Subject: Health /Diseases

A Guide on Fish Welfare in Spanish Aquaculture - Volume 4: Welfare of rainbow trout

APROMAR

Published in 2025

Guide published by the Spanish aquaculture industry, describing the good practices to ensure rainbow trout welfare. It proposes specific indicators appropriate to each farming phase, while emphasizing the importance of training, sustainability and a stronger legal framework.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Fish

Go to document

L’abattage d’urgence à la ferme : enquête sur les modalités de réalisation et proposition d’un guide de bonnes pratiques

Julia Chapelain

Published in 2024

Veterinary thesis report setting out to design a practical guide to assist veterinarians during emergency slaughter. A need for training was identified among students and practitioners. The guide pulls together the regulatory, technical and economic information required for effective intervention in the field.

Document Types: Scientific work

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

Go to document

Developing appropriate environmental enrichment strategies for broiler breeders

Baxter, M., O'Connell, N.E.

Published in 2025

Study of environmental enrichment preferences in broiler broodstock reared commercially. The results show a clear preference for platform perches and interest in hanging observation balls. Additional dust baths proved of little use under well-maintained litter conditions.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Go to document

The Dark Side of the Moon: A Good Adoption Rate Conceals the Unsolved Ethical Problem of Never-Adopted Dogs

Corsetti, S.; Natoli, E.; Malandrucco, L.

Published in 2025

Study on the application of the Italian no-kill policy to domestic dogs, based on data from the Muratella shelter in Rome for the periods 2012-2016 and 2018-2022. Despite a high adoption rate, the significant number of dogs remaining in shelters for life raises important ethical issues.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories:Canine

Go to document

Évaluation approfondie du bien-être des bovins en unités expérimentales INRAE : le protocole Welfare Quality®

Lydiane Aubé, Marie-Madeleine Mialon, Sarah Barbey, Raphaëlle Botreau

Published in 2025

Technical article proposing an in-depth assessment of cattle welfare in INRAE's experimental units to supplement  regular monitoring, based on Welfare Quality® protocols. This approach includes assessment by external agents followed by an advice phase in which improvements can be identified that are tailored to different types of cattle and farming contexts.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Go to document

Face readers

Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Published in 2025

Article reviewing the multiple potential benefits of AI for the analysis of animals' facial expressions and detection of signs of pain or complex emotions, in which it sometimes performs better than human experts. Researchers are developing algorithms capable of interpreting the emotional states of dogs, cats, horses and primates using deep learning and annotated image databases. However, scientists remain wary of the lack of transparency in the decisions made by AI, and are seeking to combine facial analysis with other indicators to refine the assessment of animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Canine, Equine, Feline

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Identification, Wellfare indicators

Go to document

Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings

Amelia E. Sidwell, Marco Duz, Bradley Hill, Sarah Freeman, Sam L. Hole

Published in 2025

Scientific article investigating whether use of a pain scale based on facial expression is an objective and reliable method of assessing dental pain in horses. It concludes that tools designed to identify acute pain lack reliability if used to assess chronic pain, such as dental pain. A more dental-specific ethogram is needed to accurately identify dental pain in horses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Behavioural disorders

Go to document

An updated review on the effect of lighting on broilers and the environment of commercial houses

J. E. Linhoss, O. B. Falana, J. D. Davis, J. L. Purswell, C. M. Edge, H. A. Olanrewaju, B. I. Baker-Cook, C. Hanlon

Published in 2025

Article reviewing the effects of lighting (color, intensity, duration, source) on broiler performance and welfare between 2018 and 2024.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Housing

Go to document

Smart farming and Artificial Intelligence (AI): How can we ensure that animal welfare is a priority?

Marian Stamp Dawkins

Published in 2025

Summary exploring the potential benefits and risks of using livestock technology to improve animal welfare. Its success will depends on public and industry confidence, scientific proof of its effectiveness, and on demonstrable economic and environmental benefits.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Precision farmingIdentification, Welfare indicators

Go to document