Keywords: Welfare indicators

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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Discrepancies between farmers' perceptions and actual animal welfare conditions on commercial pig farms

Eva Nadlučnik, Irena Golinar Oven, Iztok Tomažič, Jan Plut1, Alenka Dovč, Marina Štukelj

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that the welfare levels recorded on Slovenian pig farms by the study authors are lower than the farmers think. Where farmers in the study had been trained, this appeared to correlate with a higher level of welfare for their pigs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Dairy vs beef production - expert views on welfare of cattle in common food production systems

Roi Mandel, Marc B.M. Brackec, Christine J. Nicold, John A. Webster, Lorenz Gygax

Published in 2022

Scientific paper in which 70 experts estimated and compared levels of welfare in the most common cow meat and milk production systems in their countries. The experts estimated that the overall probability of a state of positive welfare was higher for animals from suckler herds than from dairy herds.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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A "Good Life" for Dairy Cattle: Developing and Piloting a Framework for Assessing Positive Welfare Opportunities Based on Scientific Evidence and Farmer Expertise

Jessica E. Stokes , Elizabeth Rowe, Siobhan Mullan, Joy C. Pritchard, Rachel Horler, Marie J. Haskell, Cathy M. Dwyer, David C. J. Main

Published in 2022

Scientific paper on the development of a framework for assessing positive welfare in dairy cows, based on science and tested by British farmers. The test revealed that farmers value the positive welfare of their cows and would support a positive welfare assessment.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Our industry, our standards - Principles Of Animal Welfare In Ireland's Horse Racing Industry

Horse Racing Ireland

Published in 2022

A booklet developed by all those involved in Irish horse racing to get the latest scientific knowledge put into practice to ensure good welfare levels in racehorses.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Preliminary validation of a novel tool to assess dog welfare: The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid

Rachel Malkani, Sharmini Paramasivam, Sarah Wolfensohn

Published in 2022

Scientific paper to adapt the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG), a welfare assessment method previously validated for other species, to dogs, suggesting how  this tool could be hosted on an accessible and easy-to-use online platform

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

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

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