Discipline: Genetics

Bien-être : la France bon élève en poulet, selon le Better Chicken Commitment

Sheila Kolani

Published in 2024

ChickenTrack 2023 has assessed the commitment of 85 companies to animal welfare on chicken farms, showing an encouraging increase from 39% to 65% of European companies who publicly reported on their work for transition under the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in 2023. In France, of the 34 companies assessed, 68% published information on their progress.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Identification, Housing, Societal issues

Go to document

Stop culling male layer-type chick: an overview of the alternatives and public perspective

Francesca Coppola, Gisella Paci, Matteo Profeti, Simone Mancini

Published in 2023

Scientific study summarizing available literature sources on alternatives to the current culling method for male chicks and the public's view of these approaches. In ovo sex determination appears to be the main potential alternative method to the culling of male chicks, and the one preferred by consumers, especially if carried out during the early days of incubation.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Societal issues, Euthanasia, Prenatal issues, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Why do dogs wag their tails?

Silvia Leonetti, Giulia Cimarelli, Taylor A. Hersh, Andrea Ravignani

Published in 2024

Scientific review of the mechanism, ontogeny, function and evolution of tail-wagging behavior in dogs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Evolutionary processes, Human-animal relationships

Go to document

Fin de l’élimination des poussins mâles d’un jour : le choix du sexage in ovo

Sophie Rehault-Godbert, Marie Bourin, Joël Gautron, Maxime Quentin

Published in 2023

Scientific review that recaps the French decree banning the killing of male chicks from laying-hen lines, and sets out the three possible alternatives. Of these, in ovo sexing is the only route that is currently technically and economically viable, and this is presented in depth.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Euthanasia

Go to document

L’avenir de la conception des élevages : bien-être animal et génétique

Bjarne K. Pedersen

Published in 2023

Article outlining the factors contributing to animal welfare considerations and developments in genetics that have greatly increased prolificacy, looking at their consequences for the design of pig farming facilities.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Impact of heat stress on dairy cattle and selection strategies for thermotolerance: a review

Shannon L. Cartwright, Julie Schmied, Niel Karrow, Bonnie A. Mallard

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the impacts of heat stress on the production, fertility, health and mortality of dairy cows, and of the advantages and disadvantages of the various strategies that have been proposed for the selction of heat-tolerant cows.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Risk management, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness

Go to document

Review: Space allowance for growing pigs: Animal welfare, performance and on-farm practicality

K.L. Chidgey

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the scientific basis for the most common approaches to determining minimum space allowances for growing pigs. It examines the various factors that influence and interact with their spatial requirements. It stresses the need for further research replicating commercial conditions to ensure that recommendations deliver positive welfare outcomes in a way that is both practical and relevant.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, One Welfare, Behavioural disorders, Societal issues

Go to document

Epigenetic biomarkers for animal welfare monitoring

Rose Whelan, Sina Tönges, Florian Böhl, Frank Lyko

Published in 2023

Scientific review describing animal DNA methylation patterns and methods for their analysis, an overview of the molecular and biological basis for the development of epigenetic biomarkers in veterinary science, and their potential use in animal welfare monitoring.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators

Go to document

Domestic dog lineages reveal genetic drivers of behavioral diversification

Emily V. Dutrow, James A. Serpell, Elaine A. Ostrander

Published in 2022

Scientific paper to identify genetic factors in canine behavior and understand the relationships between dog breeds and the behaviors that define them. Genetic analysis shows that the diversification of canine behavior pre-dates the creation of modern breeds and that canine genetic diversity is associated with the co-expression of neurodevelopmental genes.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Herding dogs, Neurogenesis, Human-animal relationships

Go to document

L’hypertype est-il contraire au bien-être animal ?

Marion Weisslinger

Published in 2022

Dossier explaining the origins of hypertypes, how they affect animal welfare and an animal's owner, and how to deal with this trend. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

Go to document