Document type : Scientific article

Companion Animal Type and Level of Engagement Matter: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Links between Companion Animal Guardianship, Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Heather Clements, Stephanie Valentin, Nicholas Jenkins, Jean Rankin, Nancy R. Gee, Donna Snellgrove, Katherine A. Sloman

Published in 2021

Scientific paper reporting on work to test whether pet ownership and interactions reduced owners' loneliness and unhappiness during the Covid-19 pandemic. Counter-intuitively, although owners expressed the view that their pet had a beneficial effect on their mental well-being, the data presented by the authors do not support this impression.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canines, Felines, Fish

Keywords : Human-animal relationships

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Dairy Cows Activity under Heat Stress: A Case Study in Spain

Adrián Ramón-Moragues, Patricia Carulla, Carlos Mínguez, Arantxa Villagrá, Fernando Estellés

Published in 2021

Scientific paper on work to assess the effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows using activity sensors to record 6 different behaviours, ambient temperature and humidity. It shows that raised temperatures and a higher heat index lead to an increase in general activity, changes in feeding habits and a decrease in rumination and resting behaviours, all of which are detrimental to animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Give Them a Toy or Increase Time out of Kennel at Lawn Areas: What Is the Influence of These Interventions on Police Dogs' Welfare?

Letícia Bicudo Nogueira, Rupert Palme, Olívia Mendonça-Furtado

Published in 2021

Scientific paper showing that the provision of environmental enrichment for kenneled police dogs has a stress-reducing effect (reduced levels of cortisol metabolites in the stool) and that access to a grassed area reduces the frequency of stereotypic behaviours in dogs with strong stereotypical tendencies.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Welfare indicators

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Horse Behavior towards Familiar and Unfamiliar Humans: Implications for Equine-Assisted Services

Lauren Brubaker, Katy Schroeder, Dawn Sherwood, Daniel Stroud, Monique A. R. Udell

Published in 2021

Scientific paper describing research to discover appropriate criteria to predict the potential suitability of a horse for animal-assisted services. It shows that sociability indicators and most temperament indicators of experienced AAS horses do not differ from those of novice AAS horses. However, during brushing, novice horses showed more affiliative behaviour towards their handler than experienced ones.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Modelling, Human-animal relationships,Welfare indicators

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Clinical insights: Recent advances in donkey medicine and welfare

Karen Rickards, Ramiro E. Toribio

Published in 2021

Editorial of a special issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal devoted to donkey health and welfare. It looks at pharmacology, diagnosis, disease prevalence and management practices for donkeys.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Breeding and rearing systems

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Lying behaviour of housed and outdoor-managed pregnant sheep

Manod Williams, Chelsea N. Davis, Dewi Llyr Jones, Emma S. Davies, Penelope Vasina, David Cutress, Michael T. Rose, Rhys Aled Jones, Hefin Wyn Williams

Published in 2021

A scientific paper investigating the mobility and lying behaviours of ewes housed indoors or reared on grass using video recordings. It shows that 1 min video samples can reliably predict ewe lying behaviours and that there are links between breeding characteristics (ewe age, single or double gestation, body condition index, lambing ease etc) and measured lying behaviours (average daily lying time, average duration of lying episodes etc).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Ovines

Keywords:Precision breeding, Housing, Modelling, Welfare indicators

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Effects of Different Housing Systems during Suckling and Rearing Period on Skin and Tail Lesions, Tail Losses and Performance of Growing and Finishing Pigs

Anita Lange, Michael Hahne, Christian Lambertz, Matthias Gauly, Michael Wendt, Heiko Janssen, Imke Traulsen

Published in 2021

Scientific paper investigating the impact of pig housing conditions on the incidence of tail lesions. It shows that keeping piglets in their farrowing pen during the lactation period significantly reduces the incidence of tail lesions and mortality in full-tailed pigs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Housing, Stress

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Welfare Impact of Community-Based Veterinary and Breeding Services on Small Ruminant Keepers

Girma Tesfahun Kassie, Woinishet Asnake, Aynalem Haile, Tesfaye Getachew Mengistu, Solomon Gizaw, Barbara Rischkowsky

Published in 2021

Scientific paper examining the impact of an institutional partnership set up in Ethiopia to improve livestock husbandry practices and health. It shows that access to health services for small ruminants increased sampling, yield per head of sheep/goats and gross income per animal.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Breeding and rearing systems

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Horses' physiological and behavioural responses during undergraduate veterinary practical teaching classes

Lauréline Guinnefollau, Charlotte F. Bolwell, Erica K. Gee, Elizabeth J. Norman, Chris W. Rogers

Published in 2021

Scientific paper investigating the stress responses of horses used in veterinary teaching practice. The indicators measured included heart rate and behavioural indicators suggestive of stress. Limited physiological and behavioural stress responses were observed, suggesting that the horses in question might become accustomed to being handled and being in a teaching environment.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Influence of workload and weather conditions on rolling behaviour of horses and mules

Marina P.F. Luz, Caroline M. Maia, Heraldo César Gonçalvez, José Nicolau P. Puoli Filho

Published in 2021

Scientific paper highlighting that horses roll more frequently after strenuous exercise or bathing, regardless of weather conditions, whereas mules roll more often after strenuous exercise on hot, humid days or after bathing on cold, dry days. It concludes that rolling is an important and frequent behaviour in domesticated equids that should be allowed to be expressed freely on the farm.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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

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