Article
Environmental Studies
Karen A. Stockin, Matthew D. M. Pawley, Rebecca M. Jarvis, Rebecca M. Boys
Summary: This study conducted a survey to investigate the perceptions of stranding relevant/interested parties in New Zealand regarding stranding events and response measures. The results showed that most participants believed human intervention is necessary to assist stranded animals, but some were unsure of the effects of intervention. Experienced responders appeared to prioritize survival over welfare, while respondents from the legislative agency indicated that public sentiment may influence euthanasia decisions over welfare considerations. These findings highlight a disconnect between perceptions of welfare and survival, suggesting the need for comprehensive animal assessments informed by both welfare and survival prognoses.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi, Fabiana Ribeiro Caldara, Ibiara Correia de Lima Almeida Paz, Agnes Markiy Odakura
Summary: Pigs require suitable environments for their well-being and productivity. In recent years, many countries have implemented regulations to ban or restrict practices that cause suffering to pigs. This review examines global and Brazilian regulations on good production practices in swine farming and highlights the changes made to improve the welfare of pigs throughout the production cycle.
Article
Environmental Studies
Emily P. Bouwman, Jan Willem Bolderdijk, Marleen C. Onwezen, Danny Taufik
Summary: Stimulating people to reflect on the importance of animal welfare can trigger cognitive dissonance and promote the choice for vegetarian meals. The findings of the online and field studies in this research show that activating animal welfare values increases the level of cognitive dissonance people experience regarding meat consumption, leading to a higher intention to eat vegetarian meals.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Helen Lambert, Amelia Cornish, Angie Elwin, Neil D'Cruze
Summary: Fish are traded, caught, farmed, and killed in massive numbers annually, but their welfare and sentience are often neglected. This review highlights abundant evidence of fish sentience in scientific literature, emphasizing the need for scrutiny of legislation and attitudes towards fish welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Francesca Bandoli, Jenny Mace, Andrew Knight
Summary: This study assessed the integrated impact of environmental conditions and human presence on the behaviour of zoo-housed Asian small-clawed otters. The otters displayed species-specific behaviours and generally had positive welfare states. However, they engaged less in locomotion, food-related and affiliative behaviours, and more in vigilance compared to previous captive studies. Visitor presence and background noise did not affect behaviour, but time of day and animal identity did. The results provide meaningful information for improving husbandry practices and highlight the importance of multivariate analysis to assess animal welfare.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Iris Schroeter, Marcus Mergenthaler
Summary: The study found that livestock farmers in Germany showed preferences for animal welfare schemes that are based on animal health, offer higher compensation levels, and have longer commitment periods. These preferences could be considered in the development of future programs to increase farmer participation and improve animal welfare.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maggie Creamer, Kristina Horback
Summary: Research on human-animal interactions with beef cattle often occurs during stress-inducing contexts, potentially skewing behavioral and physiological responses. Future studies should consider conducting experiments in low stress contexts to better understand how animal personality and previous experience influence cattle production and welfare. By adapting methods used for wildlife response research, researchers may gain insights into improving the quality and outcomes of human-cattle interactions on rangelands.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
James William Yeates
Summary: Policies regarding animals need to take into account their capacity for sentience and should be guided by ethical principles in determining how they should be treated and regulated.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Seola Joo, Jaeye Bae, Yechan Jung, Myung-Sun Chun, Hyomin Park
Summary: Many festivals use animals for cultural and economic purposes, but the welfare of these animals is often overlooked. Criticism of such festivals has grown with increased awareness of animal rights, but government policies have not reflected this change. A study conducted an online survey to understand public perception and support for actions to improve animal welfare at festivals. The findings reveal a need for cognitive dissonance and highlight the importance of establishing guidelines and regulations.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Syed S. U. H. Bukhari, Alan G. McElligott, Sarah M. Rosanowski, Rebecca S. V. Parkes
Summary: This study investigated the impact of human perceptions of emotion and pain on the welfare of working donkeys in Pakistan. The results showed that owners who recognized donkey sentience and implemented good practices such as providing food, water, and padding were more likely to prioritize donkey welfare. On the other hand, owners who neglected donkey welfare and did not recognize their ability to feel pain and emotion were associated with negative practices.
