Keywords: Welfare indicators

Individual behavioral correlates of tail biting in pre-finishing piglets

Marc Bagaria, Laura Kuiper, Ellen Meijer, Elisabeth H. M. Sterck

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that tail lesions are present in 2/3 of a group of pre-finishing piglets, that they are usually minor and that the majority of piglets both bite and are bitten. The piglets that bite most are those with the highest levels of exploratory behaviour.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Stress

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Review of the Foundational Knowledge Required for Assessing Horse Welfare

Andrea M. Harvey, Daniel Ramp, David J. Mellor

Published in 2022

A scientific review of what is known about the nutrition, physical environment, health and behavioral interactions of horses, these being the first 4 of the 5 domains of the animal welfare model and the last domain, mental state, being inferred from the first 4.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

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A systematic review of equid welfare at slaughter

K.A. Fletcher, G. Limon, L.J. Whatford, A. Grist, T.G. Knowles, T.J. Gibson

Published in 2022

Scientific review that reveals a lack of published studies assessing welfare levels in equines at slaughter, particularly donkeys and mules in low-income countries, and highlights the need to develop an evidence-based knowledge base to improve guidance in this area.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Pre-slaughter stress mitigation in goats: Prospects and challenges

Pavan Kumar, Abubakar Ahmed Abubakar, Muideen Adewale Ahmed, Muhammad Nizam Hayat, Ubedullah Kaka, Mirian Pateiro, Awis Qurni Sazili, Louwrens C. Hoffmann, Jose M.Lorenzo

Published in 2022

Scientific review of pre-slaughter stress factors, the associated indicators and the methods of management specific to goats, in order to facilitate decision making to minimize pre-slaughter stress in goats and improve goat meat quality.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Caprines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Carcass quality, Societal issues, Stress, Transport

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Investigating the impact of pre-slaughter management factors on indicators of fed beef cattle welfare - a scoping review

Melissa Davis, Paxton Sullivan, Jimena Breton, Lauren Dean, Lily N. Edwards-Callaway

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying that pre-slaughter management factors related to transport and handling, and behavioral and physiological welfare indicators were the topics most commonly addressed in studies on the relationships between pre-slaughter management factors and welfare of beef cattle at slaughter.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress, Transportation

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Sénat : réponse écrite à la question n°01929 : Règles régissant l’abattage des animaux de consommation

Question: Jean-Louis Masson (Moselle - NI) Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on why, given that several European Union member countries have banned ritual slaughter involving the cutting of the throats of live of animals for human consumption, such bans should be deemed compatible with European law in some countries but not in France.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Is animal welfare better on smaller dairy farms? Evidence from 3,085 dairy farms in Germany

T. Lindena, S. Hess

Published in 2022

Scientific paper calculating an animal welfare index (AWI) of German dairy farms and comparing the results by size. It finds that the Ianimal welfare is slightly higher on larger farms, contrary to popular belief. However, the variation in the Ianimal welfare within classes is very high, and other factors would seem to affect the Ianimal welfare such as the skill level of the farm manager, and the time farmers spend with their animals.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Housing, Living environment, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Opportunities and Challenges in Applying the 3Rs to Zoos and Aquariums

Sabrina Brando, Mickey Gjerris 

Published in 2022

Scientific article examining the interest in using the 3Rs rule (replacement, reduction, refinement) applied in animal experimentation, to aid decision-making on the welfare of zoo and aquarium animals, in a context where practitioners in these sectors and society are asking for greater consideration to be given to animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Wildlife, Fish

Keywords:Societal issues, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Automatic brushes induce positive emotions and foster positive social interactions in group-housed horses

Léa Lansade, Julie Lemarchand, Fabrice Reigner, Cécile Arnould, Aline Bertin

Published in 2022

Scientific article showing that the installation of automatic brushes brings a direct benefit to horses by allowing them to groom themselves, but also an indirect benefit by facilitating positive social interactions. This study encourages stables to install automatic brushes in locations where horses are kept in order to improve their welfare and comfort.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators

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Development of a Composite Pain Scale in Foals: A Pilot Study

Aliai Lanci, Beatrice Benedetti, Francesca Freccero, Carolina Castagnetti, Jole Mariella, Johannes P. A. M. van Loon, Barbara Padalino

Published in 2022

Scientific paper on the development and testing of a composite pain assessment scale in foals to enable the most rapid pain management response possible. The test demonstrated the inter- and intra-observer reliability of this pain assessment scale which needs to be validated using a larger number of animals and assessors.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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