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Distress calls as social stressors affecting chicken welfare
Get PDFSocial signals about current environmental risks can shape development in young animals. Distress calls made by young chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) may also encode affective state, with high arousal, potentially ‘anxiety-like’ state characterized by continuous calling, and learned helplessness or potentially ‘depression-like’ state by a more intermittent pattern. During early life (age 4–7 days), we played chicks artificial stimuli mimicking these two call patterns. Growth effects suggest caller affective state can modulate this social signal: chicks exposed to bouts of ‘Continuous’ calls grew faster and were heavier by late commercial life (day 43) than Controls. In contrast, chicks exposed to ‘Intermittent’ calling showed slow, then compensatory, growth. A third experimental treatment with similar ‘noisiness’ to distress calls did not influence growth. Responses to a late-life social isolation trial suggested lasting impacts on stressor perception or resilience. Comb temperature elevation during isolation, indicating acute stress, was greatest in the Continuous group. Call rate decline during isolation, potentially indicating a tendency towards learned helplessness, was steep in all three experimental treatments; hence, noise-related disturbance from vocalizations may also shape development. Distress calls are consequently an important consideration in farms, where young are raised at high density and one individual is heard by many
Scoping review on farmer information sources for animal health
Get PDFLivestock farmers are the central decision makers for control of most endemic diseases, which makes them a vital stakeholder for the effective communication of information created from disease surveillance. We conducted a scoping review of the relevant scientific literature following PRISMA standards to identify the most common information channels or networks through which farmers receive information about animal health or disease. We found 50 articles that met our inclusion criteria (see methods section) by searching the electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science from 1960 – Feb 2025. Most of the articles (n = 34) came from the UK. Most of the studies targeted cattle farmers (n = 31), followed by sheep farmers (n = 19) and pig farmers (n = 10). Farmers were reported to receive information from a wide variety of sources. Veterinarians were reported to be the most important information source (n = 36). Other sources reported to be important were nutritionists and foot trimers (n = 1), other farmers (n = 1), farmer associations and schemes (n = 1) and the farm press (n = 1). Five studies reported that a combination of different sources was the most effective for communicating to farmers. From this study, we can conclude that veterinarians are the primary animal health/disease information source for farmers and should always be included when designing strategies to communicate health/disease related information to farmer. Other information sources are less important but should be included when communication is intended to reach as many farmers as possible
Increasing ewe productivity - challenges of sheep stakeholders across Europe and Turkey
No full textImproving ewe reproductive success and lamb survivability is essential for enhancing flock productivity, farm profitability, and the self-sufficiency of sheep meat and milk production. This study aimed to identify the perceived challenges to improving ewe productivity, through efficient reproduction, gestation, and reducing lamb mortality and determine if these challenges differ between countries. A 22-question survey (14 closed, 8 open-ended) was conducted in 2017 across seven countries participating in the SheepNet project (France, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain, UK, and Turkey). A number of press releases were circulated in each of the seven SheepNet countries making stakeholders aware of the survey and asking them to identify their challenges to improving ewe productivity through efficient reproduction, gestation and reduced lamb mortality. The surveys were completed by stakeholders either on the website, by e-mail or written mail or during sheep stakeholder events. Key challenges to improving ewe fertility included ewe body condition, nutrition and grassland management, flock health, and ewe lamb management. Reducing lamb mortality was primarily hindered by challenges related to lambing preparation, shed management, nutrition, labour, and hygiene. The findings suggest that despite diverse production systems, common challenges exist across Europe and Turkey. Addressing these challenges through the dissemination of best management practices can significantly enhance flock productivity. This study provides valuable insights into shared farmer experiences and underscores the importance of knowledge exchange across regions.</p
Implication of “smart” ear-tags material, shape, weight, and placement on calves’ ear injury and position
