Keywords: Welfare indicators

Welfare of sheep and goats during killing for purposes other than slaughter

EFSA Panel of Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2024

EFSA opinion assessing the risks and welfare implications associated with on-farm slaughtering of sheep and goats. It proposes animal-based measures to assess these risks, and preventive and corrective measures to mitigate them.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document

How is pig welfare assessed in studies on farrowing housing systems? A systematic review

Bianca Vandresen, Jen-Yun Chou, Maria José Hötzel

Published in 2024

Systematic review analyzing methods to assess the welfare of sows and piglets in different housing systems in the period around farrowing and lactation: it looks at conventional farrowing crates and alternative systems (loose farrowing pens, group housing, outdoor farrowing, hinged crates and ellipsoid crates).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of th animal to environment, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, One Welfare, Stress, livestock farming system

Go to document

Effects of single- or pair-housing on the welfare of shelter dogs: Behavioral and physiological indicators

Hecker G, Martineau K, Scheskie M, Hammerslough R, Feuerbacher EN

Published in 2024

Scientific article reporting that dogs housed in pairs in shelters, even for a short time, exhibit fewer stress-related behaviors (lip licking, whining, and ears back) than dogs housed individually. In addition, the urinary cortisol:creatinine levels in non-isolated dogs were lower.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords: Adoption, Animal-based measurements,Abandonment, Behavioural disorders, Housing, Socialization, Stress, Welfare indicators

Go to document

Access to bedding and outdoor runs for growing-finishing pigs: is it possible to improve welfare without increasing environmental impacts?

A.K. Ruckli, S. Hörtenhuber, S. Dippel, P. Ferrari, M. Gebska, M. Heinonen, J. Helmerichs, C. Hubbard, H. Spoolder, A. Valros, C. Winckler, C. Leeb

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing that the provision of bedding or access to an outdoor run to improve pig welfare can have an impact on the environment through changes in feed efficiency and manure management.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Societal issues, Enrichment, Environment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Pollution, livestock farming system

Go to document

Consumers across five European countries prioritise animal welfare above environmental sustainability when buying meat and dairy products

Jeanine Ammann, Gabriele Mack, Nadja El Benni, Shan Jin, Paul Newell-Price, Sophie Tindale, Erik Hunter, Victoria Vicario-Modroño, Rosa Gallardo-Cobos, Pedro Sánchez-Zamora, Simona Miškolci, Lynn J. Frewer

Published in 2024

Analysis of a survey among meat and dairy consumers in five European countries showing that freshness, quality/taste and animal welfare are the characteristics considered to be most important. Environmental factors such as food miles, carbon footprints and organic production appear to bew less important, even if they are perceived as useful.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Bovines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Education, Carcass quality, Environment, Carcass quality, Pollution, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators, Processing, Societal issues

Go to document

Quantification of play behaviour in calves using automated ultra-wideband location data and its association with age, weaning and health status

J. A. Vázquez-Diosdado, C. Doidge, E. V. Bushby, F. Occhiuto and J. Kaler

Published in 2024

Article describing a quantification method that can automatically detect play behavior in rearing calves using location data from ultra-wideband sensors. The occurrence and duration of play behavior decreases with age, disease and increasing temperature, while play behavior increases during and after weaning. Play behavior is potentially a positive welfare indicator.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

Go to document

A field approach to observing changes in behavioural welfare indicators over 2 years in stabled horses

A. Ruet, J. Lemarchand, C. Briant, C. Arnould, L. Lansade

Published in 2024

Article describing behavioral variations in stabled horses at 2-year intervals. Among the welfare indicators observed at the individual level, aggressive behaviour towards humans increased, while resting postures decreased. Other observed behaviours (stereotypies, withdrawal, alert and observation postures) did not change significantly over time.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Aggression, Aggressiveness, Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Housing, Personality, Human-animal relationships, Behavioural disorders

Go to document

Accelerometers Contribution to the Knowledge of Domestic Cats' (Felis catus) Behavior: A Comprehensive Review

Serena Prigent Garcia, Alia Chebly

Published in 2024

Scientific review of the potential value of bio-loggers to analyze activity patterns and biological rhythms in domestic cats.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Felines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Behavioural disorders

Go to document

Impact of farrowing system and prepartum nest-building material on nest-building behaviour and farrowing in sows

V.M. Hukkinen, C. Munsterhjelm, M. Kurtti, N. Immonen, A. Valros

Published in 2024

Scientific article analyzing the impact of farrowing cages and a variety of materials provided to sows to express their nesting behavior (straw, newspaper, burlap). The article shows that free farrowing has positive effects on piglet growth, but negative effects on piglet survival in early lactation. The different nesting materials have varying effects depending on the type of farrowing system.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, Prenatal issues, Behavioural disorders

Go to document

A scoping review of the use of bioacoustics to assess various components of farm animal welfare

Mathilde Coutant, Avelyne S. Villain, Elodie F. Briefer

Published in 2024

Scientific summary article describing the AI bioacoustic tools that are currently available for the assessment and monitoring of the welfare of farm animals. The article does, however, stress that it is currently rare to see these methods used on the ground  to help farm management. 

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Vocalisation

Go to document