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Feasibility and reliability of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats in semi-extensive farming conditions
| Contributor(s):: Battini, M., Renna, M., Giammarino, M., Battaglini, L., Mattiello, S.
The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and reliability of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) protocol for welfare assessment of dairy goats when applied to semi-extensive farming conditions. We recruited 13 farms located in the NW Italian Alps where three assessors individually and...
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On-farm testing of dairy calves' avoidance response to human approach effects of sex, age and test order
| Contributor(s):: Ellingsen-Dalsjau, K., Dean, K. R., Rousing, T.
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The Use of Environmental Enrichments Affects Performance and Behavior of Growing Rabbits Housed in Collective Pens
| Contributor(s):: Angela Trocino, Cristina Zomeño, Eirini Filiou, Marco Birolo, Peter White, Gerolamo Xiccato
This study assessed the effects of an elevated plastic-slatted platform and/or a plastic hiding tube in collective pens with large group sizes (27 or 36 rabbits/pen; 16 rabbits/m2) on the performance and welfare of rabbits kept from weaning (at 33 days of age) to slaughter (at 68 or 75 days of...
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Use of space and behavior of weaned piglets kept in enriched two-level housing system
| Contributor(s):: Fels, Michaela, Lüthje, Franziska, Faux-Nightingale, Alice, Kemper, Nicole
In this study, the possibility of introducing an elevated platform to a piglet pen was explored as a way of increasing available space and creating functional areas. On the platform, nine different manipulable materials were offered. In four batches, 40 weaned piglets were kept for five weeks in...
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Interaction between sows’ aggressiveness post mixing and skin lesions recorded several weeks later
| Contributor(s):: Tönepöhl, Björn, Appel, Anne K., Voß, Barbara, König von Borstel, Uta, Gauly, Matthias
Group housing of pigs leads inevitably to more or less serious agonistic interactions during the establishment of the social rank order of the group. In order to reduce the number of severe agonistic interactions and thus the negative effects on well-being and performance, the use of genetic...
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Turning around by pregnant sows
| Contributor(s):: Bøe, Knut Egil, Cronin, Greg M., Andersen, Inger Lise
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of reducing pen width on turning around by sows. While pregnant sows were studied in both experiments, our overriding objective was to investigate the relationship between space on turning around by farrowing/lactating sows in pens and...
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Finishing bulls have more synchronised behaviour in pastures than in pens
| Contributor(s):: Tuomisto, Leena, Huuskonen, Arto, Jauhiainen, Lauri, Mononen, Jaakko
The objective of the present study was to compare the synchronisation of the lying, feeding and standing behaviour of bulls housed in an uninsulated barn and in a pasture. Dairy (Ayrshire and Holstein-Friesian) and beef (Hereford) bulls were housed in June-July in either partly bedded pens in an...
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Behavioral preference for different enrichment objects in a commercial sow herd
| Contributor(s):: Horback, Kristina M., Pierdon, Meghann K., Parsons, Thomas D.
Increased public concern about farm animal welfare is driving both legislative initiatives and market forces to change how sows are housed and managed. This study investigated the use and preference for enrichment items at a 5600 sows commercial sow farm in eastern USA. Gestating sows were housed...
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Effects of group housing system, pen floor type, and lactation management on performance and behaviour in rabbit does
| Contributor(s):: Zomeño, Cristina, Birolo, Marco, Gratta, Francesco, Zuffellato, Andrea, Xiccato, Gerolamo, Trocino, Angela
This work aimed at evaluating the effects of housing system, pen floor type, and lactation management on rabbit doe and kit performance throughout a reproductive cycle, including categorization of aggressiveness and injuries. Forty multiparous pregnant does were assigned to six experimental...
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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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Availability and use of designated hospital pens in Danish dairy herds
| Contributor(s):: Houe, H., Thomsen, P. T., Amdi, C., Herskin, M. S., Forkman, B., Jensen, M. B.
The objective of this study was to describe the availability and use of designated hospital pens in Danish dairy herds and to analyse the association between availability and use of hospital pens and the herd-level incidence of reported disease treatments. Hospital pens were divided into either...
