Discipline: Zootechnics

The effect of animal shelter sound on cat behaviour and welfare

B.H. Eagan, E. Gordon, D. Fraser

Published in 2021

Scientific paper showing that the behavioural responses of cats in shelters vary according to sex and time of day, and are affected by noise levels. It advises that noise levels in shelters should be lowered to reduce fear and physiological responses in cats.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Felines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Housing, Living environment, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Le comportement des taurillons en engraissement – comprendre les animaux pour gérer leur bien-être

Béatrice Mounaix, Aurore Philibert and Agathe Chey

Published in 2021

Practical factsheet based on a summary of the literature and produced as part of the CASDAR BeBop project on the physiological and behavioural needs of fattening bullocks.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system,Welfare indicators

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Environmental enrichment in fish aquaculture: A review of fundamental and practical aspects

Pablo Arechavala-Lopez, Maria J. Cabrera-Álvarez, Caroline M. Maia, Joao L. Saraiva

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the different environmental enrichment strategies for farmed fish, their effects on welfare and their practical feasibility on an industrial scale.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Enrichment, Living environment, Livestock farming system

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Piglet Viability: A Review of Identification and Pre-Weaning Management Strategies

Bryony S. Tucker, Jessica R. Craig, Rebecca S. Morrison, Robert J. Smits, Roy N. Kirkwood

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the criteria for identifying and managing low-viability piglets at an early stage to increase their chances of survival, and proposal of measures to be taken in pregnant and lactating sows to reduce the proportion of low viability piglets.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Maternity, Prenatal issues, Weaning, Livestock farming system

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Keel bone fractures in Danish laying hens: Prevalence and risk factors

Ida C. N. Thøfner, Jan Dahl, Jens Peter Christensen

Published in 2021

Scientific paper which estimates the prevalence of brevis fractures in laying hens in Denmark to range  between 53 and 100% according to individual flocks in non-cage systems, and between 50 and 98% in cage systems. The major risk factors it identifies are hen size, age at onset of laying and daily egg weight at onset of laying.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Pain, Livestock farming system

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Alternative Bedding Materials for Poultry: Availability, Efficacy, and Major Constraints

Siaka Diarra, Sonny Lameta, Falaniko Amosa, Sanjay Anand

Published in 2021

A scientific review of alternative materials to wood shavings and sawdust for use as poultry litter, including corncobs, straw and hay, sand, shredded paper, rice husks, peanut shells and gypsum. Consideration is given to their cost, availability, capacity to absorb and adsorb moisture, and the extent to which they allow birds to express their natural behaviour.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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

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Traumatic Injuries Detected during Post-Mortem Slaughterhouse Inspection as Welfare Indicators in Poultry and Rabbits

Lenka Valkova, Eva Voslarova, Vladimir Vecerek, Petra Dolezelova, Veronika Zavrelova, Claire Weeks

Published in 2021

Scientific paper presenting a very large-scale Czech retrospective analysis of traumatic lesions in poultry and rabbits detected post-mortem at abattoirs. It reveals a high incidence of limb lesions in chickens and rabbits, and on the thorax in rabbits, exposing the need for reexamination of rearing conditions, and of housing and/or handling before slaughter in particular, in the Czech Republic.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Housing, Living environment, Livestock farming system,Pain

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Qualitative Behavioral Assessment in Juvenile Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Potential for On-Farm Welfare Assessment

Susan Jarvis, Maureen A. Ellis, James F. Turnbull, Sonia Rey Planellas, Francoise Wemelsfelder

Published in 2021

Scientific paper presenting an adaptation of the QBA qualitative welfare assessment method to farmed salmon and assessing its potential as a tool for monitoring salmon welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

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

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Best Farming Practices for the Welfare of Dairy Cows, Heifers and Calves

Giulia Ventura, Valentina Lorenzi, Francesca Mazza, Gianfilippo Alessio Clemente, Claudia Iacomino, Luigi Bertocchi, Francesca Fusi

Published in 2021

Scientific paper describing the protocol to assess the welfare of dairy cattle in loose-housing systems using animal and non-animal based indicators that has been developed by the Italian Reference Centre for animal welfare. It uses the protocol to generate a list of 38 farming practices that will ensure a high level of welfare in dairy cattle.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Do You Think I Am Living Well? A Four-Season Hair Cortisol Analysis on Leisure Horses in Different Housing and Management Conditions

Silvia Michela Mazzola, Carla Colombani, Giulia Pizzamiglio, Simona Cannas, Clara Palestrini, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Alessia Libera Gazzonis, Arianna Bionda, Paola Crepaldi

Published in 2021

Scientific paper investigating the chronic stress levels of recreational horses in relation to their living conditions in order to determine the best management strategy for the welfare of the horses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Housing, Living environment, Stress

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