Keyword: Living environment

Review: Assessment of dairy cow welfare at pasture: measures available, gaps to address, and pathways to development of ad-hoc protocols

L. Aubé, M.M. Mialon, E. Mollaret, L. Mounier, I. Veissier, A. de Boyer des Roches

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the benefits and risks of grazing for dairy cows, measures that can be used to assess the welfare of cows on pasture, and the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to develop specific welfare indicators.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Living environment, Robustness, Stress

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Welfare of pigs on farm

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

EFSA scientific opinion on the welfare of all categories of pigs found in the main European farming systems. It identifies the most important welfare risks,  the appropriate animal based measurements, and their consequences, describing preventive and corrective measures. It provides recommendations for each system to address specific pig welfare issues related to tail biting and the European citizens' initiative "End the Cage Age".

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurement,Animaladaptation, Animal to environment, Consciousness, Housing, Memory, Enrichment, Risk management, Human-animal relationship, Human-animal relationship, Stress, Societal issues, Livestock system, Mutilations, Welfare indicator

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A pilot study about on-farm assessment of health and welfare in rabbits kept in different housing systems

Angela Trocino, Francesca Menegon, Cristina Zomeño, Dario Pasqualin, Giovanni Cunial, Gerolamo Xiccato, Fabrizio Pirrone, Daniela Bertotto, Martina Bortoletti, Francesco Dorigo, Antonio Lavazza Guido Di Martino

Published in 2022

Scientific article comparing the health and welfare levels of breeding rabbits living with their litters and of growing rabbits in four different housing systems: two unenriched cage systems, enriched cages and pens. Although it does not reveal major health differences, it does identify management and environmental factors other than housing that can influence health and welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Monogastric

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Animaladaptation, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Robustness, Welfare indicators

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Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews

Claire Bonnefous, Anne Collin, Laurence A. Guilloteau, Vanessa Guesdon, Christine Filliat, Sophie Réhault-Godbert, T. Bas Rodenburg, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, Laura Warin, Sanna Steenfeldt, Lisa Baldinger, Martina Re, Raffaella Ponzio, Anna Zuliani, Pietro Venezia, Minna Väre, Patricia Parrott, Keith Walley, Jarkko K. Niemi, Christine Leterrier

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying an increased risk to free-range hens of microbial and parasitic infections, heat stress and predation. They do, however, have better bone quality and show less evidence of pecking behaviors. The review sets out existing preventive strategies and identifies missed opportunities to use genetics and prenatal and nutritional factors to prevent these welfare issues in free-range systems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Livestocksystems

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Improving heat stress resilience should be priority for swine industry

Ann Hess

Published in 2022

Summary of a webinar hosted by the USDA on how to mitigate the impacts of heat stress on the health and welfare of pigs in factory farming. It presents research findings to improve heat stress resilience in pigs through a three-part approach, that looks at management, nutrition and genetics.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Finding the "golden stocking density": A balance between fish welfare and farmers' perspectives

J. L. Saraiva, P. Rachinas-Lopes, P. Arechavala-Lopez

Published in 2022

Scientific review proposing ways to select the appropriate fish stocking density for each farm and monitor its potential effects. They include a robust welfare assessment based on operational indicators and good management practices.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords: Housing, Living environment, Livestock systems,Welfare indicators

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Improving young pig welfare on-farm: The Five Domains Model

Anna K Johnson, Jean-Loup Rault, Jeremy N Marchant, Emma M Baxter, Keelin O'Driscoll

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the use of the five domains model to improve housing and management from the piglets' perspective, seeking to induce positive mental states that can result in improved quality of life and wefare. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Stress

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Alternative Practices in Organic Dairy Production and Effects on Animal Behavior, Health, and Welfare

Hannah N. Phillips, Bradley J. Heins

Published in 2022

Scientific review describing organic milk production systems, and the husbandry practices they include that could affect animal welfare, including alternative methods of pain management during calf disbudding and treatment of mastitis in cows as well as management of adverse behaviours during milking.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords:Societal issues, Living environment, Livestock systems

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Un guide pratique sur le bien-être des vaches laitières pour les vétérinaires

Mathilde Clauss, François Gary

Published in 2022

Guide describing good practices in dealing with a sick animal and observing possible warning signs for animal welfare issues in a herd, animal welfare visits, how animal welfare can be integrated to a health visit, providing support for a shift towards increased animal welfare measures. It also looks closely at pain management, making the choice whether to transport an animal or slaughter it on site, good end-of-life practices, and how to discuss the longevity of dairy cows with farmers.

Document Types: Guides to Good Practice

Animal categories: Bovines

Key word: Human-animal relationships, Living environment, Stress,Welfare indicators

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End the Cage Age -Sows investigation - 2022

CIWF

Published in 2022

CIWF survey conducted on 16 European pig farms, revealing living conditions that prevent the expression of the animals' natural behaviours. CIWF asks the French Minister of Agriculture to support the legislative changes announced by the European Commission to ban cage farming and improve animal welfare conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Housing, Maternity, Living environment, Stress, Livestock systems, Societal issues

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