Broiler welfare index based on slaughter-house variables

The purpose of this study was to develop a welfare index which is suitable for Finnish broiler production. Animal welfare problems in broiler production are connected to fast growth and production environment

Varjakansaaren meditaatioretriitti:kokemuksellista retriittiarkkitehtuuria Oulun Varjakansaareen

Tiivistelmä. Diplomityö Varjakansaaren Meditaatioretriitti — Kokemuksellista retriittiarkkitehtuuria Oulun Varjakansaareen tutkii meditaatiota, luontoa ja retriittejä sekä moniaistillisuutta osana kuvitteellista retriittikokonaisuutta Oulun Varjakansaareen. Työ kulkee läpi monivaiheisen matkan, joka pohjautuu hyvinvoinnin edistämiseen ja arkkitehtuurin kokemuksellisuuteen. Työ jakautuu kahteen osioon, kirjalliseen ja suunnitelmaosuuteen. Kirjallinen osuus avaa luonnon merkitystä hyvinvoinnin edistäjänä, sekä meditaatiota ja retriittejä niiden tarkoitusperäisyyden ja historian kautta. Aihepiirin käsittelyn avuksi työssä tarkastellaan kahta olevaa meditaatioretriittiä työn luonteen pohjimmaisia ajatuksia kuvastavina referenssikohteina. Lisäksi teoriaosuudessa käsitellään kokemuksellisuutta ja arkkitehtuurin moniaistillisuutta. Toinen osuus on tutkielmaan pohjautuva retriittikokonaisuuden suunnitelma. Suunnitelma sitoo yhteen ajatuksia meditaatioretriitin arkkitehtuurista sekä heijastelee kirjallista osuutta. Retriittikokonaisuus sijoittuu luonnon valloittaneeseen entiseen sahayhdyskuntaan, Oulun Varjakansaareen. Varjakansaari on sijaintina ja rakennuskannaltaan historiallisesti arvokas muisto 1800-luvun lopulla ja 1900-luvun alussa toimineesta pohjoismaiden suurimmasta sahasta. Varjakan alueen kunnostaminen, kaavoittaminen ja käyttöönotto virkistys- ja majoituskäytössä on ollut pinnalla viimeisen 13 vuoden ajan. Kulttuuriperinnöltään arvokas saari on ainutlaatuinen sijainti niin ilmapiirinsä kuin historiansa vuoksi. Varjakansaaren meditaatioretriitti on turvasatamaa heijasteleva pakopaikka mieltä kuormittavista, niin sisäisistä kuin ulkoisista vaikutteista. Työssä ei ole haettu yhtä oikeaa vastausta aihepiirin arkkitehtuurin observointiin tai tuottamiseen, vaan pikemminkin tuoda esille omaa näkemystä käsitellystä teemasta sekä työtä inspiroineista havainnoista.Varjakansaari Meditation Retreat : experimental retreat architecture for Varjakansaari, Oulu. Abstract. This master’s thesis, Varjakansaari Meditation Retreat — Experimental retreat architecture for Varjakansaari Oulu, studies meditation, nature, retreats, and multisensory architecture in form of a meditation retreat plan to Varjakansaari, Oulu. Thesis follows a vivid journey which is based on the nurturing well-being and experiential architecture. The work is divided into two sections, the written and the design part. The written part opens up the importance of nature as a nourishing feature for well-being, as well as meditation and retreats through their history and purposes. To clarify the presented theme, the background research brings up two meditation retreats as a reference that reflect the fundamental ideas of this work. The theoretical part also discusses with the experiential features of both natural and built environments as well as the multisensorial architecture. The second part presents the design plan of the retreat complex which is based on the analysis. The plan binds together both theoretical part and thoughts on the architecture of meditation retreat. The retreat complex is located to the site of former sawmill community in Varjakansaari. Varjakansaari is a historically valuable memory of the largest sawmill in the Nordic countries, which operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The renovation of Varjakka and introducing it for both recreation area and use of small accommodation service has been a notable subject for the last 13 years. The island is a dignified location due to its historical and architectural heritage, together with unique atmosphere. Varjakansaari Meditation Retreat is a hide-out reflecting the safe harbor from both internal and external impacts those can stress mental wellbeing. This thesis is not made to bring up the right answer for observing or creating the architecture of presented subject, but rather brought one view of the theme, as well as the inspiring perceptions along the way

The effect of milk feeding method on calves' behavioural sleep

Our aim was to study how calves' sleep could be affected by the milk feeding and housing methods. We concluded that possibility to suck milk increased the amount of calves' behavioural quiet sleep and sleepiness after feeding, possibly due to suck-induced hormonal effects

Calf health from birth to weaning. III. housing and management of calf pneumonia

Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. A three part review series has been developed focusing on calf health from birth to weaning. In this paper, the last of the three part series, we review disease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf. Pneumonia in recently weaned suckler calves is also considered, where the key risk factors are related to the time of weaning. Weaning of the suckler calf is often combined with additional stressors including a change in nutrition, environmental change, transport and painful husbandry procedures (castration, dehorning). The reduction of the cumulative effects of these multiple stressors around the time of weaning together with vaccination programmes (preconditioning) can reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality in the feedlot. In most studies, calves housed individually and calves housed outdoors with shelter, are associated with decreased risk of disease. Even though it poses greater management challenges, successful group housing of calves is possible. Special emphasis should be given to equal age groups and to keeping groups stable once they are formed. The management of pneumonia in calves is reliant on a sound understanding of aetiology, relevant risk factors, and of effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Early signs of pneumonia include increased respiratory rate and fever, followed by depression. The single most important factor determining the success of therapy in calves with pneumonia is early onset of treatment, and subsequent adequate duration of treatment. The efficacy and economical viability of vaccination against respiratory disease in calves remains unclear

The impact of early life nutrition and housing on growth and reproduction in dairy cattle

Contentious issues in calf rearing include milk feeding practices and single versus group housing. The current study was performed on a high producing 170 Holstein cow dairy farm, to investigate the impact of nutrition and housing on growth and reproduction. Heifer calves (n = 100) were allocated in birth order to one of two commonly used management strategies. All calves received 3-4 litres of dam specific colostrum within 6 hours of birth. Group A calves were group housed from birth and fed milk replacer (MR) ad libitum via a computerised machine utilising a single teat, with weaning commencing at 63 days of age. Group R calves were initially housed in individual pens and received 2.5 litres of MR twice daily via a bucket until 21 days of age when they were group housed and fed 3 litres of MR twice daily via a group trough with weaning commencing at 56 days. From 12 weeks of age onwards, calves in both dietary groups were subject to common nutritional and husbandry protocols. All breeding of heifers was via artificial insemination with no hormonal intervention. Calves were weighed, body condition scored and morphometric measures recorded weekly up till 12 weeks of age then monthly until conception. Pre-weaning growth rates (kg/day) were significantly higher in Group A calves compared to Group R (0.89, 95% CI 0.86-0.93 vs 0.57, 95% CI 0.54-0.6 kg/day P 0.050) in any of the mean values of measured reproductive parameters, multivariable Cox regression suggested that there was a weak trend (P = 0.072) for Group A animals to achieve first service earlier than their Group R counterparts (62.6 weeks versus 65.3 weeks). Irrespective of dietary group, the hazard for achievement of all measured reproductive parameters, apart from time to puberty, was 20-40% less for heifers borne from multiparous dams compared to heifers from primiparous dams

Using Conjoint Analysis to Weight Broiler Welfare Variables Based on Slaughterhouse Data

v2012o