Effects of sleep deprivation on cardiac autonomic and pituitary-adrenocortical stress reactivity in rats
A demanding life style, often associated with restricted time for sleep, is a growing problem in our society and may become a major health issue in the near future. Since the physiological stress system plays a critical role in coping with a challenge, it is important to know whether this system is affected by sleep […]
Aquarium science: The substance behind an image
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430120504.abs A change occurring in commercial aquaria is transforming them from centers of entertainment to places that emphasize education, science, and wildlife conservation. If this transformation is to be authentic, it must be based on a greater understanding of the animals in their captive environment. A stronger scientific basis for husbandry management, education, and […]
The Contribution of Broiler Chicken Welfare Certification at Farm Level to Enhancing Overall Animal Welfare: The Case of Brazil
The intensification of farm animal welfare debate has led to an increasing number of certification schemes covering this issue; however, there are concerns about the contribution of these schemes in improving welfare. The aims of this study were to identify certification schemes for broiler chicken welfare at farm level in Brazil, to investigate the extent […]
Paving the way for farm animal welfare in international relations: an EU-Brazil case study
As a sensitive area in international trade, animal welfare measures have encountered resistance in negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Consequently, alternative avenues have been pursued to reach international trade policy convergence. To further understand the contemporary trade politics of animal welfare, an empirical investigation was conducted on the interplay between European and Brazilian […]
Effects of space allowance in the waiting area on agonistic interactions and heart rate of high and low ranking horned dairy cows
One possible alternative to avoid the disbudding of calves is to keep the cows horned. This, however, requires adapted housing conditions. An important aspect to reduce agonistic interactions that may lead to injuries is to provide appropriate space allowances in all parts of the stable. This study investigated the influence of three different space allowances […]
Analysis of animal monitoring technologies in Germany from an innovation system perspective
In order to address societal demands (e.g., animal welfare, traceability, environmental aspects), animal monitoring (AM) technologies provide much potential for innovation in animal production. AM means the real time and on-going automatic monitoring by ‘smart’ sensors of physiological, growth and behaviour parameters of individual farming animals, integrated in various areas (e.g., animal milking, feeding, breeding, […]
A survey of Australian dairy farmers to investigate animal welfare risks associated with increasing scale of production
Although large herds (more than 500 cows) only represent 13% of Australian dairy farms, they represent more than 35% of the cows milked. A survey of Australian dairy farmers was conducted to assess relationships between herd size and known or proposed risk factors for adverse animal welfare outcomes in Australian dairy herds in relation to […]
CATOS (Computer Aided Training/Observing System): Automating animal observation and training
In animal behavioral biology, an automated observing/training system may be useful for several reasons: (a) continuous observation of animals for documentation of specific, irregular events, (b) long-term intensive training of animals in preparation for behavioral experiments, (c) elimination of potential cues and biases induced by humans during training and testing. Here, we describe an open-source-based […]
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WELL-BEING SYMPOSIUM: The Common Swine Industry Audit: Future steps to assure positive on-farm animal welfare utilizing validated, repeatable and feasible animal-based measures
The Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA) was developed and scientifically evaluated through the combined efforts of a task force consisting of university scientists, veterinarians, pork producers, packers, processers, and retail and food service personnel to provide stakeholders throughout the pork chain with a consistent, reliable, and verifiable system to ensure on-farm swine welfare and food […]
Improving quality of science through better animal welfare: the NC3Rs strategy
Good animal welfare is linked to the quality of research data derived from laboratory animals, their validity as models of human disease, the number of animals required to reach statistical significance and the reproducibility of in vivo studies. Identifying new ways of understanding and improving animal welfare, and promoting these in the scientific community, is […]