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Exploration Feeding and Higher Space Allocation Improve Welfare of Growing-Finishing Pigs
Contributor(s):: Herman M Vermeer, Nienke CPMM Dirx-Kuijken, Marc BM Bracke
Lack of environmental enrichment and high stocking densities in growing-finishing pigs can lead to adverse social behaviors directed to pen mates, resulting in skin lesions, lameness, and tail biting. The objective of the study was to improve animal welfare and prevent biting behavior in an...
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Toward an understanding of beaver management as human and beaver densities increase
Contributor(s):: Siemer, William F., Jonker, Sandra A., Decker, Daniel J., Organ, John F.
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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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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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The contribution of broiler chicken welfare certification at farm level to enhancing overall animal welfare: the case of Brazil
Contributor(s):: Souza, A. P. O., Molento, C. F. M.
The intensification of farm animal welfare debate has led to an increasing number of certification schemes covering this issue; however, there are concerns about the contribution of these schemes in improving welfare. The aims of this study were to identify certification schemes for broiler...
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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 effect...
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Effects of under- and overstocking freestalls on dairy cattle behaviour
Contributor(s):: Winckler, C., Tucker, C. B., Weary, D. M.
Freestall availability affects cattle behaviour and most studies in this area have focused on overstocking. We studied the effects of three levels of stall availability, including both over- and understocking on the time budgets and agonistic interactions in 36 dairy cattle in four stable groups....
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The ethics of a co-regulatory model for farm animal welfare research
Contributor(s):: Phillips, C. J. C., Petherick, J. C.
Standards for farm animal welfare are variously managed at a national level by government-led regulatory control, by consumer-led welfare economics and co-regulated control in a partnership between industry and government. In the latter case the control of research to support animal welfare...
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Stakeholder attitudes toward farm animal welfare
Contributor(s):: Heleski, C. R., Mertig, A. G., Zanella, A. J.
We developed a survey to measure attitudes toward farm animal welfare, then targeted two US groups considered highly influential in this area: veterinary college faculty members with large animal/food animal emphasis (VCF) and animal science faculty members (ANS). The survey was conducted via...
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Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat ( Felis catus) in an urban environment
Contributor(s):: Thomas, R. L., Baker, P. J., Fellowes, M. D. E.
In many countries, high densities of domestic cats ( Felis catus) are found in urban habitats where they have the potential to exert considerable predation pressure on their prey. However, little is known of the ranging behaviour of cats in the UK. Twenty cats in suburban Reading, UK, were fitted...
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Influence of stocking density on tonic immobility, lameness, and tibial dyschondroplasia in broilers
Contributor(s):: Sanotra, G. S., Lawson, L. G., Vestergaard, K. S.
This study assessed the effect of stocking density on the development of fear reaction (tonic immobility), lameness (gait), and tibial dyschondroplasia in broiler chicks of mixed sex. During 3 experiments, the study used 49 500 broiler chicks (Ross 208). Of these, 432 focal chicks were randomly...
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Does stocking density modify affective state in pigs as assessed by cognitive bias, behavioural and physiological parameters?
Contributor(s):: Scollo, A., Gottardo, F., Contiero, B., Edwards, S. A.
Recent studies suggest that emotional state can affect cognitive abilities of humans and non-human animals, determining biases in information processing. Negative mental states, such as anxiety or depression, induce pessimistic judgments of ambiguous stimuli. These assumptions may be used to...
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'Bling with bite' - the rise of status and weapon dogs
Contributor(s):: Harding, S.
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Utilising spatial distribution in two-tank systems to investigate the level of aversiveness to crowding in farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
Contributor(s):: Laursen, D. C., Andersson, M. A., Silva, P. I. M., Petersson, E., Hoglund, E.
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Motivation for group housing in gestating sows
Contributor(s):: Kirkden, R. D., Pajor, E. A.
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The effect of group size and stocking density on the welfare and performance of hens housed in furnished cages during summer
Contributor(s):: Guo, Y. Y., Song, Z. G., Jiao, H. C., Song, Q. Q., Lin, H.
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The effect of housing system on the behaviour and growth parameters of fattening rabbits
Contributor(s):: Postollec, G., Boilletot, E., Maurice, R., Michel, V.
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A case control study of on-farm risk factors for tail biting in pigs
Contributor(s):: Moinard, C., Mendl, M., Nicol, C. J., Green, L. E.
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A longitudinal study of the effects of providing straw at different stages of life on tail-biting and other behaviour in commercially housed pigs
Contributor(s):: Statham, P., Green, L., Mendl, M.
Tail-biting (TB) is a welfare concern. Recent studies indicate that early provision of straw may help prevent TB, however, many of these studies were carried out on small groups of pigs and may have limited applicability to commercial farms. The effect of providing straw at different stages of...
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Agonistic behaviour and feather pecking in single-sexed and mixed groups of laying hens
Contributor(s):: Oden, K., Vestergaard, K. S., Algers, B.
The effects of the presence of males on female aggressiveness and feather pecking in groups of about 500 laying hens housed in an aviary system were studied. In all, 10 groups of ISA Brown laying hens were observed at 21, 35, 45 and 55 weeks of age on 2 farms, during 2 years. In the second year,...
