1,721,566 research outputs found
The Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project meets the stakeholders to ensure the acceptability of on-farm turkey welfare assessment
No full textThe overall goal of the AWIN project is to improve animal welfare by developing , integrating and disseminating information about animal welfare indicators.
The research objectives to be carried out in 4 Workpackages will focus on sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and turkeys .
The WP1 aims to develop and refine welfare assessment protocols and optimize ways to integrate them in the production chain. Moreover , WP1 aims to develop a protocol to use epidemiological data collected at slaughterhouse and or health information to identify challenges to animal welfare.
A turkey expert group decided to focus on the development of indicators for intensive systems for growing turkeys. Moreover they decided that the birds should be evaluated 2 to 3 weeks before slaughter. With regard to the gender , which should be used for the evaluation of the turkey welfare , the experts agreed to consider both males and females in the evaluation. The reason for it was lack of clear evidence indicating in which of the genders the welfare problems would be more significant. The turkey group proposes a two-step action: a first step at the slaughterhouse and the second on commercial farms .
STEP 1:
The choice of the appropriated number of flocks would be done at the slaughterhouse according to the characteristic of turkey's industries in each participating country. From each observed flock the following data will be collected: death on arrival, carcass weight, breast burns, footpad lesions, condemnations /down-grading information. The distribution of the collected data from the slaughterhouse evaluation will indicate the number of farms to be chosen as the extremes of the curve: the best farms (less death on arrival carcass weight-breast burns-footpad lesions-condemnations/down-grading) and the worst one.
STEP 2:
Many indicators found in the literature were considered and discussed by the turkey expert, as well as the implementation of the prototype with such
indicators in practical conditions on turkey farms. In addition most of such indicators were never tested far validity , feasibility and reliability. The turkey group decided to take an innovative approach of on farm evaluations, which could be feasible, well accepted by the farmers (understandable and including no animal handling), less time consuming than previous examples, but at the same time effective strict and objective as the previous developed protocols that demand massive amounts of time.
The turkey group members carne to a consensus in using a transect approach far the on farm evaluations . Turkey flocks are comprised of several thousand birds that, like other meat poultry, may vary tremendously on their welfare level. The choice of assessing the effectiveness of the transect methodology far on farm application, was based primarily on the potential of this methodology to be a valid, effective, and precise to provide a reliable evaluation of critical welfare issues common in meat poultry such as the incidence of leg problems, immobility and injuries.
The line transect methodology has successfully used in wildlife studies far decades. Far animal welfare assessment it is applied as divided walking paths covering the full area of the production house. The procedure is to a certain extend similar to the daily farm animal care routine. Depending on the width of the house , the production area is divided in around 2.5 m wide bands limited by the walls, feeder and drinker lines, creating invisible birds movement barriers. Transects are performed in random order alternately in both directions . The observers walk slowly recording in a tablet all incidences of following validated welfare indicators: immobile, limping, dirty, sick, agonizing and dead, all clearly identifiable during data collection. Percentage of incidence of each condition per transect is calculated by dividing the total population size by the number of transects, assuming a random bird distribution . This procedure is envisioned as a general assessment procedure far the most common welfare issues in meat poultry and as a practical tool far management purposes.
