Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 75159

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A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Interests: behavior; welfare; pain; small ruminants; goats; welfare assessment
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, Australia
Interests: behavior; animal welfare; welfare indicators; physiology; pain assessment; affective state; wearable technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last decade, public interest in how animals are raised and managed has grown substantially, and, as a result, there is an increased need for valid and reliable methods of assessing animal welfare. Welfare assessment is an important aspect in the continual improvement of animal welfare, with effective assessment leading to better welfare outcomes. There are, however, many challenges associated with animal welfare assessment, such as the validity and consistency of measures over time and across individuals and the utilization of multiple welfare indicators associated with different species and management styles. Research in this developing field is vital for improving the lives of animals in natural or managed environments.

This Special Issue will be focused on recent research or reviews that investigate novel approaches and/or technologies used to evaluate the welfare of farmed, captive, or wild animals. Key approaches may include welfare assessment protocols, assessment during routine husbandry, assessment of affective state (including pain), non-invasive measures, the use of sensors or wearable technologies, and other aspects that are part of raising animals.

Dr. Melissa Hempstead
Dr. Danila Marini
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • welfare assessment
  • non-invasive measures
  • behavior
  • physiology
  • wearable technologies
  • affective state

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 34933 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Potential Cetacean Welfare Indicators from Video of Live Stranded Long-Finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas edwardii)
by Rebecca M. Boys, Ngaio J. Beausoleil, Matthew D. M. Pawley, Emma L. Betty and Karen A. Stockin
Animals 2022, 12(14), 1861; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141861 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3446
Abstract
Despite the known benefit of considering welfare within wildlife conservation and management, there remains a lack of data to inform such evaluations. To assess animal welfare, relevant information must be captured scientifically and systematically. A key first step is identifying potential indicators of [...] Read more.
Despite the known benefit of considering welfare within wildlife conservation and management, there remains a lack of data to inform such evaluations. To assess animal welfare, relevant information must be captured scientifically and systematically. A key first step is identifying potential indicators of welfare and the practicality of their measurement. We assessed the feasibility of evaluating potential welfare indicators from opportunistically gathered video footage of four stranded odontocete species (n = 53) at 14 stranding events around New Zealand. The first stranded cetacean ethogram was compiled, including 30 different behaviours, 20 of which were observed in all four species. Additionally, thirteen types of human intervention were classified. A subset of 49 live stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas edwardii) were assessed to determine indicator prevalence and to quantify behaviours. Four ‘welfare status’ and six ‘welfare alerting’ non-behavioural indicators could be consistently evaluated from the footage. Additionally, two composite behavioural indicators were feasible. Three human intervention types (present, watering, and touching) and five animal behaviours (tail flutter, dorsal fin flutter, head lift, tail lift, and head side-to-side) were prevalent (>40% of individuals). Our study highlights the potential for non-invasive, remote assessments via video footage and represents an initial step towards developing a systematic, holistic welfare assessment framework for stranded cetaceans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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16 pages, 877 KiB  
Article
Effects of Housing System on Anxiety, Chronic Stress, Fear, and Immune Function in Bovan Brown Laying Hens
by Andrew M. Campbell, Alexa M. Johnson, Michael E. Persia and Leonie Jacobs
Animals 2022, 12(14), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141803 - 14 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3015
Abstract
The scientific community needs objective measures to appropriately assess animal welfare. The study objective was to assess the impact of housing system on novel physiological and behavioral measurements of animal welfare for laying hens, including secretory and plasma Immunoglobulin (IgA; immune function), feather [...] Read more.
