Document type : Scientific review

Knowledge of lateralized brain function can contribute to animal welfare

Lesley J. Rogers

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the relationship between hemispheric lateralization and behavior in animals. Experiments have shown an association between right-limb preference and positive cognitive bias, and left-limb preference and negative cognitive bias. Animals with weak lateralization tend to be more stressed, fearful and aggressive than those with strong lateralization.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurements, Brain integration, Personality, Cognitive processes, Stress

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Effects of prebiotics and precision biotics on performance, animal welfare and environmental impact. A review

Francesca Leone, Valentina Ferrante

Published in 2023

Scientific review defining and examining the properties of precision prebiotics and biotics in poultry farming. It focuses in particular on their effects on litter  quality and the reduction of ammonia levels in the environment, and hence  on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Food, Enrichment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Health

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Synthèse « Le statut juridique des animaux en France : Quelles évolutions ? Quelles répercussions pour l’élevage ? »

French Academy of Agriculture

Published in 2023

Synthesis of the outputs of a working group of the French Academy of Agriculture. It underlines that Western societies are seeking a balance between animal welfare and the economic uses of animals. Various legal scenarios have been explored, three of which appear compatible with livestock farming needs while recognizing animal sentience. It stresses the importance of raising public awareness of the implications of these legal developments and emphasizes the duties of human beings towards animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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

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Animal welfare of embryos and newly hatched chicks: A review

Itallo C. S. Arraujo, Tainá S. B. Lopes, Leonardo J. C. Lara, Bruno T. A. Costa

Published in 2023

Scientific review identifying egg storage, in ovo nutrition and the slaughter of 1-day-old male chicks as the main welfare problems in hatcheries, and describing practical avenues for improvements that can meet societal expectations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Prenatal issues, Human-animal relationships,  Livestock farming system

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A review of thermal stress in cattle

R W Shephard, S K Maloney

Published in 2023

Scientific review summarizing the behavioral and physiological controls used by cattle to manage heat exchange by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation between the body and the environment, and thus regulate their temperature in hot conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal  to the environment, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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Review: Towards an integrated concept of animal welfare

I. Reimert, L.E. Webb, M.A. van Marwijk, J.E. Bolhuis

Published in 2023

Scientific review setting out the history of the scientific study of animal welfare, and proposing that scientists in this field should specify the definition of animal welfare on which they base their work, the level at which their  assessment is carried out, the assumptions they rely on to measure welfare, and the period on which they focus, in order to enable comparison between studies.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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

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The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Paolo Martelli, Karthiyani Krishnasamy

Published in 2023

Scientific review highlighting the fact that the usual animal welfare paradigms do not apply to animals in zoos, particularly when the animals are undergoing veterinary treatment. In such circumstances, the animals' physiology and behavior are deregulated, and freedom of choice and comfort are limited. The authors propose that a distinction should be made between the state of well-being experienced by the animal (well-being) and the societal management of animal welfare (welfare), and to base the wefare management of zoo and aquarium animals on preventive medicine.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife, Fish

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Human-animal relationships

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Deviation of behavioural and productive parameters in dairy cows due to a lameness event: a synthesis of reviews

Luisa Magrin, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo, Severino Segato

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review identifying the behavioral and yield parameters of cows that are the best indicators of lameness and calculating the changes in them during lameness episodes. They include time taken to feed, number of lying periods, time taken to lie down, time spent lying down,  and milk production. The values of all these parameters are significantly altered in the event of lameness, and could be used to detect lameness automatically.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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Positive Welfare Indicators and Their Association with Sustainable Management Systems in Poultry

Maria Papageorgiou, Michael Goliomytis, Ouranios Tzamaloukas, Despoina Miltiadou, Panagiotis Simitzis

Published in 2023

Scientific review of positive welfare indicators in the main poultry species and their link with sustainable farm management. Indicators include exploration, dust baths, nest building, perching, and swimming (for waterfowl).

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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

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Choice, control, and animal welfare: definitions and essential inquiries to advance animal welfare science

Maisy D. Englund, Katherine A. Cronin

Published in 2023

Scientific review of animal psychology, including the importance of giving animals choice and control over their environment to improve their welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Societal issues, Enrichment, Living environment, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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