Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Carly Halliday, Steven P. McCulloch
Summary: Fur farming has sparked controversy in the western world, especially with cases of minks contracting and transmitting COVID-19. While the UK has banned fur farming, it continues to import and sell fur due to EU membership. Recent surveys show a strong majority opposition to the fur industry in the UK, with support for a ban on its import and sale.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Leisha Hewitt, Alison Small
Summary: This study aims to identify a toolbox of animal-based measures for assessing the welfare of farmed crocodilians. The potential measures have been evaluated and scored for validity and feasibility by a panel of experts. Future research will focus on confirming the reliability of the measures across different species and farming systems.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Natarsha Williams, Sarah Chaplin, Lauren Hemsworth, Richard Shephard, Andrew Fisher
Summary: This study analyzed complaints received by the Victoria State Government to understand the source, number, and relationship between rainfall/stock prices and substantiated welfare complaints in farming systems. The general public was the main source of complaints, with cattle accounting for the highest percentage. Rainfall and livestock prices were found to be correlated with the number of welfare complaints, but favorable seasonal conditions did not necessarily protect livestock welfare.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Britt I. F. Henriksen, Steen H. Moller, Jens Malmkvist
Summary: This article presents the status of farm mink welfare across the European continent and highlights the variation in housing conditions and animal responses between farms. The assessment was conducted on 2104 farms in 23 European countries, revealing that most farms have suboptimal animal welfare. However, the variation in results indicates potential for improvement.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Annika M. Voogt, Remco S. Schrijver, Mine Temurhan, Johan H. Bongers, Dick T. H. M. Sijm
Summary: Animal-based measures (ABMs) are the preferred way to assess animal welfare, but manual scoring is time-consuming. Using sensor technology and AI for automatic scoring can provide a solution. This study provides an overview of ABMs recorded at the slaughterhouse for poultry, pigs, and cattle, and examines their applications and relevant legislation. Although there are opportunities to use sensor technology to support meat inspection and improve understanding of animal welfare risks, the lack of external validation for commercially available systems is a concern.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Naceur M'Hamdi, Cyrine Darej, Khaoula Attia, Hajer Guesmi, Ibrahim El Akram Znaidi, Rachid Bouraoui, Hajer M'Hamdi, Lamjed Marzouki, Moez Ayadi
Summary: This study assessed the welfare of Tunisian sheep in extensive sheep production systems using animal-based measures of ewe welfare. The results suggest that the animal-based measures used in the study are reliable indicators that can be included in welfare protocols for extensive sheep production systems.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lina Zhang, Yan Hua, Shichao Wei
Summary: The genetic diversity among feral American mink populations in northeastern China was found to be relatively high, promoting their invasiveness and rapid evolution in the wild. This study highlights the importance of genetic characteristics in achieving high adaptation and rapid evolution in new environments for invasive species like the American mink.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Suresh Neethirajan, Inonge Reimert, Bas Kemp
Summary: Understanding animal emotions is crucial for improving animal welfare, but currently there are no scientific assessments available for measuring emotional responses. Using sensors to collect biometric data for measuring animal emotions is a growing topic in agricultural technology, involving various sensors and processing algorithms in the analysis systems.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. Welk, H. W. Neave, H. B. Spitzer, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, D. M. Weary
Summary: This study assessed the effects of intake-based weaning methods and forage type on feeding behavior and growth of dairy calves. The results showed that including a dry matter intake target can improve feed intake and body weight for successfully weaned calves, and that the type of forage can influence the transition to solid feed.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Andrew S. Cooke, Siobhan Mullan, Charlie Morten, Joanna Hockenhull, Phil Le-Grice, Kate Le Cocq, Michael R. F. Lee, Laura M. Cardenas, M. Jordana Rivero
Summary: Animal welfare encompasses all aspects of an animal's life and interactions. This study compared two beef cattle systems and their herds in terms of various indicators. The results showed that providing summer grazing to the cattle seemed to have welfare benefits, including more positive behavior and slightly better health indicators.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ruijia Shi, Hang Shu, Ruyang Yu, Yajing Wang, Ziqi Zhang, Junjie Zhang, Xianhong Gu
Summary: This study examined the attitudes of Chinese dairy practitioners towards pain perception and management in intensively raised dairy cattle. The results showed a correlation between pain perception and pain management willingness, with emphasis on training to improve animal welfare and reduce production losses. Younger and more highly educated respondents tended to give lower pain scores, indicating a potential need for increased education and awareness in this area. Older respondents tended to choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain management, while larger farms were more likely to use analgesics.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Mariann Molnar
Summary: Reforms on farm animal welfare policies need to address external constraints, such as global trade regulations and economic factors, in order to ensure a truly effective transition. Incentives supporting farm diversification, alternative technologies, and marketing strategies can facilitate a shift away from intensive farming methods.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bing Jiang, Wenjie Tang, Lihang Cui, Xiaoshang Deng
Summary: There has been a significant increase in research on precision livestock farming in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of research on precision livestock farming by creating knowledge maps using the visualization tool CiteSpace. The study objectively reveals the dynamics, development process, and trends in precision livestock farming research, while identifying frontiers and hotspots in the field.
