Subject: Health /Diseases

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002189/23: Putting an end to the rearing of fast-growing chickens

Question: Annika Bruno (ID). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on whether the European Commission intends to ban the rearing of fast-growing broiler strains and support small farms that rear hardier breeds of chickens.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Pain, Societal issues, Living environment, Resilience, Robustness, Stress, Livestock farming system

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Scientific and technical assistance on welfare aspects related to housing and health of cats and dogs in commercial breeding establishments

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Denise Candiani, Julien Drewe, Björn Forkman, Mette S Herskin, Ann Van Soom, Gizella Aboagye, Sean Ashe, Maria Mountricha, Yves Van der Stede, Chiara Fabris

Published in 2023

Report on the existing scientific evidence to support protective measures for cats and dogs in commercial catteries in three areas: housing, health and painful procedures.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Abuse, Human-animal relationships, Pain, Welfare indicators

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Effects of prebiotics and precision biotics on performance, animal welfare and environmental impact. A review

Francesca Leone, Valentina Ferrante

Published in 2023

Scientific review defining and examining the properties of precision prebiotics and biotics in poultry farming. It focuses in particular on their effects on litter  quality and the reduction of ammonia levels in the environment, and hence  on animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Food, Enrichment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Health

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Animal welfare of embryos and newly hatched chicks: A review

Itallo C. S. Arraujo, Tainá S. B. Lopes, Leonardo J. C. Lara, Bruno T. A. Costa

Published in 2023

Scientific review identifying egg storage, in ovo nutrition and the slaughter of 1-day-old male chicks as the main welfare problems in hatcheries, and describing practical avenues for improvements that can meet societal expectations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Prenatal issues, Human-animal relationships,  Livestock farming system

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A review of thermal stress in cattle

R W Shephard, S K Maloney

Published in 2023

Scientific review summarizing the behavioral and physiological controls used by cattle to manage heat exchange by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation between the body and the environment, and thus regulate their temperature in hot conditions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Impacts of heat stress on global cattle production during the 21st century: a modelling study

Philip Thornton, Gerald Nelson, Dianne Mayberry, Mario Herrero

Published in 2022

Scientific article using modelling to assess production losses due to heat stress in two different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Depending on emission levels, economic losses vary between 9.8% and 3 to 7% of the value of beef and milk production worldwide in 2005. These results underline the importance of putting adaptation measures place in to combat heat stress if we are to ensure global food security.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to environment, Environment, Living environment, One Welfare, Robustness, Stress, Societal issues

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The Role of Preventative Medicine Programs in Animal Welfare and Wellbeing in Zoological Institutions

Paolo Martelli, Karthiyani Krishnasamy

Published in 2023

Scientific review highlighting the fact that the usual animal welfare paradigms do not apply to animals in zoos, particularly when the animals are undergoing veterinary treatment. In such circumstances, the animals' physiology and behavior are deregulated, and freedom of choice and comfort are limited. The authors propose that a distinction should be made between the state of well-being experienced by the animal (well-being) and the societal management of animal welfare (welfare), and to base the wefare management of zoo and aquarium animals on preventive medicine.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Wildlife, Fish

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

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Deviation of behavioural and productive parameters in dairy cows due to a lameness event: a synthesis of reviews

Luisa Magrin, Barbara Contiero, Giulio Cozzi, Flaviana Gottardo, Severino Segato

Published in 2023

Systematic literature review identifying the behavioral and yield parameters of cows that are the best indicators of lameness and calculating the changes in them during lameness episodes. They include time taken to feed, number of lying periods, time taken to lie down, time spent lying down,  and milk production. The values of all these parameters are significantly altered in the event of lameness, and could be used to detect lameness automatically.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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European Parliament: written answer to question P-002012/23: Additional measures during animal transportation this summer

Question: Anja Hazekamp (The Left). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on how the European Commission intends to apply the regulations banning the transport of live animals when temperatures exceed specified thresholds, and whether it intends to carry out additional temperature checks.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

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

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European Parliament: written answer to question E-001974/2023: Cat and dog welfare in transport

Question: Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2023

Answer to a question on the European Commission's intentions concerning the introduction of specific requirements for dogs and cats during commercial transport, as part of the revision of European animal welfare regulations. It also concerns the welfare checks to be carried out on these animals to ensure their suitability for transport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

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

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