Animal welfare: at a cross road between biology, ethics, and animal productions

The protection of farm animal welfare is a society issue. It stems from the recognition that animals under our care are sentient beings. Recent scientific data on mammals, birds, and fish provide evidence that these animals can feel emotions. Indicators of animal well being, assessing their emotional status or the impact of farming conditions, are now available. Solutions are found to balance welfare and production requirements. However, science alone cannot fully address the issue of animal welfare, as it cannot define the limits of what is acceptable and what is not. Nevertheless, science must provide arguments for a constructive debate, such as indicators of welfare and of the impact of farming conditions. It can also help understand ethical reasoning, and include this data in welfare evaluation systemsLe respect du bien-être des animaux d’élevage correspond à une attente sociétale. Elle prend sa source dans la reconnaissance que les animaux qui vivent sous notre responsabilité sont des êtres sensibles. Les données scientifiques récentes, obtenues chez des mammifères, des oiseaux et des poissons, montrent que ces animaux sont capables de ressentir des émotions. On dispose désormais d’indicateurs du bienêtre des animaux, visant à décrire leur état émotionnel interne ou à apprécier l’impact de facteurs d’élevage. Des solutions sont trouvées pour concilier bien-être et production. Néanmoins, la science seule ne peut répondre à la question du respect du bien-être animal : elle ne peut pas fixer les limites entre ce qui est acceptable et ce qui ne l’est pas. Elle doit cependant fournir des éléments nécessaires à un débat constructif, tels que des indicateurs de bien-être et de l’impact des conditions d’élevage. Elle peut également aider à comprendre les raisonnements éthiques et construire des évaluations du bien-être sur la base de ces raisonnement

Development of social behaviour and importance of social relations in calves

We concluded that the preference for peers met at two weeks of age can be seen in proximity of the calves. However, calves can form stable relations at least until the age of 14 weeks. These relations reduce aggressive behaviour, activity and frequency of vocalization, and help calves to cope with new and potentially stressful situations

Intuitive versus scientific knowledge of cattle behaviour

The intuitive understanding of the behaviour of cattle by farmers and their practical knowledge of how cattle should be handled was studied and compared with knowledge from animal behaviour science

Real-Time Locating System to study the persistence of sociality in large-mammal group dynamics

Je n'ai pas encore les pages des proceedingsReal-Time Locating System to study the persistence of sociality in large-mammal group dynamics. European Conference on Precisions Livestock Farming (ECPLF

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

Animal welfare official inspections: farmers and inspectors shared concerns

Official inspections to check the compliance of farms with European legislation to protect farm animals are often perceived negatively by farmers. In addition, the inspections have a limited effect on improving farm compliance. We looked at the perceptions of both farmers and their inspectors about animal welfare and the inspections in a case study of dairy production in France. The identification of gaps and commonalities between both parties should help us to propose improvements in the inspection method by which inspections could more likely encourage compliance with animal welfare legislation. To achieve this aim, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 dairy farmers and their 19 inspectors. Both farmers and inspectors described animal welfare in terms of the state of the animal and of the living conditions and care provided to them. The majority of farmers found that the official checklist used by the inspectors is inappropriate to assess the welfare of their animals; inspectors themselves reported that they often use their own criteria and indicators (often based on the observation of animals) in addition to the official checklist. Both groups disagreed with some requirements of the legislation. These findings suggest that the content and background of the legislation to protect animals should be made clearer to both farmers and inspectors and that these two groups of actors should be involved in the definition of key points to be checked on farms, with special attention to animal-based indicators. All this could improve farmers' engagement with the results of the inspections and, hopefully, could lead to better compliance with legislation and improvements in animal welfare on farms

An on-farm investigation of beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI)

peer-reviewedBackground: Beef suckler farms (194 farms throughout 13 counties) were assessed once with housed cattle and once with cattle at grass using an animal welfare index (AWI). Twenty-three of the 194 farms were revisited a year later and re-evaluated using the AWI and the Tier-Gerechtheits-Index 35L/2000 (TGI35L/2000). Thirty-three indicators were collected in five categories: locomotion (5 indicators); social interactions (between animals) (7), flooring (5), environment (7) and Stockpersonship (9). Three indicators relating to the size of the farm were also collected. Improving animal welfare is an increasingly important aspect of livestock production systems predominantly due to increased consumer concern about the source of animal products. The objectives were (i) to evaluate animal welfare of Irish beef suckler herds using an animal welfare index (AWI), (ii) to examine correlations between parameters, how they influence the AWI and investigate the applicability of the parameters used, (iii) to investigate the impact of the activity of the farmer (full-time or part-time), the interest of the farmer and the number of animals on the AWI. Results: The mean AWI was 65% and ranged from 54% to 83%. The grazing period represented 16.5% of the total points of the AWI. Seventy percent of the farms were rated as "Very Good" or "Excellent". There was no difference (P > 0.05) in AWI between full-time and part-time farmers. Part-time farmers had greater (P = 0.01) "social interactions": calving (P = 0.03) and weaning (P 0.05) in AWI scores. This method could, with further development, be used in countries with both intensive and/or extensive production systems and would require substantially less resources than animal-based methods

