Published in 2020
Opinion on methods of killing rabbits other than for slaughter, identification of 14 hazards for animal welfare and mitigation measures
Document Types: Opinions
Animal categories: Mammals
Keywords: Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Societal issues, Environment, Risk management, Living environment, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress
Published in 2011
Document Types: Scientific review
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment , Livestock buildings, Biodiversity, Wildlife population dynamics, Societal issues, Environment, Risk management, Livestock farming system
Published in 2016
Five prospective scenarios for Human-animal relationships in French society
Document Types: Technical review
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Biodiversity, Wildlife population dynamics, Societal issues, Environment, Modelling, Human-animal relationships
Published in 2009
The document sets out the indicators used to assess the welfare of poultry (broiler and laying hens), including the rearing and abattoir phases. The chosen indicators concern the resources available to the animal (housing, activities), measurements taken from the animal, and a qualitative evaluation. The document explains registration procedures, qualitative and frequency scoring methods, and the aggregation of criteria from four of the five domains of welfare: nutrition, environment, health and appropriate behaviours.
Document Types: Technical work
Animal categories: Poultry
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Mutilation, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress
Published in 2013
Presentation of the 10 general principles relating to welfare in production systems adopted by the OIE for the development of standards
Document Types: Scientific review
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment,Mutilation, Fear, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Stress
Published in 2019
Lameness in dairy cows is a worldwide problem, usually a consequence of hoof diseases. Hoof problems have a negative impact on animal health and welfare as well as the economy of the farm. Prevention and early diagnosis of lameness should prevent the development of the disease and consequent high costs of animal treatment. In this review, the most common causes of both infectious and noninfectious lesions are described. Susceptibility to lesions is primarily influenced by the quality of the horn. The quality of the horn is influenced by internal and external conditions such as hygiene, nutrition, hormonal changes during calving and lactation, the animal's age or genetic predisposition. The next part of this review summarizes the basic principles and possibilities of using infrared thermography in the early detection of lameness in dairy cows.
Document Types: Scientific review
Animal categories: Bovines
Keywords:Livestock buildings, Pain, Environment, Living environment, Stress
Published in 2016
The report addresses the watering of pigs, focusing on those with a soup feeding system and taking into account the different stages of rearing (post-weaning and fattening piglets, pregnant and lactating sows, etc). The experts stressed the importance of the economic issue with regard to the watering of pigs on the farm, but this economic analysis was outside the scope of the expertise. The expertise focused on the production of liquid manure in pig farming in connection with watering systems, but without analyzing the environmental side of its management. The supply of sufficient quantities of water is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis and the survival of the individual. Only permanent access to drinking water allows the physiological needs of pigs to be met flexibly and individually at all times. It also enables the animal to cope with risky situations, for example, when it is hot or when it is suffering from disorders (illness, intoxication, behaviour, etc.). Moreover, permanent access to water can contribute to a state of satiation when the animal is subjected to food rationing. Permanent access to water, together with regular checks on the quantities taken, can be a warning and prevention sign of the appearance of health and welfare problems. In the case of liquid feed without the presence of a supplementary drinking trough, most of the water needs are covered for most animals. However, this type of feed does not allow permanent access to water and therefore does not allow animals to drink systematically as soon as they are thirsty. Water can be provided in the trough, but it must guarantee the permanent presence of drinking water. To ensure adequate watering with troughs, it is necessary to ensure that their design, positioning and operation guarantee optimal access regardless of the physiological stage of the animals. In the absence of manipulable materials in the pens, the drinking trough may be the target of redirected behaviour, linked to frustrated investigative behaviour (cf. Anses opinion 2013-SA-018020). Such use diverts the function of the water trough as a drinking system and may result in restricted access to water for some pigs despite a permanent supply. The introduction of water troughs in soup feeding systems may lead to an increase in the amount of water in the manure produced. However, solutions to this problem include reducing the dilution rate of the soup where technically feasible in the farm (e.g. reducing "wastage" by optimising the design and flow rate of drinkers, covering slurry pits, etc.). The experts also recommend promoting the acquisition of technical references (water flows, number of pigs per trough...) on complementary watering. At the same time, an awareness programme for farmers should be developed on the importance of watering in terms of animal health and welfare. This programme should be accompanied by technical recommendations and accompanying measures to facilitate the introduction of watering systems.
Document Types: Opinions
Animal categories: Porcines
Keywords: Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Environment, Housing, Living environment, Stress
Published in 2015
In a context where livestock farming and its practices are frequently called into question, an analysis of the points of disagreement in different sectors (pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep and goats) was carried out within the framework of the Elevages Demain Scientific Interest Group (GIS). A literature review was conducted to understand the basis for social concerns about livestock farming and assess their robustness. At the same time, some thirty interviews were conducted with various stakeholders involved in the debates - professionals in the sector, employees of voluntary associations, journalists and distributors - in order to identify and describe the main areas of contention over livestock farming in France. The work highlights strongly-held and long-standing concerns on the part of the public with regard to livestock farming, which cannot be dismissed as the consequences of 'fads'.
Document Types: Scientific review
Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Environment, Livestock farming system
Published in 2009
Welfare Quality® combines analysis of consumer perceptions and attitudes with current knowledge from animal welfare science. This has led to the identification of 12 criteria that must be properly taken into account by evaluation systems. To address these issues, it has been decided to focus on those indicators classified as animal-based, which address aspects of the immediate welfare status of animals, such as their behaviour, fear, health or physical condition. These animal-based measures include the effects of variations in farm system management (role of the farmer) as well as particular system-animal interactions. It is however clear that resource-based and management-based measures can also contribute to a welfare assessment if they are closely correlated with animal-based measures. In addition, resource- and management-based measures can be used to identify animal welfare risks and to identify the causes of poor welfare so that improvement strategies can be implemented.
This protocol describes the procedures and requirements for the assessment of the welfare of cattle and is limited to the main categories of production animals, i.e. feeder cattle, dairy cows and veal calves. The document first outlines the on-farm collection of measurement data on feeder cattle, followed by the procedures for calculating scores. The next section describes the collection of data at the abattoir to assess the welfare of feeder cattle at the time of slaughter. Next, the procedure for on-farm collection of measurement data on dairy cows and the calculation of scores for overall farm welfare assessment is described, followed by the protocols for on-farm collection of the same data from calves, along with a description of data collection protocols for measurements taken at the abattoir but relevant to farm welfare. These last two sections complement each other and are used together to calculate on-farm welfare scores for veal calves.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Bovines, Ruminants
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Modelling, Mutilation, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress
Published in 2015
The European AWIN project has developed welfare assessment protocols that provide a range of reliable, feasible and practical animal-based indicators for the evaluation of animal welfare in order to promote the improvement of animal production systems across Europe. The protocols have been developed for species with very different husbandry systems, ranging from highly intensive to pasture-based systems, and involving different production parameters, from intensive dairy production to extensive meat or draught animal production.
This particular welfare assessment protocol is intended for adult female sheep (over one year of age), kept for milk and/or meat and has been tested for this specification. The protocol has not been tested for ewes kept primarily for wool production, or for dual-purpose meat and wool production, but it is expected that the protocol may also be applicable for such cases. The protocol applies and has been tested on adult ewes kept indoors and outdoors. Since the indicators are based on sheep biology, many of the indicators may also be relevant to adult male sheep, but the protocol has not yet been tested for use in male animals.
Document Types: Good practice guide
Animal categories: Ovines
Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Modelling, Mutilation, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress
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