The scientific community needs objective measures to appropriately assess animal welfare. The study objective was to assess the impact of housing system on novel physiological and behavioral measurements of animal welfare for laying hens, including secretory and plasma Immunoglobulin (IgA; immune function), feather corticosterone (chronic stress), and attention bias testing (ABT; anxiety), in addition to the well-validated tonic immobility test (TI; fearfulness). To test this, 184 Bovan brown hens were housed in 28 conventional cages (3 birds/cage) and 4 enriched pens (25 birds/pen). Feces, blood, and feathers were collected 4 times between week 22 and 43 to quantify secretory and plasma IgA and feather corticosterone concentrations. TI tests and ABT were performed once. Hens that were from cages tended to show longer TI, had increased feather corticosterone, and decreased secretory IgA at 22 weeks of age. The caged hens fed quicker, and more hens fed during the ABT compared to the penned hens. Hens that were in conventional cages showed somewhat poorer welfare outcomes than the hens in enriched pens, as indicated by increased chronic stress, decreased immune function at 22 weeks of age but no other ages, somewhat increased fear, but reduced anxiety. Overall, these novel markers show some appropriate contrast between housing treatments and may be useful in an animal welfare assessment context for laying hens. More research is needed to confirm these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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17 pages, 1755 KiB  
Article
The “Real Welfare” Scheme: Changes in UK Finishing Pig Welfare since the Introduction of Formal Welfare Outcome Assessment
by Fanny Pandolfi, Claire Barber and Sandra Edwards
Animals 2022, 12(5), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050607 - 28 Feb 2022
Viewed by 2023
Abstract
Farm animal welfare is an increasingly important issue, leading to the need for an efficient methodology to deliver accurate benchmarking. The “Real Welfare” project developed a methodology based on regular recording of a limited number of animal-based measures, so-called welfare outcomes, which allows [...] Read more.
Farm animal welfare is an increasingly important issue, leading to the need for an efficient methodology to deliver accurate benchmarking. The “Real Welfare” project developed a methodology based on regular recording of a limited number of animal-based measures, so-called welfare outcomes, which allows faster and easier on-farm assessment of finishing pig welfare. The objective of this paper is to estimate, with sufficient robustness and confidence, the prevalence of different mandatory and optional welfare outcomes in the mainstream herd of the finishing farms in the UK based on the “Real Welfare” scheme data and to assess the changes in prevalence over time, inspection visits and seasons. The mean overall prevalence of the four mandatory welfare outcomes (pigs requiring hospitalization, lame pigs, pigs with severe body marks, and pigs with severe tail lesions) was very low (≤0.2%) and a significant decreasing trend was observed for the first three of these mandatory welfare outcomes since the inception of the scheme. This result might reflect either a reduction in factors giving rise to welfare problems in the mainstream herd or increasing awareness about management of compromised pigs. Additional data are required to clarify these possibilities, but both represent improved pig welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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12 pages, 17995 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Laboratory Rare Minnows (Gobiocypris rarus): Growth, Physiology, and Behavior
by Chunsen Xu, Miaomiao Hou, Liangxia Su, Ning Qiu, Fandong Yu, Xinhua Zou, Chunling Wang, Jianwei Wang and Yongfeng He
Animals 2022, 12(4), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040514 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1757
Abstract
Environmental enrichment is a method to increase environmental heterogeneity, which may reduce stress and improve animal welfare. Previous studies have shown that environmental enrichment can increase the growth rate, decrease aggressive and anxiety-like behaviors, improve learning ability and agility, and reduce cortisol levels [...] Read more.
Environmental enrichment is a method to increase environmental heterogeneity, which may reduce stress and improve animal welfare. Previous studies have shown that environmental enrichment can increase the growth rate, decrease aggressive and anxiety-like behaviors, improve learning ability and agility, and reduce cortisol levels in animals. These effects usually differ between species. Unfortunately, habitat enrichment on laboratory fish is poorly studied and seldom adopted in care guidance. Rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) have been cultured as a native laboratory fish in China in barren banks without environmental enrichment since 1990; they have been widely used in studies on ecotoxicology, environmental science, and other topics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of environment enrichment on the growth, physiological status, and anxiety-like behavior of laboratory rare minnows. We observed and analyzed SGR, cortisol levels, DA, DOPAC, 5-HT and 5-HIAA, and anxiety-like behavior indexes after one month of treatment in barren (control) and enrichment tanks. We found that there were no significant differences in SGR, anxiety-like behavior, DA, DOPAC, or 5-HIAA levels between the two treatments. However, higher cortisol and 5-HT levels were observed in the enrichment tanks. This study suggests that rare minnows might be influenced by their living environment, and future related studies should consider their environmental enrichment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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17 pages, 5010 KiB  
Article
Computer Vision for Detection of Body Posture and Behavior of Red Foxes
by Anne K. Schütz, E. Tobias Krause, Mareike Fischer, Thomas Müller, Conrad M. Freuling, Franz J. Conraths, Timo Homeier-Bachmann and Hartmut H. K. Lentz
Animals 2022, 12(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12030233 - 19 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2893
Abstract
The behavior of animals is related to their health and welfare status. The latter plays a particular role in animal experiments, where continuous monitoring is essential for animal welfare. In this study, we focus on red foxes in an experimental setting and study [...] Read more.
