Assessment of comfort and well-being in farm animals

The Role of Dietary Fiber in Improving Pig Welfare

This review aims to discuss the effects of dietary fiber sources with various levels on stereotypic behaviors in sows. There are a variety of dietary fiber sources that are supplemented to feeds for sows. However, dietary fiber sources have different physio-chemical properties, leading to controversial results in feed motivation, nutrient digestibility, and behaviors in sows fed fiber-rich diets. Findings from previous studies indicated that soluble fiber delays nutrient absorption and decreases physical activity after feeding. In addition to this, it increases volatile fatty acid production, provides energy, and prolongs the feeling of satiety. It also prevents certain stereotypies and thus is paramount to sow welfare.

Computer vision and remote sensing to assess physiological responses of cattle to pre-slaughter stress, and its impact on beef quality: A review

Pre-slaughter stress is well-known to affect meat quality of beef carcasses and methods have been developed to assess this stress. However, development of more practical and less invasive methods are required in order to assess the response of cattle to pre-slaughter stressors, which will potentially also assist with the prediction of beef quality. This review outlines the importance of pre-slaughter stress as well as existing and emerging technologies for quantification of the pre-slaughter stress. The review includes; i) indicators of meat quality and how they are affected by pre-slaughter stress in cattle, ii) contact techniques that have been commonly used to measure stress indicators in animals, iii) remotely sensed imagery techniques recently used as non-invasive methods to monitor physiological and behavioural parameters and iv) potential implementation of remotely sensed imagery data to perform contactless assessment of physiological measurements, which could be related to the pre-slaughter stress, as well as to the indicators of beef quality. Relevance to industry, conclusions and recommendations for research are included.

Effects of environmental enrichment on males of a docile inbred strain of mice

Environmental enrichment is intended to improve the welfare of laboratory animals. However, regarding male mice, numerous studies indicate an increase in aggressive behavior due to cage structuring. On the one hand, this might be a problem concerning animal welfare. On the other hand, enrichment is though to hamper environmental standardization and to increase variability of data. Furthermore, increasing fights, arousal, and/or injury in enriched housed animals might superimpose other (positive) environmental effects on behavior and physiology. Therefore, the present study investigated effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral, endocrinological, and immunological parameters in male mice of the docile inbred strain ABG. From weaning until day 77+/-3 of life, animals were kept in stable sibling groups of four under three different housing conditions: (A) nonstructured Makrolon type III laboratory cages ("standard housing"=S); (B) equivalent laboratory cages that were enriched with a box and scaffolding ("enriched housing"=E); and (C) spacious terrariums that were structured richly ("super-enriched housing"=SE). No differences in agonistic behavior, levels of plasma corticosterone (CORT), and activities of adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) existed among S-, E-, and SE-housed ABG males. Play behavior and general activity increased significantly with increasing enrichment. Concerning immunological parameters, males of both forms of enriched housing showed significantly lower percentages of CD4 and CD8 cells compared to S-housed mice. However, regarding the ratio of CD4/CD8 cells, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-gamma, IgG1, and IgG2a, no significant housing-dependent differences were found. Enrichment did neither hamper standardization nor negatively influence the variability of physiological parameters. In summary, using a docile strain of mice revealed the positive effects of environmental enrichment also on male mice. The lack of adverse effects on behavior, physiology, standardization, and variability of data defuses these arguments against providing docile male mice with enrichment.

Enrichment Value of Wooden Blocks for Farmed Blue Foxes (Alopex Lagopus)

The barren housing conditions of farmed blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) provide few stimuli to motivate exploration and interaction with the physical environment. In the present study, wooden blocks (30x7 cm [lxdia]) were employed to clarify how such inanimate objects might serve to enrich the barren wire-mesh cages. Two separate experiments were carried out. In experiment 1, behavioural reactions of eight male blue foxes to wooden blocks were videotaped between January and May. In experiment 2, 16 male blue foxes were housed singly in cages with wooden blocks and 16 without between January and June. Pencil, confrontation, feeding and open field tests were carried out. Furthermore, 50 female blue foxes were kept singly in cages with wooden blocks and 49 without from January to July. Both groups were bred and the whelping result was recorded. In-cage behavioural tests were performed three times. Results showed that interactions with the wooden blocks were frequent, averaging 77 interactions fox’1 day1. Interactions with blocks decreased slightly with time. Blocks were mainly used for carrying, chewing, poking and sniffing. In the confrontation test, male foxes housed without blocks were more passive than those with blocks. No differences were found between the groups in the pencil, feeding or open field tests. Whelping success tended to be better for vixens housed with than without blocks. It can be concluded that wooden blocks have enrichment value by providing more choices for foxes in a barren cage and stimulating more variable behaviour.

Effects of Experience and Environment on the Developing and Mature Brain: Implications for Laboratory Animal Housing

Decades of research have determined that an animal's brain structure and behavior are molded by experience. Expected experience that plays a critical role in early organization of the brain may be encoded via a process of overproduction of synaptic connections followed by the loss of those that are underutilized during a critical period. However, novel information may be encoded throughout life by the formation of new synapses as the individual animal is exposed to new environmental stimuli. Many laboratory species reared in complex environments or trained to perform complex tasks, regardless of the age when the altered experience is introduced, will exhibit an increase in the number of synapses per neuron as well as other anatomical differences from those reared in standard laboratory housing. Nevertheless, even though increased environmental stimulation may result in more "normal" anatomical and physiological development for that species, there is no conclusive evidence that enriched caging is essential or even that it increases well-being in laboratory rodents.

Dairy animal welfare: current and needed research

Of 25 milestones in dairy animal welfare, 10 were linked to laws and regulations, 9 to research, education, and development, 4 to books and publications, and 2 to human error (accidents). Animal rightists have attacked the dairy industry because of farm conditions, bovine somatotropin, overproduction of milk, dairy lobbies, and advertising of milk products. Evidence from Europe suggests that animal welfare has been largely promoted as a sociopolitical issue by nonagriculturalists. Codes, guidelines, and recommendations are well-established for northern Europe. The American Veterinary Medical Association Animal Welfare Committee has prepared the pamphlet on food animal welfare and addressed specific bovine welfare issues in its guide for veal calf care and production. From 1978 to 1986, only four US experiment station projects were concerned with dairy animal welfare. Needed research includes studying learned helplessness; analysis and economics of alternative husbandry systems for veal calves (and cows) freestall design and surfaces; and shade, cooling, and misting of mangers and holding pens prior to entering the parlor. Alert caretakers are encouraged to read behavior signals of cattle. Increased standing of cattle is often taken now as a sign of discomfort or discontent in studies of cow and calf confinement. Criteria that should be considered in assessing welfare or well-being are behavior, health, musculoskeletal soundness, productivity, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and reproduction.