The authors wish to thank the EU VII Framework programme for funding AWIN Project (n. 266213 FP7-KBBE-2010-4
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
On-farm broiler welfare assessment; Individual versus transect sampling
Full text linkCurrent European animal welfare legislation for meat chickens requires standard science-based protocols to assess on-farm welfare. Animal sampling approach has been widely used, but it implies stressful and time demanding catching and handling the birds. A novel transect approach for welfare assessment has advantages as does not require animal handling and is less time consuming. Our objective was to compare both methods based on validated welfare indicators for broilers. We assessed six identically managed commercial houses in Northern Spain, with flock size ranging from 13,220 to 27,540. For sampling we collected measures on 25 birds, at five locations within the house, by gentle pushing them to portable pen. Measures included: body weight, breast dirtiness, hock and footpad dermatitis, lameness and immobility. Transect observations were conducted by slow walking on randomized paths within each house and recording in a tablet birds showing: immobility, lameness, back dirtiness, sickness, agony and dead. Both methods differed in results, with higher levels of immobility (4%±2.3 vs. 0.2%±0.02) and lameness, (24.2%±4.7 vs. 0.8%±0.07) for samplings than for transect observations. Breast dirtiness accounted for 17.8%±4.9 in sampling, while back dirtiness in transects was 0.2%±0.05. We found 35.4%±4 of birds with advanced footpad dermatitis and 3.6%±1.5 with severe hock burns. In transects sick, agonizing and dead birds accounted for 0.2±0.04% of the population. Variable reduction procedure (PCA) revealed lameness and immobility with agony loaded on first component in transect-specific, and breast dirtiness on the second component in sampling-specific analysis, explaining 42.4% and 26.7% of variation. Hock burns with footpad dermatitis created strongest component (30.7% of variation) from sampling indicators indicating the need for complimentary slaughterhouse checks for transects. Major discrepancies among two assessment methods may be due to a possible biased sampling of less mobile birds being more likely caught. In addition, the handling procedure may produce fatigue and fear reactions making the birds less likely to move for gait evaluation. It is likely that transect methodology needs further adjustments and refinement to assure that lameness is not overlooked. Current study provided new insights into constraints and advantages of broiler on-farm evaluation
On-farm broiler welfare assessment; Individual versus transect sampling
No full textCurrent European animal welfare legislation for meat chickens requires standard science-based protocols to assess on-farm welfare. An animal sampling approach has been widely used, but it implies stressful and time demanding catching and handling the birds. A novel transect approach for welfare assessment has advantages as does not require animal handling and is less time consuming. Our objective was to compare both methods based on validated welfare indicators for broilers. We assessed six identically managed commercial houses in Northern Spain, with flock sizes ranging from 13,220 to 27,540. For sampling we collected measures on 25 birds, at five locations within the house, by gently pushing them to portable pen. Measures included: body weight, breast dirtiness, hock and footpad dermatitis, lameness and immobility. Transect observations were conducted by slow walking on randomized paths within each house and recording in a tablet birds showing: immobility, lameness, back dirtiness, sickness, agony and dead. Both methods differed in results, with higher levels of immobility (4%±2,3 vs. 0,2%±0,02) and lameness, (24,2%±4,7 vs. 0,8%±0,07) for samplings than for transect observations. Breast dirtiness accounted for 17,8%±4,9 in sampling, while back dirtiness in transects was 0,2o/o±0,05. We found 35,4%±4 of birds with advanced footpad dermatitis and 3,6%±1,5 with severe hock bums. In transects sick, agonizing and dead birds accounted for 0,2±0,04% of the population. Variable reduction procedure (PCA) revealed lameness and immobility with agony loaded on first component in transect-specific, and breast dirtiness on the second component in sampling-specific analysis, explaining 42,4% and 26,7% of variation. Hock bums with footpad dermatitis created strongest component (30,7% of variation) from sampling indicators indicating need for complementary slaughterhouse checks for transects. Major discrepancies among two assessment methods may be due to possible biased sampling of less mobile birds being more likely to be caught. In addition, the handling procedure may produce fatigue and fear reactions making the birds less likely to move for gait evaluation. It is likely that transect methodology needs further adjustments and refinement to assure that lameness is not overlooked. The current study provided new insights into constraints and advantages of broiler on-farm evaluation
Transects : A new approach for on-farm broiler welfare assessment
