Keywords: Stress

White paper compiling the published scientific evidence on violations of broiler-chicken welfare in intensive farming in the EU and the UK.

Scientific review summarising current knowledge of the factors that may influence the sociality and sociability of domestic cats towards humans and other cats, focusing primarily on cats kept by humans in confined environments.

Scientific review of ways to reduce the use of antibiotics in pig farming, especially for prophylactic purposes or to promote growth, while reducing the housing and husbandry stressors that can increase the vulnerability of animals to disease and decrease their quality of life.

Review by EURCAW-Pigs recommending that inspections for piglets at slaughter should focus on animal-based welfare indicators, with particular attention to 4 issues: the appropriateness of the decision to slaughter the animals; the handling and movement of piglets towards the point of slaughter; the slaughter method, preferably using single-step procedures; and the post-mortem inspection of carcasses.

Technical Instruction specifying changes to the procedures associated with the official monitoring of animal protection in the abattoir at the time of slaughter in France

Scientific paper demonstrating a link between personality traits as reported by the owner of two or more dogs and the dominant or submissive character of their dogs.

Conclusions of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the protection of animals during transport. Its recommendations include reductions in journey times, better protection of young animals and pregnant females, conditions placed on the export of live animals to third countries, and better information for consumers. It stresses the need to improve and supplement existing EU legislation.

Scientific review of the physiological reasons for the sensitivity of pigs to heat stress, current knowledge concerning genetics and the variability between pig breeds in terms of thermoregulation, phenotypes for use in genetic studies, and the needs of future research to improve heat tolerance in pigs.

Scientific review reporting on animal welfare violations in the conservation environment and treatment of protected bird species, due to, among other things, lack of knowledge of the ethology of such species when in captivity, and the stress caused by the use of new technologies in their study. It calls for research to improve the living and study conditions of these birds.

Scientific review on the evaluation of stress epi-biomarkers in pigs and the potential benefits of research to develop a robust molecular tool for animal welfare certification based on epi-biomarkers.