals' physiological and ethological needs. Lack of stimulation and stressful practices can be detrimental to their welfare and affect the quality of scientific research carried out on these animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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La cognition, pierre angulaire des émotions et du bien-être des animaux

A. Boissy

Published in 2025

Article exploring the emotional and cognitive skills of animals, their consciousness and the affects of their psychological activity in order to arrive at the concept of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Developing appropriate environmental enrichment strategies for broiler breeders

Baxter, M., O'Connell, N.E.

Published in 2025

Study of environmental enrichment preferences in broiler broodstock reared commercially. The results show a clear preference for platform perches and interest in hanging observation balls. Additional dust baths proved of little use under well-maintained litter conditions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Relevance of state-behaviour feedbacks for animal welfare

Montalcini, C.M., Driver, C.C. and Mendl, M.T.

Published in 2025

Scientific review exploring the dynamic interactions between an animal's state (health, emotions) and behavior. These create positive or negative feedback loops that impact animal welfare. The authors propose adjustment strategies that favor positive affective states. The use of dynamic models incorporating longitudinal data is recommended to improve understanding and achieve sustainable improvements in animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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The neurobiological basis of emotions and their connection to facial expressions in non-human mammals: insights in nonverbal communication

Daniel Mota-Rojas, Alexandra L. Whittaker, Cécile Bienboire-Frosini, Jhon Buenhombre, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Julio Martínez-Burnes, Ismael Hernández-Avalos, Adriana Olmos-Hernández, Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza, Alejandro Casas-Alvarado, Karina Lezama-García, Temple Grandin

Published in 2025

Scientific synthesis exploring the emotional sensitivity of non-human mammals, manifested in particular by facial expressions associated with limbic system activity. The AnimalFACS tool, adapted from the human Facial Action Coding System, makes the scientific analysis of these facial movements possible for several animal species. This approach helps to improve the understanding and interpretation of animal emotions, facilitating more accurate non-verbal communication between humans and animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Mammals

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Validation of qualitative behaviour assessment for dairy cows at pasture

L. Aubé, M.M. Mialon, I. Veissier, A. de Boyer des Roches

Published in 2025

Scientific article testing Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) as a means to measure the emotional states of dairy cows on pasture, assessing its reliability and ability to distinguish between different emotional contexts. The results show that QBA is able to identify variations in emotion and arousal, although there is room for improvement in inter-observer reliability. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Évaluation approfondie du bien-être des bovins en unités expérimentales INRAE : le protocole Welfare Quality®

Lydiane Aubé, Marie-Madeleine Mialon, Sarah Barbey, Raphaëlle Botreau

Published in 2025

Technical article proposing an in-depth assessment of cattle welfare in INRAE's experimental units to supplement  regular monitoring, based on Welfare Quality® protocols. This approach includes assessment by external agents followed by an advice phase in which improvements can be identified that are tailored to different types of cattle and farming contexts.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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