Disturbance of resting behaviour of broilers under different environmental conditions

Resting behaviours make up a large part of the daily time budget of broilers. However, in intensive broiler production systems disruptions of resting behaviours occur, where resting individuals get disturbed by active individuals. Such interruptions of resting behaviour may negatively affect the welfare of the birds but also disturb important functions of sleep related for instance to restoration and growth. This study investigated if a lower stocking density or the provision of separate resting places in the form of elevated platforms would result in less disruption of resting patterns of fast-growing broilers. Three different treatments were used, one with an elevated platform, one with lowered stocking density and a control setting. A randomized block design was used, consisting of six blocks, giving six to eight replicates of each treatment. Depending on treatment, 422-497 broilers (Ross 308) were kept per pen. Data on duration of resting bouts, occurrence of disturbances and position in pen during resting were collected on days 20 and 34 of age. An overall effect of treatment x position was found on duration of resting bouts both during day (P < 0.01) and night (P < 0.001). When resting on platforms the duration of resting bouts during daytime was longer compared to when birds were resting in open areas in the control groups (P = 0.04). During night the duration of resting bouts on platforms was longer compared to duration of resting bouts at all other locations in all treatments. In addition, resting position also had an overall effect on proportion of disturbances during day (P = 0.0018) and night (P = 0.0225). Resting on platforms reduced the number of physical disturbances of resting chickens compared to open areas in the control group both during day (P adj < 0.001) and night (P adj = 0.01). Generally, the level of disturbances was high in all treatments, suggesting that birds experience disrupted rest. As rest and sleep are vital needs, it is a welfare concern that chickens negatively affect other individuals' resting behaviour. A separate resting place appears to reduce disturbances to some extent and thus potentially increases the welfare of broiler chickens. However, provision of platforms is not enough to prevent frequent disturbances of resting and it is concluded that additional changes in housing conditions of broiler chickens are needed to improve their rest and sleep

Dairy cows did not rely on social learning mechanisms when solving a spatial detour task

As herd-living animals, cattle have opportunities to observe and learn from others. While there is evidence of simpler processes of information transfer in cattle (social facilitation and stimulus enhancement), true social learning mechanisms in cattle remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate if dairy cows possess cognitive abilities to acquire new behavior through social learning in a spatial detour task. Thirty-two dairy cows (ages 2-9 years) participated in the study. A food reward was placed behind a U-shaped formation (4x2 m), allowing the cows to see but not reach the reward without first detouring around the obstacle. The U-shape provided two routes (approx. 18 m walking distance) to the reward, of which one was used for demonstration. Two cows were demonstrators and 30 cows were divided into two groups, assigned as either observers of demonstration (n=15) or controls not observing demonstration (n=15). Cows had three attempts (trials) to solve the task. Response variables were: success, latency to reach the reward, concordance in choice of route to detour, and time spent facing the test arena before each trial started. The study found no significant differences in success or latency between observers and controls, although observers spent a greater proportion of the time before trials facing the test arena. However, successful observers tended to be faster than successful controls. Individual cows were generally consistent in their choice of route, and cows choosing the demonstrated route were significantly faster than cows that did not. Success in solving the task decreased over trials, likely due to decreasing food motivation. Age had a significant effect on success in 2nd and 3rd trials, with younger cows being more successful. The lacking effect of treatment on success suggests that the age effect may be explained by a higher motivation, rather than social learning. Adding to the sparse knowledge of social learning in farm animals, these results indicate that cows did not utilize social learning mechanisms when solving the detour task. Future research should focus on clarifying whether cattle possess cognitive abilities necessary for social learning, as well as if /when social learning is a primary strategy

Animal welfare management in a digital world

Simple SummaryThe digital revolution opens possibilities to use multiple sensors, a data infrastructure and data analytics to monitor animals or their environment 24/7. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) offers significant opportunities for a holistic, evidence-based approach to the monitoring and surveillance of farmed animal welfare. To date, the emphasis of PLF has been on animal health and productivity. If PLF develops further along these lines, there is a risk that animal health and productivity define welfare. A combined multi-actor approach that brings together industry, scientists, food chain actors, policy-makers and NGOs is needed to develop and use the promise of PLF for the creative and effective improvement of farmed animal welfare, not only taking into account their physical welfare but also their mental one.Although there now exists a wide range of policies, instruments and regulations, in Europe and increasingly beyond, to improve and safeguard the welfare of farmed animals, there remain persistent and significant welfare issues in virtually all types of animal production systems ranging from high prevalence of lameness to limited possibilities to express natural behaviours. Protocols and indicators, such as those provided by Welfare Quality, mean that animal welfare can nowadays be regularly measured and surveyed at the farm level. However, the digital revolution in agriculture opens possibilities to quantify animal welfare using multiple sensors and data analytics. This allows daily monitoring of animal welfare at the group and individual animal level, for example, by measuring changes in behaviour patterns or physiological parameters. The present paper explores the potential for developing innovations in digital technologies to improve the management of animal welfare at the farm, during transport or at slaughter. We conclude that the innovations in Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) offer significant opportunities for a more holistic, evidence-based approach to the monitoring and surveillance of farmed animal welfare. To date, the emphasis in much PLF technologies has been on animal health and productivity. This paper argues that this emphasis should not come to define welfare. What is now needed is a coming together of industry, scientists, food chain actors, policy-makers and NGOs to develop and use the promise of PLF for the creative and effective improvement of farmed animal welfare

