Subject: Cognition

Livre Blanc: le bien-être de l’animal de compagnie

CAP WELFARE. Caroline Gilbert, Emmanuelle Titeux, Jérôme Michalon, Charly Pignon, Thierry Poitte, Fabrice Rosaci. Preface by Alain Boissy

Published in 2019

To improve understanding of the needs and expectations of pets and awareness of their emotions, encourage the veterinary profession to engage as stakeholders in this societal issue, and to produce a consultative document for practitioners.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Canines, Felines, Exotic pets

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Fear, Cognitive processes, Stress, Vocalisation

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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

Douleurs animales : les identifier, les comprendre, les limiter chez les animaux d’élevage

INRA

Published in 2009

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Consciousness, Pain

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Animal consciousness

Le Neindre P., Bernard E., Boissy A., Boivin X., Calendreau L., Delon N., Deputte B., Desmoulin-Canselier S., Dunier M., Faivre N., Giurfa M., Guichet J.L., Lansade L., Larrère R., Mormede P., Prunet P., Schaal B., Servière J., Terlouw C

Published in 2017

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Consciousness, Metacognition

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Stress and welfare: two complementary concepts that are intrinsically related to the animal's point of view

Veissier I., Boissy A

Published in 2007

The closely associated concepts of welfare and stress may be considered as opposites since welfare cannot be achieved under stress and vice versa. Stress was first considered as an unspecific response to any challenge taxing the organism's resources where the HPA axis plays a central role. Along the same lines, welfare was considered as the state of an individual on a continuum between poor and good depending on the efforts required to adapt to the environment. However, these views cannot explain opposite results such as up- vs. down-regulation of the HPA axis and hypo- vs. hyper-behavioural reactivity under chronic stress. ... It is therefore suggested that the discrepancies found in the literature in terms of responses of the HPA axis or modification of behaviour under aversive conditions may stem from differences in the way a situation is evaluated. It is argued that stress comes from the animal's evaluation of the outcome of a situation, and that welfare is the state resulting from that evaluation.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Keywords: Animal-based measurements, Anxiety, Consciousness, Welfare indicators, Brain integration, Memory, Metacognition, Cognitive processes, Resilience, Stress

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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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Social ties in farmed ruminants: limits on and means of action to encourage the integration of the animal in its environment

Boissy A., Nowak R., Orgeur P., Veissier I.

Published in 2001

Farmed ruminants belong to gregarious species. Their social organisation is based on stable dominance-subordination relationships which ensure the resolution of many conflicts that are inherent in the promiscuity among animals in livestock farming. Social organisation is also based on affinity relationships that ensure group cohesion and increase tolerance between animals in situations of conflict. Furthermore, affinity relationships are closely involved in the adaptation of the animal to its living environment, since partners will influence the animal's response to its surroundings. Thus, whether through the development of behaviours that are more respectful of the animals' social needs, or by the management of periods of social transition, the adaptation and welfare of farm animals will be considerably increased.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Ruminants

Keywords: Consciousness, Enrichment, Metacognition, Living environment, Cognitive processes

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Régulation des émotions chez l’animal d’élevage : focus sur les acteurs neurobiologiques

Menant O., Destrez A., Deiss V., Boissy A., Delagrange P., Calendreau L., Chaillou E.

Published in 2016

The issue of the emotions of farm animals is part of a wider drive to improve farming conditions by taking animal welfare into account. The genesis of emotions derives from the cognitive capacity of individuals to perceive, evaluate and react to their environment. …. The parts of the brain involved in the neural network for emotions are linked to the perception and processing of information from the environment, and/or in the expression of emotional responses. ... . In light of this, it is now necessary to study the effects of early experiences on the development of the neural network for emotions and to better understand the role of cognitive evaluation in the genesis of emotions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Poultry

Keywords: Anxiety, Consciousness, Brain integration, Metacognition, Neurogenesis, Stress

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Bien-Etre animal

INRA

Published in 2007

Special issue on Animal Welfare, containing 14 original articles on aims, methodology and purpose, ethical foundations, variants for different species, how it is perceived by the animal industries.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Fish, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords: Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Living environment,Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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