Keywords: Welfare indicators

Impact of Procedures and Human-Animal Interactions during Transport and Slaughter on Animal Welfare of Pigs: A Systematic Literature Review

Rudi Isbrandt, Mechthild Wiegard, Diana Meemken, Nina Langkabel

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature to identify animal-based and management-based indicators that could be influenced by changes in handling procedures for feeder pigs on the day of slaughter. Factors with the highest impact on pig welfare were the calmness of operators when handling animals, reduction of environmental noise and transport time, and control of stunning effectiveness.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Annual report of the EFSA Networks on Animal Welfare 2022

EFSA

Published in 2022

Report of the 2022 meeting which dealt with the revision of the European animal welfare regulations, the associated EFSA opinions with a presentation of those published in 2022 and a progress report on those in progress, and with the work of the expert subgroup for animal welfare and the subgroup on national contact points.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Bovines, Porcines, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transportation, Pain

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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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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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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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