Devenir des jeunes ruminants laitiers : comment concilier élevage et attentes sociétales

Dans les conditions naturelles, les jeunes ruminants développent un lien privilégié avec leur mère dans les heures qui suivent la naissance, lien qui perdure bien au-delà de l’allaitement. Or, sur les 5,5 millions de jeunes ruminants (veaux, chevreaux et agneaux) qui naissent chaque année en France dans des élevages laitiers, la grande majorité sont séparés de leur mère à la naissance et allaités « artificiellement » au seau. La séparation mère-jeune précoce interpelle les citoyens et certains éleveurs quant au respect du bien-être de l’animal. L’allaitement artificiel des femelles de renouvellement jusqu’au sevrage permet d’assurer, à un coût maitrisé, un développement mammaire optimal et un bon potentiel laitier. Cependant, l’allaitement par les mères ou par des nourrices se développe, principalement en élevage bovin. Ce type d’allaitement entraine généralement des quantités de lait commercialisables moindres, mais la croissance, la santé et le bien-être des veaux sont améliorés. Des questions se posent aussi sur le devenir des jeunes, mâles pour l’essentiel, non conservés pour le renouvellement du troupeau. Ceux-ci quittent généralement l’élevage quelques semaines après la naissance pour être engraissés dans des ateliers spécialisés, voire exportés. Là aussi, afin de répondre aux nouvelles attentes des consommateurs et pallier le faible intérêt économique de ces débouchés, éleveurs et filières recherchent des solutions alternatives telles que l’engraissement à la ferme, de nouveaux modes d’élevage ou de nouveaux débouchés. Ces pratiques alternatives – allaitement naturel ou engraissement sur place des jeunes mâles – pourraient se développer grâce à une identification de leurs produits (lait, viande) et au consentement du consommateur à les payer plus cher que des produits standards

The Welfare Quality project : from consumer expectations to welfare certifications in animal husbandry

To accommodate societal concerns on animal protection in numerous European countries, the Welfare Quality project aims to 1) develop a standardised monitoring system of animal welfare, later to be accredited, and 2) identify practical solutions to improve animal welfare. The project will investigate consumer, retailer and producer expectations in terms of information on animal welfare, and on the adoption of production practices compatible with animal welfare. Methodologies for a comprehensive assessment of animal welfare, applicable in practice, and standards for product information will be developed. Methods to detect causes of poor welfare, and practical solutions will be developed as part of a farming consultancy program. The acceptability of a system guaranteeing animal welfare to consumers, retailers, and producers will be evaluated. Welfare Quality is an integrated project funded by the European Commission (FP6), involving 39 research groups and industrial partners in 13 European countries. It will last from May 2004 to April 2009. It is targeted mainly at cattle, pigs, poultry (laying hens and broilers) and their products.Afin de répondre à l'attente sociétale de protection des animaux dans de nombreux pays européens, le projet Welfare Quality se propose 1) de développer un système d'évaluation standard du bien-être des animaux et de le faire accréditer et 2) d'identifier des solutions pratiques permettant d'améliorer le bien-être des animaux. Les attentes sociétales (consommateurs, distributeurs, producteurs) au regard de l'information en matière de bien-être animal et de l'adoption de schémas de production respectant le bien-être des animaux seront identifiées. Des méthodes d'évaluation globale du bien-être des animaux dans les conditions de la pratique, ainsi qu'un standard pour l'information transmise aux consommateurs, seront développés, dans l'optique d'une identification des produits respectueux du bien-être. En parallèle, des grilles d'observation pour le diagnostic de causes de mal-être seront élaborées et des solutions pratiques aux problèmes de bien-être rencontrés le plus couramment dans les élevages seront proposées dans l'optique de développer un conseil en élevage. L'acceptabilité par les consommateurs, les distributeurs et les producteurs, d'un système global de garantie du bien-être, sera évaluée. Ce projet, soutenu par la Commission européenne (projet intégré du 6e PCRD) implique 39 organismes de recherche et partenaires industriels, dans 13 pays européens. Il se déroulera de mai 2004 à avril 2009. Il concerne essentiellement les bovins, les porcs et les volailles (poules pondeuses, poulets de chair) et leurs produits