Published in 2006
The review discusses alternatives to the surgical castration of male pigs, which protects consumers from strong smelling meat (boar taint) but which is carried out in some cases without anesthesia.
Document Types: Scientific review
Animal categories: Porcines
Keywords: Pain, Societal issues, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Mutilation, Carcass quality, Stress, Livestock farming system
Published in 2019
Positive animal welfare is a relatively new concept that promotes the welfare benefits of providing animals with greater opportunities for positive experiences, as well as minimizing negative experiences. However, little is known about farmers' attitudes or knowledge regarding positive animal welfare. This is a major obstacle to the promotion of positive welfare indicators on farms, where their use may depend on their acceptance by farmers. In response, this study uses qualitative interviews to explore farmers' positive attitudes towards welfare. A fair number of elements that correspond to positive welfare indicators in the literature are encountered in farmers' positive discussions of welfare. These include animal autonomy, play, positive effects, positive Human-animal relationships, social interactions and appropriate genetic selection.
Document Types: Scientific review
Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Housing, Stress, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators
Published in 2019
The study aims to investigate the effects of different types of environmental complexity on leg health and welfare indicators for fast-growing chickens housed in accordance with mainstream European legislation.
Document Types: Scientific paper
Animal categories: Poultry
Keywords: Pain, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system
Published in 2018
Rearing: the guide includes reports of on-farm experiments to limit the occurrence of boar taint or to achieve 100% immuno-vaccination in males.
Abattoirs: the survey of methods to detect carcasses with boar taint indicates that the majority of supply chains involved use the "human nose" method, following rigorous protocols. Danish scientists report that an objective technique for quantifying malodorous molecules is being developed in an abattoir.
Curing: alternative uses for the small percentage of carcasses with boar taint are set out.
Changing practices: Last, examples of supply chains that have wholly or partially ceased surgical castration highlight the key role of retail sales personnel in promoting product chains that follow the specifications and in making consumers aware of them.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Porcines
Keywords: Societal issues, Risk management, Mutilation, Carcass quality, Processing
Published in 2016
The dehorning of calves is a practice that can be difficult for farmers. Managing the pain and inflammation caused by this procedure can make it less stressful, not only for the farmer but also for the animals. This booklet provides up-to-date information on good dehorning practices.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords: Pain, Mutilation
Published in 2018
The castration of cattle is a source of pain for the animals. Depending on the method used, this pain can be more or less immediate and/or chronic. Managing pain during castration improves the animal's welfare while making the procedure safer for the operator. This fact sheet, co-produced by a multi-stakeholder working group, describes the main techniques and recommendations for pain management during castration.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords: Pain, Mutilation
Published in 2019
The updated IDF Guide on Animal Welfare aims to promote the worldwide implementation of good animal welfare practices in dairy production and refers to key standards (OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code and ISO Technical Specification 34700: 2016). It provides recommendations on skills, the feeding and watering of animals, their physical environment, production practices and health management. To assess levels of animal welfare in dairy production systems, examples of outcome measurement criteria are provided.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system
Published in 2014
This guide has three main objectives:
- To provide, whatever the size of the establishment, a reference tool for professionals intended to guarantee that the regulations currently in force for animal welfare from the time of unloading until they cease to bleed are followed.
- To put forward interpretations of the requirements that are implicit in the Regulations and to translate new scientific knowledge into good practice.
- To provide a methodological tool for animal welfare management by, on the one hand, making recommendations for management and design and, on the other hand, monitoring methods that can be carried out by operators and that allow each production unit to assess the effectiveness of the measures put in place to maximise animal welfare from the moment they are delivered to the moment they are killed.
An opinion published in the Journal officiel de la République Française on 3 April 2014 validated this guide to good practice for the welfare of cattle at the abattoir in its November 2013 version.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords: Risk management
Published in 2015
This Opinion examines the available information on risks to the welfare of dairy cows in small-scale farming systems in Europe, including the impacts of production diseases. A methodology for assessing welfare in these systems is proposed.
Document Types: Opinions
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords:Animal-based measurements
Published in 2014
This collection of recommendations on cattle housing pulls together a wide range of scientific data and is based on expert knowledge in a number of disciplines (ethology, climatisation, ergonomics, construction, etc.). It is intended for designers, breeders, builders, etc. of livestock buildings and contains numerous references with calculations relating to the various living areas and equipment.
Document Types: Technical work
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords:Housing
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