Subject: Health /Diseases

How Housing Conditions Determine the Welfare of Pigs

Agnieszka Ludwiczak, Ewa Skrzypczak, Joanna Składanowska-Baryza, Marek Stanisz, Piotr Ślósarz, Przemysław Racewicz

Published in 2021

A scientific review examining the effects of housing systems on pig behaviour and performance. Free-range housing solves the behavioural problems encountered for pigs raised indoors, but is associated with a more frequent occurrence of injuries and of some elbow and hock lesions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Housing, Livestock farming system,Welfare indicators

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Environmental enrichment increases aquatic animal welfare: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Zonghang Zhang, Lijia Gao, Xiumei Zhang

Published in 2021

Systematic review of the scientific literature showing that the effect on overall welfare of environmental enrichment for farmed fish depends mainly on the type of enrichment, the taxon of the fish, and the welfare category.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Enrichment, Living environment, Livestock farming system, Welfare indicators

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Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review

Barbara Lutz, Sibylle Zwygart, Christina Rufener, Joan-Bryce Burla, Beat Thomann, Dimitri Stucki

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the use of data-based variables to detect animal welfare violations on farms, highlighting the fact that some of these variables are related to animal-based welfare measures. It recommends that the variables should be harmonised in light of the data they use, and that preference should be given to those that reflect the multidimensional nature of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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Reduced Stocking Density and Provision of Straw in a Rack Improve Pig Welfare on Commercial Fattening Farms

Katharina Schodl, Lisa Wiesauer, Christoph Winckler, Christine Leeb

Published in 2021

Scientific article demonstrating that it is possible to improve some welfare conditions of fattening pigs in conventional farming through simple measures such as reducing stocking density and providing straw or hay as enrichment material.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Enrichment, Living environment, Stress, Livestock farming system

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La gouvernance de la santé animale : entre biosécurité et bien public mondial

Muriel Figuié

Published in 2021

Scientific review of policies on animal health showing that they combine what are sometimes contradictory goals of public health, agricultural economics, international trade and animal welfare, and that this subject is now treated as a biosecurity matter and a global public good, with the emergence of the One Health concept.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords:Societal issues, Risk management, Human-animal relationships

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Recognizing and Mitigating Canine Stress during Animal Assisted Interventions

Lisa Townsend, Nancy R. Gee

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the contextual factors (human behaviour and types of intervention), that may affect the welfare of dogs during animal-assisted therapies. It makes recommendations to better identify and rectify situations where the welfare of dogs is compromised during these interventions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Two Domains to Five: Advancing Veterinary Duty of Care to Fulfil Public Expectations of Animal Welfare Expertise

Katherine E. Littlewood, Ngaio J. Beausoleil

Published in 2021

A scientific review of the role of veterinarians in addressing animal welfare. While the veterinary profession initially considered welfare from the perspective of health and nutrition, it is now considering it in a more holistic way, taking into account the animal's feelings and perceptions of its environment. Much is expected of the veterinary profession, which is ideally placed to improve the consideration taken of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Keywords: Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Literature Review on the Pre-Slaughter Welfare of Italian Heavy Pigs

Marika Vitali, Luca Sardi, Giovanna Martelli, Eleonora Nannoni

Published in 2021

Scientific review of the state of knowledge relating specifically to the welfare conditions immediately before slaughter of Italian heavy pigs, which are used for AOP products and therefore kept longer than is the average in other countries, a practice that generates particular physiological and behavioural needs.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress, Livestock farming system

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L’agriculture bio garantit-elle un meilleur « bien-être » des animaux d’élevage ?

Eugénie Duval, Benjamin Lecorps

Published in 2021

Article demonstrating that the French organic label guarantees higher animal welfare standards than conventional farming, providing access to outdoors, banning cage rearing and tethered systems, allowing only exceptional authorisation of non-medical surgical interventions, and requiring more frequent checks and compulsory stunning before slaughter. However, the legislation on transport and slaughter is still inadequate, even in the case of organic farming.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords: Housing, Living environment, Mutilation, Livestock farming system, Transport,Societal issues

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In pursuit of a better broiler: growth, efficiency, and mortality of 16 strains of broiler chickens

Stephanie Torrey, Mohsen Mohammadigheisar, Midian Nascimento dos Santos, Daniel Rothschild, Lauren C. Dawson, Zhenzhen Liu, Elijah G. Kiarie, A. Michelle Edwards, Ira Mandell, Niel Karrow, Dan Tulpan, Tina M. Widowski

Published in 2021

Scientific paper comparing the production indicators of several strains of broilers, with a view to finding strains with sufficient growth to be profitable and presenting fewer risks to animal welfare than do fast-growing conventional strains.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Carcass quality, Livestock farming system

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