Subject: Welfare indicators

Fowl play: Do age and aviary design affect play in cage-free laying hens?

Xiaowen Ma, Vrinda Ambike, Valentina Bongiorno, Jacquelyn A. Jacobs, Janice C. Swanson, Tina M. Widowski, Janice M. Siegford

Published in 2026

Study showing that the play behavior of laying hens decreases significantly with age, and is influenced by aviary design and space allocation per bird. Certain activities, such as more frequent running or wing flapping, were influenced by aviary design and space per bird. The study concludes that housing configuration influences welfare and may interact with the hens' developmental stage.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Poultry

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Perch-based enrichment and broiler growth, welfare and behaviour

B. F. Sevinç B. Yılmaz Dikmen

Published in 2026

Study showing that perch-based enrichment does not affect growth or most welfare windicators in broiler chickens, but that it reduces hock burn and slightly improves locomotion.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Poultry

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Space density affects resting location and proximity of fattening pigs at night

Mathilde Coutant, Juliette Michel, Lene J. Pedersen, Mona L.V. Larsen

Published in 2026

Study showing that high stocking densities restrict pigs' choice of location and conditions for nighttime rest, reducing their opportunity to rest on solid flooring or away from other pigs, with potential negative implications for their welfare.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Porcines

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Review: Understanding cattle social behavior in modern penned production systems with AI technology: Are we tracking welfare indicators?

A. Fuentes, S. Han, J. Liu, J. Park, S. Yoon, D.S. Park

Published in 2026

Review showing that, while AI systems make it possible to monitor certain cattle behaviors automatically, there are major limitations on their contextual and social interpretation of welfare signals. The authors propose a welfare-centered AI framework, integrating multimodal data and contextual modelling to facilitate early detection of welfare risks and informed decision-making.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Bovines

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Real-Time Behavior Recognition Using a Legged Robot for Animal–Robot Interaction

Edoardo Fazzari, Donato Romano, Fabrizio Falchi, Cesare Stefanini

Published in 2025

Study presenting an AI-integrated framework that enables a robotic dog to autonomously analyze the behavior of cows and chickens in real time using detection (YOLO) and action recognition (DARTEMIS) models.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories:Cattle, Poultry

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Welfare assessment of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) on farm

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW), Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Anette Boklund, Sabine Dippel, Fernanda Dorea, Jordi Figuerola, Mette S. Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca, Eleonora Nannoni, Romolo Nonno, Karl Stahl, Jutta Berk, Joanna Marchewka, Nienke van Staaveren, Oana Maria Balmos, Chiara Fabris, Olaf Mosbach-Schulz, Yves Van der Stede, Marika Vitali, Cristina Rojo Gimeno, Antonio Velarde, Anja Brinch Riber

Published in 2026

New EFSA scientific opinion identifyinh key welfare concerns for turkeys. To improve turkey welfare, the EFSA experts recommend increasing space allowances, implementing appropriate enrichment techniques, phasing out mutilations, and avoiding the practice of culling flocks.

Document types: Scientific documents

Animal categories: Poultry

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Principles of sheep behavior: An overview from a welfare perspective

Manenti I, Toschi P, Miretti S, de la Lama GC

Published in 2026

Review analyzing the underlying factors that generate sheep behavior, in order to improve understanding of their biological needs and welfare. The authors stress the role of sensory and motivational systems and the importance of integrating this knowledge into herd management.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Ovines

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Relationships between farmer well-being and the welfare of their animals: A One Welfare scoping review

Levallois P, Buczinski S, Desmarchelier M, Lupien S, Robichaud MV.

Published in 2026

Review demonstrating that farmers' welfare is strongly and positively linked to that of their animals. It supports the "One Welfare" approach, which works to achieve a combined on-farm benefit for both animal and human welfare. 

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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Behavior recognition of tail and ear biting in pigs using AI-based computer vision

Qinghua Guo, Clémence A.E.M. Orsini, Patrick P.J.H. Langenhuizen, Yue Sun, Shoujun Huo, Lisette E. van der Zande, Inonge Reimert, J. Elizabeth Bolhuis, Piter Bijma, Peter H.N. de With

Published in 2026

Study demonstrating the feasibility of video-based automated monitoring of tail and ear biting on commercial farms. A computer vision-based model (MViTv2-S) achieves approximately 72% accuracy without having to rely on detection of specific postures, paving the way for early-warning systems and breeding selection strategies to reduce these harmful behaviors.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

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Bien-être animal : avancées scientifiques et innovations pour des systèmes d’élevage durables

research group

Published in 2026

Special issue of INRAE Productions Animales featuring ten articles on scientific advances and technological innovations to develop sustainable livestock farming systems that incorporate animal welfare

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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