Field: Physiology (metabolism—molecular and cellular biology—...)

The Sensory World of Cattle: Abilities, Limitations, and Perceptual Challenges in Human-Designed Environments

Maria Vilain Rørvang, Rebecca K. Meagher, Johanna Stenfelt, Emily K. Miller-Cushon, Sheikh Rishad Ahmmad, Maria Camila Ceballos

Published in 2026

Review summarizing current knowledge on the sensory abilities of cattle (vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). It highlights gaps in knowledge, particularly with regard to smell, taste, and touch. It stresses the importance of taking better account of cattle’s sensory perceptions to adapt their housing environments and improve their welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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Electrophysiologic evidence of loss of consciousness in cattle during slaughter with and without stunning: a systematic review and methodological overview

Haut SR, Parmentier T, Fisher RS, and Khalil NM

Published in 2026

A systematic review based on electrophysiological data concluded that in cattle slaughtered without stunning, loss of consciousness generally occurs rapidly, between approximately 4 and 13 seconds after the incision.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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The pain echo chamber: how barren environments amplify pain in captive animals

Schuck-Paim C, Alonso WJ, Hartcher K, Chiang C, Pereira PA, Veit W, Mendl M, Nicol CJ, and Lecorps B

Published in 2026

Article demonstrating that poor and cramped housing conditions can exacerbate pain and delay healing in animals. These findings underscore the importance of taking into account the environment created by an animal's housing when assessing and managing animal welfare.

Animal categories: All animals

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Effects of age and feeding protocols on the metabolic and physiological condition of unweaned calves during and after long-distance transport

Susanne Siegmann, Luca L. van Dijk, Niamh L. Field, Gearoid Sayers, Katie Sugrue, Cornelis G. van Reenen, Eddie A. M. Bokkers, Muireann Conneely

Published in 2026

Study on the effects of long journeys and the fasting involved on the physiological condition of young, unweaned calves. Provision of 4 L of milk before transport slightly improves their energy balance and hydration compared to 2 L, but only partially offsets the negative effects of long-distance transport.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Towards Bioethical and Functional Standards in the Slaughter Methods of Edible Insects: A Narrative Review

Sánchez-Velázquez, O.A., Hernández-Álvarez, A.J.

Published in 2026

Review highlighting that the methods used to slaughter insects intended for human consumption affect both their potential welfare and the nutritional quality of the products, but that current knowledge and standards remain very limited.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Invertebrates

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Existing Soundscapes and the Impact of Noise on the Welfare of Farmed Salmonids: A Review

Kathy Overton, Tim Dempster, Marco A. Vindas, Frode Oppedal, Luke T. Barrett

Published in 2026

Review of the limited number of studies on hearing in wild and farmed salmonids, with recommendations on steps towards ascertaining and mitigating the impact of the acoustic environment on the welfare of farmed salmonids.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

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Assessing good physical health and resilience as a foundation for positive welfare in chickens

Lisa Jung, Ruth C. Newberry, Yukari Togami, Manja Zupan Šemrov

Published in 2026

Study proposing anatomical and physiological indicators to assess the health and resilience of chickens, with a view to developing proactive and potentially automated assessment tools to support positive animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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Stereotypical behaviors across species: From neurobiological mechanisms to farm animal welfare

Chenyang Li, Jie Gao, Hang Shu, Guangyong Zhao, Xianhong Gu

Published in 2026

A review describing stereotypical behaviors—indicators of distress—that are based on neurobiological mechanisms that have yet to be fully studied in farm animals. The authors highlight current gaps in knowledge and discuss prospects for better understanding these behaviors and improving animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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Heat stress: an environmental challenge to immune resilience and health in dairy cows

Arslan Tariq, John J. Bromfield

Published in 2026

Scientific review of knowledge on heat stress in dairy cows. The management of heat stress requires a combination of adjustments to the environment, targeted nutrition, and genetic selection for thermotolerance.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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Welfare indicators in cattle farming in the face of heat stress: a review in climate change scenarios

IMF de Souza, CEL Sousa, VS Pinto, LGP Vilela, AdS Souza, JPS Cunha, CV Araújo, MdNB Gomes, LKX Silva, LG Martorano, KAL Neves, RNC Camargo-Júnior, ÉBR Silva, WC da Silva

Published in 2026

Comparative review showing that Zebu cattle are more resilient to high temperatures and disease than European cattle, although the latter are more productive. The authors stress the importance of taking account of climate constraints in genetic selection.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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