Discipline: Ethology

Providing elevated structures in the pullet rearing environment affects behavior during initial acclimation to a layer aviary

Allison N. Pullin, Christina B. Rufener, Suzanne T. Millman, John F. Tarlton, Michael J. Toscan

Published in 2024

Scientific article reporting that hens with access to elevated platforms during the rearing phase make better use of the space in laying aviaries when they are first transferred there than those reared on the ground. The latter acclimatize within 1-2 weeks, but continue to make little use of the highest level of the aviary.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Livestock buildings

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Gut Microbiome Characteristics Of Horses With History Of Cribbing Behavior: An Observational Study

Ana Margarita Arias-Esquivel, Kwang Cheol Jeong, Peixin Fan, Jill Lance, Sally DeNotta, Carissa Wickens

Published in 2023

Scientific article to assess whether the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota differs in horses receiving a gastric health support supplement or a placebo on the one hand, and between "cribbing" or "non-cribbing" horses on the other. No difference was observed, however, a link was established between cribbing and fecal microbiota composition.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Microbiota, Stress, Behavioural disorders

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Fetching felines: a survey of cat owners on the diversity of cat (Felis catus) fetching behaviour

Jemma Forman, Elizabeth Renner, David A. Leavens

Published in 2023

Scientific article showing that, according to cat owners, where cats engage in "fetching" sessions, it is mostly the cats who determine when sessions begin and end and actively influence their owners' play behavior.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Felines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Feeding management of giraffe towards positive welfare

Sarah Depauw, Leen Verbist, Jeroen Stevens, Marina Salas

Published in 2023

Scientific article using the Five Domains of Animal Welfare model to optimize feeding strategies that promote positive affective states in zoo giraffes. The changes that were introduced increased the animals' pleasure, gastrointestinal comfort and engagement.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Humans can identify reward-related call types of chickens

Nicky McGrath, Clive J. C. Phillips , Oliver H. P. Burman , Cathy M. Dwyer, Joerg Henning

Published in 2024

Scientific article testing whether humans can distinguish between chicken calls produced in different contexts (ie. chickens either expect or don't expect a reward), identify emotional valence (positive or negative) and intensity, and assess how excited chickens are, based on their calls. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Human-animal relationships, Vocalisation

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Does the provision of live black soldier fly and yellow mealworm larvae improve Muscovy duck welfare?

Marta Gariglio, Sihem Dabbou, Manuela Renna, Ilaria Biasato, Sara Bellezza Oddon, Marco Meneguz, Raul Daniel Miazzo, Stefania Bergagna, Elena Colombino, Elisabetta Macchi, Achille Schiavone

Published in 2023

Scientific paper evaluating the effect of fly larvae and mealworm-based feed enrichment on physiological and behavioral indicators of stress and aggression in Muscovy ducks, and on their growth performance.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Stress

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Elevated platforms for pigs - A review

Karen Kauselmann, Lars Schrader, E. Tobias Krause

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the value of raised platforms for the improvement of pig welfare. It discusses  different platform and ramp designs, a pig's biological ability to use them, the advantages and disadvantages for pigs and farmers, and methods used to evaluate the effects of platforms on pigs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing

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Cognitive tasks as measures of pig welfare: a systematic review

Thomas Ede, Thomas D. Parsons

Published in 2023

Systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of use and variety in cognitive approaches to the assessment of pig welfare. To this end, it quantifies the different cognitive tasks used and welfare interventions studied in the selected articles, and assesses the frequency with which cognitive task results are in line with treatment effects.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Lateralised Behavioural Responses in Livestock to Environmental Stressors: Implications for Using Infrared Thermography to Assess Welfare Conditions

Amira A. Goma, Jashim Uddin, Emily Kieson

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the lateralized behavioral responses of farm animals to environmental stressors, and the association between these responses and the infrared temperature of the external body surfaces concerned, with the aim of improving the use of non-invasive measures in the assessment of animal welfare conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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

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IoT and ML approach for ornamental fish behaviour analysis

K. Suresh Kumar Patro, Vinod Kumar Yadav, Vidya S. Bharti, Arun Sharma, Arpita Sharma, T. Senthilkumar

Published in 2023

Article using machine and deep learning techniques to analyze changes in goldfish behavior following changes in environmental parameters (water temperature and dissolved oxygen).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Enrichment, Living environment, Stress

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