Review
Economics
Nicolas Treich
Summary: The Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity takes an anthropocentric approach by assigning moral value only to humans among the millions of species on Earth. This view is morally problematic as it assumes that other species, particularly sentient animals, have only instrumental value for humans. The preservation of biodiversity in ecosystems does not equate to taking care of the wellbeing of sentient species in those ecosystems. While some policies can satisfy both anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric objectives, others can create conflicts between these objectives. The prevalent anthropocentric view in biodiversity research is discussed, along with potential non-anthropocentric research directions.
ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Danielle Free, Sarah Wolfensohn
Summary: This study adapts the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) for group-level assessments of invertebrate welfare and successfully applies it to a captive group of male Gromphadorhina oblongonota. The modified AWAG evaluates welfare based on 12 factors tracked over time, revealing the impact of environmental and social factors on the welfare of G. oblongonota. These findings offer practical improvements in care and provide an efficient method to assess invertebrate welfare at the group level.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vanessa Souza Soriano, Clive Julian Christie Phillips, Cesar Augusto Taconeli, Alessandra Akemi Hashimoto Fragoso, Carla Forte Maiolino Molento
Summary: Animal protection laws are enforced differently depending on the category of animals, leading to inconsistencies in the recognition of animal maltreatment. Citizens are more sensitive to animal maltreatment in sheep farming compared to farmers, but most people are unaware of Brazilian animal protection laws. More attention and education on animal welfare laws are needed to bridge the gap between perception and enforcement in animal protection.
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Heather Browning, Walter Veit
Summary: With the increasing attention on wild animal welfare and ethics, it is commonly assumed that wild animals exist in a state dominated by suffering. However, this assumption needs to be critically assessed both theoretically and empirically. This paper challenges the evidence supporting wild animal suffering and proposes an alternative viewpoint where wild animals may have more positive lives than commonly assumed. The paper emphasizes the need for effective methods to apply animal welfare science in the wild for a better understanding of welfare challenges and opportunities.
BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Adele Tuozzi, Christine Arhant, Kristina Anderle, Jessica Backes, Catherine Cords, Viola Magierski, Jean-Loup Rault, Ines Windschnurer
Summary: The study found that the presence of a human and playing a prerecorded reading induced greater interest in shelter dogs and cats compared to just audio stimulation.
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Faical Akaichi, Klaus Glenk, Cesar Revoredo-Giha
Summary: This study examines the demand for animal-friendly pork and how it is affected by different labels. Three consumer segments were identified, with pro-welfare consumers placing high value on the animal-friendly label, while welfare-reluctant consumers held negative views towards it.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Joana Pessoa, Jordi Camp Montoro, Telmo Pina Nunes, Tomas Norton, Conor McAloon, Edgar Garcia Manzanilla, Laura Boyle
Summary: By utilizing various sensor technologies and monitoring tools, coughing frequency in healthy pigs can be predicted, and the relationships between environmental conditions and respiratory health in pigs can be identified.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Cesar Revoredo-Giha, Paul McNamee, Patricia Norwood, Faical Akaichi, Wisdom Dogbe
Summary: The paper provides an ex-ante evaluation of banning price promotions for discretionary foods in Scotland. The results suggest that such restrictions have the potential to reduce the intake of calories, sugar, saturated fats, and sodium, thus improving the overall nutritional quality of foods consumed.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maria Costanza Galli, Martyna E. E. Lagoda, Flaviana Gottardo, Barbara Contiero, Laurac A. A. Boyle
Summary: This study investigates the effect of providing sows with an improved pen environment (straw in racks and ropes) on reducing aggressive behavior after mixing, as well as the role of backfat thickness and parity order. The results showed that the sows in the control group exhibited more fighting and initiated more aggressive behaviors than the sows in the improved group, especially three weeks after mixing. Low backfat thickness was associated with more aggressive behaviors, while parity order had no significant effect. These findings suggest that while aggression is necessary for establishing dominance, implementing environmental improvements can help reduce its frequency.
