Keywords : Livestock farming system

The effect of pair housing on dairy calf health, performance, and behavior

Katarína Bučková, Radka Šárová, Ágnes Moravcsíková, Marek Špinka

Published in 2021

Scientific paper comparing animal-based indicators for health, productivity and behaviour in individually and pair-housed dairy calves. Housing type did not affect health, feed intake or weight gain, but individually-housed calves placed in a new pen scored higher on movement behaviour than pair-housed calves placed in a new pen. This rebound effect indicates that the individual housing of calves results in activity deprivation.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Housing, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Precision Technologies to Address Dairy Cattle Welfare: Focus on Lameness, Mastitis and Body Condition

Severiano R. Silva, José P. Araujo, Cristina Guedes, Flávio Silva, Mariana Almeida, Joaquim L. Cerqueira

Published in 2021

A scientific review of recent advances in precision farming to measure animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows which discusses the possibility of integrating such data into a broader welfare assessment framework.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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The effects of farming systems (organic vs. conventional) on dairy cow welfare, based on the Welfare Quality® protocol

K. Wagner, J. Brinkmann, A. Bergschmidt, C. Renziehausen, S. Marcha

Published in 2021

Scientific article comparing the welfare levels of German conventional and organic dairy farms, using the Welfare Quality protocol. It shows that organic farms score better on the 4 main Welfare Quality principles, although there is wide variation between farms operating under the same farming system. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement on organic farms in the area of health.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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The effects of heat stress on the behaviour of dairy cows - a review

Piotr Herbut,Gundula Hoffmann, Sabina Angrecka, Dorota Godyń, Frederico Márcio Corrêa Vieira, Krzysztof Adamczyk, Robert Kupczyński

Published in 2021

A scientific review reporting on behavioural changes in dairy cows exposed to heat stress conditions and discussing herd management strategies to mitigate the consequences of excessive temperatures on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Living environment, Livestock farming system

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La fin de l’élimination des poussins mâles programmée pour 2022

Christophe Violette

Published in 2021

Article reviewing the ban on the crushing of male chicks that will come in on 1 January 2022 in France, and describing the in ovo sexing method that is advocated as an alternative by the French Government. However, this method entails a significant financial cost for breeders, that will partly be covered by the State.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Pain, Societal issues, Livestock farming system

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Emerging indicators of fish welfare in aquaculture

Michelle Orietta Barreto, Sonia Rey Planellas, Yifei Yang, Clive Phillips, Kris Descovich

Published in 2021

A scientific review of invasive and non-invasive fish-welfare assessment methods, with a focus on their practical application in aquaculture. New technologies are helping to improve the accuracy, automation and practical applicability of these methods.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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Determination of static space requirements for finishing bulls based on image analysis

N. Volkmann, J. Stracke, S.L. Rauterberg, B. Spindler, N. Kemper

Published in 2021

Scientific paper providing information on the space requirements of finishing bulls to ensure their welfare. It focuses on the space occupied when motionless in the standing and lying positions and concludes that further studies are needed to take into account the space requirements of bulls to allow movement and social interactions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Invited review: Freedom from thirst-Do dairy cows and calves have sufficient access to drinking water?

Margit BakJensen, Mogens Vestergaard

Published in 2021

Scientific review of what is known about the water requirements of 1) young calves, depending on their feeding regime (ad libitum or limited milk), state of health and ambient temperature; 2) dairy cows, depending on their milk yield, feed composition and housing (under cover or on pasture). It concludes that research on the length and positioning of water troughs is needed.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Enrichment, Lactation, Housing, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Clinical insights: Recent advances in donkey medicine and welfare

Karen Rickards, Ramiro E. Toribio

Published in 2021

Editorial of a special issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal devoted to donkey health and welfare. It looks at pharmacology, diagnosis, disease prevalence and management practices for donkeys.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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Welfare Impact of Community-Based Veterinary and Breeding Services on Small Ruminant Keepers

Girma Tesfahun Kassie, Woinishet Asnake, Aynalem Haile, Tesfaye Getachew Mengistu, Solomon Gizaw, Barbara Rischkowsky

Published in 2021

Scientific paper examining the impact of an institutional partnership set up in Ethiopia to improve livestock husbandry practices and health. It shows that access to health services for small ruminants increased sampling, yield per head of sheep/goats and gross income per animal.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Goats, Sheep

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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