Keyword: Welfare indicators

Animal welfare review: Sows are more vulnerable towards transport than most other pig categories

EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare Pigs (EURCAW-Pigs)

Published in 2024

Article on a summary report published by EURCAW-Pigs showing that sows are the pig category most affected by transport. The three risks specific to sows are: sensitivity to heat stress, a lack of transport suitability that is strongly connected to the poor general health of a large proportion of cull sows compared with average finisher sows, and the tendency of sows to fight when mixed with unfamiliar conspecifics.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal trade, End of life, Welfare indicator, Robustness, Stress, Transportation, Behavioral disorders, Aging

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Active walking in broiler chickens: a flagship for good welfare, a goal for smart farming and a practical starting point for automated welfare recognition

Marian Stamp Dawkins

Published in 2024

Scientific article suggesting that active walking in broiler chickens can be a reliable indicator of health and welfare. Its sustained and regular pattern of expression is detectable by automated systems.  This smart detection of active walking deficiencies can be carried out both on an individual chicken and on a group of chickens, even at high stocking densities.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Precision breeding, Welfare indicators, Robustness, Behavioural disorders

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Advancements in artificial intelligence technology for improving animal welfare: Current applications and research progress

Li Zhang, Wenqiang Guo, Chenrui Lv, Meng Guo, Mei Yang, Qiuyue Fu, Xiaomeng Liu

Published in 2024

Article summarizing the various technological advances in the field of artificial intelligence for animal health and welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Precision breeding, Welfare indicators, Robustness, Behavioural disorders

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Veal calf welfare and rearing 

Didier Bastien, Magdéléna Chanteperdrix, Virginie Lefoul, Christophe Martineau, Etienne Labussière, Manuel Tourtier

Published in 2024

Article summarising papers on veal calves given at the 74th European Animal Science Congress (EAAP). The presentations discussed work to identify societal expectations, establish the impact of different housing and feeding methods, evaluate changes in antibiotic use and develop tools for assessing biosecurity on farms.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock building, Societal issues, Welfare indicator, Housing, Socialization, Livestock system

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Welfare issues resulting from feed restriction in pregnant sows

EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare Pigs (EURCAW-Pigs)

Published in 2024

This article, intended for inspectors in EU Member States, describes the effects of feed restriction on the welfare of pregnant sows. Indicators of hunger-related aggression and stereotypies are described, along with measures to help sows feel satiated by increasing the fibre content of their diet, and to mitigate these behaviors by modifying various aspects of the living environment.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Aggression, Aggressiveness, Enrichment, Welfare indicator, Housing, Behavioral disorders

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Behaviour of cull sows during transport to slaughter - effects of journey duration, a stationary period and temperature

Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Line D. Jensen, Leslie Foldager, Louisa M. Gould, Karen Thodberg, Dorte Lene Schrøder-Petersen, Mette S. Herskin

Published in 2024

Scientific article describing the behavior of cull sows during transport. The results show that sows generally stand during transport, and aggression was observed throughout the journey. A higher proportion of sows who lie down during a prolonged stop after a long journey suggests fatigue.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Aggression, Aggressivity, Welfare indicator, Transport

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Environmental enrichments and data-driven welfare indicators for sheltered dogs using telemetric physiological measures and signal processing

Tiziano Travain, Teddy Lazebnik, Anna Zamansky, Simona Cafazzo, Paola Valsecchi, Eugenia Natoli

Published in 2024

Scientific article comparing the effects of different types of enrichment on the welfare of male dogs in shelters. The results show that intraspecific social enrichment provided by the presence of a female dog is the best stimulus compared with the presence of either entertaining objects or a human. It improves both sleep quality and the cyclicity of a set of measured physiological parameters.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Precision breeding, Enrichment, Welfare indicator

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Loss of a grooming enrichment impacts physical, behavioural, and physiological measures of welfare in grazing beef cattle

Emily J. Dickson, Jessica E. Monk, Caroline Lee, Paul G. McDonald, Edward Narayan, Dana L. M. Campbell

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that the loss of an enrichment element (grooming brush) to which grazing cattle are accustomed can adversely affect welfare, measured here by indicators of cleanliness, growth and fecal cortisol.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Enrichment, Well-being indicator, Living environment, Behavioral disorders

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A Multidimensional Evaluation of the Factors in the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) That Are Associated with, and Predictive of, Behaviour Disorders in Dogs

Rachel Malkani, Sharmini Paramasivam, Sarah Wolfensohn

Published in 2024

Scientific article to evaluate predictors for behavioral problems in dogs using the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG)to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence their welfare. The study shows that aggression towards the caregiver, and the frequency of fear and anxiety episodes are predictive factors for behavioral problems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Pain, Well-being indicator, Personality, Human-animal relationship, Behavioural disorders

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Effect of extended heat stress in dairy cows on productive and behavioral traits

Daniela Lovarelli, Giulietta Minozzi, Alon Arazi, Marcella Guarino, Francesco Tiezzi

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that heat stress generated by strong heat waves increases the activity of dairy cows and compromises milk production, resting time and milk quality.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Well-being indicator, Lactation, Robustness, Stress

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