Keywords : Housing

European Parliament: written answer to priority question P-003061/23: Commission, where is the promised legislation on animal welfare ?

Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

Answer to a question on the postponement of the planned revision of European animal welfare regulations and of the possible ban on the caging of farm animals promised by the European Commission in response to the End the Cage Age European citizen's initiative.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Livestock buildings, Housing, Livestock farming system

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Providing elevated structures in the pullet rearing environment affects behavior during initial acclimation to a layer aviary

Allison N. Pullin, Christina B. Rufener, Suzanne T. Millman, John F. Tarlton, Michael J. Toscan

Published in 2024

Scientific article reporting that hens with access to elevated platforms during the rearing phase make better use of the space in laying aviaries when they are first transferred there than those reared on the ground. The latter acclimatize within 1-2 weeks, but continue to make little use of the highest level of the aviary.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Livestock buildings

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Guidance: Livestock at farm shows and markets: welfare regulations

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (UK)

Published in 2023

Update of a guide originally published in 2012 by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the laws and regulations protecting farm animals at shows and markets, with particular reference to compliance rules for pens, cages and hutches.

Document Types: Good practice guide

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

Keywords:Animal trade, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Societal issues

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Elevated platforms for pigs - A review

Karen Kauselmann, Lars Schrader, E. Tobias Krause

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the value of raised platforms for the improvement of pig welfare. It discusses  different platform and ramp designs, a pig's biological ability to use them, the advantages and disadvantages for pigs and farmers, and methods used to evaluate the effects of platforms on pigs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing

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Décision n° 461367 du Conseil d’Etat concernant la notion de rémaménagement des bâtiments cage pour les poules pondeuses

Conseil d'État

Published in 2023

Text of the decision to reject the petition filed by 9 animal protection associations to partially disapply the  Decree of December 15, 2021, with regard to its interpretation of the concept of redevelopment as it applies to buildings used to rear laying hens in cages.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Livestock buildings, Housing

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L’avenir de la conception des élevages : bien-être animal et génétique

Bjarne K. Pedersen

Published in 2023

Article outlining the factors contributing to animal welfare considerations and developments in genetics that have greatly increased prolificacy, looking at their consequences for the design of pig farming facilities.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Doing better for understudied species: Evaluation and improvement of a species-general animal welfare assessment tool for zoos

Shannon L. O'Brien, Katherine A. Cronin

Published in 2023

Scientific article evaluating a generic welfare assessment method for different animals in the same zoo. It reveals that Mammals received the highest welfare scores and their assessment questionnaires were completed most fully. This led the authors to modify their assessment tool to take better account of all the taxa present in the zoo.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships

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Quality-of-Life Assessments in Zoo Animals: Not Just for the Aged and Charismatic

Michelle Campbell-Ward

Published in 2023

Scientific review exploring the concept of quality of life as it applies to animals, assessment indicators and methods appropriate in a zoo setting, and the importance of taking quality of life into account at all stages of life, whatever the species.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Societal issues, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships

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Editorial: Holistic prevention strategies for tail biting in pigs; from farm to slaughterhouse

Richard B. D'Eath, Keelin O'Driscoll, Emma Fàbrega

Published in 2023

Editorial summarizing the articles in a dossier on the prevention of tail biting in pigs. Topics include the identification of different types of tail biting, reducing  particular risk factors, the  settings that encourage biting, and the use of precision tools to spot the onset of biting episodes.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressivity, Pain, Precision farming, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Societal issues, Stress

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On-pasture and On-farm Welfare Measurement Protocol for Horses

Federica Raspa, Emanuela Valle,Alessandro Necci, Laura Ozealla, Lorenzo Bertocchi, Nicoletta d'Avino, Marta Panicciaà, Pasquale de Palo, Domenico Bergero, Martina Tarantola, Clara Borin, Claudio Forte

Published in 2023

Article on the development and testing of a specific protocol for measuring the welfare of horses known to be reared in either extensive or confined systems, and assessing whether the  welfare indicators selected for it were influenced by the type of system (extensive or confined).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Livestock farming system

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