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Online videos indicate human and dog behaviour preceding dog bites and the context in which bites occur
Contributor(s):: Sara C. Owczarczak-Garstecka, Francine Watkins, Rob Christley, Carri Westgarth
YouTube videos of dog bites present an unexplored opportunity to observe dog bites directly. We recorded the context of bites, bite severity, victim and dog characteristics for 143 videos and for 56 videos we coded human and dog behaviour before the bite. Perceived bite severity was derived...
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Provisioning the ritual neolithic site of Kfar HaHoresh, Israel at the dawn of animal management
| Contributor(s):: Meier, J. S., Goring-Morris, A. N., Munro, N. D.
It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000-9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this...
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Identification and development of measures suitable as potential breeding traits regarding dairy cows' reactivity towards humans
| Contributor(s):: Ebinghaus, A., Ivemeyer, S., Rupp, J., Knierim, U.
Behavioural indicators of the human-animal relationship (HAR) are predominantly used in animal welfare science. However, the reactivity of dairy cows - as part of the HAR - is also of interest in the context of dairy breeding, due to its estimated moderate heritability. The avoidance distance...
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The associations between animal-based welfare measures and the presence of indicators of food safety in finishing pigs
| Contributor(s):: Alpigiani, I., Bacci, C., Keeling, L. J., Salman, M. D., Brindani, F., Pongolini, S., Hitchens, P. L., Bonardi, S.
Stressful housing and management practices affect animals, potentially increasing their receptiveness to pathogens. Since some pathogens do not lead to clinical signs of sickness, subclinical pigs could enter the food-chain, contaminating carcases and offal at slaughter, representing a threat to...
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Does group size have an impact on welfare indicators in fattening pigs?
| Contributor(s):: Meyer-Hamme, S. E. K., Lambertz, C., Gauly, M.
Production systems for fattening pigs have been characterized over the last 2 decades by rising farm sizes coupled with increasing group sizes. These developments resulted in a serious public discussion regarding animal welfare and health in these intensive production systems. Even though large...
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Positive reinforcement training for blood collection in grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis) results in undetectable elevations in serum cortisol levels: a preliminary investigation
| Contributor(s):: Joyce-Zuniga, N. M., Newberry, R. C., Robbins, C. T., Ware, J. V., Jansen, H. T., Nelson, O. L.
Training nonhuman animals in captivity for participation in routine husbandry procedures is believed to produce a lower stress environment compared with undergoing a general anesthetic event for the same procedure. This hypothesis rests largely on anecdotal evidence that the captive subjects...
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Relationship between behavioural tests and agonistic interactions at different age levels in pigs
| Contributor(s):: Scheffler, K., Stamer, E., Traulsen, I., Krieter, J.
Fighting among pigs is a normal behavioural pattern to establish a stable rank order. Enhanced aggressive behaviour in pigs in groups lead to increasing stress and injuries especially in mixing situations used as a common procedure in modern pig production systems. In such systems, it is usually...
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On-farm qualitative behaviour assessment in sheep: repeated measurements across time, and association with physical indicators of flock health and welfare
| Contributor(s):: Phythian, C. J., Michalopoulou, E., Cripps, P. J., Duncan, J. S., Wemelsfelder, F.
Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) is a 'whole-animal' methodology that assesses the expressive qualities of animal behaviour using terms such as 'tense', 'relaxed', 'anxious', and 'content'. The reliability and validity of QBA as an indicator for on-farm welfare assessment in pigs, cattle,...
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Detecting horses' sickness: in search of visible signs
| Contributor(s):: Hausberger, M., Fureix, C., Lesimple, C.
Assessing sickness in animals, by which we refer to non-specific states involving both physical discomfort and negative emotional states, is a real challenge. In this review, we demonstrate the need for clear and simple indicators of sickness in horses, a species in which suffering is largely...
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Manifestation of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in Australian Merino sheep: observations on altered behaviour and growth
| Contributor(s):: Cronin, G. M., Beganovic, D. F., Sutton, A. L., Palmer, D. J., Thomson, P. C., Tammen, I.
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder in children. Presently there is no effective treatment and the disorder is lethal. NCL occur in a variety of non-human species including sheep, which are recognised as valuable large animal models for NCL. This...
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Use of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment as an indicator of welfare in donkeys
| Contributor(s):: Minero, M., Costa, E. dalla, Dai, F., Murray, L. A. M., Canali, E., Wemelsfelder, F.
