Keyword : Robustness

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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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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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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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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Synthetic and phytogenic antioxidants improve productive performance, antioxidant activity, gene expression, and offspring quality in breeder hens subjected to heat stress

Phocharapon Pasri, Sitthipong Rakngam, Nadine Gérard, Pascal Mermillod, Sutisa Khempaka

Published in 2024

Scientific paper demonstrating the effectiveness of a mixture of synthetic and phytogenic substances in countering the negative effects of heat stress in breeding hens on production, blood chemistry, sperm survival in the oviduct, antioxidant properties, gene expression and offspring quality.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Prenatal, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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Water deprivation in poultry in connection with transport to slaughter - a review

K. E. Wurtz, M. S. Herskin, A. B. Riber

Published in 2024

Review of current knowledge on variables that can be useful in determining how long poultry can be deprived of water during transport before their welfare starts to deteriorate.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Transport

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Heat stress: Implications of hyperthermia and physiology of layer hens

Roberto Montanhini Neto

Published in 2024

Article describing the effects of heat stress on the feeding behavior, physiology and metabolism of laying hens, particularly oxidative stress. It sets out the benefits of phytogenic feeds in mitigating the adverse effects of high heat on the welfare and production of laying hens.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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L’élevage porcin en systèmes alternatifs : atouts et défis en termes de bien-être animal, biosécurité, santé animale et sécurité sanitaire

Maxime Delsart, Françoise Pol, Barbara Dufour, Nicolas Rose, Christelle Fablet

Published in 2023

Article presenting the advantages and disadvantages of alternative pig farming systems in terms of animal welfare, biosecurity, animal health and public health challenges.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Resilience, Robustness, Farming system, Pathogen transfer

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002189/23: Putting an end to the rearing of fast-growing chickens

Question: Annika Bruno (ID). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on whether the European Commission intends to ban the rearing of fast-growing broiler strains and support small farms that rear hardier breeds of chickens.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal adaptation to the environment, Pain, Societal issues, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Farming system

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A review of thermal stress in cattle

R W Shephard, S K Maloney

Published in 2023

Scientific review summarizing the behavioral and physiological controls used by cattle to manage heat exchange by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation between the body and the environment, and thus regulate their temperature in hot conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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