Broiler production in semi-arid tropics must contend with high levels of heat stress, which have implications on stocking density, bird welfare, and profitability. Under these conditions, optimal stocking densities are likely to be lower than expected, thus must be experimentally determined....

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 ...

Knowledge of potential synergies and trade-offs between housing and management factors for different aspects of animal welfare is essential for farmers who aim to improve the level of welfare in their herds. The aim of this research was to identify and compare housing and management factors...

The aim of this study was to compare the growth performance, slaughter results, and carcass and meat quality of rabbits reared in different housing systems. To this purpose, 456 Hyplus crossbred rabbits were reared from weaning (35 d of age) until slaughter (77 d) in 40 bicellular wire net cages...

Increasing environmental complexity, i.e. by providing environmental enrichment, has been suggested as a way to improve broiler chicken welfare. One issue affecting broiler welfare is the level of fearfulness of the flock. Exaggerated fear responses may cause smothering and mortality. Environmental ...

The aim of the current study was to determine individual animal variability in rumination, activity, and lying behavior during the periparturient period within the context of dairy cattle nutrition, social, and physical environment. Holstein animals (nulliparous = 77, parous = 219) from one...

Increasing space allowance and enhancing environmental enrichment are two approved solutions to improve pig welfare in modern housing systems, while limited research regarding their interactions could be found. To determine the proper stocking density for growing pigs under China's production...

Damaging behaviours, such as tail biting, are common problems in pig production, compromising animal welfare and causing economic losses. Detailed studies are impeded by laborious direct observations. Tail biting is a broader phenomenon that begins long before lesions manifest, and behavioural...

At 34 days of age, 376 crossbred rabbits of both sexes were housed in 16 open-top collective pens (1.68 m²) according to a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement with two types of pen floor (plastic v. wooden slatted), two stocking densities (12 v. 16 animals/m²) and two slaughter ages (76 v. 83 days). The...

Based on data from a field survey of 85 Norwegian farms, we aimed to investigate associations of group size, floor space per pig and type of feed with selected welfare- and performance indicators in finishing pigs. On each farm, we registered the number of pigs per pen, floor space per pig (m²),...