Discipline: Veterinary

Is Smart Farming Making Life Worse for Farmed Animals?

Karen Asp

Published in 2022

Article setting out the benefits and limitations of smart farming for the improvement of the living conditions of farm animals. While it makes the farmer's work easier, it is less clear that it has a positive impact on animal welfare.

Document types: Technical Paper

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

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

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Slaughtering of heifers in a local or an industrial abattoir: Animal welfare and meat quality consequences

Pablo Guarnido-López, Virginia Celia Resconi, María del Mar Campo, Ana Guerrero, Gustavo Adolfo María, José Luis Olleta

Published in 2022

Scientific paper comparing animal stress responses and meat quality in a small local abattoir and in an industrial abattoir. Values for several stress indicators were lower in the animals treated in the local abattoir, and the appearance and organoleptic qualities of the local abattoir meat were superior.

Document Types: Scientific paper

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

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Stress

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European Institute for Animal Law and Policy

Maria Rodrigues da Costa, Alessia Diana

Published in 2022

Scientific review showing that, in farm animals, a high level of animal welfare often leads to lower use of antimicrobials (UAM) and that a low level of welfare was associated with higher UAMs. In organic systems, restrictions on UAMs may however prevent animals from receiving treatment when needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Final report of an audit of Spain carried out from 20 September 2021 to 01 October 2021 in order to evaluate the protection of the welfare of laying hens at all stages of production

DG SANTE

Published in 2022

DG SANTE report concluding that the Spanish administrative and legal framework is generally sufficient to ensure effective official controls on animal welfare. It points out minor differences in some of the procedures of the autonomous States and suggests how they could be remedied. 

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Evaluation of Two Injection Techniques in Combination with the Local Anesthetics Lidocaine and Mepivacaine for Piglets Undergoing Surgical Castration

Julia Werner, Anna M. Saller, Judith Reiser, Steffanie Senf, Pauline Deffner, Nora Abendschön, Johannes Fischer, Andrea Grott, Regina Miller, Yury Zablotski, Katja Steiger, Shana Bergmann, Michael H. Erhard, Mathias Ritzmann, Susanne Zöls, Christine Baumgartner

Published in 2022

Scientific paper comparing the relative effects on heart rate, mean arterial pressure, pain movements and physiological stress markers of two injection techniques, involving 1 or 2 stages, for lidocaine or mepivacaine during the castration of piglets.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Mutilation, Stress

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Risk factors associated with the welfare of grazing dairy cows in spring-calving, hybrid pasture-based systems

R.E. Crossley, E.A.M. Bokkers, N. Browne, K. Sugrue, E. Kennedy, B. Engel, M. Conneely

Published in 2022

Scientific paper identifying 14 risk factors associated with one or more welfare indicators during the grazing season on hybrid dairy farms. Many of the risk factors were related to the period spent indoors, suggesting that the potential effects of housing management on welfare persist into the grazing period.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Risk management, Housing, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach

Daniel Mota-Rojas, Stefany Monsalve, Karina Lezama-García, Patricia Mora-Medina, Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Ramiro Ramírez-Necoechea, Rita de Cassia Maria Garcia

Published in 2022

Scientific review reminding the reader of the link between violence towards animals and violence towards humans and the importance of finding early indicators of violent behaviour. It underlines the importance of the role of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Psychiatric disorder, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

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French National Assembly: Réponse écrite à la question n°40650 : La situation de l’errance animale

Question: Jean-Hugues Ratenon (La France insoumise - Réunion). Answer:  French Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the French government's policy to prevent the straying of animals, and asking whether the recovery plan provides for funding for associations that are actively involved in reducing the number of stray animals on La Réunion, where the phenomenon is particularly prevalent.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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French National Assembly: Réponse écrite à la question n°43406 : Protection des animaux – Politique de stérilisation à la Réunion

Karine Lebon (Gauche démocrate et républicaine - Réunion). Answer: French Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the policy of sterilising dogs and cats, especially on the island of La Réunion where the number of stray pets is very high.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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The welfare of dogs and cats during transport in Europe: a literature review

Alessandra Tateo, Leonardo Nanni Costa, Barbara Padalino

Published in 2022

Scientific review summarising the European regulations on the welfare of dogs and cats during transport, documenting the negative effects of transport, and suggesting how to mitigate the latter using a scientific evidence base.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress, Transport

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