Subject: Food

Welfare issues resulting from feed restriction in pregnant sows

EURCAW-Pigs

Published in 2022

Review of the scientific literature for veterinary inspectors of Member States on the regulation and scientific knowledge on behavioral and physiological signs of hunger in pregnant sows under a restricted feed regime, and on ways to reduce associated welfare problems (aggression and stereotypies). They aim to reduce hunger sensations and to adapt farming methods.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Stress

Improving heat stress resilience should be priority for swine industry

Ann Hess

Published in 2022

Summary of a webinar hosted by the USDA on how to mitigate the impacts of heat stress on the health and welfare of pigs in factory farming. It presents research findings to improve heat stress resilience in pigs through a three-part approach, that looks at management, nutrition and genetics.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Effects of Enrichment Type, Presentation and Social Status on Enrichment Use and Behavior of Sows-Part 2: Free Access Stall Feeding

Cyril Roy, Victoria Kyeiwaa, Karen F. Mancera, Yolande M. Seddon, Laurie M. Connor, Jennifer A. Brown

Published in 2022

Scientific paper examining the influence of the nature and presentation of enrichment when feeding pregnant sows in open access stalls. It looks at the four scenarios of rotation of various enrichments, rotation with sound stimulus at the point that enrichment type is changed, no rotation, and no enrichment. Sows preferred the rotational systems, including straw, and the level of stress and lesions was the same between dominant and dominated sows, showing the usefulness of this system in reducing stress and aggression.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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

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Welfare Indicators in Tilapia: An Epidemiological Approach

Luis Flores-García, Juan C. Camargo-Castellanos, Cristina Pascual-Jímenez, Pablo Almazán-Rueda, Jorge Francisco Monroy-López, Pedro J. Albertos-Alpuche, Rosario Martínez-Yáñez

Published in 2022

Scientific paper evaluating the effects of feeding levels on conventionally-used welfare indicators for tilapia (presence/absence of skin lesions, body condition, weight gain, mortality rate) using an epidemiological approach. It shows that feeding levels directly affect welfare indicators and production.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Extensive Sheep and Goat Production: The Role of Novel Technologies towards Sustainability and Animal Welfare

Severiano R. Silva, Laura Sacarrão-Birrento, Mariana Almeida, David M. Ribeiro, Cristina Guedes, José Ramiro González Montaña, Alfredo F. Pereira, Konstantinos Zaralis, Ana Geraldo, Ouranios Tzamaloukas, Marta González Cabrera, Noemí Castro, Anastasio Argüello, Lorenzo E. Hernández-Castellano, Ángel J. Alonso-Diez, María J. Martín, Luis G. Cal-Pereyra, George Stilwell, André M. de Almeida

Published in 2022

Scientific review of technological developments that can be used in extensive sheep and goat production systems to improve the nutrition, production, health and welfare of these species, as part of an integrated approach that takes the environment into account.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canines, Sheep

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farming, Livestock farming system

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Insect proteins offer health, welfare benefits to poultry

Elisabeth Doughman

Published in 2022

Article on the nutritional, environmental enrichment and leg-health benefits of insect protein for poultry. A research centre has been established in Texas to investigate the sustainable production of insect proteins for human food and animal feed.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Stress

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Les larves d’insectes activent les poulets

Eva Pampouille

Published in 2022

This article presents the results of a PINHS research project demonstrating that feeding black soldier fly larvae to Ross 308 broilers increases their activity levels at feeding time and their feed efficiency without affecting their performance or health status. However, this type of enrichment is currently too expensive.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Stress

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Le bien-être animal : état des lieux et perspectives

Arthur Magnes

Published in 2022

Article identifying trends in French society towards pets in the coming years. These include an increased focus on food quality and an increase in the average pet budget, and the development of pet insurance. The article predicts an increase in the number of cats and other non-canine pet species, and changes in the legal status of animals that will raise them above simple companion animals. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines, Exotic pets

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

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Once-daily feeding is associated with better cognitive function and health in companion dogs: Results from the Dog Aging Project

Emily E. Bray, Zihan Zheng, Katherine Tolbert, Brianah M. McCoy, Dog Aging Project Consortium

Published in 2021

Scientific paper showing that senior dogs fed once a day have statistically-better cognitive scores, and suffer less from gastrointestinal, dental, orthopaedic, renal/urinary or liver/pancreatic disorders than senior dogs fed several times a day. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Cognitive processes

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Heat Stress Responses in Birds: A Review of the Neural Components

Mark W. Bohler, Vishwajit S. Chowdhury, Mark A. Cline, Elizabeth R. Gilbert

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the neural circuitry of the avian hypothalamus associated with thermoregulation, food intake and stress response and how these systems may interact during heat exposure.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Birds (excluding poultry), Poultry

Keywords: Brain integration, Stress

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