Discipline: Nutrition

Review of the Foundational Knowledge Required for Assessing Horse Welfare

Andrea M. Harvey, Daniel Ramp, David J. Mellor

Published in 2022

A scientific review of what is known about the nutrition, physical environment, health and behavioral interactions of horses, these being the first 4 of the 5 domains of the animal welfare model and the last domain, mental state, being inferred from the first 4.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment

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Does diet affect tail biting in pigs?

Samaneh Azarpajouh

Published in 2022

Technical article listing and explaining the dietary factors that impact tail biting in pigs: instestinal microbiota, diet composition, protein and amino acid imbalances.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Enrichment, Societal issues, Mutilation

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Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews

Claire Bonnefous, Anne Collin, Laurence A. Guilloteau, Vanessa Guesdon, Christine Filliat, Sophie Réhault-Godbert, T. Bas Rodenburg, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Laura Warin, Sanna Steenfeldt, Lisa Baldinger, Martina Re, Raffaella Ponzio, Anna Zuliani, Pietro Venezia, Minna Väre, Patricia Parrott, Keith Walley, Jarkko K. Niemi, Christine Leterrier

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying an increased risk to free-range hens of microbial and parasitic infections, heat stress and predation. They do, however, have better bone quality and show less evidence of pecking behaviors. The review sets out existing preventive strategies and identifies missed opportunities to use genetics and prenatal and nutritional factors to prevent these welfare issues in free-range systems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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

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Improving heat stress resilience should be priority for swine industry

Ann Hess

Published in 2022

Summary of a webinar hosted by the USDA on how to mitigate the impacts of heat stress on the health and welfare of pigs in factory farming. It presents research findings to improve heat stress resilience in pigs through a three-part approach, that looks at management, nutrition and genetics.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Insect proteins offer health, welfare benefits to poultry

Elisabeth Doughman

Published in 2022

Article on the nutritional, environmental enrichment and leg-health benefits of insect protein for poultry. A research centre has been established in Texas to investigate the sustainable production of insect proteins for human food and animal feed.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Stress

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Les larves d’insectes activent les poulets

Eva Pampouille

Published in 2022

This article presents the results of a PINHS research project demonstrating that feeding black soldier fly larvae to Ross 308 broilers increases their activity levels at feeding time and their feed efficiency without affecting their performance or health status. However, this type of enrichment is currently too expensive.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Stress

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The changing face and associated drivers of research on welfare of the gestating sow

Maria Costanza Galli, Flaviana Gottardo, Barbara Contiero, Annalisa Scollo, Laura Ann Boyle

Published in 2021

Scientific review noting a growing interest among scientists in Oceania, Latin America and Asia in the welfare issues for pregnant sows, as well as the emergence of new research topics in recent years, including group sow management and environmental enrichment.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Enrichment, Housing, Living environment,Societal issues

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Methodologies to Assess the Bioactivity of an Herbal Extract on Immunity, Health, Welfare and Production Performance in the Chicken: The Case of Melissa officinalis L. Extract

Angélique Travel, Angélique Petit, Perrine Barat, Anne Collin, Camille Bourrier-Clairat, Marion Pertusa, Fabien Skiba, Sabine Crochet, Estelle Cailleau-Audouin, Pascal Chartrin, Vanaïque Guillory, Denis Bellenot, Rodrigo Guabiraba,Laurence A. Guilloteau

Published in 2021

Scientific paper demonstrating the potential of lemon balm extracts to enhance the immunity of broiler chickens, with a view to reducing the use of antimicrobials. It describes the methodology for the production of stable lemon balm extracts in vitro and in chicken feed, and shows their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential ex vivo and using an experimental model for chickens whose initial conditions are suboptimal.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment

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Factors associated with the development and prevalence of abnormal behaviors in horses: systematic review with meta-analysis

Jéssica Carvalho Seabra, João Ricardo Dittrich, Marcos Martinez do Vale

Published in 2021

Scientific review revealing wide variations in the occurrence of abnormal behaviours in horses across studies, and identifying poor nutritional management as the main risk factor in the development of such abnormal behaviours.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Risk management, Stress, Psychiatric disorder

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La « viande in vitro » : cultiver des cellules musculaires à destination alimentaire

Florent Bidaud

Published in 2021

A summary of the history of the development of in vitro meat and of the challenges and obstacles it has faced in terms of technologies, costs, public health and societal acceptability.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Societal issues, Livestock farming system

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