Subject: Health /Diseases

Unintended consequences of selection for increased production on the health and welfare of livestock

Este van Marle-Köster, Carina Visser

Published in 2021

A scientific review showing the deleterious effects of the use of genetic selection for increased productivity on the fertility, welfare and health of livestock. Inbreeding has led to genetic defects, increased lameness, hoof problems and mastitis, Pathways are suggested to incorporate welfare and health in breeding practices.

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Resilience, Robustness, Livestock farming system

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Objective Assessment of Chronic Pain in Horses Using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS): A Scale-Construction Study

Johannes P. A. M. van Loon, Lucia Macri

Published in 2021

Scientific paper describing the development of a chronic pain assessment scale for horses based on behavioural and facial expression indicators, and testing it on horses with and without chronic pain for intra- and inter-observer reliability

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Assessing dairy cow welfare during the grazing and housing periods on spring-calving, pasture-based dairy farms

Robin E Crossley, Eddie A M Bokkers, Natasha Browne, Katie Sugrue, Emer Kennedy, Imke J M de Boer, Muireann Conneely

Published in 2021

Scientific paper evaluating the welfare of Irish dairy cows in spring calving and pasture systems. Assessment indicators include lameness rates, body condition, discharge from the eyes and nose, tail and integument lesions, and avoidance distances. The overall results of the top 20% of farms are used to establish benchmarks.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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

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What the responsiveness of sows to humans tell us about their performance and living conditions

Valérie Courboulay, Florence Kling Eveillard, Fanny Champigneulle, Eloïse Fresnay, Françoise Pol

Published in 2020

Description of the Rhaporc project, which aims to measure human-animal relationships and evaluate their impact on zootechnical results and to identify the factors determining human-animal relationships

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Cognitive processes, Human-animal relationships

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Pain Management in Farm Animals: Focus on Cattle, Sheep and Pigs

Paulo V. Steagall, Hedie Bustamante, Craig B. Johnson, Patricia V. Turner

Published in 2021

Review of pain management in farm animals, focusing on cattle, sheep and pigs

Document Types: Scientific review

Category of animals: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines

Keywords:Consciousness, Brain integration, Human-animal relationships, Pain, Societal issues

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The effect of milk feeding strategy and restriction of meal patterning on behavior, solid feed intake, and growth performance of male dairy calves fed via computer-controlled milk feeders

Margit Bak Jensen, Annedorte Jensen, Mogens Vestergaard

Published in 2020

Study to determine the effects of milk feeding strategy and feeding frequency on feeding behaviour, consumption and growth in calves.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Precision farming, Weaning, Livestock farming system

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Coping with large litters: management effects on welfare and nursing capacity of the sow

Olli Peltoniemi, Taehee Han, Jinhyeon Yun

Published in 2021

Article on how to manage large litters in such a way as to ensure the welfare of the suckling sow and her piglets

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Lactation, Housing, Living environment, Livestock farming system, Societal issues

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Advances in genetic selection and breeder practice improve commercial layer hen welfare

Greg Underwood, Daniel Andrews, Tin Phung

Published in 2021

Review of work in genetic selection and husbandry  to improve the welfare of laying hens

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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

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