Get PDFIn recent years, technology advancements and miniaturisation of sensors have made it possible to develop management systems mounted on ear-tags but the development of these systems has not focussed specifically on younger calves, and has rarely documented the impact of device shape, size, and material on calf ear injury and position. The current paper documents the steps taken to develop a “smart” ear-tag, reporting these impacts. To achieve this, a series of bench tests (phase 1), expert assessments and four animal experiments were conducted. Selected from phase 1, five shapes were tested in phase 2 on five calves, and suitability for the intended purpose assessed, alongside maximum tag weight (8 calves) and anatomical placement of the tag (6 calves). Finally, a longer-term assessment was conducted using the best prototype attached to 14 calves (phase 3). The optimum tag was a 20 g coin-cell shaped female receiver tag, made of polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) mixed material, placed in the inner third of the ear, between the two auricular ridges. This specific shape and weight presented minimal ear-droop and the highest retention rate
Genetic parameter estimates and genetic trends for reproductive traits of Holstein dairy cattle in China
Get PDFReproductive efficiency is critical to the profitability and productivity of dairy farms. However, reproductive traits have often been overlooked in favor of enhancing milk production, resulting in unintended genetic antagonism. This study focused on estimating genetic parameters and genetic trends for economically important reproductive traits which include conception rate (CR), days open (DO), age at first calving (AFC), number of services per conception (NS), and calving interval (CInt), using 33,203 records of Holstein cattle that were under intensive management in Shandong Province, China. We employed univariate (heritability estimate) and multivariate (correlation) analyses that integrated phenotypes with the pedigree data spanning 5 generations. The results demonstrated low heritability estimates for reproductive traits, ranging from 0.043 to 0.159, highlighting a limited additive genetic influence but suggesting the possibility of genetic improvement through genomic selection. Among the traits evaluated, AFC demonstrated the highest heritability (0.159) in cows, whereas the lowest values (0.043 and 0.044) were observed for NS and CR, respectively. Strong genetic correlations were observed among the reproductive traits. Conception rate showed a strong and antagonistic genetic correlation with NS (−0.79). Phenotypic correlations reflected the same pattern, with CR and NS exhibiting strong negative correlations (−0.91). The analysis of EBV over time revealed gradual genetic advancements in CInt, DO, and CR, although the progress was inconsistent. These gradual and inconsistent gains suggest that the longstanding emphasis on milk traits may have compromised efforts to improve reproductive performance. Therefore, more focused and sustained genetic selection efforts targeting reproductive characteristics are essential to achieve substantial genetic gains. Future breeding programs that integrate these parameters could enhance fertility traits in Holstein cows in China
Research note: the effects of providing a sprouted barley supplement to laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) on egg production parameters and feather cover
Get PDFFeed represents the primary cost in egg production systems. Although fibre comprises a small portion of poultry diets, it can play a crucial role in supporting gut health, improving litter quality, and reducing feather pecking. Sprouted grains, such as barley, provide a source of fibre along with additional nutritional benefits, yet their impact on laying hens' productivity and behaviour are not well documented. This study examined the effects of supplementing Lohmann's Brown hen diets with hydroponically sprouted barley (SB), offered at 0, 15, 30, or 45g/hen/day over six weeks on body weight, egg production, egg quality, feed intake, and feather damage as an indicator of feather pecking. Each treatment had six replicate pens of 5 hens each. Data were analyzed for the effects of supplemental SB, time (i.e., study day, week, or period), and their interaction. Despite high palatability and complete SB consumption, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in body weights, basal diet (BD) feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, most egg quality measures, or feather damage, although the highest level of SB tended to reduce BD intake while maintaining total dry matter intake. However, a significant effect of SB on eggshell strength was observed primarily due to an interaction between SB level and study day (P = 0.021). At day 21, eggs from hens on SB 15 and 45g/hen/day had reduced shell strength compared to those on SB 0 and 30, while at day 42, eggs from SB 0 hens showed greater shell strength than SB 15 hens. Feather damage worsened somewhat over the study period but was not related to SB treatment. In conclusion, most observed effects were attributed to the duration of the study rather than the level of SB inclusion. A larger-scale study using a single optimised SB level is warranted.</p
Designing a data-based dashboard for decision making in animal farming: Traffic lights vs. Sequential colours
