Keywords: Enrichment

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, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Robustness, Stress

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Effects of Music Therapy on Neuroplasticity, Welfare, and Performance of Piglets Exposed to Music Therapy in the Intra- and Extra-Uterine Phases

Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi, Fabiana Ribeiro Caldara, Ibiara Correia de Lima Almeida-Paz, Henrique Biasotto Morais, Agnês Markiy Odakura, Elisabete Castelon Konkiewitz, Welber Sanches Ferreira, Thiago Leite Fraga, Maria Fernanda de Castro Burbarelli, Gisele Aparecida Felix, Rodrigo Garófallo Garcia, Luan Sousa dos Santos

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that intra- and extra-uterine exposure of piglets to music maintains high levels of BDNF, which contributes to neuroplasticity, between birth and weaning and is associated with higher weaning weights.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Enrichment, Brain integration, Memory, Prenatal issues

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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 measurements,Adaptation of the animal to the environmentAdaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Housing, Memory, Enrichment, Risk management, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Societal issues, Livestock farming system, Mutilation, Welfare indicators

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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:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Social behavior in farm animals: Applying fundamental theory to improve animal welfare

Victoria E. Lee1, Gareth Arnott, Simon P. Turner

Published in 2022

bonds, environmental influences on social behavior and welfare, mechanisms and development of social behaviors, ways to promote positive social interactions and minimize disruptions to basic social bonds

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Environmental Enrichment as Part of the Improvement of the Welfare of Japanese Quails

Anastasiya Ramankevich, Karolina Wengerska, Kinga Rokicka, Kamil Drabik, Kornel Kasperek, Agnieszka Ziemiańska, Justyna Batkowska

Published in 2022

Scientific paper to measure indicators for behavioral and physiological welfare of farmed Japanese quails as a function of environmental enrichment. It shows that quails in enriched cages had lower stress levels and fewer abnormal behaviors than those in standard cages, and that the color and shape of an object were very important in arousing the birds' interest.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Stress, 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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L’Allemagne a un temps d’avance sur le bien-être du porc

Christophe Reibel

Published in 2022

Dossier describing the German voluntary welfare initiative in pig farming, "Initiative Tierwohl", containing interviews with farmers who have signed up to it, along with half their fellow farmers. Although the initiative is appreciated by consumers, the public is still concerned over meat prices, a fact that restricts farmers' room for manoeuver in working to to improve animal welfare.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Societal issues

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Freedom to Move: Free Lactation Pens Improve Sow Welfare

Orla Kinane, Fidelma Butler, Keelin O'Driscoll

Published in 2022

Article comparing welfare criteria for sows housed in free-range farrowing crates and conventional farrowing crates. It shows that the greater freedom of movement provided by free-range farrowing crates throughout lactation can improve locomotor health and reduce stress levels in sows.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Societal issues

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