Discipline: Zootechnics

Knowledge of lateralized brain function can contribute to animal welfare

Lesley J. Rogers

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the relationship between hemispheric lateralization and behavior in animals. Experiments have shown an association between right-limb preference and positive cognitive bias, and left-limb preference and negative cognitive bias. Animals with weak lateralization tend to be more stressed, fearful and aggressive than those with strong lateralization.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurements, Brain integration, Personality, Cognitive processes, Stress

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Effects of prebiotics and precision biotics on performance, animal welfare and environmental impact. A review

Francesca Leone, Valentina Ferrante

Published in 2023

Scientific review defining and examining the properties of precision prebiotics and biotics in poultry farming. It focuses in particular on their effects on litter  quality and the reduction of ammonia levels in the environment, and hence  on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Food, Enrichment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Health

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Animaux de compagnie, équidés… Tout savoir sur le certificat d’engagement et de connaissance

French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2023

Document from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty pulling together all the information on the certificate of commitment and knowledge for keepers of equids required by the French law to combat animal abuse of November 30, 2021 and specified in its first implementing Decree of July 18, 2022.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Canine, Equine, Feline

Keywords: Adoption,Abandonment, Education, Human-animal relationships, Population management, abuse, Societal issues

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Assemblée nationale : réponse écrite à la question 10039 : Prise en considération du bien-être animal dans les SIQO

Question: Sandra Regol (Ecologist - NUPES - Bas-Rhin). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the intentions of the French Ministry of Agriculture concerning the reinforcement of animal welfare guarantees in the specifications for livestock farms operating under the SIQO (signs of origin and quality) scheme. 

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Societal issues, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Animal welfare of embryos and newly hatched chicks: A review

Itallo C. S. Arraujo, Tainá S. B. Lopes, Leonardo J. C. Lara, Bruno T. A. Costa

Published in 2023

Scientific review identifying egg storage, in ovo nutrition and the slaughter of 1-day-old male chicks as the main welfare problems in hatcheries, and describing practical avenues for improvements that can meet societal expectations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Prenatal issues, Human-animal relationships,  Livestock farming system

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Aquaculture Certification Schemes Benchmark: Aquatic Animal Welfare - Edition 2

Aquatic Life Institute

Published in 2023

Second edition of a reference tool for welfare-based certification of aquaculture facilities. It analyzes current welfare requirements as part of the basic farming standards of seven international seafood certification programs.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Pain, Welfare indicators, Stress

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A review of thermal stress in cattle

R W Shephard, S K Maloney

Published in 2023

Scientific review summarizing the behavioral and physiological controls used by cattle to manage heat exchange by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation between the body and the environment, and thus regulate their temperature in hot conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal  to the environment, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001976/23: Cat and dog welfare - identification (microchipping) and registration

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

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on whether the European Commission has assessed the feasibility of requiring microchip identification for dogs and cats from commercial breeders,  and of setting up an official database for compulsory identification and registration before they leave the breeding establishments.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Animal trade, Population management, Identification, Societal issues

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A two-stage recognition method based on deep learning for sheep behavior

Zishuo Gu, Haoyu Zhang, Zhiqiang He, Kai Niu

Published in 2023

Scientific article on a method to detect sheep behavior based on deep learning. It recognizes six types of sheep behavior, three corresponding to normal physiological activities (standing, feeding and lying down) and three behaviors considered to be disruptive (attacking, biting and climbing) that require immediate action from the farmer.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Ovines

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

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Impacts of heat stress on global cattle production during the 21st century: a modelling study

Philip Thornton, Gerald Nelson, Dianne Mayberry, Mario Herrero

Published in 2022

Scientific article using modelling to assess production losses due to heat stress in two different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Depending on emission levels, economic losses vary between 9.8% and 3 to 7% of the value of beef and milk production worldwide in 2005. These results underline the importance of putting adaptation measures place in to combat heat stress if we are to ensure global food security.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to environment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Robustness, Stress, Societal issues

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