Document type : Technical paper

Beak trimming of hens: Practices, welfare concerns and alternatives

Harliqueen Jacinto, Marisa Erasmus

Published in 2025

Article outlining alternatives to beak trimming, practiced to limit pecking in laying hens. Environmental enrichment, genetic selection and better management practices are explored.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Bien-être ou bientraitance animale : à qui profitent les mots ?

Marie-Claude Marsolier

Published in 2025

Article returning to the need for a distinction in French between the term "bien être", describing an individual's experienced state of well-being or welfare, and "bientraitance", describing the positive actions taken by another individual or body to benefit the first, which may or may not be successful in achieving this outcome. "Bientraitance" thus represents the point of view of the indivual or body who acts, while "bien-être" represents the point of view of the individual who experiences the action. 

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: All animals

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The Dark Side of the Moon: A Good Adoption Rate Conceals the Unsolved Ethical Problem of Never-Adopted Dogs

Corsetti, S.; Natoli, E.; Malandrucco, L.

Published in 2025

Study on the application of the Italian no-kill policy to domestic dogs, based on data from the Muratella shelter in Rome for the periods 2012-2016 and 2018-2022. Despite a high adoption rate, the significant number of dogs remaining in shelters for life raises important ethical issues.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories:Canine

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Financements régionaux et transition de l'élevage : quels leviers pour des modèles plus durables ?

CIWF France

Published in 2025

CIWF report on the lack of ambition for animal welfare and the agro-ecological transition in French regional policy making.  To transform livestock farming, the report considers it essential to incorporate strict criteria, improve sustainable practices and join up  public policies at all levels.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: All animals

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Évaluation approfondie du bien-être des bovins en unités expérimentales INRAE : le protocole Welfare Quality®

Lydiane Aubé, Marie-Madeleine Mialon, Sarah Barbey, Raphaëlle Botreau

Published in 2025

Technical article proposing an in-depth assessment of cattle welfare in INRAE's experimental units to supplement  regular monitoring, based on Welfare Quality® protocols. This approach includes assessment by external agents followed by an advice phase in which improvements can be identified that are tailored to different types of cattle and farming contexts.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Bien-être animal : vers un étiquetage informant les consommateurs ?

Julie Chiron

Published in 2025

Article summarizing the main conclusions of the expert report "Lignes directrices pour l’établissement de référentiels d’étiquetage du bien-être des animaux" (guidelines  for the establishment of animal welfare labelling standards), published by Anses.

Document types: Technical Paper

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

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Identification, Welfare indicators, Housing, Societal issues

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Modèles comportementaux conduisant à la caudophagie

G. Gambarini

Published in 2025

Article on the behavioral variations that characterize tail-biting episodes in pigs.  Two-stage, sudden-violent, and obsessive patterns of behavior each require specific interventions. Early detection, environmental enrichment and reduced competition for resources are essential factors in preventing and managing this behavior.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Enrichment, Risk management, Housing, Behavioural disorders

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Q2E on nutrition and tail biting - EURCAW-Pigs

EURCAW-Pigs

Published in 2025

Answer to a question put to EURCAW-Pigs concerning the relationship between nutrition and tail biting in pigs. The European Reference Centre considers that access to sufficient water and feed (rich in fiber) is essential to prevent this behavior.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Enrichment, Risk management, Housing, Behavioural disorders

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Animaux d’élevage : prendre en compte leurs ressentis

Rachel Degrande, Juliette Cognié, Véronique Deiss, Angélique Favreau-Peigné, Valérie Fillon, Plotine Jardat, Christine Leterrier, Frédéric Lévy, Odile Petit, Freddie-Jeanne Richard

Published in 2024

Article exploring the evolution of the concept of animal welfare and the scientific basis for consideration of animals' cognitive and emotional capacities.

Document types: Technical Paper

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Learning, training, Consciousness, Welfare indicators, Memory, Metacognition, Fear, Cognitive processes, Stress, Behavioural disorders

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Retours d’expérience sur la verraterie liberté

Brittany Chamber of Agriculture

Published in 2024

Results of a survey carried out in Brittany on free-range sow management practices in the insemination period identifying three main strategies: LIBIA (confinement from weaning until completion of insemination, then group housing), LIBSEVIA (group housing from weaning, temporary confinement  for insemination period, followed by rapid release), and LIBSEV (group housing of sows from weaning with temporary confinement for each AI). Each method has its advantages, necessary precautions and points to watch out for.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, One Welfare

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