Discipline: Veterinary

Active walking in broiler chickens: a flagship for good welfare, a goal for smart farming and a practical starting point for automated welfare recognition

Marian Stamp Dawkins

Published in 2024

Scientific article suggesting that active walking in broiler chickens can be a reliable indicator of health and welfare. Its sustained and regular pattern of expression is detectable by automated systems.  This smart detection of active walking deficiencies can be carried out both on an individual chicken and on a group of chickens, even at high stocking densities.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Robustness, Behavioural disorders

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Advancements in artificial intelligence technology for improving animal welfare: Current applications and research progress

Li Zhang, Wenqiang Guo, Chenrui Lv, Meng Guo, Mei Yang, Qiuyue Fu, Xiaomeng Liu

Published in 2024

Article summarizing the various technological advances in the field of artificial intelligence for animal health and welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Robustness, Behavioural disorders

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Animal welfare at German abattoirs: insights into the occurrence of violations against laws and regulations from official veterinarians and judicial decisions

Stephanie Janet Schneidewind, Susann Langforth, Diana Meemken

Published in 2024

Analysis of a survey on the occurrence of various animal welfare violations in German abattoirs. Offences reported and penalized mainly concerned the use of prohibited driving aids, lack of care, and improper restraint, stunning and bleeding. The authors suggest that official veterinarians should carry out closer monitoring of compliance with the legislation for these specific situations and that the training of abattoir staff should be improved.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Euthanasia, Abuse, Mutilation, Processing

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°15015 : Conditions de mise à mort des animaux dans les abattoirs

Question: Béatrice Roullaud (Rassemblement National - Seine-et-Marne). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2024

Answer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to a question from a member of parliament on the conditions under which animals are killed in abattoirs, and the measures the government intends to take to ensure effective controls by veterinary services and compliance with current regulations. The presence of an animal welfare officer in each abattoir must also be confirmed.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Euthanasia, Abuse, Mutilation, Processing

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Assemblée nationale : Réponse écrite à la question n°14571 : Sur les manquements graves de l’abattoir de Craon

Question: Julien Odoul (Rassemblement National - Yonne). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2024

MASA's response to a question from a French Member of Parliament about animal abuse at the Craon abattoir, despite the Ministry's creation of a national task force in 2021 to increase inspections under the French Abattoir Plan.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Euthanasia, Abuse, Mutilation, Processing

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°14567 : Non-conformité de certains abattoirs de Mayenne

Question: Vincent Ledoux (Renaissance - Nord). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2024

MASA's response to a question from a French Member of Parliament about the abuse suffered by animals in certain abattoirs in Mayenne, despite the creation by the Ministry in 2021 of a national inspection task force to increase monitoring as part of the French Abattoir Plan.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Euthanasia, Abuse, Mutilation, Processing

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Veal calf welfare and rearing 

Didier Bastien, Magdéléna Chanteperdrix, Virginie Lefoul, Christophe Martineau, Etienne Labussière, Manuel Tourtier

Published in 2024

Article summarising papers on veal calves given at the 74th European Animal Science Congress (EAAP). The presentations discussed work to identify societal expectations, establish the impact of different housing and feeding methods, evaluate changes in antibiotic use and develop tools for assessing biosecurity on farms.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Housing, Socialization, livestock farming system

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Welfare issues resulting from feed restriction in pregnant sows

EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare Pigs (EURCAW-Pigs)

Published in 2024

This article, intended for inspectors in EU Member States, describes the effects of feed restriction on the welfare of pregnant sows. Indicators of hunger-related aggression and stereotypies are described, along with measures to help sows feel satiated by increasing the fibre content of their diet, and to mitigate these behaviors by modifying various aspects of the living environment.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Aggression, Aggressiveness, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Behavioural disorders

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question n°12294 : Castration à vif et claquage des porcelets

Question: Béatrice Roullaud (Rassemblement National - Seine-et-Marne). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2024

Answer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to a question on the total ban on live castration and piglet slapping, a technique that consists of killing young animals deemed too weak by beating them against a wall.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Castration, Carcass quality, Euthanasia, Pain, Mistreatment, Mutilation, Sterilization

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Sénat : réponse écrite à la question n°08192 : Nombre de chiens maximum pour un élevage familial

Question: Mme HERZOG Christine (Moselle - UC-R). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2024

Answer to a senator's question on the maximum number of adult dogs permitted at an address before a breeder must change status from private to commercial breeding.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal trade

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