Discipline: Veterinary

Effects of Season, Plumage Colour, and Transport Distance on Body Weight Loss, Dead-on-Arrival, and Reject Rate in Commercial End-of-Lay Hens

Enver Çavuşoğlu, Metin Petek

Published in 2021

Scientific paper highlighting that time of year, plumage colour and distance travelled all influence mortality rates, weight loss and rejection rates on arrival when transporting laying hens at the end of their laying period, and should therefore be taken into account to improve their welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Carcass quality, Transport

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Unintended consequences of selection for increased production on the health and welfare of livestock

Este van Marle-Köster, Carina Visser

Published in 2021

A scientific review showing the deleterious effects of the use of genetic selection for increased productivity on the fertility, welfare and health of livestock. Inbreeding has led to genetic defects, increased lameness, hoof problems and mastitis, Pathways are suggested to incorporate welfare and health in breeding practices.

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Resilience, Robustness, Livestock farming system

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Objective Assessment of Chronic Pain in Horses Using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS): A Scale-Construction Study

Johannes P. A. M. van Loon, Lucia Macri

Published in 2021

Scientific paper describing the development of a chronic pain assessment scale for horses based on behavioural and facial expression indicators, and testing it on horses with and without chronic pain for intra- and inter-observer reliability

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Assessing dairy cow welfare during the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms

Robin E Crossley, Eddie A M Bokkers, Natasha Browne, Katie Sugrue, Emer Kennedy, Imke J M de Boer, Muireann Conneely

Published in 2021

Scientific paper evaluating the welfare of Irish dairy cows in spring calving and pasture systems. Assessment indicators include lameness rates, body condition, discharge from the eyes and nose, tail and integument lesions, and avoidance distances. The overall results of the top 20% of farms are used to establish benchmarks.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Current Methods to Investigate Nociception and Pain in Zebrafish

Nils Ohnesorge, Céline Heinl, Lars Lewejohann

Published in 2021

Scientific review of methods to investigate nociception and pain in zebrafish

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords: Consciousness, Pain, Experimentation

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Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs

Paulo V. Steagall, Hedie Bustamante, Craig B. Johnson, Patricia V. Turner

Published in 2021

Review of pain management in farm animals, focusing on cattle, sheep and pigs

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Consciousness, Brain integration, Human-animal relationships, Pain, Societal issues

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Coping with large litters: management effects on welfare and nursing capacity of the sow

Olli Peltoniemi, Taehee Han, Jinhyeon Yun

Published in 2021

Article on how to manage large litters in such a way as to ensure the welfare of the suckling sow and her piglets

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Lactation, Housing, Living environment, Livestock farming system, Societal issues

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Severe tail lesions in finisher pigs are associated with reduction in annual profit in farrow-to-finish pig farms

Nienke van Staaveren, Laura Ann Boyle, Edgar García Manzanilla, Keelin O'Driscoll, Laurence Shalloo, Julia Adriana Calderón Díaz

Published in 2021

Article investigating the financial costs of severe tail injuries in pig farming

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Risk management, Mutilation

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Caring for the Older Horse: A Conceptual Model of Owner Decision Making

Rebecca Smith, Gina Pinchbeck, Catherine McGowan, Joanne Ireland, Elizabeth Perkins

Published in 2021

Article developing a conceptual model for the care of ageing horses based on a survey of owner practices

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Pain, Enrichment, Risk management, Societal issues, Living environment, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Plant-based fructans for increased animal welfare: provision processes and remaining challenges

A. Zimmermann, C. Visscher, M. Kaltschmitt

Published in 2021

Review article on the benefits of adding fructans to feed to promote pig health and welfare

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Key word:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Microbiota

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