Document type : Scientific article

Change the world farm by farm: The moral care of audit and the paradox of animal welfare inspection in Europe

Mc Loughlin

Published in 2025

Scientific article noting that European veterinary inspectors face a moral dilemma between official standards and the industrial reality of animal welfare during their inspections. Their power is limited, and they have to arbitrate between compliance, benevolence and systemic constraints.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

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Effects of music enrichment on the welfare of small ornamental fishes

Tianyu Niu, Bochun Xiang, Puyi Huang, Xigui Yang, Longhui Chai

Published in 2025

Scientific article demonstrating that certain musical styles and tempi, notably slow guzheng (Chinese zither) music, reduce stress and cortisol levels in aquarium fish. Music can produce positive or negative behavior, depending on the species and the tempo. Slow guzheng music was found to be the most soothing of the styles in the experiment, especially for guppies.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

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The evaluation of animal welfare indicators based on transport duration and lighting differences in the slaughter of broiler chickens

Siska W., Latif, H., Purnawarman T

Published in 2025

Study showing that blue lighting in the pre-slaughter room reduces stress (corticosterone) in broilers, shortens bleeding time and maintains carcass quality. The authors recommend the use of blue lighting in poultry abattoirs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Implementation of the European directive on pig welfare: A comparative study of four member states

J. Kuenzler, C.S. Vogeler

Published in 2025

Comparative study showing disparities in the application of EU regulations on pig welfare. For example, Denmark and Germany adopt stricter standards than France and Spain, in line with their political and societal priorities.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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Chickens perceive humans as social buffers and may follow human-given cues: A pilot study

Vitor Hugo Bessa Ferreira, Elise Calesse, Lucille Dumontier, Fabien Cornilleau, Julie Lemarchand, Auriane Foreau, Maxime Quentin, Léa Lansade, Céline Tallet, Xavier Boivin, Ludovic Calandreau

Published in 2025

Study showing that chickens, especially those with positive human interactions, can perceive humans in a beneficial way and associate them with rewarding experiences. It also highlights the importance of taking racial specificities into account to adapt human-animal interactions and improve poultry welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Positive impacts of a covered veranda on broiler chicken welfare

F. Mocz, J-P. Moysan, L. Warin, A. Keita, V. Michel, M. Guinebretière

Published in 2025

Study showing that access to a covered veranda promotes active behavior and reduces the prevalence of hock burns in broilers, without affecting zootechnical performance. Such structures improve welfare by enriching the environment without compromising either health or productivity.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Deck height did not affect behavioural measures of 'natural movements' and 'adequate ventilation' during 8 h and 23 h transport of weaner pigs

Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Line D. Jensen, Leslie Foldager, Marianne Kaiser, Karen Thodberg, Mette S. Herskin

Published in 2025

Study evaluating the effect of different bridge heights on the behavior of weaned pigs transported over 8 to 23 hour trips. The results showed no significant impact of height on behavior, unlike other variables such as microclimatic conditions, vehicle speed or journey time, highlighting the complexity of interactions affecting welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation - Results from a one-year longitudinal study

Léa Lansade, Julie Lemarchand, Alice Ruet

Published in 2025

Study showing that, when horses are free to go indoors or outdoors, they choose to spend an average of 3 hours a day in their stalls, but there is considerable individual and seasonal variability in their choices. These results stress the importance of allowing horses freedom of movement so that their needs and welfare can be better catered to. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Quantifying the welfare impact of air asphyxia in rainbow trout slaughter for policy and practice

C. Schuck-Paim, W.J. Alonso, P.A. Pereira, J.L. Saraiva, M. Cerqueira, C. Chiang & L.U. Sneddon

Published in 2025

Study using the Welfare Footprint Framework to quantify the effectiveness of slaughter practices used on trout, by measuring the time spent by the fish in negative affective states. The study shows that electrical or percussive stunning can significantly reduce pain, providing evidence-grounded metrics to guide regulatory decisions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

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Decoding vocal indicators of stress in laying hens: A CNN-MFCC deep learning framework

S. Neethirajan

Published in 2025

Study showing that artificial intelligence, making use of a CNN model combined with MFCC coefficients, can identify vocal responses to stress in laying hens exposed to realistic stimuli with 94% accuracy. Younger birds were found to be more vocally reactive, highlighting the importance of age as a factor in emotional reactivity.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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