Keyword : Stress

Welfare of small ruminants during transport

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 protection of small ruminants during transport. Eleven main welfare consequences were identified: group stress, stress during handling, heat stress, injuries, stress during movement, predation stress, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, restriction of movement, problems resting and sensory hyperstimulation. These welfare consequences and animal based measurements of them are described. The hazards leading to these negative consequences and recommendations on how to avoid the hazards and correct or mitigate their welfare consequences are presented.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

Welfare of cattle during transport

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 protection of cattle during transport. Eleven main welfare consequences were identified: group stress, stress during handling, heat stress, injuries, stress from movement, prolonged hunger, prolonged thirst, respiratory disorders, rsetriction of movement, problems resting and sensory hyperstimulation. These welfare consequences and animal-based measurements for them are described. The hazards that lead to these consequences and recommendations to prevent such hazards and to correct or mitigate their welfare consequences are presented.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

Go to document

Play ontogeny in young chickens is affected by domestication and early stress

Lundén Gabrielle, Oscarsson Rebecca, Hedlund Louise, Gjøen Johanna, Jensen Per

Published in 2022

Scientific paper comparing the play behaviors of chicks bred from "domesticated" and "wild" genealogical lines, with and without the stress of routine procedures in a commercial hatchery. Chicks showed qualitative and quantitative differences in play behaviors depending on lineage, and early stress was observed to affect their play profile.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Learning, Enrichment, Cognitive processes, Stress

Go to document

Is tail biting in pigs related to tail posture?

Samaneh Azarpajouh

Published in 2022

Technical article outlining the risk factors for tail biting, their impact on the pig industry, current knowledge concerning the relationship between different tail postures and the emotional states of pigs, and methods to prevent tail biting.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Pain, Enrichment, Housing, Mutilation, Stress

Go to document

The Potential of Understory Production Systems to Improve Laying Hen Welfare

Shaocong Yan, Chenyujing Yang, Lei Zhu, Yongji Xue

Published in 2022

Scientific review of Chinese systems of rearing laying hens in undergrowth, their overall positive impact on the welfare of the animals themselves, their acceptability to Chinese farmers and public authorities, and the limitations on their general implementation across the whole country.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Living environment, Stress,  Breeding and rearing systems

Go to document

Transforming Intensive Animal Production: Challenges and Opportunities for Farm Animal Welfare in the European Union

Mariann Molnár

Published in 2022

Scientific review of the reasons why intensive livestock farming continues to be the dominant farming system in Europe, and the measures that need to be taken to encourage livestock sectors to make the transition to non-intensive farming methods.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Stress, Farming systems

Go to document

Décret n° 2022-1179 du 24 août 2022 relatif à la formation des gestionnaires de fourrière relative en matière de bien-être des chiens et des chats

Elisabeth Borne, Marc Fesneau

Published in 2022

Decree no. 2022-1179 of August 24, 2022, Journal officiel de la République française

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002518/22: Action must be taken when equine traffickers break EU animal welfare rules

Aurélia Beigneux (ID), Catherine Griset (ID), Virginie Joron (ID), Annika Bruna (ID)

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's measures to prevent the trafficking of recreational horses, leading to their slaughter and fraudulent entry into the food chain.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Societal issues, Stress

Go to document

A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods

Jen-Yun Chou, Thomas D. Parsons

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature showing that the indicators relating to housing that are used to measure the welfare of sows in the post-weaning and early gestation periods are mainly physiological and health-related. There is a lack of studies on the effects of housing on the mental welfare of sows during this period of their reproductive cycle.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Weaning, Stress, Welfare indicators

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to question E-002611/22: Banning the transport of live animals during heatwaves 

Aurélia Beigneux (ID). Reply: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's position on the banning of the transport of live animals when the temperature exceeds 30°C, and on how it intends to strengthen the regulations to better control such transport of live animals.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

Go to document