Document type : Scientific review

Conventional versus Ritual Slaughter-Ethical Aspects and Meat Quality

Jagoda Żurek, Mariusz Rudy, Magdalena Kachel, Stanisław Rudy

Published in 2021

Scientific review concerning the ethical aspects and quality of meat from animals undergoing conventional and ritual slaughter. The right to exercise one's religion is an inalienable right and animal welfare is an ethical issue, so it is essential that the assessment of ritual practices from an animal welfare perspective should be carried out in an objective and rigorous manner.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords:Consciousness, Carcass quality, Pain, Societal issues, Stress

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Animal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the Welfare of Animals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kimberly Ekstrand, Amanda J. Flanagan, Ilyan E. Lin, Brendon Vejseli, Allicyn Cole, Anna P. Lally, Robert L. Morris, Kathleen N. Morgan

Published in 2021

Scientific review of the levels of susceptibility to the Covid-19 virus of various animal species that have contact with humans. Dogs and pigs appear to have low susceptibility levels. Ferrets, mink, some hamster species, cats and non-human primates show high susceptibility levels.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Pathogen transfer

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Tail-Biting in Pigs: A Scoping Review

Maggie Henry, Hannah Jansen, Maria del Rocio Amezcua, Terri L. O'Sullivan, Lee Niel, Anna Kate Shoveller, Robert M. Friendship

Published in 2021

Scientific review setting out to identify articles on risk factors and interventions associated with tail biting in pigs, along with data gaps in the literature.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Risk management, Societal issues, Mutilation, Pain

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Effects of Holding Density on the Welfare of Zebrafish: A Systematic Review

Marica Andersson, Petronella Kettunen

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the effects of stocking density for juvenile and adult zebrafish used in research on growth, reproduction, stress responses (including behaviour), water quality and disease outbreaks. It recommends that stocking density should be included in guidelines for housing and should be discussed in the materials and methods sections of papers where zebrafish are used.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Housing, Living environment, Stress

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The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessing Affective States in Livestock

Suresh Neethirajan

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and then assess emotions in livestock.  These developments call for a multidisciplinary approach that combines affective computing, bioengineering and applied ethology to overcome both theoretical and practical obstacles.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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

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Precision Technologies to Address Dairy Cattle Welfare: Focus on Lameness, Mastitis and Body Condition

Severiano R. Silva, José P. Araujo, Cristina Guedes, Flávio Silva, Mariana Almeida, Joaquim L. Cerqueira

Published in 2021

A scientific review of recent advances in precision farming to measure animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows which discusses the possibility of integrating such data into a broader welfare assessment framework.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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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

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The effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows - a review

Piotr Herbut,Gundula Hoffmann, Sabina Angrecka, Dorota Godyń, Frederico Márcio Corrêa Vieira, Krzysztof Adamczyk, Robert Kupczyński

Published in 2021

A scientific review reporting on behavioural changes in dairy cows exposed to heat stress conditions and discussing herd management strategies to mitigate the consequences of excessive temperatures on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Living environment, Livestock farming system

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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

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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

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