Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment

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 buildings, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Housing, Socialization, livestock farming 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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Aggression, Aggressiveness, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Behavioural 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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Aggression, Aggressivity, Welfare indicators, Transport

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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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Behavioural disorders

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Stress related to wild canid predators near dairy sheep farms associated with increased somatic cell counts in bulk-tank milk

Eleni I. Katsarou, Neil Reid , Daphne T. Lianou, George C. Fthenakis

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that the presence of predatory wild canids near sheep farms is associated with poorer milk quality, suggesting stress in ewes.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canines, Sheep

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Biodiversity, Environment, Population management, Lactation, Living environment, , Stress

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The links between positive human interaction and maternal behaviour and welfare of commercial breeding dams (Canis familiaris)

Uri Baqueiro-Espinosa, Paul Donnelly, Victoria McEvoy, Gareth Arnott

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing the positive effect of social enrichment (positive human-animal interactions) during gestation on a bitch's maternal behavior and on stress as measured by capillary cortisol levels.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Lactation, Maternity, Prenatal issues, Human-animal relationships, Socialization, Stress

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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 intense heat waves increases activity in 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, Welfare indicators, 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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Prenatal issues, 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:Adaptation of the animal to the 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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress

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