The behavior of animals is related to their health and welfare status. The latter plays a particular role in animal experiments, where continuous monitoring is essential for animal welfare. In this study, we focus on red foxes in an experimental setting and study their behavior. Although animal behavior is a complex concept, it can be described as a combination of body posture and activity. To measure body posture and activity, video monitoring can be used as a non-invasive and cost-efficient tool. While it is possible to analyze the video data resulting from the experiment manually, this method is time consuming and costly. We therefore use computer vision to detect and track the animals over several days. The detector is based on a neural network architecture. It is trained to detect red foxes and their body postures, i.e., ‘lying’, ‘sitting’, and ‘standing’. The trained algorithm has a mean average precision of 99.91%. The combination of activity and posture results in nearly continuous monitoring of animal behavior. Furthermore, the detector is suitable for real-time evaluation. In conclusion, evaluating the behavior of foxes in an experimental setting using computer vision is a powerful tool for cost-efficient real-time monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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12 pages, 440 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Welfare in Commercial Turkey Flocks of Both Sexes Using the Transect Walk Method
by Nina Mlakar Hrženjak, Hristo Hristov, Alenka Dovč, Jana Bergoč Martinjak, Manja Zupan Šemrov, Zoran Žlabravec, Jožko Račnik, Uroš Krapež, Brigita Slavec and Olga Zorman Rojs
Animals 2021, 11(11), 3253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113253 - 13 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1609
Abstract
The study was conducted between March and September 2019 in six meat-type turkey flocks with similar management standard procedures using the transect walk method. The concept of the method is based on visual observation of the birds while slowly walking across the entire [...] Read more.
The study was conducted between March and September 2019 in six meat-type turkey flocks with similar management standard procedures using the transect walk method. The concept of the method is based on visual observation of the birds while slowly walking across the entire farm in predetermined transects. Each flock was evaluated at three different times during the fattening cycle: at 3 to 4, 12 to 13, and 19 to 20 weeks of age, and total number of males and females that were immobile or lame, had visible head, vent, or back wounds, were small, featherless, dirty, or sick, had pendulous crop, or showed aggression toward birds or humans were recorded. At each visit, NH3 and CO2 were measured within the facilities. In the first assessment, the most frequently observed welfare indicators were small size (0.87%) and immobility (0.08%). Males showed a significantly higher prevalence of small size (p < 0.01), sickness (p < 0.05), and dirtiness (p < 0.1) compared to females. In the second assessment, the most common findings in both sexes were dirtiness (1.65%) and poor feather condition (1.06%), followed by immobility (0.28%). Males were significantly dirtier (p < 0.001), had more immobile birds (p < 0.01) and birds with vent wounds (p < 0.1), but had fewer sick birds (p < 0.05). In the last assessment, an increase in immobile, lame, sick, and dead birds was recorded, indicating an increase in health problems. Higher CO2 (3000 and 4433 ppm) and NH3 (40 and 27.6 ppm) values were noted only at the first assessment in two facilities. Further analyses showed that slightly elevated NH3 and CO2 levels did not influence the occurrence of welfare indicators. This study is the first description of the welfare of commercial turkey flocks in Slovenia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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16 pages, 4032 KiB  
Article
Recumbency as an Equine Welfare Indicator in Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease
by Zsofia Kelemen, Herwig Grimm, Mariessa Long, Ulrike Auer and Florien Jenner
Animals 2021, 11(11), 3189; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113189 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4750
Abstract
Recumbency is a prerequisite for horses achieving rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and completing a full sleep cycle. An inability to lie down due to environmental insecurities or pain results in REM sleep deficiency, which can cause substantial impairment of welfare and health. [...] Read more.
