Social pair housing of calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts for calves, so this study aimed to compare the health and behaviour of calves kept in individual compared to pair housing on a single commercial UK dairy farm. A total of 457 Holstein and Jersey heifer calves were recruited...

Especially in recent years, animal welfare has become a current issue with increasing importance in farm animals breeding. This issue was made firstly a current issue by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England in 1822 and it has become a crucial issue around the world. Like for...

In the wild, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are social but territorial. Recent surveys suggest that over half of pet rabbits are housed singly. We aimed to compare welfare in single versus paired rabbits. We predicted singletons would show more abnormal or escape behaviour, greater stress...

This article discusses the ban on using gestation cages by January 2013 in European Union Countries and the measures that Irish pig farmers and the government are taking currently to prepare for the said ban. Focus is given on 2 pig farms that have started utilizing the group housing system in...

The wide geographic distribution, large size and ease of capture has led to decapod crustaceans being used extensively in laboratory experiments. Recently in the United Kingdom decapod crustaceans were listed as sentient beings, resulting in their inclusion in animal care protocols. Ironically,...

In Great Britain, more than eleven million animals are transported to or from livestock markets annually. Time spent at markets is considered by Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) to be 'neutral time', ie potentially a rest period. However, sheep in markets are subject to...

Preference testing is rarely undertaken in sheep but observations raise questions about what sheep prefer with respect to lying surfaces and companionship/stocking density. Protection from wind and rain is often overlooked during winter grazing. Confinement during the lambing period, and for cross...

Unlike several other farm animal species, the broiler chicken remains unprotected by species-specific legislation. The densities at which broilers should be kept is a highly contentious issue - some studies have demonstrated increased welfare problems at higher densities, whilst a few others have,...

Lying down is an important behavior for cows, contributing to their health and welfare. With dairy cows being housed for increasingly longer periods, if not year-round, it is important to ensure that dairy cow lying comfort is not compromised when they are housed. The aim of this study was to...

It is in the horse racing industry's interest to understand all factors that impact performance to maintain the integrity of the sport. There is some evidence that the start of flat races can affect racehorse performance. However, limited research exists on the explicit effect that waiting at the...