Document type : Scientific review

Detecting Welfare in a Non-Verbal Species: Social/Cultural Biases and Difficulties in Horse Welfare Assessment

Martine Hausberger, Clémence Lesimple, Séverine Henry

Published in 2021

A scientific review investigating the reasons why most domestic horses have unsatisfactory welfare levels despite being very close to humans. It identifies human subjectivity, human misinterpretation of signals sent by horses, and human desensitisation to welfare situations as the main contributing factors. It proposes the promotion of validated indicators to allow horse welfare to be assessed objectively. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

Go to document

The Human Aspect of Horse Care: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Wellbeing of Equestrian Industry Stakeholders

Ashley Ward, Kate Stephen, Caroline Argo, Christine Watson, Patricia Harris, Madalina Neacsu, Wendy Russell, Dai Grove-White, Philippa Morrison

Published in 2021

Scientific article presenting the results of a survey of equine stakeholders on their feelings about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It shows that the pandemic has affected veterinarians and horse owners due to restrictions on contact and human-horse interactions. However, the pandemic has also led to initiatives to maintain social links between owners as a remedy for isolation.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

Go to document

Emerging indicators of fish welfare in aquaculture

Michelle Orietta Barreto, Sonia Rey Planellas, Yifei Yang, Clive Phillips, Kris Descovich

Published in 2021

A scientific review of invasive and non-invasive fish-welfare assessment methods, with a focus on their practical application in aquaculture. New technologies are helping to improve the accuracy, automation and practical applicability of these methods.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

Go to document

The Application of Cameras in Precision Pig Farming: An Overview for Swine-Keeping Professionals

Elanchezhian Arulmozhi, Anil Bhujel, Byeong-Eun Moon, Hyeon-Tae Kim

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the state of the art of 3D imaging systems and 2D cameras as an efficient means to identify pig behaviour. It describes automated methods for the monitoring and study of feeding, watering, lying, locomotion, aggression and reproductive behaviour in pigs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

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

Go to document

Invited review: Freedom from thirst-Do dairy cows and calves have sufficient access to drinking water?

Margit BakJensen, Mogens Vestergaard

Published in 2021

Scientific review of what is known about the water requirements of 1) young calves, depending on their feeding regime (ad libitum or limited milk), state of health and ambient temperature; 2) dairy cows, depending on their milk yield, feed composition and housing (under cover or on pasture). It concludes that research on the length and positioning of water troughs is needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Enrichment, Lactation, Housing, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

Go to document

Progress With Livestock Welfare in Extensive Production Systems: Lessons From Australia

Peter Andrew Windsor

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the animal welfare challenges faced by Australian extensive livestock farming and the improvements already in place to improve animal welfare: the development of standards and guidelines for improved farm animal welfare; improved consideration of welfare in the transport of live animals; better pain management for potentially painful routine livestock practices; and more monitoring and consideration of welfare on farms.

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Transport

Go to document

Towards Machine Recognition of Facial Expressions of Pain in Horses

Pia Haubro Andersen, Sofia Broomé, Maheen Rashid, Johan Lundblad, Katrina Ask, Zhenghong Li, Elin Hernlund, Marie Rhodin, Hedvig Kjellström

Published in 2021

Scientific review describing two promising systems for the automatic recognition of facial expressions of pain in horses. The first is based on a manual classification system that involves machine learning. The second is based on recurrent neural network learning.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

Go to document

The importance of considering age when quantifying wild animals' welfare

Luke Hecht

Published in 2021

A scientific review of work on age-related welfare levels in wild animals, which proposes a  new conceptual framework based on welfare expectancy. This quantifies the welfare of a population of wild animals using individual data on average welfare as a function of age.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords: Modelling, Human-animal relationships,Welfare indicators

Go to document

A review of laminitis in the donkey

A. K. Thiemann, J. Buil, K. Rickards, R. J. Sullivan

Published in 2021

Scientific review of issues that affect the treatment and management of laminitis in donkeys compared to horses, highlighting the differences in use, behaviour and anatomy that call for a different approach.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Pain, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Twenty Years of Research in Seabass and Seabream Welfare during Slaughter

Igother small companion animalsio de la Rosa, Pedro L. Castro, Rafael Ginés

Published in 2021

Scientific review of the different stunning methods used for sea bass and sea bream. The following methods are described, compared and evaluated: hypothermia, electrical stunning, carbon dioxide narcosis and clove oil anaesthesia.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Stress

Go to document