One of the objectives of the Animal Welfare Indicators project was to develop animal-based indicators to assess donkey welfare, including their emotional state. This study aimed to develop a fixed rating scale of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) for donkeys, to evaluate the inter-observer...
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Stocking density affects welfare indicators of growing pigs of different group sizes after regrouping
| Contributor(s):: Fu, LingLing, Li, HuiZhi, Liang, TingTing, Zhou, Bo, Chu, QingPo, Schinckel, A. P., Yang, XiaoJing, Zhao, RuQian, Li, PingHua, Huang, RuiHua
In recent years, the concept of animal welfare began to be accepted by the Chinese people. On some intensive pig farms, the stocking density for growing pigs is too great, leading to decreased animal welfare. In order to study the relationships between stocking density and welfare indicators and...
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Behavioural analysis of captive tigers ( Panthera tigris): a water pool makes the difference
| Contributor(s):: Biolatti, C., Modesto, P., Dezzutto, D., Pera, F., Tarantola, M., Gennero, M. S., Maurella, C., Acutis, P. L.
The activity budgets of seven captive tigers ( Panthera tigris) housed in four zoological gardens (A, B, C, D) were analysed to assess their welfare and to relate it to several variables, including enclosure type, management, and animal history. Behaviours were recorded by instantaneous focal...
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A tool for the evaluation of slaughter horse welfare during unloading
| Contributor(s):: Messori, S., Visser, E. K., Buonanno, M., Ferrari, P., Barnard, S., Borciani, M., Ferri, N.
This study aimed to develop a scientific and practical tool to be used to assess horse welfare after commercial transport over long journeys. A set of physical, behavioural and environmental measures was selected, covering welfare aspects of both transport and unloading procedures. The protocol...
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On-farm evaluation of the Salmon Welfare Index Model (SWIM 1.0): theoretical and practical considerations
| Contributor(s):: Folkedal, O., Pettersen, J. M., Bracke, M., Stien, L. H., Nilsson, J., Martins, C., Breck, O., Midtlyng, P. J., Kristiansen, T.
The present study investigated the operational feasibility of the recently developed Salmon Welfare Index Model (SWIM 1.0) designed for Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L) in production cages. Ten salmon farms containing spring smolts were visited twice, first between May and June the first year in...
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What can inactivity (in its various forms) reveal about affective states in non-human animals? A review
| Contributor(s):: Fureix, C., Meagher, R. K.
Captive/domestic animals are often described as inactive, with the implicit or explicit implication that this high level of inactivity is a welfare problem. Conversely, not being inactive enough may also indicate or cause poor welfare. In humans, too much inactivity can certainly be associated...
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An experience sampling approach to investigating associations between pet presence and indicators of psychological wellbeing and mood in older Australians
| Contributor(s):: Bennett, P. C., Trigg, J. L., Godber, T., Brown, C.
In this study we examined associations between pet ownership and presence and indicators of psychological wellbeing in older Australians, using an innovative, experience sampling methodology and a community-living sample of 68 adults, including 41 pet owners, all aged over 65 years. In response...
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A pilot study to develop an assessment tool for sheep welfare after long journey transport
| Contributor(s):: Messori, S., Sossidou, E., Buonanno, M., Mounaix, B., Barnard, S., Vousdouka, V., Villa, P. dalla, Roest, K. de, Spoolder, H.
Sheep transport within Europe involves 9.5 million animals yearly, 63% of which travel over long journeys (>8 h). Livestock transport, particularly over long journeys, gives rise to concern about the welfare of transported animals. The European Commission stimulates the development of...
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Fear and stress measurements in pure and hybrid red-legged partridges
| Contributor(s):: Campo, J. L., Garcia Davila, S., Garcia Gil, M., Torres, O., Santiago Moreno, J.
The purposes of this study were to examine the duration of induced tonic immobility (a reliable fear indicator considered a passive anti-predator behavioural trait) and two stress indicators (heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and fluctuating asymmetry of leg length, middle-toe length, and wing...
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Stereotypic behaviours in Melopsittacus undulatus: behavioural consequences of social and spatial limitations
| Contributor(s):: Polverino, G., Manciocco, A., Vitale, A., Alleva, E.
The demand for parrots for pet and scientific purposes is an increasing phenomenon. Yet, the cognitive complexity of these animals makes it difficult to fully satisfy their eco-ethological needs in captivity, and strategies commonly adopted for their husbandry are often unsuccessful in...
