Sleep–wake study in an animal model of acute and chronic heat stress
The study of the variations in different parameters of sleep–wake states following exposure to high environmental heat in three different age groups of freely moving rats have been presented in this paper. Each age group of rats was subdivided in three group (i) acute heat stress — subjected to a single exposure for 4 h […]
Physiological response of rabbits to heat, cold, noise and mixing in the context of transport
The effects on rabbits of four potential transport-related stressors (heat [HS], cold [CS], noise [NS] and mixing with unfamiliar animals [MS]) on certain physiological and meat quality parameters were studied. These are factors which may act to reduce the welfare of rabbits during their transport to the slaughterhouse. The rabbits were exposed to each potential […]
Modifications of operant thermoregulatory behavior of the young pig by environmental temperature and food availability
Piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus) were weaned at 14 days and acclimated to 10 (“cold animals”) or 35°C (“warm animals”). Cold animals were either fed ad lib. (10HH) or maintained on a high (10H) or low (10L) nutrition plane. Warm animals were maintained on a high (35H), low (35L), or a very low (35LL) nutrition plane. […]
Effect of breeding system, cycle and cage size during fattening on rabbit doe and growing rabbit performance under heat stress
In order to evaluate heat stress and circadian rhythm 46 nulliparous rabbit does with a BW of 3.6760.05 kg (s.e.) were used. They were clipped once or not and rectal temperature, feed and water intake were recorded for 24 h. From this group, 43 rabbit does were mated 7 days after rectal measurements, and randomly […]
Behavioral changes and feathering score in heat stressed broiler chickens fed diets containing different levels of propolis
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of green Brazilian propolis on behavioral patterns and feather condition of heat stressed broiler chickens. Five hundred and four (504) male Ross 708 broiler chicks at 15-day old were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments containing 0 (control), 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 3000 […]
Are mules or donkeys better adapted for Egyptian brick kiln work? (Until we can change the kilns)
The working conditions of donkeys and mules in the Egyptian brick kilns are often very challenging. Common problems for these equids include the following: overloading, overworking, heat stress, harness lesions, poor body condition scores (BCSs), and poor treatment by handlers. However, mechanization of the Egyptian brick kilns is not yet realistic without entirely renovating all […]
Heat stress: A major contributor to poor animal welfare associated with long-haul live export voyages
Recent investigations by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry into high mortalities on live export voyages from Australia to the Middle East during the Northern hemisphere summer suggest that animal welfare may be compromised by heat stress. The live export industry has generated a computer model that aims to assess the risk of […]
Feasibility and validity of animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment of thermal stress in dairy goats
This investigation tested the feasibility and validity of indicators of cold and heat stress in dairy goats for on-farm welfare assessment protocols. The study was performed on two intensive dairy farms in Italy. Two different 3-point scale (0-2) scoring systems were applied to assess cold and heat stress. Cold and heat stress scores were visually […]