Document type: Scientific documents

Manual Handling and Transportation of Poultry, with a Focus on Chickens and European Practices

Hettmannsperger, M.A., Ruhnke, I.

Published in 2026

Synthesis highlighting that the methods used to catch and handle poultry have a significant impact on their welfare and that more comprehensive and standardized assessment is required throughout the transport chain.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Scientific review / Summary

Keywords: Stress, Transport

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Towards Bioethical and Functional Standards in the Slaughter Methods of Edible Insects: A Narrative Review

Sánchez-Velázquez, O.A., Hernández-Álvarez, A.J.

Published in 2026

Review highlighting that the methods used to slaughter insects intended for human consumption affect both their potential welfare and the nutritional quality of the products, but that current knowledge and standards remain very limited.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Scientific review / Summary

Keywords: Slaughter, Feeding, Welfare indicator

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Brushing as Environmental Enrichment in Dairy Cattle: Effects of Different Brushing Modalities on Behavior, Health, and Production

Maciel-Torres, S.P.; Ruiz-González, A.; Orzuna-Orzuna, J.F.; Arenas-Báez, P.; Garay-Martínez, J.R.; Granados-Rivera, L.D.

Published in 2026

Study showing that the use of brushes for dairy cows improves their welfare and can assist in health monitoring. The effects on milk production vary.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Scientific review / Summary

Keywords: Enrichment, Health / Diseases, Stress

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Sold a pup? Impact of purchasing practices, owner and dog demographics, and puppy early-life experiences on later canine health outcomes in the UK

Fiona C. Dale, Dan G. O’Neill, Claire L. Brand, Zoe Belshaw, Bree L. Merritt, Camilla L. Pegram, Rowena M. A. Packer

Published in 2026

Study showing that certain puppy breeding and purchasing practices, which are often illegal, are associated with a greater number of health problems in adulthood.

Document types: Scientific documents

Categories of animals: Scientific article

Keywords: Abandonment / Adoption, Regulations, Health / Medical Conditions

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| Fish welfare in a changing world: New developments and current challenges

Rey Planellas, S., Saraiva, J. L., Gonçalves-de-Freitas, E., Arechavala-Lopez, P., Bovenkerk, B., Breen, M., Cooke, S. J., Føre, M., Northwood, L., Stien, L. H., Kadri, S., Noble, C., Nilsson, J., Rodriguez, F., Salas, C., Sandøe, P., & van deVis, H.

Published in 2026

Review highlighting advances in fish welfare, particularly regarding the cognitive and emotional abilities of fish and the growing recognition of their sentience in research, fishing, and aquaculture.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Scientific review / Summary

Keywords: Cognition, Ecology/Environment, Emotion, Welfare indicator, One Welfare, Livestock systems

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Riding with care: A review of factors that influence the welfare of the ridden horse and a case for the application of the precautionary principle in equestrian pursuits

Caleigh Copelin, Katrina Merkies

Published in 2026

Review showing that the welfare of ridden horses is dependent on many factors relating to the equipment used, the rider, and a horse's health, and that respect for these factors is essential in maintaining the social acceptability that allows equestrian sports to continue. 

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Equines

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Fowl play: Do age and aviary design affect play in cage-free laying hens?

Xiaowen Ma, Vrinda Ambike, Valentina Bongiorno, Jacquelyn A. Jacobs, Janice C. Swanson, Tina M. Widowski, Janice M. Siegford

Published in 2026

Study showing that the play behavior of laying hens decreases significantly with age, and is influenced by aviary design and space allocation per bird. Certain activities, such as more frequent running or wing flapping, were influenced by aviary design and space per bird. The study concludes that housing configuration influences welfare and may interact with the hens' developmental stage.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Poultry

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Heat stress: an environmental challenge to immune resilience and health in dairy cows

Arslan Tariq, John J. Bromfield

Published in 2026

Scientific review of knowledge on heat stress in dairy cows. The management of heat stress requires a combination of adjustments to the environment, targeted nutrition, and genetic selection for thermotolerance.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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Perch-based enrichment and broiler growth, welfare and behaviour

B. F. Sevinç B. Yılmaz Dikmen

Published in 2026

Study showing that perch-based enrichment does not affect growth or most welfare windicators in broiler chickens, but that it reduces hock burn and slightly improves locomotion.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Poultry

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Impact of ‘hands-free’ rational handling on operational performance and economic losses in beef cattle

Daniela Costa Cotrim Campos, Adriane Lermen Zart, Claudio Vaz Di Mambro Ribeiro

Published in 2025

Scientific study showing that a cattle-handling protocol designed to reduce stress  significantly reduces bruising and loading times. Economic losses are also lower than those for conventional handling practices. The "hands-free" handling strategy improves operational efficiency without compromising carcass quality.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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