Recumbency is a prerequisite for horses achieving rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and completing a full sleep cycle. An inability to lie down due to environmental insecurities or pain results in REM sleep deficiency, which can cause substantial impairment of welfare and health. Therefore, the present study used wearable automated sensor technology on 83 horses housed in an animal sanctuary to measure and compare the recumbency, locomotion, and standing time budgets of geriatric horses with and without chronic lameness to younger adult sound and lame horses. Recumbency times ranged from 0 to 319 min per day with an overall mean of 67.4 (±61.9) minutes; the time budget for locomotion was 19.1% (±11.2% s.d.) and for standing 75.6% (±13.1 s.d.). Interestingly, neither age nor lameness due to chronic orthopedic disease had a significant influence on recumbency times in this study. Eight horses showed symptoms of REM deficit. These horses had significantly shorter lying times (7.99 ± 11.4 min) and smaller locomotion time budgets than the other horses enrolled in this study (73.8 ± 61.8 min), indicating a general compromise of well-being. Thus, wearable sensor technology can be used to identify horses with low recumbency times at risk for REM sleep deficiency and to assess and monitor equine welfare objectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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18 pages, 1386 KiB  
Article
Telomere Length and Regulatory Genes as Novel Stress Biomarkers and Their Diversities in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Subjected to Corticosterone Feeding
by Kazeem Ajasa Badmus, Zulkifli Idrus, Goh Yong Meng, Awis Qurni Sazili and Kamalludin Mamat-Hamidi
Animals 2021, 11(10), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102759 - 22 Sep 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
This study was designed to characterize telomere length and its regulatory genes and to evaluate their potential as well-being biomarkers. Chickens were fed a diet containing corticosterone (CORT) for 4 weeks and performances, organ weight, plasma CORT levels, telomere lengths and regulatory genes [...] Read more.
This study was designed to characterize telomere length and its regulatory genes and to evaluate their potential as well-being biomarkers. Chickens were fed a diet containing corticosterone (CORT) for 4 weeks and performances, organ weight, plasma CORT levels, telomere lengths and regulatory genes were measured and recorded. Body weights of CORT-fed chickens were significantly suppressed (p < 0.05), and organ weights and circulating CORT plasma levels (p < 0.05) were altered. Interaction effect of CORT and duration was significant (p < 0.05) on heart and liver telomere length. CORT significantly (p < 0.05) shortened the telomere length of the whole blood, muscle, liver and heart. The TRF1, chTERT, TELO2 and HSF1 were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated in the liver and heart at week 4 although these genes and TERRA were downregulated in the muscles at weeks 2 and 4. Therefore, telomere lengths and their regulators are associated and diverse, so they can be used as novel biomarkers of stress in broiler chickens fed with CORT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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12 pages, 3802 KiB  
Communication
Behavioral Monitoring Tool for Pig Farmers: Ear Tag Sensors, Machine Intelligence, and Technology Adoption Roadmap
by Santosh Pandey, Upender Kalwa, Taejoon Kong, Baoqing Guo, Phillip C. Gauger, David J. Peters and Kyoung-Jin Yoon
Animals 2021, 11(9), 2665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11092665 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 10505
Abstract
Precision swine production can benefit from autonomous, noninvasive, and affordable devices that conduct frequent checks on the well-being status of pigs. Here, we present a remote monitoring tool for the objective measurement of some behavioral indicators that may help in assessing the health [...] Read more.
Precision swine production can benefit from autonomous, noninvasive, and affordable devices that conduct frequent checks on the well-being status of pigs. Here, we present a remote monitoring tool for the objective measurement of some behavioral indicators that may help in assessing the health and welfare status—namely, posture, gait, vocalization, and external temperature. The multiparameter electronic sensor board is characterized by laboratory measurements and by animal tests. Relevant behavioral health indicators are discussed for implementing machine learning algorithms and decision support tools to detect animal lameness, lethargy, pain, injury, and distress. The roadmap for technology adoption is also discussed, along with challenges and the path forward. The presented technology can potentially lead to efficient management of farm animals, targeted focus on sick animals, medical cost savings, and less use of antibiotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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30 pages, 12932 KiB  
Article
Use of Remote Camera Traps to Evaluate Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Individual Free-Roaming Wild Horses
by Andrea M. Harvey, John M. Morton, David J. Mellor, Vibeke Russell, Rosalie S. Chapple and Daniel Ramp
Animals 2021, 11(7), 2101; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072101 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 22936
Abstract
We previously developed a Ten-Stage Protocol for scientifically assessing the welfare of individual free-roaming wild animals using the Five Domains Model. The protocol includes developing methods for measuring or observing welfare indices. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps [...] Read more.
