Species : Cows

Devenir des jeunes ruminants laitiers : comment concilier élevage et attentes sociétales 

Dominique Pomiès, Caroline Constancis, Julien Jurquet, Isabelle Veissier, Hugues Caillat, Gilles Lagriffoul, Marie Drouet, Clément Fossaert, Yannick Le Cozler

Published in 2023

Review of the natural behaviors of young stock from the three major dairy breeds, and of farming practices currently employed for these young animals. It lists alternative practices that can meet the expectations of the public and consumers in terms of animal welfare, as well as those of farmers on improving their profession's public image and the way their products are sold.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines

Keywords: Enrichment, Human-animal relationships, Lactation, Living environment, One Welfare, Weaning, Stress, Livestock farming system,Societal issues, Welfare indicators

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Improved cattle behaviour monitoring by combining Ultra-Wideband location and accelerometer data

S. Benaissa, F.A.M. Tuyttens, D. Plets, L. Martens, L. Vandaele, W. Joseph, B. Sonck

Published in 2023

Scientific paper presenting an effective method to integrate in-building ultra-wideband (UWB) location and accelerometer data, thereby improving cattle behavior monitoring systems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Influences of human contact following milk-feeding on nonnutritive oral behavior and rest of individual and pair-housed dairy calves during weaning

S.B. Doyle, E.K. Miller-Cushon

Published in 2023

Scientific article investigating the interactive effects of shared housing and human contact after the feeding of milk to weaning calves. It shows that human contact reduced pen-directed sucking in individually housed calves, highlighting the role of restrictive environments in the expression of these behaviors in conventionally housed dairy calves.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords: Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships,Societal issues

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Animal welfare and effects of per-female stress on male and cattle reproduction - A review

Welligton Conceição da Silva, Jamile Andréa Rodrigues da Silva, Raimundo Nonato Colares Camargo-Júnior, Éder Bruno Rebelo da Silva, Maria Roseane Pereira dos Santos, Rinaldo Batista Viana, André Guimarães Maciel e Silva, Cleidson Manoel Gomes da Silva, José de Brito Lourenço-Júnior

Published in 2023

Scientific review setting out to identify, synthesize and discuss recent studies on the effects of heat stress on cattle reproduction. It seeks to identify and encourage possible strategies to mitigate the negative effects of heat stress on cattle reproduction.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Welfare of calves

Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortazar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop and Christoph Winckler

Published in 2023

EFSA opinion identifying fifteen highly relevant negative welfare consequences, the most common being respiratory disorders, inability to engage in exploratory or foraging behavior, gastroenteric disorders and group stress. It recommends a space provision of at least 3m2 per calf, keeping the calf with its mother for a minimum of 24 hours, after which calves should be kept in stable groups and soft bedding should be provided.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal adaptation, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Societal issues

Welfare implications on management strategies for rearing dairy calves: A systematic review. Part 1-feeding management

Patricia Carulla, Arantxa Villagrá, Fernando Estellés, Isabel Blanco-Penedo

Published in 2023

Systematic review of the literature identifying feed replacement, colostrum and weaning as the main issues in  managing dairy calves that impact health and welfare. They play a role in a calf's physiology and health, emotional state and cognitive judgment.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Obtaining an animal welfare status in Norwegian dairy herds-A mountain to climb

Conor Barry, Kristian Ellingsen-Dalskau, Randi Therese Garmo, Stine Grønmo Kischel, Christoph Winckler, Camilla Kielland

Published in 2023

Scientific paper to determine the animal welfare status in Norwegian free-stall dairy herds as assessed using the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol. It shows that in most herds, animals have a positive relationship with humans but have difficulty lying down and a high prevalence of integumentary lesions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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Final report of an audit of Italy carried out from 7 February to 2 May 2022 in order to evaluate the protection of unweaned calves during long journeys

EU Commission

Published in 2023

DG SANTE audit report concluding that Italy has invested significant resources in official controls concerning the welfare of calves during transport, but that there are inconsistencies in these official controls that have not been corrected.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Transport

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Effect of Heat Stress on the Behavior of Lactating Cows Housed in Compost Barns: A Systematic Review

Authors: Karen Dal' Magro Frigeri, Matheus Deniz, Flávio Alves Damasceno, Matteo Barbari, Piotr Herbut, Frederico Márcio Corrêa Vieira

Published in 2023

Scientific review of the effect of heat stress on the behavior of lactating cows housed in composted bedding barns. It revealed that the most commonly used indicator of thermal comfort is the temperature and humidity index; that thermal stress increases drinking, moving, agonistic behaviors and dyspnea, and decreases feeding behaviors and lying time.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Stress

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Behavior of dairy cows managed outdoors in winter: Effects of weather and paddock soil conditions

Heather W. Neave, Karin E. Schütz, Dawn E. Dalley

Published in 2022

A scientific paper to determine the effects of weather and paddock soil conditions on the lying, feeding and rumination behavior of dairy cows kept in the open during winter. The authors show that in bad weather or muddy soil conditions, resting periods were shortened or even non-existent. They suggest that previous rainfall events and the presence of surface water should be used as indicators that resting times, and hence the welfare of outdoor dairy cows, may be negatively impacted.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Housing, Living environment, Resilience

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