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Silvio De Luca, Emanuela Zanardi, Giovanni Loris Alborali, Adriana Ianieri, Sergio Ghidini
Summary: The welfare of pigs is a focal point for consumers and pig producers, leading to the validation of methods for assessing pig welfare status. Simplified schemes involving data collection at the slaughterhouse are advocated as more practical alternatives.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Guro Vasdal, Joanna Marchewka, Randi O. Moe
Summary: Significant associations were identified between animal-based measures of turkey toms recorded at 11 weeks of age using the transect walk method on-farm and slaughter data at 20 weeks, indicating that issues such as immobility, lameness, featherlessness, and dirtiness at 11 weeks were related to rejection rates at slaughter at 20 weeks.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Alexandra C. Green, Lena M. Lidfors, Sabrina Lomax, Livio Favaro, Cameron E. F. Clark
Summary: This study investigated the temporal variations of vocalizations emitted by postpartum cows during interactions with or separation from their calves. It found that cows displayed more frequent and complex vocalizations, including sequences with shorter intervals and more vocal units, when experiencing higher stress levels during calf separation compared to calf interactions. The results suggest that temporal vocal features may reflect emotional expression in cows and could be useful for future cattle welfare assessments on farms.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Mirjam B. H. M. Duijvestijn, Bente M. W. K. Van der Wiel, Claudia M. Vinke, M. Montserrat Diaz Espineira, Harold G. J. Bok, Johannes C. M. Vernooij
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a new blended learning module on students' perceptions of competence and confidence in feline behavior, handling, restraint, and physical examination skills. The results showed that students who participated in the blended learning module felt more confident in handling animals, competent in performing physical examinations on cats, and able to assess whether a cat is stressed, compared to those who followed the standard module. The blended learning module was particularly beneficial for students with less experience with cats, as they showed greater improvement in assessing a cat's stress level.
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Janneke Elisabeth van der Laan, Claudia Maureen Vinke, Joanne Antonia Maria van der Borg, Saskia Stefanie Arndt
Summary: The study found that dogs entering shelter exhibited higher nocturnal activity, which decreased as they adapted to the environment, with decreasing interindividual variances. Shelter dogs showed higher nocturnal activity compared to pet dogs, and higher UCCR levels shortly after intake than after a habituation period and post-adoption. Furthermore, there was an interaction between weight class and both nocturnal activity and UCCR levels, with smaller dogs showing higher levels in their first days in the shelter.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Niclas Hogberg, Anna Hessle, Lena Lidfors, Nizar Enweji, Johan Hoglund
Summary: The study demonstrates that the activity of first season grazing lambs exposed to different levels of gastrointestinal nematode infections is influenced, specifically around the weaning period. Automated behaviour recordings show potential as a diagnostic tool for detecting nematode parasites in lambs, even at moderate infection levels.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Behavioral Sciences
Claudia M. Vinke
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Britt I. F. Henriksen, Steen H. Moller, Jens Malmkvist
Summary: This article presents the status of farm mink welfare across the European continent and highlights the variation in housing conditions and animal responses between farms. The assessment was conducted on 2104 farms in 23 European countries, revealing that most farms have suboptimal animal welfare. However, the variation in results indicates potential for improvement.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Janneke Elisabeth van der Laan, Claudia Maureen Vinke, Saskia Stefanie Arndt
Summary: This study evaluated the long-term cortisol response in dogs in an animal shelter and after adoption. The results showed that HCC significantly increased during the shelter period and was positively correlated with urinary cortisol:creatinine ratios. The study also found that factors such as weight class, age class, sex, reason for admission, kennel history, and melanin type influenced the variability of HCC.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Annemarie Spruijt, Hans Kooistra, Christine Oei, Claudia Vinke, Auke Schaefers-Okkens, Jeffrey De Gier