Resting behavior of broilers reared with or without artificial brooders

Rest and sleep are important for the welfare of mammals and birds. A large part of the daily time budget of broiler chickens is taken up by resting behavior and the quality of resting is important. However, in intensive broiler production systems, disruptions of resting behaviors are common. These disruptions of resting behavior could be negative for the health and growth of the birds. This study investigated if artificial brooders that provide a delimited and darker resting place, away from active birds, reduce disruptions of resting behavior compared to a control situation without artificial brooders. Six pens of each treatment were used in the same building, keeping 60 chickens (Ross 308) per pen. The artificial brooders were removed at 21 days of age. Data on disturbances and duration of resting bouts and activity between resting bouts were collected on 20 and 34 days of age. Also, as an indicator of the quality of rest, the animals' cognitive performance was evaluated in a spatial learning test that was performed at 11 days of age. The results showed that birds housed in pens with access to brooders have longer resting bouts (260.7 +/- 5.2 vs. 132.8 +/- 5.3s, p < 0.001) and are less likely to be disturbed during resting by other individuals (0.15 vs. 0.48, p < 0.001). The effect of the artificial brooders on both the duration of resting bouts and the proportion of disturbances remained after the removal of the brooders at 21 days of age. The duration of activity between resting bouts was shorter if the resting bout was ended by a disturbance (9.98 +/- 1.0 vs. 61.0 +/- 2.4s, p < 0.001). Birds reared with brooders were more likely to solve the spatial learning task (0.5 vs. 0.27, p < 0.01), but those succeeding were not faster at solving it. Broilers may be exposed to disrupted rest due to the lack of a dedicated resting place separated from areas with high activity. Using artificial brooders reduces disturbances but does not eliminate them. Therefore, additional changes to the housing conditions or management will be needed to prevent disturbances

Personalities in female domesticated pigs: behavioural and physiological indications

The inconclusive evidence so far on the existence of distinct personality types in domesticated pigs, led us to perform the present experiment. A total of 128 gilts from 31 sows were systematically studied from birth to slaughter in two identical trials. Intra-test consistency in individual behavioural andror physiological reactions was studied in three different tests. We were not able to show consistencies in reactions of gilts over time to a backtest (at 2–4 days and 4 weeks of age) and to a novel environment test (at 10 and 24 weeks of age). Individual aggression, however, as measured in a group-feeding competition test in stable groups (at 10 and 24 weeks of age), proved to be highly consistent. Explanations for these discrepancies in intra-test consistencies are critically discussed. Inter-test consistencies were determined by relating the individual reactions of gilts to the backtest to various characteristics and responses to tests at a later age. The highest correlations were found when resistance in the first backtest was involved. No evidence was found for the existence of specific isolated categories of animals with respect to this resistance. For further analysis, extreme responding gilts in the first backtest (roughly the top and bottom 25% of the distribution) were classified as low resistant (LR; <3 escape attempts; n=31) or high resistant (HR; >4 escape attempts; n=45). By comparisons of mean responses of LR and HR gilts within groups, we have established a relationship between the backtest and several other variables. Behaviourally, the HR gilts showed more aggression in the group-feeding competition tests. Also, in the competition for the most productive teats at the anterior, a predominant position of HR piglets at this site was observed during the suckling period. The latter piglets also gained more weight during this period than LR ones. Compared to HR pigs, in the first novel environment test LR pigs hesitated longer to leave their home pens and to contact a human, but no difference in their locomotory behaviour was observed. Contrasts between LR and HR pigs in the second novel environment test were reduced or absent. Physiologically, when compared to HR gilts, LR ones had a higher reactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) system. This was shown by higher cortisol responses to the first novel environment test, to routine weighing at 25 weeks of age, and to administration of a high dose of ACTH. It is discussed that these findings for LR and HR gilts, may provide support for the existence of behavioural and physiological responses in pigs, resembling those of proactive and reactive rodents.

Effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral responses to novelty, learning, and memory, and the circadian rhythm in cortisol in growing pigs

Previously we showed that pigs reared in an enriched environment had higher baseline salivary cortisol concentrations during the light period than pigs reared under barren conditions. In the present experiment, it was investigated whether these higher baseline salivary cortisol concentrations were a real difference in cortisol concentration or merely represented a phase difference in circadian rhythm. The effects of different cortisol concentrations on the behavioral responses to novelty and learning and long-term memory in a maze test were also studied in enriched and barren housed pigs. At 9 weeks of age enriched and barren housed pigs did not differ in baseline salivary cortisol concentrations nor in circadian rhythm, but at 22 weeks of age barren housed pigs had a blunted circadian rhythm in salivary cortisol as compared to enriched housed pigs. The differences in baseline salivary cortisol concentrations between enriched- and barren-housed pigs are age-dependent, and become visible after 15 weeks of age. Enriched- and barren-housed piglets did not differ in time spent on exploration in the novel environment test. Barren-housed pigs had an impaired long-term memory in the maze test compared to enriched-housed pigs; however, no differences in learning abilities between enriched- and barren-housed pigs were found. Because blunted circadian cortisol rhythms are often recorded during states of chronic stress in pigs and rats or during depression in humans, it is suggested that the blunted circadian rhythm in cortisol in barren-housed pigs similarily may reflect decreased welfare.