We previously developed a Ten-Stage Protocol for scientifically assessing the welfare of individual free-roaming wild animals using the Five Domains Model. The protocol includes developing methods for measuring or observing welfare indices. In this study, we assessed the use of remote camera traps to evaluate an extensive range of welfare indicators in individual free-roaming wild horses. Still images and videos were collected and analysed to assess whether horses could be detected and identified individually, which welfare indicators could be reliably evaluated, and whether behaviour could be quantitatively assessed. Remote camera trapping was successful in detecting and identifying horses (75% on still images and 72% on video observation events), across a range of habitats including woodlands where horses could not be directly observed. Twelve indicators of welfare across the Five Domains were assessed with equal frequency on both still images and video, with those most frequently assessable being body condition score (73% and 79% of observation events, respectively), body posture (76% for both), coat condition (42% and 52%, respectively), and whether or not the horse was sweating excessively (42% and 45%, respectively). An additional five indicators could only be assessed on video; those most frequently observable being presence or absence of weakness (66%), qualitative behavioural assessment (60%), presence or absence of shivering (51%), and gait at walk (50%). Specific behaviours were identified in 93% of still images and 84% of video events, and proportions of time different behaviours were captured could be calculated. Most social behaviours were rarely observed, but close spatial proximity to other horses, as an indicator of social bonds, was recorded in 36% of still images, and 29% of video observation events. This is the first study that describes detailed methodology for these purposes. The results of this study can also form the basis of application to other species, which could contribute significantly to advancing the field of wild animal welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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12 pages, 1896 KiB  
Article
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Change with Sleep Stage in Dairy Cows
by Laura B. Hunter, Marie J. Haskell, Fritha M. Langford, Cheryl O’Connor, James R. Webster and Kevin J. Stafford
Animals 2021, 11(7), 2095; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072095 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2855
Abstract
Changes to the amount and patterns of sleep stages could be a useful tool to assess the effects of stress or changes to the environment in animal welfare research. However, the gold standard method, polysomnography PSG, is difficult to use with large animals [...] Read more.
Changes to the amount and patterns of sleep stages could be a useful tool to assess the effects of stress or changes to the environment in animal welfare research. However, the gold standard method, polysomnography PSG, is difficult to use with large animals such as dairy cows. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) can be used to predict sleep stages in humans and could be useful as an easier method to identify sleep stages in cows. We compared the mean HR and HRV and lying posture of dairy cows at pasture and when housed, with sleep stages identified through PSG. HR and HRV were higher when cows were moving their heads or when lying flat on their side. Overall, mean HR decreased with depth of sleep. There was more variability in time between successive heart beats during REM sleep, and more variability in time between heart beats when cows were awake and in REM sleep. These shifts in HR measures between sleep stages followed similar patterns despite differences in mean HR between the groups. Our results show that HR and HRV measures could be a promising alternative method to PSG for assessing sleep in dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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16 pages, 282 KiB  
Article
Health and Welfare Survey of 30 Dairy Goat Farms in the Midwestern United States
by Melissa N. Hempstead, Taylor M. Lindquist, Jan K. Shearer, Leslie C. Shearer and Paul J. Plummer
Animals 2021, 11(7), 2007; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072007 - 05 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3776
Abstract
Dairy goat production in the Midwestern United States is increasing at a rapid rate and information on dairy goat husbandry practices applicable for producers in this region is limited. The objective of this study was to survey 30 dairy goat farms in the [...] Read more.