Get PDFTo support data-driven decision making, aquatic and terrestrial farmers increasingly use digital dashboards that visualise data collected on farms or offer decision support through the provision of information about relevant metrics. However, the design of the dashboard, particularly colour schemes, may shape users’ perceptions and decision making in unintended ways. This study investigates how the different colour schemes “traffic light” and “sequential,” and alert level configurations including regional discrepancies may influence users’ recall, perceived risk, certainty, and actions in salmon health management. For this, online experiments were conducted with 1482 members of the public in the United Kingdom and 98 European students in veterinary medicine, animal science, and fish biology, serving as proxies for real-life decision makers. Participants interacted with simulated data tools that visualised salmon mortality and harmful plankton levels at both the farm and region level. Alert levels on the participants’ own farm significantly influenced risk perceptions (p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.50-0.80) and decision making (p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.63-0.66) in both samples. However, colour schemes had only small effects in that the traffic light system enhanced information retention (p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.21) and, in high-alert scenarios, led to greater decision certainty (p = 0.015, η 2 = 0.01). Nevertheless, caution is warranted due to potential misinterpretation or bias when using traffic light colour schemes. Stakeholder-informed, iterative dashboard design, meaning involving stakeholders in the step-by-step development of digital dashboards, is essential to balance visual simplicity with accurate risk communication.</p
How to understand the psychological drivers of household food waste
No full textWe need to reduce household food waste, but the complexity of its determinants makes this difficult. Here we put forward a model for understanding some of the key behavioural and psychological drivers thought to promote or undermine food waste reduction. The model draws on multiple theories and integrates reflective processes (e.g., the influence of goals and outcome expectancies on planning behaviours) with automatic processes (e.g., habitual behaviours), psychological traits (e.g., self-efficacy and disgust sensitivity) and environmental influences (e.g., stress and time pressure). It leads us to identify two important potential levers for change: promoting shorter term, flexible meal planning and changing the way we feel about food waste.<br/
Effectiveness of a minimum pricing policy for the consumption of soft drinks in Mexico
Get PDFThe government of Mexico introduced the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax and energy-dense tax in 2014 to help addressing the overweight and obesity problem. The literature suggests that the tax has led to a 4–10% reduction in SSB consumption. However, noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and ischemic heart disease are still the leading causes of death in Mexico, accounting for approximately 59% of deaths in 2021. In other sectors, such as alcohol and cigarettes, several studies have provided evidence that minimum pricing outperforms value-added and excise taxes. Such a policy, however, has not been applied in the food and non-alcoholic drinks sector. The aim of this study is to simulate the minimum price (post-SSB tax) required to achieve a policy target of a 20% reduction in soft drink consumption. For this purpose, an Exact Affine Stone Index demand model was estimated using the 2022 National Survey on Households Income and Expenditures (ENIGH in Spanish) to compute expenditure and price elasticities, which were later used to derive shadow prices for soft drinks. The results show that a policy target of a 20% reduction in soft drink consumption would require a minimum increase in the current price by 16%; however, the increase would be different for urban and rural households. Additionally, the policy would increase the demand for fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and fish and seafood. Finally, the results indicate that although both uniform excise taxes and minimum price policies are effective, the latter with a policy target in place would have a greater impact on soft drink demand than the former.</p
Welfare Indicators for Aquaculture Research: Toolboxes for Five Farmed European Fish Species
Get PDFRefining approaches to measuring, monitoring and appraising animal welfare in aquaculture research is key to (i) protecting and optimizing it, (ii) documenting the severity of how and when it deviates, and (iii) ensuring good scientific quality, reliable results and reproducibility, amongst other factors. However, different fish species and life stages can have varying welfare needs and assessing their welfare can be challenging. An array of welfare indicators (WIs) can be utilized when documenting fish welfare, and there is currently little consensus on which WIs are most applicable to the key fish species used in European aquaculture research. The aim of this review is to propose updated, fit for purpose and comprehensive WI toolboxes for aquaculture research involving Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), European seabass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ), gilthead seabream ( Sparus aurata ), and the common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ). Where possible, these toolboxes will also include life‐stage considerations. It also provides information on utilizing WIs in deciding humane end‐points as well as information on how to sample different types of indicators. The review closes with information on how digitalization can affect the collection, collation and analysis of WI data in aquaculture research, including both practical and theoretical considerations. The toolboxes incorporate a range of WIs that go beyond those required for legally safeguarding fish welfare in both laboratory and operational experimental facilities in the current European 2010/63/EU Directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes and its amendment, the Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/1262