Technical info

Metritis is an inflammation of the uterus (uterine cavity and wall). It occurs during the 21 days after delivery.

Pain is a sensory and emotional experience that has negative effects on animal welfare and production.

Conventional farrowing crates pose welfare concerns for sows and their piglets. Several countries in Europe, including Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway, currently ban its use.

Farrowing is a painful and risky process for both the sow and the newborn piglets. Difficult farrowing (dystocia) is associated with severe pain resulting from prolonged farrowing or assisted extraction. Pain caused by farrowing should receive more attention. Optimizing the parturition process will reduce its negative consequences on the welfare and productivity of sows.

Towards the end of the laying period the hens are either removed from the building to be slaughtered for human consumption or are killed within the building and sent for destruction. End of lay (EoL) addresses this last transport of the hens to the slaughterhouse, from the moment of catching until the moment of slaughter and also includes preparation and planning for this event. EoL birds are transported from the farm to slaughterhouse which entails catching the birds at the farm, loading them into the truck, transport and finally unloading them once at the slaughterhouse to be dispatched. During all these steps, if no preventive measures are taken, spent hens can suffer from hunger, thermal stress, pain and anxiety. Thus measures should be taken to reduce stress at all points of the process in order to maintain satisfactory levels of welfare.

Feather pecking occurs within a majority of laying and rearing flocks and in all production systems being especially challenging in non-cage systems where it can spread rapidly. Feather pecking is characterized as pecking at and pulling out the feathers of other birds.

Aggression in pigs occurs as a natural behaviour when stablishing hierarchy after mixing unfamiliar animals.

E.Mainau, D.Temple, P.Llonch, X.Manteca More information Download PDF data sheet Tail docking and castration of males are routine practices in sheep that are...

Pain is a major welfare issue and sheep may experience pain as a result of several medical conditions, hoof injuries and mastitis being the most important ones.

Many male pigs are surgically castrated in Europe. Often without analgesia. While European law allows this for the first 7 days of age,

Dry-off is associated with the engorgement of the mammary gland resulting in udder pain, which is likely to be more pronounced in high-yielding and abruptly-dried cows.

Resting behaviour is very important for dairy cows and lack of rest and sleep have a very pronounced negative impact on the production and welfare of dairy cows.

Drying in dairy cows involves the gradual or abrupt cessation of milking. Gradual cessation of milking is achieved by reducing the energy consumed or the frequency of milking before drying.

The dry period is critical for the welfare of dairy cows and their production during the next lactation.

Heat stress is one of the greatest challenges faced by dairy farmers in many regions of the world. Warm climates depress feed intake, milk production, and reproductive performance in cows.

Neonatal mortality of piglets is a major economic and animal welfare problem…

Mastitis is one of the major animal welfare and economic problems in dairy cattle production. Although in recent years there has been a general decline in the incidence of mastitis, high incidences such as 25-45% are still being currently reported. Mastitis is a multifactorial disease in which the environment, the pathogens and the host (cow) interact with each other.

Transporting animals to the slaughterhouse, despite being a relatively short stage in the meat production process, can result in significant economic losses.

Milking is considered one of the most important routine tasks done by dairy cattle farmers and is also rated as the most enjoyable task. Milking is also the most frequent direct interaction between dairy cows and the stockperson. Chronic pain associated to diseases or injuries and any stressful situations occurring during milking are likely to produce a decrease in milk yield

The quality of the interaction between animals and the people responsible for their care has a very important effect on livestock welfare and production.

Tail biting is not only an animal welfare problem but also an economic problem, as it leads to a reduction in animal growth, treatment costs and an increase in carcass balances and seizures.

According to the Five Freedoms (FAWC, 1992, 1993), animals should not suffer from pain, injuries and diseases, and suitable prevention and/or rapid diagnosis and treatment should be in place.

The term “stress” has been widely used in biology to describe a set of physiological and behavioural changes elicited by aversive stimuli.

Castration of males involves the removal of the testicles or the inhibition of testicular function.

A normal calving (eutocia) poses a risk for both the mother and the newborn calf. This risk is greater in the case of a difficult calving (dystocia).

The legal requirements relating to the welfare of pigs on intensive farms are a consequence of the application of Directives 2001/88/EC of 23 October 2001 and 2001/93/EC of 9 November 2001 amending Directive 91/630/EEC of 19 November 1991 on minimum standards for the protection of pigs.

Dehorning and disbudding are relatively routine practices in cattle. This is mainly because polled animals are easier to handle and dehorning decreases the risk of injury to both people and other animals.