Keywords: Welfare indicators

A Review of the Effects of Stress on Dairy Cattle Behaviour

Viktor Jurkovich, Péter Hejel, Levente Kovács

Published in 2024

Scientific review article describing how stress factors (pain, illness, discomfort, etc.) modify the behavior of dairy cows, influencing their feeding habits, social interactions and general welfare. The study explores the effectiveness of the various coping mechanisms used by cows to alleviate stress (physiological adaptations and behavioral responses).

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Restraint equipment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Behavioural disorders

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Evaluating Potential Indicators of Welfare for Zoo Birds during an Avian Influenza Enforced Housing Order

Thomas Collard, Paul Rose

Published in 2024

Article reporting on the impact of forced confinement due to avian influenza on the behavior of Chilean flamingos in a UK zoo. Confinement decreased flamingo activity and abnormal, reoriented foraging actions were recorded. Weather also influenced plumage condition.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal Categories:Birds (excluding poultry)

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Population management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Behavioural disorders

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Nest-building behavior of sows on jute bags: correlations with traits recorded around parturition and potentials as a selection criterion

Jinhyeon Yun, Kirsi-Marja Swan, Kirsi Vienola, Chantal Farmer, Claudio Oliviero, Olli Peltoniemi, Anna Valros

Published in 2024

Study on the use of burlap bags by sows during farrowing. Suspended bags were those mostly manipulated by the animals. Bag use by sows was correlated with farrowing progress and the number of piglets that died at birth.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Maternity

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Evaluation of candidate data-based welfare indicators for calves in Switzerland

Sibylle Zwygart, Barbara Lutz, Beat Thomann, Dimitri Stucki, Mireille Meylan, Jens Becker

Published in 2024

Article showing that the four principles of Welfare Quality that indicate good animal welfare, namely "good feed", "good housing", "good health" and "appropriate behavior", are not reflected in routinely available data on veal calf farms in Switzerland, even though data for health status assessment is available. If animal welfare is to be inferred from routine data, there is a need to adapt data collection strategies and animal identification methods.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Carcass quality, Livestock farming system, Behavioural disorders, Welfare indicators

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Behaviour and welfare assessment of autochthonous slow-growing rabbits: The role of housing systems

Laura Ozella, Stefano Sartore, Elisabetta Macchi, Isabella Manenti, Silvia Mioletti, Barbara Miniscalco, Riccardo Crosetto, Patrizia Ponzio, Edoardo Fiorilla, Cecilia Mugnai

Published in 2024

Scientific article evaluating the effect of three housing systems (traditional single cages, group farming and a mixed system) on the welfare of slow-growing rabbits. Group-housed rabbits exhibited a wider range of behaviors, but were also associated with higher levels of salivary and hair corticosterone indicating stress. Younger rabbits were more active while mature rabbits displayed more agonistic behaviors.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Welfare indicators, Housing, Stress, Livestock farming system, Behavioural disorders

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The use of high expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)

Published in 2024

EFSA opinion assessing the suitability of high expansion foam in container as a new stunning and killing method for poultry and pigs. It concludes that, for laying hens and broilers and for pigs weighing between 15 and 41 kg, this is an effective and animal-friendly alternative method, subject to compliance with the specified technical conditions and procedures, and to staff training.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Assessment of Production Technologies on Dairy Farms in Terms of Animal Welfare

Marek Gaworski, Pavel Kic

Published in 2024

Scientific review aiming to identify and discuss risk factors in dairy farming that may affect the welfare of dairy cattle and using a One Welfare approach, including the welfare of the farmer and the sustainability of the farm.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords: One Welfare,Risk management, Welfare indicators

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Animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows and their validity and practicality: a systematic review of the existing literature

Jenny Linstädt, Christa Thöne-Reineke, Roswitha Merle Roswitha Merle

Published in 2024

Systematic literature review to assess the validity of current animal welfare indicators used for dairy cattle. It highlights correlations between welfare measurements, farm characteristics, and indicators. It compares the effectiveness and practicality of the Welfare Quality and Danish Cattle Federation protocols, and recommends the use of easily measurable indicators such as body condition score, lameness, foot health, cleanliness and somatic cell count.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators

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Application of deep learning for livestock behaviour recognition: A systematic literature review

A. Bohan, M.S. Rafaq, M.J. Hasan, F. Asghar, A.K. Bashir, T. Dottorini

Published in 2024

Systematic literature review listing and describing deep learning systems already in use to recognise farm animal behaviors, covering the behaviors involved, their descriptions in the studies, estimates of their accuracy and precision, and their limitations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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Review: Exploring the use of Precision Livestock Farming for small ruminant welfare management

C. Morgan-Davies, G. Tesnière, J.M. Gautier, G.H.M. Jørgensen, E. González-García, S.I. Patsios, E.N. Sossidou, T.W.J. Keady, B. McClearn, F. Kenyon, G. Caja, L. Grøva, M. Decandia, L. Cziszter, I. Halachmi, C.M. Dwyer

Published in 2024

Scientific review identifying the main welfare problems of small ruminants and the associated indicators, along with 24 precision farming technologies that could measure these indicators, of which 12 are sensors measuring data derived from animal-based indicators.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators

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