Full text linkAnimal welfare has wide-ranging implications for animal production in the global market, as it plays an important role granting its competitiveness and sustainability. Increasing number of countries has specific farm animal welfare legislation, although its verification is difficult due in part to complexity of assessment protocols. Here we present practical feasibility of a new transect approach tested on broiler production that may permit a more efficient on-farm welfare assessment. The line transect approach is based on methodology widely used in wildlife studies and it is close to farmers routine. The transects for welfare assessment consists of set walks divided in randomly ordered transects covering full area of the house. Walk through the house is a standard procedure for broiler daily care, which facilitates the understanding of the methodology for anyone with minimal broiler care experience. We assessed six identically managed commercial houses of similar dimensions, located in Northern Spain, with flock size ranging from 13,220 to 27,540. A total of 5 transects were conducted per house. Our results indicated that validated welfare indicators for broilers such as: incidence of immobile, limping, dirty, sick, agonizing or dead birds can be detected by line transect methodology without disturbing the birds. Sensitivity of line transects for welfare assessment permitted detection of small variations (below 0.1%) in the incidence of the selected welfare indicators across houses (p<0.0001 to 0.0156), while inter-observer reliability remained consistent. The effect of observer was only detected for the incidence of immobile birds (0.18% ± 0.02 vs. 0.22% ± 0.03), and for the interaction of observer with farm for the number of dirty birds, where maximum range of variation across farms and observers for dirty birds was of ± 0.5%. In addition, bootstrapping analysis indicated that house assessment was stable, independently of the chosen number or transects locations. Our initial results suggest the suitability of this approach for practical on-farm broiler welfare assessment with potential for application to other poultry species, especially those that are difficult to handle such as turkeys. However, further investigations should be conducted to determine the validity of this methodology as compared with the more classical sampling approach
Association between poultry's lesions in the slaughter line and the transect approach on farms
Full text linkThis is a preliminary study with the aim of validating the transect approach for the
assessment of on farm poultry welfare assessment. The objective of the current study is to
develop and validate the method to associate major lesions on poultry carcasses noticed in
the slaughter line and the main features that observed during the transect approach on the
farm. Finding a method for a practical on-farm poultry welfare evaluation could be helpful for
industry to improve their returns, but also will help farmers to better manage the flock by
improving their welfare, and would benefit consumers and animals. The transect
methodology approach was performed in each farm previously. Independent samples of 30-
35 day old birds from three different farms and two rooms within each farm were scored by
two persons at the slaughter line after de-feathering. The slaughterhouse provided live and
carcass weights, condemnation rate, downgrade, and dead on arrival for each flock. At the
slaughter line the evaluation of breast, hock and footpad were performed by tow observers.
Observer one scored breast blisters and irritations, while the observer two was responsible
for hock burns. Both of them graded together foot pad lesions. The first 60 bird samples from
the evaluated flock at the line were not considered, due to the possibility of mixes of birds
from the different flocks or farm. Breasts were evaluated with regard to absence (0) or
presence of blisters and breast irritations on a scale 1 to 2, depending on the severity of the
lesions. Hocks were scored from absence (0) to 4 (severe lesions), according to the Welfare
Quality, 2009 protocol. Afterwards, the right feet of 500 birds were randomly separated from
the totals coming from evaluated flock and were scored according to the Welfare Quality
2009 protocol with regard to the severity of the wounds on the scale from 0 (no lesions
observed) to 4 (the most severe lesions). All these data will be analysed and associated with
other findings that were observed during the novel approach of transects studies.The authors are grateful to GRUPO AN, Tajonar, Navarra, Spain and to the Asociación
Española de Avicultura (AECA-WPSA) for their support and for granting access to facilities. AWIN Project n. 266213 FP7-KBBE-2010-
i-WatchTurkey App
No full textThe i-WatchTurkey App developed within the frame of the AWIN FP7 EU project (www.animal-welfare-indicators.net), by scientists at Ikerbasque and Neiker-Tecnalia (Spain) and the University of Milan (Italy) is a tool specifically developed for turkey health and welfare assessment. The i-WatchTurkey allows assessing critical health and welfare indicators in turkey flocks in a simple and standardized manner. It does not require changes in the routine farm evaluation. The method of assessment is based on the transect methodology (Marchewka et al., 2013, 2014)
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