Document type : Scientific review

What Are the Positives? Exploring Positive Welfare Indicators in a Qualitative Interview Study with Livestock Farmers

Vigors B, Lawrence A

Published in 2019

Positive animal welfare is a relatively new concept that promotes the welfare benefits of providing animals with greater opportunities for positive experiences, as well as minimizing negative experiences. However, little is known about farmers' attitudes or  knowledge regarding positive animal welfare. This is a major obstacle to the promotion of positive welfare indicators on farms, where their use may depend on their acceptance by farmers. In response, this study uses qualitative interviews to explore farmers' positive attitudes towards welfare. A fair number of elements that correspond to positive welfare indicators in the literature are encountered in farmers' positive discussions of welfare. These include animal autonomy, play, positive effects, positive Human-animal relationships, social interactions and appropriate genetic selection.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Housing, Stress, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Welfare of fishes in aquaculture

Segner, H., Reiser, S., Ruane, N., Rösch, R., Steinhagen, D. and Vehanen, T.

Published in 2019

Discussion of factors and processes in aquaculture that may be critical to welfare, synthetic overview of issues for welfare assessment, accompanied by various recommendations

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

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Y a-t-il des alternatives à la castration chirurgicale des porcelets ?

A. PRUNIER, M. BONNEAU

Published in 2006

The review discusses alternatives to the surgical castration of male pigs, which protects consumers from strong smelling meat (boar taint) but which is carried out in some cases without anesthesia.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Mutilation, Carcass quality, Stress, Livestock farming system

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US Farm Animal Welfare: An Economic Perspective

Tonsor GT, Wolf CA

Published in 2019

This article briefly summarises on-farm animal welfare from an economic perspective, one of the most controversial and complex issues in modern agriculture, with a focus on the situation in the United States.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Societal issues, Livestock farming system

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Douleurs animales : les identifier, les comprendre, les limiter chez les animaux d’élevage

INRA

Published in 2009

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Consciousness, Pain

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Animal consciousness

Le Neindre P., Bernard E., Boissy A., Boivin X., Calendreau L., Delon N., Deputte B., Desmoulin-Canselier S., Dunier M., Faivre N., Giurfa M., Guichet J.L., Lansade L., Larrère R., Mormede P., Prunet P., Schaal B., Servière J., Terlouw C

Published in 2017

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Consciousness, Metacognition

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General Principles for the welfare of animals in production systems: the underlying science and its application

Fraser D., Duncan I.J.H., Edwards S.A., Grandin T., Gregory N.G., Guyonnet V., Hemsworth P.H., Huertas S.M., Huzzey J.M., Mellor D.J., Mench J.A., Spinka M., Whay H.R.,

Published in 2013

Presentation of the 10 general principles relating to welfare in production systems adopted by the OIE for the development of standards

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment,Mutilation, Fear, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Multi-criteria assessment applied to animal welfare on the farm or in the abattoir: challenges and solutions from the Welfare Quality® project.

Veissier I., Botreau R., Perny P.

Published in 2010

With the development in Europe of certification programmes for livestock farms that place emphasis on respect for animal welfare, the Welfare Quality® project set out, on behalf of the European Union, to create a model for the overall assessment of animal welfare standards on farms (or abattoirs). This model is based on a multi-criteria evaluation in which 12 welfare criteria have been defined, grouped into 4 principles. An a posteriori analysis of the results shows that the model gives priority to animals in poorer condition while taking into account the average condition of the herd, and that it strongly limits compensation between criteria. This shows that this rigorous methodology is helpful to the assessment of what is a multidimensional issue, lthough it requires choices to be made concerning values that need to be made explicit and modelled.

Document Types: Scientific review

Social ties in farmed ruminants: limits on and means of action to encourage the integration of the animal in its environment

Boissy A., Nowak R., Orgeur P., Veissier I.

Published in 2001

Farmed ruminants belong to gregarious species. Their social organisation is based on stable dominance-subordination relationships which ensure the resolution of many conflicts that are inherent in the promiscuity among animals in livestock farming. Social organisation is also based on affinity relationships that ensure group cohesion and increase tolerance between animals in situations of conflict. Furthermore, affinity relationships are closely involved in the adaptation of the animal to its living environment, since partners will influence the animal's response to its surroundings. Thus, whether through the development of behaviours that are more respectful of the animals' social needs, or by the management of periods of social transition, the adaptation and welfare of farm animals will be considerably increased.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Ruminants

Keywords: Consciousness, Enrichment, Metacognition, Living environment, Cognitive processes

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La relation mère-jeune chez les porcins : de la naissance au sevrage

Orgeur P., Le Dividich J., Colson V., Meunier-Salaün M.C.

Published in 2002

L
Intensive pig farming imposes constraints that can be detrimental to the welfare of the pig. In wild boar or domestic pigs in semi-natural conditions, the parturient female lives in a matriarchal group and builds a nest to conceal and protect the young. A bond is established between the sow and her piglets and the suckling period lasts a minimum of 10 to 12 weeks. .... The more premature the weaning, the greater the negative impacts on behavioural and zootechnical disturbances. Proper attention to the animal's welfare calls for precautionary measures to avoid placing the animal in a situation of fear or anxiety and to enable it to express the behaviour deemed normal for the species.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Maternity, Cognitive processes, Weaning, Vocalisation

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