Discipline: Zootechnics

Effect of Providing Environmental Enrichment into Aviary House on the Welfare of Laying Hens

Jiseon Son, Woo-Do Lee, Hee-Jin Kim, Bo-Seok Kang, Hwan-Ku Kang

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that enriching the environment of laying hens by providing pumice stone or alfalfa hay reduces stress and improves production, but does not reduce pecking behaviours.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Stress

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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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The Relationships between Damaging Behaviours and Health in Laying Hens

Virginie Michel, Jutta Berk, Nadya Bozakova, Jerine van der Eijk, Inma Estevez, Teodora Mircheva, Renata Relic, T. Bas Rodenburg, Evangelia N. Sossidou, Maryse Guinebretière

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the detrimental behaviours and health risks that can result from sub-optimal housing and/or rearing conditions in systems offering an alternative to cages for laying hens. Due to the increased social interaction, the risk of harmful behaviours and infectious diseases is increased. Preventive monitoring of the behaviour and health of hens is therefore needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Positive Effects of Elevated Platforms and Straw Bales on the Welfare of Fast-Growing Broiler Chickens Reared at Two Different Stocking Densities

Frédérique Mocz, Virginie Michel, Mathilde Janvrot, Jean-Philippe Moysan, Alassane Keita, Anja B. Riber, Maryse Guinebretière

Published in 2022

Scientific paper to evaluate the welfare benefits of raised beds and straw bales for fast-growing broilers as a function of stocking density. It confirms that environmental enrichment improves welfare at all stocking densities, and that reducing stocking density is a powerful lever for improving welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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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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Editorial: Grazing Behavior and Welfare of Ruminants

Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, Pablo Gregorini

Published in 2022

Scientific editorial reminding readers of our ethical and social duty to ensure the welfare of animals in general, and of grazing animals in particular. It recalls how cattle have evolved on grasslands and have adapted to grazing conditions. It identifies the stressors for grazing animals and proposes ways to mitigate their effects on the animals.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Living environment, Stress, Welfare indicators

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Extensive Sheep and Goat Production: The Role of Novel Technologies towards Sustainability and Animal Welfare

Severiano R. Silva, Laura Sacarrão-Birrento, Mariana Almeida, David M. Ribeiro, Cristina Guedes, José Ramiro González Montaña, Alfredo F. Pereira, Konstantinos Zaralis, Ana Geraldo, Ouranios Tzamaloukas, Marta González Cabrera, Noemí Castro, Anastasio Argüello, Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Ángel J. Alonso-Diez, María J. Martín, Luis G. Cal-Pereyra, George Stilwell, André M. de Almeida

Published in 2022

Scientific review of technological developments that can be used in extensive sheep and goat production systems to improve the nutrition, production, health and welfare of these species, as part of an integrated approach that takes the environment into account.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canines, Sheep

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

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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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Final report of an audit of Austria carried out from 26 to 30 April 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 audit report concluding that the Austrian system of official controls on animal welfare of laying hens is satisfactory, with two possible improvements, one on the procedures for verifying and assessing the effectiveness of the controls, the other on the creation of a document trail for the controls.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Risk management

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Humans and Goats: Improving Knowledge for a Better Relationship

Stefania Celozzi, Monica Battini, Emanuela Prato-Previde, Silvana Mattiello

Published in 2022

Scientific review of human-goat relationships, discussing how they communicate, what factors affect their relationship, and what factors affect human-goat interactions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Caprines

Keywords: Human-animal relationships, Stress,Welfare indicators

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