Dairy goat production in the Midwestern United States is increasing at a rapid rate and information on dairy goat husbandry practices applicable for producers in this region is limited. The objective of this study was to survey 30 dairy goat farms in the Midwestern US to provide insight into husbandry practices pertaining to health, welfare, and production, and to identify areas of future research. A questionnaire was developed and comprised 163 questions that were organized into categories including information on the producer (e.g., farming experience), staff, and goats (e.g., herd size, breed), housing, feeding and nutrition, milking practices and production, kid management, husbandry practices (e.g., disbudding, castration, hoof trimming), and health. Areas of future research that can improve goat health, production and welfare include pain relief for husbandry practices such as disbudding and castration, early kid management during birth to prevent illness/disease or mortality (e.g., warm and dry areas for kid rearing), eradication programs for common contagious diseases, training programs and education for claw trimming, disbudding, and udder health. In conclusion, this study provided insight into the husbandry practices carried out on 30 dairy goat farms in the Midwestern US and areas of research to improve health and welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
11 pages, 1821 KiB  
Article
Genetic Parameters of Effort and Recovery in Sport Horses Assessed with Infrared Thermography
by Ester Bartolomé, Davinia Isabel Perdomo-González, María José Sánchez-Guerrero and Mercedes Valera
Animals 2021, 11(3), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030832 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1955
Abstract
The way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses’ adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared [...] Read more.
The way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses’ adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared thermography. EP and RP were measured in 495 Spanish Sport Horses, during a performance test, considering sex (2) and genetic lines (5) as fixed effects. The ranking position obtained on an official sport competition was also collected. Differences in variables due to genetic line and sex effects were found, showing that, regardless of the genetic line, stallions tended to recover better than mares after the sport test developed. High positive intra-class correlations (p < 0.001) were found between EP and RP for both fixed effects, so that the higher the EP, the higher the RP. However, for the ranking position, a low negative correlation (p < 0.01) was found, so that the higher the eye temperature increase, the better the position. Heritabilities showed medium–high values with a medium positive genetic correlation between them. Thus, breed origins and sex influence horses’ effort and recovery during sport performance, showing a genetic basis adequate for selection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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14 pages, 543 KiB  
Article
Farm Animals Are Long Away from Natural Behavior: Open Questions and Operative Consequences on Animal Welfare
by Alberto Cesarani and Giuseppe Pulina
Animals 2021, 11(3), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030724 - 06 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3268
Abstract
The concept of welfare applied to farm animals has undergone a remarkable evolution. The growing awareness of citizens pushes farmers to guarantee the highest possible level of welfare to their animals. New perspectives could be opened for animal welfare reasoning around the concept [...] Read more.
The concept of welfare applied to farm animals has undergone a remarkable evolution. The growing awareness of citizens pushes farmers to guarantee the highest possible level of welfare to their animals. New perspectives could be opened for animal welfare reasoning around the concept of domestic, especially farm, animals as partial human artifacts. Therefore, it is important to understand how much a particular behavior of a farm animal is far from the natural one of its ancestors. This paper is a contribution to better understand the role of genetics of the farm animals on their behavior. This means that the naïve approach to animal welfare regarding returning animals to their natural state should be challenged and that welfare assessment should be considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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Review

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15 pages, 347 KiB  
Review
Welfare Health and Productivity in Commercial Pig Herds
by Przemysław Racewicz, Agnieszka Ludwiczak, Ewa Skrzypczak, Joanna Składanowska-Baryza, Hanna Biesiada, Tomasz Nowak, Sebastian Nowaczewski, Maciej Zaborowicz, Marek Stanisz and Piotr Ślósarz
Animals 2021, 11(4), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041176 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4435
Abstract
In recent years, there have been very dynamic changes in both pork production and pig breeding technology around the world. The general trend of increasing the efficiency of pig production, with reduced employment, requires optimisation and a comprehensive approach to herd management. One [...] Read more.
In recent years, there have been very dynamic changes in both pork production and pig breeding technology around the world. The general trend of increasing the efficiency of pig production, with reduced employment, requires optimisation and a comprehensive approach to herd management. One of the most important elements on the way to achieving this goal is to maintain animal welfare and health. The health of the pigs on the farm is also a key aspect in production economics. The need to maintain a high health status of pig herds by eliminating the frequency of different disease units and reducing the need for antimicrobial substances is part of a broadly understood high potential herd management strategy. Thanks to the use of sensors (cameras, microphones, accelerometers, or radio-frequency identification transponders), the images, sounds, movements, and vital signs of animals are combined through algorithms and analysed for non-invasive monitoring of animals, which allows for early detection of diseases, improves their welfare, and increases the productivity of breeding. Automated, innovative early warning systems based on continuous monitoring of specific physiological (e.g., body temperature) and behavioural parameters can provide an alternative to direct diagnosis and visual assessment by the veterinarian or the herd keeper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare Assessment: Novel Approaches and Technologies)
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