scholarly journals Benefits of environmental enrichment in animal welfare: A literary review.

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Letícia Vinhas ◽  
Valéria Oliva
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment

scholarly journals Grooming Device Effects on Behaviour and Welfare of Japanese Black Fattening Cattle

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeru Ninomiya
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Exact Probability ◽  
Z Value ◽  
Mean Time

In livestock farming, a stark or barren environment compromises animal welfare. Environmental enrichment has been used to address the issue. For this study, after fattening cattle were provided with a grooming device (a brush), its effect on animal self-grooming and welfare were investigated. For Research trial 1 and 2, respectively, 28 and 11 Japanese Black steers were observed. Three or four of the animals were group-housed in a pen. For Trial 1, half of the animals were provided with a brush. The animals’ behaviour, carcass weight, and Viscera disease were recorded. Enrichment animals (E) performed self-grooming and scratching of the animals’ body on the brush and pen structures more than control animals (C) did (mean time budgets, 3.34% (SD = 2.48) in E and 0.89% (SD = 0.81) in C, GLMM, z value = 8.28, p < 0.001). The number of animals in which viscera disease was detected after slaughter was lower in E than in C (E = 0, C = 4, a Fisher’s exact probability test, p = 0.03). In Trial 2, brush use behaviour was observed continuously for 72 h. The observation revealed that the animals scratched various body parts on the brush. Results show that providing a brush as environmental enrichment improves welfare by satisfying the motivation of fattening cattle to perform self-grooming.

scholarly journals Farm Animal Welfare Science in China—A Bibliometric Review of Chinese Literature

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Sinclair ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Kris Descovich ◽  
Clive J.C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Chinese Philosophy ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animal Welfare ◽  
Healthy Environment ◽  
Bibliometric Review ◽  
Agricultural Industries

Farm animal welfare in the People’s Republic of China (henceforth, China) is not well represented in the international scientific literature. This may lead researchers, advocates and those with agricultural partnerships in China to assume that animal welfare is not a field of interest there. This study reports a literature review of published pig and poultry welfare research in China using Chinese scientific databases. We aimed to determine which areas of welfare research have recently received academic attention in China. From an understanding of areas being studied, current and emerging priority areas for research could be determined. This study identified 854 academic publications citing pig or chicken welfare in China published between 2008 and 2018. Within these publications, two broader areas of significant attention were addressed in the context of animal welfare; yield and product quality, such as feeding, biosecurity and antimicrobial resistance, including immunity and second, the relationship of animal welfare with the Chinese philosophy of ‘ecological agriculture.’ Holistic systems were advocated to maximize sustainability and maintain a healthy environment, such as the creation of fermented bedding for pigs. Environmental enrichment was also a focus of attention, demonstrating an interest in animals’ mental welfare, which was usually conjectured from their behavior. Few of the articles were translated into English or other languages and therefore most were largely unavailable to the English-speaking global scientific community. This presents an opportunity to provide relevant animal welfare knowledge, which could improve animal welfare globally. China is a global animal trade leader and the home of the largest agricultural industries in the world. An increase in collaboration on animal welfare research and understanding of the advancements that have been made in China, as reviewed in this manuscript, could advance farm animal welfare from a global perspective.

The use of environmental enrichment on farms benefits animal welfare and productivity

Livestock ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-188
Author(s):  
Sarah L Bolt ◽  
Adam J George
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Animal Behaviour ◽  
Farm Animal ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Production Animals ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Housing Facilities

Environmental enrichment is a key aspect of animal welfare and productivity. Enrichment for livestock can be cost effective and used successfully on farm. The benefits generally outweigh any costs of providing enrichment and it should be taken into account when providing housing facilities for farm animals. It also reduces abnormal behaviours commonly seen in production animals, thus decreasing issues associated with poor animal health. The aim of this review is to summarise information and research that highlights the importance of understanding farm animal behaviour and indicates how enrichment will benefit the welfare and productivity of livestock.

scholarly journals How Far Are We from Providing Pigs Appropriate Environmental Enrichment?

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 721
Author(s):  
Fàbrega
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Young Age ◽  
Negative Effects

Limitations to the fulfilment of ethological and physiological needs can cause countless negative effects on animal welfare and lead to the development of abnormal behaviours. From a very young age, pigs are strongly motivated to perform exploratory and foraging behaviour, even if they are provided with enough feed to satisfy their dietary needs [...]

Evaluation of environmental enrichment for Xenopus laevis using a preference test

2021 ◽  
pp. 002367722110112
Author(s):  
Juan Ramos ◽  
Gustavo Ortiz-Díez
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Polyvinyl Chloride ◽  
Poisson Regression ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Preference Test ◽  
Poisson Regression Model

Xenopus laevis frogs have long been widely used as an animal model in research. However, their husbandry has scarcely evolved, although they are prone to environmental stress. Environmental enrichment has been shown to improve animal welfare and adaptation, as well as zootechnical indices, which have become very important in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine the preferences of X. laevis frogs for various elements of environmental enrichment: opaque polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, artificial plants and clear spaces. A preferential study was conducted in two different tanks, each divided into six parts, where the two enrichment elements were rotated. Ten X. laevis frogs were introduced into each tank, and the number of frogs was counted in each division three times per day for six weeks. The number of frogs in the different spaces and different enrichments was evaluated through a Poisson regression model. Frogs preferred plants to PVC pipes and clear spaces regardless of the position of the enrichment element, time and day. This indicates that artificial plants should be used as the enrichment element rather than the commonly used PVC pipes. In addition, the use of plants facilitates the observation of frogs without disturbing them and reduces the accumulation of detritus, as it occurs inside the pipes.