Article
Zoology
Nicole Maffezzini, Simon P. Turner, J. Elizabeth Bolhuis, Gareth Arnott, Irene Camerlink
Summary: This study investigated third-party interference and found that interferers derive benefits from winning a fight and the patterns of intervention depend on familiarity. Dyadic fights last longer than triadic fights and interferers engage in non-agonistic social behaviours afterwards.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Julia A. Calderon Diaz, Suzanne Desire, Craig Lewis, Rainer Roehe, Simon Turner Turner
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Babatope E. Akinyemi, Faical Akaichi, Janice M. Siegford, Simon P. Turner
Summary: This study analyzes the perceptions of precision livestock farming (PLF) technology held by stakeholders in the US swine industry using the Q-methodology approach. By following up with stakeholders interviewed 6 months earlier, the study found three distinct viewpoints: PLF improves farm management, animal welfare, and labor conditions; PLF does not solve industry problems; PLF has limitations and could lead to data ownership conflicts. Stakeholders with in-depth knowledge of PLF were optimistic about its potential, while those with basic understanding were skeptical. However, all stakeholders agreed on the importance of training and adoption of PLF. The study's results hold promise for informed decision-making about PLF implementation in the US swine industry.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Roberta Maria D'Alessio, Conor G. McAloon, Laura Ann Boyle, Alison Hanlon, Keelin O'Driscoll
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of visual-only examination with handling examination for detecting tail damage and bruises in pig carcasses. The results showed that visual examination can effectively assess tail damage and bruises, but may miss some mild lesions and bruises compared to handling examination.
VETERINARY RECORD OPEN
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bjarne Nielsen, Lizette Vestergaard Horndrup, Simon P. Turner, Ole Fredslund Christensen, Hanne Marie Nielsen, Birgitte Ask
Summary: In this study, it was found that selection of purebred parents for social breeding values (SBV) for growth rate resulted in calmer crossbred pigs in the weighing crate and fewer ear lesions. However, no effect of SBV was observed on tail biting behavior.
GENETICS SELECTION EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Babatope E. Akinyemi, Belinda Vigors, Simon P. Turner, Faical Akaichi, Madonna Benjamin, Anna K. Johnson, Monique D. Pairis-Garcia, Dale W. Rozeboom, Juan P. Steibel, David P. Thompson, Cassey Zangaro, Janice M. Siegford
Summary: Precision livestock farming (PLF) technology development has been rapid, but adoption on farms has been slow. Understanding stakeholders' views, applications, limitations, and concerns regarding PLF technology is crucial for understanding adoption factors. Through online interviews, 12 influential stakeholders' views and experiences were investigated. Two distinct stakeholder groups were identified, the PLF enthusiasts and the PLF cautious. The majority of participants were familiar with and experienced in using PLF technologies in the swine industry. PLF technology was perceived to improve decision-making, care for animals, labor efficiency, and resource-use efficiency. Poor internet connectivity and the need to prioritize daily farm tasks were identified as key obstacles to implementation. Stakeholders' concerns included data privacy and the impact of PLF technology on human-animal relationships and farmers' duty of care. Stakeholders prioritized camera systems for monitoring pig health and welfare and ensuring individual pig identification in future PLF development.
FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Suzanne Desire, Julia A. Calderon Diaz, Craig R. G. Lewis, Rainer Roehe, Simon P. Turner
Summary: This study estimated the genetic parameters of human-directed behavior and intraspecific social aggression in growing pigs and found that these traits are heritable and potentially useful for genetic selection. Additionally, there were genetic associations between aggression and fear/boldness indicators. Selecting against extreme shyness and boldness could result in easier to handle pigs during routine farm procedures.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Amanda B. B. Alvarenga, Hinayah R. R. Oliveira, Simon P. P. Turner, Andre Garcia, Kelli J. J. Retallick, Stephen P. P. Miller, Luiz F. F. Brito
Summary: This study evaluates the temperament and genomic background of North American Angus cows and finds that their temperament can be improved through learning and behavioral plasticity. The heritability of temperament increases with age, and the candidate genes are mainly associated with hormones, cognitive development, and behavioral changes.
GENETICS SELECTION EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Cesar Revoredo-Giha, Luiza Toma, Faical Akaichi, Ian Dawson
Summary: This study investigates the consumption and nutritional implications of underutilized crops in current diets. Using millet as a case study in Uganda, the results show that although millet can improve the intake of macronutrients and some micronutrients, a significant price reduction is needed to achieve a substantial increase in its quantity in the diet given current preferences and demand inelasticity.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD ECONOMICS
(2022)