Document type : Scientific article

Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews

Claire Bonnefous, Anne Collin, Laurence A. Guilloteau, Vanessa Guesdon, Christine Filliat, Sophie Réhault-Godbert, T. Bas Rodenburg, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Laura Warin, Sanna Steenfeldt, Lisa Baldinger, Martina Re, Raffaella Ponzio, Anna Zuliani, Pietro Venezia, Minna Väre, Patricia Parrott, Keith Walley, Jarkko K. Niemi, Christine Leterrier

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying an increased risk to free-range hens of microbial and parasitic infections, heat stress and predation. They do, however, have better bone quality and show less evidence of pecking behaviors. The review sets out existing preventive strategies and identifies missed opportunities to use genetics and prenatal and nutritional factors to prevent these welfare issues in free-range systems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Using a Delphi method to estimate the relevance of indicators for the assessment of shelter dog welfare

G.V. Berteselli, S. Messori, L. Arena, L. Smith, P. Dalla Villa, F. de Massis

Published in 2022

Scientific paper aiming to establish a standardized system to assess the welfare of shelter dogs. It uses two Delphi exercises to arrive at an expert consensus on the weighting of the different indicators measured. This is most easily achievable through animal-based measures.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

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

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Environmental Enrichment as Part of the Improvement of the Welfare of Japanese Quails

Anastasiya Ramankevich, Karolina Wengerska, Kinga Rokicka, Kamil Drabik, Kornel Kasperek, Agnieszka Ziemiańska, Justyna Batkowska

Published in 2022

Scientific paper to measure indicators for behavioral and physiological welfare of farmed Japanese quails as a function of environmental enrichment. It shows that quails in enriched cages had lower stress levels and fewer abnormal behaviors than those in standard cages, and that the color and shape of an object were very important in arousing the birds' interest.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Stress, Welfare indicators

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Motivational trade-offs and modulation of nociception in bumblebees

Matilda Gibbons, Elisabetta Versace, Andrew Crump, Bartosz Baran, Lars Chittka

Published in 2022

Paper demonstrating the existence of motivational trade-offs in the nociceptive responses of bumblebees, which are able to use contextual information to modulate their nociceptive behaviours. It also suggests that insects have the capacity to feel pain

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Insects

Keywords:Pain, Memory, Cognitive processes

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Freedom to Move: Free Lactation Pens Improve Sow Welfare

Orla Kinane, Fidelma Butler, Keelin O'Driscoll

Published in 2022

Article comparing welfare criteria for sows housed in free-range farrowing crates and conventional farrowing crates. It shows that the greater freedom of movement provided by free-range farrowing crates throughout lactation can improve locomotor health and reduce stress levels in sows.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Unwilling or Unable? Using 3D tracking to evaluate dogs' reactions to differing human intentions

Christoph J. Völter, Lucrezia Lonardo, Maud G.G.M. Steinmann, Carolina Frizzo Ramos, Karoline Gerwisch, Monique-Theres Schranz, Iris Dobernig, Ludwig Huber

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that machine learning can reveal the cognitive capacity in pet dogs to distinguish between unwilling/unable motivational behaviours in humans: analysis based on 3D-tracking through machine learning reveals that dogs distinguish between similar actions (ie not giving them food) on the basis of human intentionality (being unable/not wanting to feed them).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Modelling, Human-animal relationships

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Methodological guidance for the development of animal welfare mandates in the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Virginie Michel, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop and Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

Methodology developed by the EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare to produce scientific opinions in response to mandates received from the European Commission under the Farm to Table strategy. These mandates cover the welfare of (i) animals during transport, (ii) calves, (iii) laying hens, (iv) broilers, (v) pigs, (vi) ducks, geese and quails, and (vii) dairy cows.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Cattle, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Transport

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Resphe: Reduce the stress of young cattle at the beginning of Diminuer le stress des jeunes bovins à l’entrée en engraissement pour limiter l’impact des maladies respiratoires

Elise Vanbergue, Marlène Guiadeur, Béatrice Mounaix

Published in 2022

Practical guide setting out the results of an experiment to test the effects of lavender essential oil on young cattle at the beginning of fattening. It was found to have no effect on stress or the prevention of respiratory diseases, but it did increase GMQ by 200 g during the first month of fattening.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Enrichment, Stress

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Effects of Enrichment Type, Presentation and Social Status on Enrichment Use and Behavior of Sows-Part 2: Free Access Stall Feeding

Cyril Roy, Victoria Kyeiwaa, Karen F. Mancera, Yolande M. Seddon, Laurie M. Connor, Jennifer A. Brown

Published in 2022

Scientific paper examining the influence of the nature and presentation of enrichment when feeding pregnant sows in open access stalls. It looks at the four scenarios of rotation of various enrichments, rotation with sound stimulus at the point that enrichment type is changed, no rotation, and no enrichment. Sows preferred the rotational systems, including straw, and the level of stress and lesions was the same between dominant and dominated sows, showing the usefulness of this system in reducing stress and aggression.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Comment les consommateurs perçoivent-ils les mentions relatives au bien-être animal au moment de l'achat de produits du porc ?

Juliette Augerot, Boris Duflot, Céline Vial, Lucie Sirieix, Christine Roguet

Published in 2022

Study identifying 5 consumer profiles based on their behaviours in relation to animal-welfare labelling on pork and chicken packaging. The aim of the study is to better understand what determines their purchasing decisions in order to make adjustments to production practices in the food chain. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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