A comparative study of the application of two horse welfare assessment protocols

Two assessment protocols for horse welfare were compared: the Swedish official protocol (OP) and a newly developed horse welfare assessment protocol (HWAP). The protocols differ in composition: the HWAP contains 20 animal-based (35.7%), 28 resource-based (50.0%) and 8 management-based (14.3%) measures whereas the OP has 4 animal-based (8.9%), 21-resource-based (46.7%), 16-management-based (35.6%) and 4-uncategorized measures (8.9%). The HWAP detected more welfare issues than the OP for 11 out of 12 welfare criteria. The OP took less time to assess (2-4h) compared to the HWAP (3h 20min to 8h 40min). The added level of detail and more animal-based measures means that the HWAP provides a more thorough assessment of welfare of the individual animal than the OP

Implications of coping characteristics and social status for welfare and production of paired growing gilts

This paper considers the question whether knowledge on individual coping characteristics of growing pigs may be used to improve welfare and production after mixing. Gilts with either reactive or proactive coping characteristics were identified according to behavioural resistance in a backtest, respectively, being low (LR) and high resistant (HR) in this test. At 7 weeks of age, several pairs of unfamiliar gilts were formed, and pairs and dominance relationships were studied over a 3-week period. The following pairs (combinations) were established: two LR gilts (LR/LR; n = 12), two HR gilts (FIRM; n = 12), one LR and one HR gilt (LR gilt dominant: LR(d)/HR; n = 11), and one LR and one HR gilt (HR gilt dominant: LR/HR(d); n = 12). Results showed that on the day of mixing, aggression subsided less quickly and increases in body temperature were higher in LR/ HR(d) and HR/HR pairs. Also, during the first week post-mixing, feed efficiency was lower and skin damage was higher in LR/HR(d) and HR/HR pairs. Mixing of two HR gilts caused highest levels of stress, indicated by greater catecholamine concentrations in urine following the day of mixing, and higher baseline levels of plasma ACTH at I week post-mixing. The lower tendency of fearfulness. In contrast to gilts within HR/HR pairs to contact a novel object may present higher those of LR/HR(d) pairs, responses of LR(d)/HR pairs revealed much lower levels of stress, which emphasised the importance of dominance relationships, being independent of coping characteristics of individual gilts. We speculate that in LR/HR pairs, dominant LR gilts were able to suppress aggressiveness of HR subordinates. HR or proactive gilts, however, may become aggressive when being dominant. General effects of social status, independent of combination, were also found. Compared to dominants, subordinates showed higher acute cortisol, body temperature and vocal responses to mixing. In the longer term, they showed a higher vocal and parasympathetic responsitivity towards the novel object, and their body growth was impaired. Measures not influenced by combination and social status included those of leucocyte subsets, prolactin, and average heart rates during novelty tests. To conclude, aggressive conditions in newly formed groups. and consequently welfare and production, may largely depend on coping characteristics of individual pigs, but also on dominance relationships. Accordingly, the practical value of the backtest is being discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

A global study to identify a potential basis for policy options when integrating animal welfare into the UN Sustainable Development Goals

A previously developed methodology to rate the strength of the impact of improving animal welfare on achieving each of the 17 SDGs and the impact of achieving each SDG on animal welfare was used at the third Animal Welfare Global Forum of the World Organisation for Animal Health. Data from 95 participants from key stakeholder categories and organisations involved in animal welfare were analysed. The resulting ‘map’ of the relative strengths of these associations confirmed the expected co-benefits of improving animal welfare and achieving the SDGs. Differences at regional level and according to the economic classification of the country were also identified. This paper focuses on using this ‘map’ as a potential guide for how organisations interested in improving animal welfare could identify potential new allies for strategic partnerships to facilitate the implementation of different policy options. For example, a strategy can be to collaborate with those organisations where the impact is of similar mutual benefit, e.g. between improving animal welfare and achieving SDG 3 (Good health and well-being). Organisations in these two areas are already aligning themselves in the ‘One Health’ movement. Another strategy can be to align with organisations for whom achievement of their goal has the greatest impact on animal welfare, even if the impact is not mutual e.g. by collaborating with organisations working to achieve SDG 16 (Peace justice and strong institutions) and SDG 4 (Quality education). Achieving these goals was considered to have a large impact on improving animal welfare, equivalent to that of achieving SDG 3. In summary, this study can help organisations working in the area of animal welfare identify previously untapped areas of potential support, so tailoring their efforts efficiently, while at the same time themselves supporting movement towards the Agenda 2030. Simply put, the co-benefits make collaboration worthwhile, potentially opening up opportunities that would be unavailable when organisations are working independently towards their own respective goals