scholarly journals Technological recommendations in rabbit production

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
Károly Bodnár ◽  
László Makra ◽  
Erika Skobrák Bodnár
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Cage Floor ◽  
The Everyday

In the last ten years a number of research were done and articles were published in order to improve or change the housing conditions of rabbits. These studies focus on the customer needs and changes in expectations based usually on animal welfare. During farm visits we found that the housing circumstances among those factors which are emphasized individually or jointly appeared in the everyday life of rabbit farming (for example: optimal micro-climate, cage floor space, type of floor, keeping mode, environmental enrichment, etc.). In our work we tried to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. In many cases it is difficult to create perfect coherence with the ideas of animal rights, animal needs and economic interests of the farmers. The number of results and ideas for implementation of all the correct procedures is so great that it is certainly impossible to keep them a time and place in a single technology. Of course, if the changes are generated by the consumer demands, then the farmer has to adapt to expectations in order to keep the market (and sometimes ignoring some other aspects).

scholarly journals Does an Animal–Visitor Interactive Experience Drive Conservation Action?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-486
Author(s):  
Courtney Keane Collins ◽  
Sean McKeown ◽  
Ruth O’Riordan
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Panthera Tigris ◽  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
High Level ◽  
Interactive Experience

Inspiring visitors to engage in conservation-related behaviour following a zoo visit is a primary objective for most zoos. Animal–visitor interactive (AVI) experiences are often central to this goal. Yet, these interactive experiences are insufficiently evaluated from both the visitors’ and captive animals’ perspectives. The current study took place at Fota Wildlife Park and involved the construction of an environmental enrichment device during an interactive visitor experience with Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae). It aimed to simultaneously encourage pro-conservation behaviour in visitors and promote animal welfare. Visitors (n = 51) completed a survey, observed the tigers’ behaviour and made a pledge to help tigers in the wild after completion of the AVI. Tiger behaviour was simultaneously observed by a trained researcher using occurrence or non-occurrence sampling, which found no indication that tiger welfare was compromised during the activity and was likely enhanced by engaging with the enrichment. Additionally, visitors observed a range of tigers’ behaviours. The results indicated that some visitors (8%) had continued with their pledge six weeks after the experience, and most visitors exhibited a high level of knowledge and a positive attitude towards tigers. The use of enrichment during AVIs may be a positive link between the visitor experience and animal welfare. These results can be used to guide AVIs in zoos which aim to connect people with nature and drive pro-conservation behaviour in visitors.

Key determinants of pig welfare: implications of animal management and housing design on livestock welfare

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. H. Hemsworth
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Feed Water ◽  
Housing Design ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Systems Research

The present review using the pig as a model has highlighted the importance of the design of the housing system on the welfare of farm animals. It has emphasised the need for research on animal welfare in new and modified housing systems, as well as current but contentious systems, to be attentive to the design contributions of these systems to animal welfare. The review has highlighted areas for future research to safeguard sow and piglet welfare, including the following: effective environmental enrichment for gestating sows in intensive, indoor and non-bedded systems; opportunities to increase foraging and feeding times in feed-restricted gestating sows; design features that allow both access to important resources, such as feed, water and a comfortable lying area, and escape opportunities to reduce aggression and minimise risks to the welfare of group-housed sows; and less confined farrowing and lactation systems. The review also shows that animal welfare problems may be less a function of the type of housing system than of how well it operates. The skills, knowledge and motivation of stockpeople to effectively care for and manage their animals are integral to the standard of welfare experienced by their animals. Attitudes influence not only the manner in which stockpeople handle animals, but also their motivation to care for their animals. Thus, training targeting technical skills and knowledge as well as the attitudes and behaviours of stockpeople should be a primary component of the human resource management practices at a farm. While public concerns and policy debates often focus on intensive housing systems, research indicates that the design and management of both indoor and outdoor housing systems is probably more important for animal welfare than is generally recognised.

The role of enrichment in optimizing pig behaviour and welfare

2021 ◽  
pp. 401-428
Author(s):  
Sandra Düpjan ◽  
◽  
Liza R. Moscovice ◽  
Birger Puppe ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Point Source ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Comparative Evaluation ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cognitive Enrichment ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire

Modern pig housing environments provide animals with essential resources, but from an animal’s point of view, they are quite barren and deprive them of the opportunity to make full use of their natural behavioural repertoire and actively work for these resources. The lack of stimulation resulting from such environments compromises animal welfare. This issue can be addressed by providing environmental enrichment, which comprises all aspects of an animal’s environment that facilitate engagement in species-specific behaviours. In this chapter, we provide an overview of different types of enrichment, ranging from artificial point-source objects to social and cognitive enrichment. We discuss the existing body of evidence for welfare-enhancing effects of different enrichment, focussing on whether potential enrichment promotes natural behaviours, reduces abnormal behaviours, and whether effects are sustainable over the long-term. We conclude with a comparative evaluation of enrichment from an animal welfare perspective, highlighting the potential of social and cognitive enrichment.

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