Document type : Scientific review

Elevated platforms for pigs - A review

Karen Kauselmann, Lars Schrader, E. Tobias Krause

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the value of raised platforms for the improvement of pig welfare. It discusses  different platform and ramp designs, a pig's biological ability to use them, the advantages and disadvantages for pigs and farmers, and methods used to evaluate the effects of platforms on pigs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Lateralised Behavioural Responses in Livestock to Environmental Stressors: Implications for Using Infrared Thermography to Assess Welfare Conditions

Amira A. Goma, Jashim Uddin, Emily Kieson

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the lateralized behavioral responses of farm animals to environmental stressors, and the association between these responses and the infrared temperature of the external body surfaces concerned, with the aim of improving the use of non-invasive measures in the assessment of animal welfare conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Living environment

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Cognitive tasks as measures of pig welfare: a systematic review

Thomas Ede, Thomas D. Parsons

Published in 2023

Systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of use and variety in cognitive approaches to the assessment of pig welfare. To this end, it quantifies the different cognitive tasks used and welfare interventions studied in the selected articles, and assesses the frequency with which cognitive task results are in line with treatment effects.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Global Trends in Halal Food Standards: A Review

J. Akbar, M. Gul, M. Jahangir, M. Adnan, S. Saud, S. Hassan, T. Nawaz, S. Fahad

Published in 2023

Scientific review examining the similarities and differences between halal standards in various Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Dogs, Sheep, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Illegal trade of cats & dogs - EU enforcement action

DG SANTE, European Commission

Published in 2023

Report on an investigation coordinated by DG SANTE and carried out by the EU's agri-food anti-fraud network from July 2022 to July 2023. Its aim was to detect irregularities and the falsification of official documents accompanying pets, to target undeclared and unregistered sales, and to deter illegal trade through the strengthening of border controls and monitoring within the EU. The report concludes that the illegal movement of cats and dogs presents considerable risks, not only for animal health and welfare and public health, but also for the economy, in the form of consumer fraud, unfair competition for breeders, tax evasion and undeclared income.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Animal trade, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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The importance of slaughterhouses in monitoring the occurrence of tail biting in pigs - Review

M. Svoboda, N. Hodkovicova, A. Siwicki, W. Szweda

Published in 2023

Scientific review of factors influencing the incidence of tail biting on pig farms and of prevention strategies, looking at tail docking, the negative effects of tail biting in pigs, the advantages and disadvantages of examining tail lesions in abattoirs, and setting out a methodical procedure for assessing tail lesions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Pain, Societal issues, Mutilation, livestock farming system

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Review: castration - animal welfare considerations

Gabriela A. Marquette,Stephanie Ronan, Bernadette Earley

Published in 2023

Scientific review of scientific assessments of the impact of castration on cattle welfare, including pain and injury, stress, inflammation, effects on the immune system and on production levels. It describes the different methods of castration, the pain responses associated with each, and how age and pain mitigation strategies affect these responses.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Comment les volailles perçoivent et interprètent leur environnement : recherche scientifique et exemples d’application

Rachel Degrande, Vitor Hugo Bessa Ferreira, Vanessa Guesdon, Ludovic Calandreau

Published in 2023

Scientific review emphasising that poultry have varied and well-developed senses, that they interact with each other, that they are capable of learning, and that they have  a much wider repertoire of cognitive skills than is often assumed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Learning, training, Enrichment, Memory, Living environment, Cognitive processes

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On-farm slaughter and emergency slaughter in Sweden: Prerequisites for reducing food loss of pigs and cattle

Rasmus Björn & Albin Kauppi

Published in 2023

Master's report on the attitudes and interests of abattoirs and the main stakeholders in the Swedish livestock industry regarding the establishment of or increase in the use of on-farm slaughtering and emergency on-farm slaughtering.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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Pig olfaction: the potential impact and use of odors in commercial pig husbandry

Sarah-Lina Aagaard Schild, Maria Vilain Rørvang

Published in 2023

Scientific review on pig olfaction looking at the current state of knowledge on chemicals in a pig's environment, olfactory organs, olfactory detection and acuity, behavioral responses to odors, aversive odors, responses to new odors, attractive odors and the use of odors as a management tool in commercial pig production.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Key word:Enrichment, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators, Stress

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