Discipline: Veterinary

The effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows - a review

Piotr Herbut,Gundula Hoffmann, Sabina Angrecka, Dorota Godyń, Frederico Márcio Corrêa Vieira, Krzysztof Adamczyk, Robert Kupczyński

Published in 2021

A scientific review reporting on behavioural changes in dairy cows exposed to heat stress conditions and discussing herd management strategies to mitigate the consequences of excessive temperatures on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Living environment, Livestock farming system

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Enhancing the value of meat inspection records for broiler health and welfare surveillance: longitudinal detection of relational patterns

S. N. Buzdugan, P. Alarcon, B. Huntington, J. Rushton, D. P. Blake, J. Guitian

Published in 2021

A scientific paper that uses data from UK abattoir broiler meat inspection records to highlight relationships between different conditions leading to condemnation of batches that would be useful for monitoring animal health and welfare. It highlights relationships that suggest the presence of syndromes in certain months of the year, potentially providing a basis on which to identify surveillance indicators for broiler producers to use.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Carcass quality, Processing

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Prevalence of Potential Indicators of Welfare Status in Young Calves at Meat Processing Premises in New Zealand

Anna L. Palmer, Ngaio J. Beausoleil, Alana C. Boulton, Naomi Cogger

Published in 2021

A scientific paper assessing the welfare of calves in the holding areas of abattoirs in New Zealand, using group and individual animal-based indicators. It proposes relevant indicators, recommending that they should be systematically incorporated into the protocols used to assess the welfare of calves at slaughter.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Consciousness, Fear, Stress

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Slaughter of Pregnant Cattle at an Austrian Abattoir: Prevalence and Gestational Age

Ignaz Zitterer, Peter Paulsen

Published in 2021

Scientific paper to determine the percentage of pregnant cows and heifers slaughtered in a medium-sized Austrian slaughterhouse. The observed prevalences are much higher than estimated (6.4% as against an estimated 2.5%). The article recommends that measures should be taken to avoid sending pregnant cows to slaughter for ethical and public health reasons.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Societal issues, Stress

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-003334/21: Equivalence of veterinary medicines for animal welfare

Question: Eleonora Evi (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2021

Written answer from the European Commission to a question on the regulations regarding the prescribing of human medicinal products for animals when no suitable medicinal product is available to treat an animal's diagnosed condition.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Keywords: Societal issues

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Network analysis of tail-biting in pigs - indirect effect on tail posture

Thore Wilder, Joachim Krieter Nicole Kemper, Kathrin Büttner

Published in 2021

Scientific paper examining whether the tail position of pigs in a pen can be a predictive indicator for the occurrence of tail biting, taking into account the social structure of the group of penned pigs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Modelling, Mutilation, Welfare indicators

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Dairy Cows Activity under Heat Stress: A Case Study in Spain

Adrián Ramón-Moragues, Patricia Carulla, Carlos Mínguez, Arantxa Villagrá, Fernando Estellés

Published in 2021

Scientific paper on work to assess the effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows using activity sensors to record 6 different behaviours, ambient temperature and humidity. It shows that raised temperatures and a higher heat index lead to an increase in general activity, changes in feeding habits and a decrease in rumination and resting behaviours, all of which are detrimental to animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Give Them a Toy or Increase Time out of Kennel at Lawn Areas: What Is the Influence of These Interventions on Police Dogs' Welfare?

Letícia Bicudo Nogueira, Rupert Palme, Olívia Mendonça-Furtado

Published in 2021

Scientific paper showing that the provision of environmental enrichment for kenneled police dogs has a stress-reducing effect (reduced levels of cortisol metabolites in the stool) and that access to a grassed area reduces the frequency of stereotypic behaviours in dogs with strong stereotypical tendencies.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Welfare indicators

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Clinical insights: Recent advances in donkey medicine and welfare

Karen Rickards, Ramiro E. Toribio

Published in 2021

Editorial of a special issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal devoted to donkey health and welfare. It looks at pharmacology, diagnosis, disease prevalence and management practices for donkeys.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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Effects of Different Housing Systems during Suckling and Rearing Period on Skin and Tail Lesions, Tail Losses and Performance of Growing and Finishing Pigs

Anita Lange, Michael Hahne, Christian Lambertz, Matthias Gauly, Michael Wendt, Heiko Janssen, Imke Traulsen

Published in 2021

Scientific paper investigating the impact of pig housing conditions on the incidence of tail lesions. It shows that keeping piglets in their farrowing pen during the lactation period significantly reduces the incidence of tail lesions and mortality in full-tailed pigs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Housing, Stress

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