Keywords: Enrichment

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-001193/2024: Legislative proposals on harmonised animal welfare rules for turkeys

Question: Tom Vandenkendelaere (PPE). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

Answer from the European Commission to a parliamentary quetion on the timetable for the presentation of future legislative proposals following on from the EFSA's opinion on animal welfare and, more specifically, on turkey welfare.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Housing, Societal issues

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Music enrichment improves the behavior and leukocyte profile of dairy cattle

Esmeralda G. Contreras-Torres, Juan F. Hernández-Chavez, Carlos A. Díaz-Quiroz, Ramón Molina-Barrios, Paulina Arrayales Millán, Ruth G. Ulloa-Mercado

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing the positive effect of music on cows' willingness to enter the milking parlour and on their blood leukocyte profile.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements,Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Lactation, Housing

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European Parliament: written answer to question E-003741/2023: Aid for poultry farmers who improve their flocks' environment 

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

Published in 2024

Reply from the European Commission to a Member of Parliament on the insufficient aid provided for European poultry farmers trying to enrich  the living environment of their animals, and who must face foreign competition due to increased imports of poultry products not subject to European legislation.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal trade, Enrichment, Environment, Housing, Restraint equipment, Pollution, Livestock farming system, Transport, Societal issues

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Impact of farrowing system and prepartum nest-building material on nest-building behaviour and farrowing in sows

V.M. Hukkinen, C. Munsterhjelm, M. Kurtti, N. Immonen, A. Valros

Published in 2024

Scientific article analyzing the impact of farrowing cages and a variety of materials provided to sows to express their nesting behavior (straw, newspaper, burlap). The article shows that free farrowing has positive effects on piglet growth, but negative effects on piglet survival in early lactation. The different nesting materials have varying effects depending on the type of farrowing system.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, Prenatal issues, Behavioural disorders

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Influence of deep-litter bedding materials on environmental and welfare-related factors in boar studs

Anine Riedel, Laura Pieper, Matthias Lautner, Claus Leiding, Markus Jung, Martin Schulze

Published in 2024

Scientific article describing the variations in temperature, pen cleanliness (in winter), and fly load (in summer) between different bedding materials supplied to breeding boars. The authors recommend the use of wooden materials as deep litter due to their lesser heat build-up and to avoid litter replacement during summer.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Behavioural disorders

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Bien-être des animaux : quels critères scientifiques pour construire un étiquetage des produits alimentaires ? Rapport de l’Anses

Anses

Published in 2024

News item on an Anses report recommending a harmonized comprehensive food product labeling system using animal-based scientific welfare indicators and also take into account the living conditions of their parents.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Castration, Animal trade, Enrichment, Identification, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Mutilation, Prenatal issues, Sterilization, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transport, Behavioural disorders, Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Burlap and buddies: the effects of social enrichment (preweaning mixing) and object enrichment (burlap) on piglet behavior and welfare in the postweaning environment

Ashlyn Scott, Arielle Le Heiget, Reyna Stefanson, Jamie Ahloy-Dallaire, Meagan King

Published in 2024

Scientific article demonstrating that early social enrichment encourages socialization with unfamiliar conspecifics during post-weaning, while object enrichment (burlap) allows pigs to divert their attention and limits aggressive behavior and the biting of conspecifics. Both types of enrichment can improve pig behavior and welfare after weaning.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Aggression, Enrichment, Housing, Weaning, Socialization, Behavioural disorders, Welfare indicators, Aggression

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The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare - 2023 Report

Nicky Amos, Dr Nathan Rhys Williams MRCVS and Jessica Doten Axberg

Published in 2024

Report from Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), on the ways that major global food companies take animal welfare into account. While 95% of them recognize the importance of animal welfare (versus 79% in 2012), 93% received the lowest scores. Three companies stood out positively.

Document Types: Technical review

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

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Animal trade, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Education, Housing, Abuse, Restraint equipment, Mutilation, Livestock farming system, Pain, Stress, Societal issues, Transport

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Social buffering of behavioural stress response in two fish species, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Santiago Pintos, Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato, Luisa María Vera, Luis Conceição, Cristiano Bertolucci, Javier Sánchez-Vázquez, Paulo Rema

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that the effects of social enrichment on fish stress responses vary according to the species studied.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Enrichment, Housing, Fear, Stress, Behavioural disorders

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Review on cooling technologies for pigs

Vermeer Herman, Hoofs Anita

Published in 2024

Summary document for official welfare inspectors describing cooling technologies for pigs and their surroundings in farm buildings.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Porcines

Key word:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Education, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment

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