Discipline: Ethology

Shelter-seeking behavior of donkeys and horses in a temperate climate

Leanne Proops, Britta Osthaus, Nikki Bell, Sarah Long, Kristin Hayday, Faith Burden

Published in 2020

Preview: “Domestic donkeys descended from wild asses, adapted to the semi-arid climates of Africa, whereas domestic horses originate from more temperate areas of Eurasia. Despite this difference in evolutionary history, modern domestic equids can be found throughout the world, in a wide range of conditions, many of which are very different from their natural environments. [This study aims to explore] the protection from the elements that different equid species may require in the temperate climate of the UK.”

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Horse vision and obstacle visibility in horseracing

Sarah Catherine Paul, Martin Stevens

Published in 2020

Study of racehorses' visual perceptions of the characteristics of their environments during racing and how they respond to them, intended to improve horse welfare and the safety of horses and jockeys.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Does Thirty-Minute Standardised Training Improve the Inter-Observer Reliability of the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS)? A Case Study

Francesca Dai, Mattew Leach, Amelia Mari MacRae, Michela Minero, Emanuela Dalla Costa

Published in 2020

Preview: “The recognition of pain in equine practice is highly dependent on the assessors’ reliability in using pain assessment tools. The Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) is one such tool, a facial-expression-based pain coding system able to identify a range of acute painful conditions in horses. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a standardised HGS training program at improving the agreement of assessors without horse experience by comparison with an expert.“

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Pain, Welfare indicators, Stress

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A Retrospective Survey of Factors Affecting the Risk of Incidents and Equine Injury During Non-Commercial Transportation by Road in the United Kingdom

Carol Hall, Rachel Kay, Jim Green

Published in 2020

Study to identify factors associated with the occurrence of incidents and with injuries to equidae during transport by road in the UK.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Pain, Stress, Transport

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Pig elimination behavior - A review

Heidi Mai-Lis Andersen, Anne Grete Kongsted, Malene Jakobsen

Published in 2020

Review of the elimination behaviours of pigs and their relationships with their on-farm environment, with the ultimate aim of encouraging pigs to dispose of their waste in dedicated areas. An environmental and animal welfare issue.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Societal issues, Environment, Housing, Living environment, Pollution

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Effect of diet on non-nutritive oral behavior performance in cattle: A systematic review

Emily E. Ridge, Margaret J. Foster, Courtney L. Daigle

Published in 2020

Preview: “Oral stereotypies are often performed by cattle as a behavioral coping mechanism. Non-nutritive oral behaviors in cattle may be caused by limited access to roughage. Non-nutritive oral behaviors may be a behavioral signal of a welfare concern in cattle, but may also be a useful behavioral proxy for rumen status.”

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Anxiety, Enrichment, Stress, Psychiatric disorder

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Social genetic effects in livestock: Current status and future avenues of research

Piter Bijma

Published in 2020

Review of the social genetic effect, i.e. the effect of an individual animal's genotype on the phenotypic traits of its social partners.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines, Poultry

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

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Effect of pen design on tail biting and tail-directed behaviour of finishing pigs with intact tails

P. Brandt, F. Hakansson, T. Jensen, M. B. F. Nielsen, H. P. Lahrmann, C. F. Hansen, B. Forkman

Published in 2020

Comparison of pig behaviour and prevalence of tail biting in finishing pigs with intact tails housed in two different types of pens in commercial production conditions in Denmark.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues, Risk management, Housing, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Enrichment use in finishing pigs and its relationship with damaging behaviours: Comparing three wood species and a rubber floor toy

Jen-Yun Chou, Rick B. D'Eath, Dale Andrew Sandercock, Keelin O'Driscoll

Published in 2020

Comparison of the effects of enrichment with three species of wood and a rubber floor toy in finishing pig farms, study of the relationship between toy use and harmful behaviours, and physiological and physical measures for stress and injury.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Mutilation

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How Are Information Technologies Addressing Broiler Welfare? A Systematic Review Based on the Welfare Quality® Assessment

Heitor Vieira Rios, Paulo Dabdab Waquil, Patrícia Soster de Carvalho, Tomas Norton

Published in 2020

Preview: “The question posed for the review was “which ITs are related to welfare and how do they monitor this for broilers?”. The Welfare Quality® (WQ) protocol for broiler assessment was utilized as a framework to analyse suitable articles. A total of 57 studies were reviewed wherein all principles of broiler welfare were addressed.”

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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

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