213 Results Found

The amount of attention paid to the welfare of animals and their maintenance conditions has grown considerably in recent years. This paper examines the effects of extensive and intensive housing systems on the environmental, behavioural, health, nutr...

The concept of positive welfare is an expansion of the traditional understanding that animal welfare is defined by minimizing stress, pain, suffering, and disease. Positive welfare shifts the animal welfare narrative from a focus on reducing negative...

The welfare of farmed animals has become a major social demand in developed countries, as well as the quality of livestock products and the preservation of the environment. In Algeria, the concept of animal welfare in sheep farming remains neglected,...

In 2020, the European Union endorsed its “Farm-to-Fork” strategy, emphasizing the need for transparency in the food production chain and communication of the sustainability level and nutritional value of food products to the consumer thro...

This study aimed to assess the welfare of Tunisian sheep in extensive sheep production systems using animal-based measures of ewe welfare. This study encompasses the first national survey of sheep welfare in which animal-based outcomes were tested. A...

The value society assigns to animal welfare in agricultural productions is increasing, resulting in ever-enhancing methods to assess the well-being of farm animals. The aim of this study was to review the scientific literature to obtain an overview o...

Sixteen animal-based indicators of sheep welfare, previously selected by a stakeholder panel, and based on the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) Five Freedoms, were assessed in terms of the level of inter-observer agreement achieved during on-farm t...

The objective of the present work was to categorize the risks in the on-farm welfare of dairy sheep in semi-extensive systems in order to highlight if risks in welfare vary according to the farm size. To the best of our knowledge, this study constitu...

Animal welfare for sheep in extensive rural farms is difficult to quantify among rural farmers due to several factors, including the lack of technology and the low level of interaction they have with the animals. The purpose of this study was to sear...

Sheep and goat extensive production systems are very important in the context of global food security and the use of rangelands that have no alternative agricultural use. In such systems, there are enormous challenges to address. These include, for i...

Low temperatures can provide a risk to the welfare of sheep during transport because of increased ventilation chilling the sheep, and we examined the importance of three factors—covering the vehicle, duration of transport, and feeding prior to transp...

This study examines the use of analgesic medications among sheep farmers, highlighting both their benefits and the significant gaps in their adoption. Our findings indicate that 26.7% of sheep farmers did not utilize any analgesics, a figure that con...

There is a scarcity of relevant information in the international literature regarding the welfare of dairy ewes during the milking process and the potential impact on the quality of the produced milk. Hence, there is a scope to further study potentia...

Considering the public concern about the welfare of farm animals during routine husbandry practices, this study aimed to determine how husbandry practices are carried out in Chilean farms, sheep farmers’ perceptions of animal welfare and pain,...

This study aimed to provide an overview of the most frequent animal welfare cases documented by the authorities involved in sheep farming in Germany. A questionnaire with 26 questions was developed and sent to all German veterinary offices (superviso...

The welfare of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats was assessed by measuring trauma detected during veterinary postmortem inspection at slaughterhouses. The subject of this evaluation were all bovine, porcine, ovine and caprine animals slaughtered at Czech...

An online survey was designed to form the basis of a framework for the welfare assessment of extensively managed sheep in Australia. The survey focused on welfare compromise and useful welfare indicators. A total of 952 people completed the survey in...

The opportunities for natural animal behaviours in pastures imply animal welfare benefits. Nevertheless, monitoring the animals can be challenging. The use of sensors, cameras, positioning equipment and unmanned aerial vehicles in large pastures has...

Abattoirs are faced with the challenge of moving livestock efficiently through the plant, while also engaging in handling practices that assure good animal welfare. Achieving optimal outcomes for both of these goals can bring them into conflict. An a...

This research examines how sheep farmers and industry actors in the United Kingdom (UK) understand and conceptualize what animal welfare scientists term ‘positive animal welfare’. It explores their awareness of the concept, and how they i...

Conflicts between different goals can obstruct progress in sustainability, but interests may also coincide. We evaluated relationships between environmental quality and animal welfare on Swedish farms with grazing livestock, using publicly available...

One of the world’s longest sea transport routes of live sheep for slaughter is from Australia to the Middle East. Heat stress is a major cause of mortality in shipments of sheep, particularly in sheep leaving Australia in the Southern Hemispher...

A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of prebiotic and herbal supplements to relieve transportation stress based on changes in physiological, hematological, and molecular responses in Kenguri sheep. Thirty healthy female sheep were randomly di...

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are unique noncoding RNA molecules, notable for their covalent closed-loop structures, which play a crucial role in regulating gene expression across a variety of biological processes. This review comprehensively synthesizes...

This study tested the reliability of a Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) protocol developed for the Norwegian Sheep House (FåreBygg) project. The aim was to verify whether QBA scores were consistent between different observers, i.e., int...