Summary: Chemical castration, using a GnRH-agonist implant, is a popular alternative to surgical castration in male dogs. The effects of surgical and chemical castration on the pituitary-testicular axis were compared, and it was found that both methods resulted in similar changes.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ineke R. S. van Herwijnen, Joanne A. M. M. van der Borg, Chantal P. Kapteijn, Saskia P. Arndt, Claudia P. Vinke
Summary: This study examined ownership factors related to dog biting incidents. Comparing bite risk assessment reports of confiscated dogs from two different time frames, a higher frequency of reports mentioning >= 5 factors was observed in the more recent time frame. Nine factors were identified as warning signals for biting incidents, including multiple dog households, dogs roaming without owners, transferring care tasks, use of short leash and muzzle, isolated or confined keeping, suspected substance abuse or animal abuse by owners, aggression towards confiscation, and reported antisocial behaviors.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
W. J. R. van der Leij, J. C. M. Vernooij, C. M. Vinke, R. J. Corbee, J. W. Hesselink
Summary: Shelter metrics are important for shelters to assess and improve the health of their animal population and to identify risk factors for disease outbreaks. This study used Dutch shelter data to analyze trends and apply relevant metrics for shelter management of cats over a 16-year period. The findings showed a decrease in the number of cats admitted to shelters, a reduction in feline euthanasia cases, a decrease in length of stay, and an increase in return to owner and risk-based live release rate. These metrics are helpful for monitoring and evaluating shelter management and the well-being of cats in both the Netherlands and Europe.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Janneke van der Laan, Claudia Vinke, Saskia Arndt
Summary: To assess the adaptability of shelter dogs, we used a 3-axial accelerometer to monitor their nocturnal activity. The results showed that shelter dogs had higher nocturnal activity and stress responses, especially in the first few days, but they gradually adapted to the shelter environment over time.
Article
Parasitology
Niclas Hogberg, Anna Hessle, Lena Lidfors, Johan Hoglund
Summary: This study investigated the effects of mixed gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections on the growth and post-weaning activity patterns of ram lambs. The lambs and ewes were grazed in pastures naturally contaminated with GIN, and were divided into low parasite exposure (LP) and high parasite exposure (HP) groups. The results showed that delayed weaning age reduced the adverse effects of GIN infection on body weight gain, while an earlier weaning age reduced the risk of Haemonchus contortus infection. Automated behavior recordings were also demonstrated to be a potential diagnostic tool for nematode infections in sheep.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
M. H. C. Beekmans, C. M. Vinke, A. Maijer, I. de Haan, N. J. Schoemaker, T. B. Rodenburg, H. S. Kooistra, Y. R. A. van Zeeland
Summary: Foraging enrichment is important for enhancing species-typical behaviors and preventing abnormal behaviors in captive animals. However, current foraging enrichments for parrots have limitations in approximating natural foraging time budgets and eliminating abnormal behaviors. To address this, a two-component foraging enrichment that targeted both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging was designed. The study found that providing both appetitive and consummatory activities doubled daily foraging times and approached natural foraging time budgets in grey parrots. These results highlight the importance of providing diverse and comprehensive enrichment opportunities for parrots.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Janneke Elisabeth van der Laan, Claudia Maureen Vinke, Saskia Stefanie Arndt
Summary: Dogs in shelters and after adoption show different levels of adaptability, but both undergo some form of adaptation. Nocturnal activity and urinary cortisol:creatinine ratio (UCCR) can effectively reflect dogs' adaptability and have value in monitoring their adaptation to new environments.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Karen E. Griffin, Saskia S. Arndt, Claudia M. Vinke
Summary: Recognizing and meeting dogs' needs is crucial for their welfare. This study developed a framework, based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, to help humans accurately identify and meet dogs' actual needs, thus improving their quality of life.
