96 pregnant sows, previously penned in individual stalls, were housed in groups of 4 in pens containing 3 zones: 4 individual feeding stalls without rear gates; a communal sleeping kennel; and a dunging area between the stalls and kennel. The feeding stalls were either long (2m) or short (1m) with...

The broiler industry has come under sustained pressure from welfare organizations to improve broiler welfare. Breed and stocking density are important factors for broiler welfare and are often specified as criteria for higher welfare systems. However, it remains unknown how slower-growing broilers...

The stocking density (animal/area, SD) is one of the significant factors that influence the welfare and performance of animals. However, there are discrepancies in the recommended SD for fiber, meat, and dairy goats, which means farming practices and welfare standards for goats should be better...

In freestall systems, cows are frequently moved among pens and regrouped. This practice involves mixing unfamiliar cows, and can result in changes in stocking density after regrouping. Both regrouping and changes in stocking density can affect cow welfare, but no study to date has assessed the...

Perching is a natural behaviour of wild and domesticated fowl. Perch availability has been used to improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the effect of perch availability on broiler rearing systems remains unclear. The present study investigated the effect of the interaction between perch...

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of housing density on ingestive behavior of male Santa Inês sheep housed individually and in double. Forty non-castrated males were used with an average initial weight of 21.33±2.62 kg and an average age of 120 days. The males were housed in two ...

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of prepartum stocking density on social, lying, and feeding behavior of dairy animals and to investigate the relationship between social rank and stocking density. In total, 756 Jersey animals were enrolled in the study approximately 4 wk...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different stocking densities of 82 (0.82 cows per freestall and feed bin), 100, and 129% on behavior, productivity, and comfort indices of lactating Holstein dairy cows. Twenty-seven lactating cows (15 primiparous and 12 multiparous)...

Dairy cattle housing systems are the subject of numerous studies, in which a strong emphasis is placed on the comparison of animal welfare, animal behavior, production indicators and labor inputs. Dairy cattle housing systems are linked to specific livestock buildings, which is a prerequisite for...

Pregnant Large White × Landrace gilts in groups of 4 were housed at 1.97 or 0.9 m²/pig, with or without partial stalls and fed within the partial stalls or on the floor of the pen. In the 90 min following grouping of the (unfamiliar) pigs, the presence of the partial stalls reduced the number of...