The present study compared behaviour, fear and stress levels of 456 crossbred rabbits reared in bicellular wire-net cages (2 rabbits/cage) with top and wire floor or open-top collective pens (20 to 54 rabbits/pen) with wooden slatted floor. The effect of pen size (small vs. large) and stocking...

Pressures from consumers concerned with sow well-being in gestation stalls have encouraged producers to consider how to transition from individual gestation stalls to pens in existing buildings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and well-being of sows in pens that were...

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...

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 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 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 ...

Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to quantity of floor space, the quality of space is important: spatial separation between sows can be provided with visual or...

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)...

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 objective of this research was to measure the effects of increased stocking density of stalls and headlocks on the short-term behavioural responses of lactating Holstein cows. Multiparous (n=92) and primiparous (n=44) cows were assigned to four pens of 34 cows each and stocking densities (100,...