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Degree of synchrony based on individual observations underlines the importance of concurrent access to enrichment materials in finishing pigs
| Contributor(s):: Zwicker, B., Weber, R., Wechsler, B., Gygax, L.
Pigs are sociable animals with a strong motivation to explore and forage, and it has been stated that they have a strong motivation to do so synchronously. We examined the synchrony of exploration in groups of finishing pigs when enrichment materials were offered. We used a novel measure of...
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Effect of increasing amounts of straw on pigs' explorative behaviour
| Contributor(s):: Jensen, M. B., Herskin, M. S., Forkman, B., Pedersen, L. J.
According to European legislation, pigs must have permanent access to sufficient quantity of material to enable manipulation activities. However, few studies have quantified how much straw is needed to fulfil the requirements of growing pigs. We investigated the effect of increasing amount of...
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Hunger in pregnant sows: effects of a fibrous diet and free access to straw
| Contributor(s):: Jensen, M. B., Pedersen, L. J., Theil, P. K., Knudsen, K. E. B.
Fibrous diets and the provision of straw have been suggested to reduce feeding motivation in pregnant sows. The present experiment investigated the separate and interactive effects of a fibrous diet and ad libitum access to straw on feeding motivation, oral behaviour and plasma levels of...
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Agonistic behaviour, skin lesions and activity pattern of entire male, female and castrated male finishing pigs
| Contributor(s):: Bunger, B., Schrader, L., Schrade, H., Zacharias, B.
Fattening of intact boars is the least invasive alternative to the detrimental welfare effects of surgical castration of piglets. However, beside problems such as boar taint the divergent agonistic and sexual behaviour of boars may impair the pigs' welfare during fattening. To evaluate the...
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Effects of variation in nest curtain design on pre-laying behaviour of domestic hens
| Contributor(s):: Ringgenberg, N., Frohlich, E. K. F., Harlander-Matauschek, A., Toscano, M. J., Wurbel, H., Roth, B. A.
Laying hens in loose-housing systems select a nest daily in which to lay their eggs among many identical looking nests, they often prefer corner nests. We investigated whether heterogeneity in nest curtain appearance - via colours and symbols - would influence nest selection and result in an even...
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Behaviour of pre-pubertal gilts and its relationship to farrowing behaviour in conventional farrowing crates and loose-housed pens
| Contributor(s):: Ison, S. H., Wood, C. M., Baxter, E. M.
Individual variation in the reproductive performance of sows has the potential for greater negative impacts in loose-farrowing systems. Therefore, the ability to select gilts that will perform well would be a major advantage. This study investigated the behaviour of gilts during pre-pubertal...
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Transport of horses for slaughter in Iceland
| Contributor(s):: Roy, R. C., Cockram, M. S., Dohoo, I. R., Ragnarsson, S.
There is interest in the transportation of horses ( Equus caballus) to slaughter and a need to assess the welfare implications of this practice. Forty-six loads of 7-35 horses transported for 0.33 to 3.10 h to a slaughter plant in Iceland were studied. Adults and foals were transported together...
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Dairy calves' preference for rearing substrate
| Contributor(s):: Worth, G. M., Schutz, K. E., Stewart, M., Cave, V. M., Foster, M., Sutherland, M. A.
Traditional substrate types for dairy calves, such as sawdust, are becoming difficult and/or expensive for farmers to obtain in New Zealand. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate alternative rearing substrates that provide an acceptable level of animal welfare. The preference of dairy calves for...
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Diurnal rhythms, locations and behavioural sequences associated with eliminative behaviours in fattening pigs
| Contributor(s):: Guo, YuGuang, Lian, XinMing, Yan, PeiShi
Understanding eliminative behaviours in pigs is very important to maintain individual and pen cleanliness. In this experiment, twenty fattening pigs were housed in four concrete floor pens with a floor space of 3.25 m 2 per pig and free accessibility of outdoor runs. We studied the diurnal...
