Keywords : Housing

Prévenir la douleur chez le porc

IFIP/Chambres Agriculture/INRA/ RMT animal welfare

Published in 2018

The document contains 16 practical fact sheets to help producers to master tail cutting techniques that reduce the pain experienced by the piglet and to carry out actions to mitigate the risk factors for tail biting, or prevent them arising

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Pain, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Memory, Mutilation, Neurogenesis, Fear, Cognitive processes, Resilience

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What Are the Positives? Exploring Positive Welfare Indicators in a Qualitative Interview Study with Livestock Farmers

Vigors B, Lawrence A

Published in 2019

Positive animal welfare is a relatively new concept that promotes the welfare benefits of providing animals with greater opportunities for positive experiences, as well as minimizing negative experiences. However, little is known about farmers' attitudes or  knowledge regarding positive animal welfare. This is a major obstacle to the promotion of positive welfare indicators on farms, where their use may depend on their acceptance by farmers. In response, this study uses qualitative interviews to explore farmers' positive attitudes towards welfare. A fair number of elements that correspond to positive welfare indicators in the literature are encountered in farmers' positive discussions of welfare. These include animal autonomy, play, positive effects, positive Human-animal relationships, social interactions and appropriate genetic selection.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Housing, Stress, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Effects of environmental complexity on welfare indicators of fast-growing broiler chickens

Tahamtani FM, Pedersen IJ, Riber AB

Published in 2019

The study aims to investigate the effects of different types of environmental complexity on leg health and welfare indicators for fast-growing chickens housed in accordance with mainstream European legislation.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Pain, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system

The IDF Guide to Good Animal Welfare in Dairy Production 2.0

FIL/IDF : L. Mirabito, J J Jago, N. Harding with contributions from O Osteras, W Skippon, H. Dormon

Published in 2019

The updated IDF Guide on Animal Welfare aims to promote the worldwide implementation of good animal welfare practices in dairy production and refers to key standards (OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code and ISO Technical Specification 34700: 2016). It provides recommendations on skills, the feeding and watering of animals, their physical environment, production practices and health management. To assess levels of animal welfare in dairy production systems, examples of outcome measurement criteria are provided.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Livestock buildings, Pain, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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International recommendations for the housing of dairy cows and replacement heifers

CIGR International Commission of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering, Structures and Environment Section, Working Group N° 14

Published in 2014

This collection of recommendations on cattle housing pulls together a wide range of scientific data and is based on expert knowledge in a number of disciplines (ethology, climatisation, ergonomics, construction, etc.). It is intended for designers, breeders, builders, etc. of livestock buildings and contains numerous references with calculations relating to the various living areas and equipment.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Housing

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Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for pigs

Antoni Dalmau, Antonio Velarde, Kamara Scott, Sandra Edwards

Published in 2009

This document sets out the indicators used to assess welfare in pig production (breeding sows, growing pigs), including the rearing and abattoir phases. The chosen indicators concern the resources available to the animal (housing, activities), measurements taken from the animal, and a qualitative evaluation. The document explains registration procedures, qualitative and frequency scoring methods and the aggregation of criteria from four of the five domains of welfare: nutrition, environment, health and appropriate behaviours. 

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Mutilation, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for poultry

Andy Butterworth, Cecile Arnould, Thea Fiks-van Niekerk...

Published in 2009

The document sets out the indicators used to assess the welfare of poultry (broiler and laying hens), including the rearing and abattoir phases. The chosen indicators concern the resources available to the animal (housing, activities), measurements taken from the animal, and a qualitative evaluation. The document explains registration procedures, qualitative and frequency scoring methods, and the aggregation of criteria from four of the five domains of welfare: nutrition, environment, health and appropriate behaviours.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Livestock buildings, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Restraint equipment, Living environment, Mutilation, Fear, Human-animal relationships, Stress

General Principles for the welfare of animals in production systems: the underlying science and its application

Fraser D., Duncan I.J.H., Edwards S.A., Grandin T., Gregory N.G., Guyonnet V., Hemsworth P.H., Huertas S.M., Huzzey J.M., Mellor D.J., Mench J.A., Spinka M., Whay H.R.,

Published in 2013

Presentation of the 10 general principles relating to welfare in production systems adopted by the OIE for the development of standards

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Pain, Enrichment, Environment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment,Mutilation, Fear, Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Standardising the assessment of environmental enrichment and tail-docking legal requirements for finishing pigs in Europe

Hothersall B., Whistance L., Zedlacher H., Algers B., Andersson E., Bracke M., Courboulay V., Ferrari P., Leeb C., Mullan S., Nowicki J., Meunier-Salaün M.C., Schwarz T., Stadig L., Main D.

Published in 2016

This  e-learning module providing a concise summary of the scientific evidence that underpins EU legislation on pig enrichment and harvesting has been produced in seven languages, with the aim of improving consistency in professional judgements regarding legal compliance on farms. The mark profiles indicated that the roles of the participants had an impact on their scores but that the training led to overall improvement in: (i) their ability to identify enrichments which, due to their type or use by pigs, may be insufficient to ensure compliance; (ii) their knowledge of risk factors for tail biting; and (iii) their recognition of when tail docking occurs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Mutilation

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Abreuvement des porcs dans le cadre du bien-être animal

ANSES

Published in 2016

The report addresses the watering of pigs, focusing on those with a soup feeding system and taking into account the different stages of rearing (post-weaning and fattening piglets, pregnant and lactating sows, etc). The experts stressed the importance of the economic issue with regard to the watering of pigs on the farm, but this economic analysis was outside the scope of the expertise. The expertise focused on the production of liquid manure in pig farming in connection with watering systems, but without analyzing the environmental side of its management. The supply of sufficient quantities of water is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis and the survival of the individual. Only permanent access to drinking water allows the physiological needs of pigs to be met flexibly and individually at all times. It also enables the animal to cope with risky situations, for example, when it is hot or when it is suffering from disorders (illness, intoxication, behaviour, etc.). Moreover, permanent access to water can contribute to a state of satiation when the animal is subjected to food rationing. Permanent access to water, together with regular checks on the quantities taken, can be a warning and prevention sign of the appearance of health and welfare problems. In the case of liquid feed without the presence of a supplementary drinking trough, most of the water needs are covered for most animals. However, this type of feed does not allow permanent access to water and therefore does not allow animals to drink systematically as soon as they are thirsty. Water can be provided in the trough, but it must guarantee the permanent presence of drinking water. To ensure adequate watering with troughs, it is necessary to ensure that their design, positioning and operation guarantee optimal access regardless of the physiological stage of the animals. In the absence of manipulable materials in the pens, the drinking trough may be the target of redirected behaviour, linked to frustrated investigative behaviour (cf. Anses opinion 2013-SA-018020). Such use diverts the function of the water trough as a drinking system and may result in restricted access to water for some pigs despite a permanent supply. The introduction of water troughs in soup feeding systems may lead to an increase in the amount of water in the manure produced. However, solutions to this problem include reducing the dilution rate of the soup where technically feasible in the farm (e.g. reducing "wastage" by optimising the design and flow rate of drinkers, covering slurry pits, etc.). The experts also recommend promoting the acquisition of technical references (water flows, number of pigs per trough...) on complementary watering. At the same time, an awareness programme for farmers should be developed on the importance of watering in terms of animal health and welfare. This programme should be accompanied by technical recommendations and accompanying measures to facilitate the introduction of watering systems.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Environment, Housing, Living environment, Stress

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