Citizen science activities were performed using sheep as an animal model and involving 252 students aged between 9 and 11 years. The study focused on three pillars: hill/mountain landscape biodiversity, animal welfare and the social utility of resear...

The transport of animals by sea (‘live export’) is one of the most important current animal welfare issues in Australian society. Recent media attention has highlighted concerns regarding the effects of high environmental temperature and...

We aimed to study the gaps between the law and sheep farmer and citizen opinions regarding animal maltreatment by discussing the risk of sheep maltreatment in regular farming practices in Southern Brazil. We surveyed the perception of 56 farmers and...

Threshold temperatures for cold stress in sheep are not well understood, the available literature is somewhat dated and reports relate to winter temperatures that are relatively benign. Sheep’s preferences for outdoor versus indoor environments...

The reliability and feasibility of 10 animal-based measures of ewe welfare were examined for use in extensive sheep production systems. Measures were: Body condition score (BCS), rumen fill, fleece cleanliness, fleece condition, skin lesions, tail le...

The study of cognitive processes in sheep (Ovis aries) has gained interest in recent years, particularly for their potential as a model species in translational medicine. This scoping review aimed to identify, classify, and describe cognitive tasks d...

Products obtained from sheep have an economically important place in the world. Their adaptability to different climatic conditions, their ease of care and feeding, their high utilization of poor pasture areas with low yield and quality, the ease of...

Pain causes behavioral, autonomic, and neuroendocrine changes and is a common cause of animal welfare compromise in farm animals. Current societal and ethical concerns demand better agricultural practices and improved welfare for food animals. These...

Nowadays, there is growing interest in positive animal welfare not only from the view of scientists but also from that of society. The consumer demands more sustainable livestock production, and animal welfare is an essential part of sustainability,...

To ensure animal welfare isn’t compromised when using virtual fencing, animals must be able to associate a benign conditioned stimulus with an aversive stimulus. This study used an associative learning test to train 30, four-year-old, Merino x Suffol...

Outdoor and extensive farming systems allow animals to behave in a natural way and are often perceived as welfare friendly. Nonetheless, the natural environment poses multiple challenges to the welfare of animals, sometimes hampering their capacity t...

The outbreak of a previously unknown and new disease in the United Kingdom, known as ‘Schmallenberg disease’, a disease associated with abortions, stillbirths and fetal deformities in naïve ewes, was reported for the first time in So...

The development and substance of animal welfare policy is subject to a range of social, cultural, economic, and scientific influences that commonly vary within and between countries. Discrepancies in policy can create confusion and mistrust among sta...

Welfare of animals significantly depends on how stakeholders perceive their needs and behave in a way to favor production systems that promote better welfare outcomes. This study aimed at investigating stakeholders’ perception of the welfare of...

Background: According to EU legislation, animal-based indicators (ABMs) are used to evaluate the efficacy of stunning methods to ensure that animals do not regain consciousness. EFSA has provided a list of ABMs for electrical and mechanical stunning...

Precision livestock farming (PLF), by integrating multimodal sensor data, provides opportunities to enhance welfare monitoring and management in small ruminants. This study evaluated whether environmental, physiological, and behavioral measurements&m...

The use of technology to optimize the production and management of each individual animal is becoming key to good farming. There is a need for the real-time systematic detection and control of disease in animals in order to limit the impact on animal...

Foot-related lameness, foot-diseases and lesions are emerging issues in dairy sheep; however, relevant epizootiological studies are scarce, and risk factors have not been elucidated. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were (i) to address th...

From the point of public health, the objective of the slaughterhouse is to guarantee the safety of meat in which meat inspection represent an essential tool to control animal diseases and guarantee the public health. The slaughterhouse can be used as...

It is a difficult task to improve animal production by means of genetic selection, if the environment does not allow full expression of the animal’s genetic potential. This concept may well be the future for animal welfare, because it highlights the...

Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is widely used for stunning and on-farm dispatch of livestock, yet its efficacy can vary, with the potential for animal welfare compromise. This study investigated the pathophysiology of PCB-induced trauma in horned and...

Parasites, in particular, gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) represent one of the main burdens affecting small ruminant farming and pose a serious threat to their health, welfare, productivity, and reproduction. The correct management of animals and t...

Farm procedures have an impact on animal welfare by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that induces a wide array of physiological responses. This adaptive system guarantees that the animal copes with environmental variations and it in...

Poor production and handling practices continue to persist that are both detrimental to animal welfare and financially burdensome. These practices continue to persist for three reasons: (1) a segmented marketing chain where a producer is not held fin...

In the healthcare system, lower leg fractures remain relevant, incurring costs related to surgical treatment, hospitalization, and rehabilitation. The duration of treatment may vary depending on the individual case and its severity. Casting as a post...