Consider these cases. A young elephant with an injured leg is knocked over by a boisterous male. An older female elephant chases the male away. She then goes to the injured elephant and touches the sore leg with her trunk. Elsewhere, a matriarch elephant helps a group of captured antelope […]
ESSAY: The Importance of Reducing Stocking Density to Improve Broiler Welfare
Introduction As global meat consumption continues to rise and consumers show ever more interest in the origin of their food, maintenance of the welfare of production animals has never before been so important (Decuypere et al., 2010). Of all the production animals, broiler chickens are the most intensively farmed, often […]
Reduced cortisol and metabolic responses of thin ewes to an acute cold challenge in mid-pregnancy: implications for animal physiology and welfare
BACKGROUND Low food availability leading to reductions in Body Condition Score (BCS; 0 indicates emaciation and 5 obesity) in sheep often coincides with low temperatures associated with the onset of winter in New Zealand. The ability to adapt to reductions in environmental temperature may be impaired in animals with low […]
Mass depopulation of laying hens in whole barns with liquid carbon dioxide: evaluation of welfare impact
Appropriate emergency disaster preparedness is a key priority for agricultural agencies to allow effective response to serious avian disease outbreaks. There is a need to develop rapid, humane, and safe depopulation techniques for poultry that are widely applicable across a range of farm settings. Whole barn depopulation with carbon dioxide […]