Keywords: Pain

Welfare of dairy cows

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Animal 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 Gort ́azar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel ́Angel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Alice De Boyer des Roches, Margit Bak Jensen, John Mee, Martin Green, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Elea Bailly-Caumette, Denise Candiani, Eliana Lima,Yves Van der Stede and Christoph Winckler

Published in 2023

EFSA opinion identifying the main types of housing for dairy cows in Europe and, for each, the main strengths, weaknesses and risks likely to reduce animal welfare. It examines five specific negative welfare consequences: locomotor disorders, mastitis, restricted movement and resting problems, inability to adopt comfort behavior and metabolic disorders. It also analyzes a set of farm characteristics that could be used to classify the level of welfare on farms.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements,Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Analysis of Various Facial Expressions of Horses as a Welfare Indicator Using Deep Learning

Su Min Kim, Gil Jae Cho

Published in 2023

Article using deep learning to identify various facial expressions that can be used as indicators of welfare in horses. It proposes a model for the automatic recognition of facial expressions including the eyes, nose and ears, to identify horses in various situations: at rest, in pain, immediately after exercise and during shoeing.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Castration, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Sterilization

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Prevalence of lameness in dairy cows: A literature review

Peter T. Thomsen, Jan K. Shearer, Hans Houe

Published in 2023

Scientific review on global levels of lameness in dairy cows from 1989 to 2020, which it calculates to be 22.8%, with a median of 22.0%, a range between studies of 5.1% to 45%, and a range within the herd of 0% to 88%. It notes that levels have changed very little over time.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Livestock farming system

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-000940/23: Compliance with Directive 2008/120/EC on the welfare of pigs

Question: Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question concerning the date of publication of the assessment of Member States' national action plans for the prevention of routine tail docking in pigs, the decisions taken by the European Commission to ensure compliance with the regulatory ban on tail docking in this species, and the measures envisaged in the event of breaches of the regulations.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Societal issues, Mutilation

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Investigating clove oil and its derivatives as anaesthetic agents for decapod crustaceans to improve welfare commercially and at slaughter

Felicity Spoors, Mark James, Tania Mendo, J. Chris McKnight, Eva-Maria S. Bønnelycke, Nicola Khan

Published in 2023

Scientific review on the use of clove oil as a natural, effective and reversible anaesthetic in decapods, including brown crab and langoustine, which are commercially important in the UK, and whether it can  improve the welfare of these animals at the farming and slaughter stages of life.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Pain, Societal issues

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Dog owners' recognition of pain-related behavioral changes in their dogs

Ahu Demirtas, Durmus Atilgan, Begum Saral, Sevim Isparta, Hakan Ozturk, Tarkan Ozvardar, Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas

Published in 2023

Scientific paper showing that owners are able to notice certain behavioral and/or body-language changes related to pain in their dogs in everyday contexts, particularly during activity/exercise and position changes. This result allows the creation of pain scales that can be used by owners to detect chronic pain at an early stage and improve the quality of life of dogs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords: Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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The grim reality of industrial animal farming

Eurogroup for Animals

Published in 2023

Report summarizing the main welfare problems faced by broilers, fish, pigs, dairy cows and rabbits in intensive farming and the main shortcomings of current European legislation in this respect.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Societal issues, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Assemblée nationale: réponse écrite à la question n°5240 : Absence d’étiquetage concernant l’abattage rituel 

Question: Serge Muller (RN - Dordogne). Answer: Ministry of the Interior

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the possible introduction of labelling to show "slaughter with stunning" or "slaughter without stunning", to enable all consumers to make informed purchases.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Welfare of laying hens on farm

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 S Herskin, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Virginie Michel, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl and Antonio Velarde

Published in 2023

EFSA opinion identifying the most important factors impacting on the welfare of laying hens: bone lesions, group stress, inability to avoid unwanted sexual behavior, inability to engage in comfort behavior, inability to engage in exploratory or foraging behavior, isolation stress, predation stress, resting problems, movement restriction, skin disorders, soft tissue lesions and integument lesions. It proposes animal-based measures to assess them, and sets out the risks related to different farming systems. Measures to prevent risks and mitigate welfare consequences are proposed. Recommendations are made to address specific welfare issues for laying hens.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Mutilation, Stress, Livestock farming system, Societal issues, Pain

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Welfare of broilers on farm

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 S Herskin, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Virginie Michel, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl and Antonio Velarde

Published in 2023

EFSA opinion that identifies 19 major welfare consequences for broilers, animal-based measures to assess them, risks related to different farming systems and animal-based measures to assess them. Measures to prevent risks and mitigate welfare consequences are proposed. Recommendations are made to address specific welfare issues for broilers. Indicators for monitoring the welfare of broilers at slaughter are proposed.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Mutilation, Stress, Livestock farming system, Societal issues, Pain

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