bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effective Feeding Enrichment for Non-Human Primates: A Brief Review
Authors: Reinhardt V , Roberts A 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThere is a growing awareness that non-human primates kept in zoos and laboratories deserve more species-appropriate stimulation because of their biological adaptation to a challenging environment.Numerous attempts have been made to effectively emulate the gathering and processing aspects of natural feeding. Whole natural food-items, woodchips mixed with seeds, the puzzle ceiling and the puzzle feeder stocked with ordinary biscuits, cost little or nothing but induce sustained food gathering and/or food processing. Turf and fleece substrates sprinkled with particles of flavoured food, foraging trays, probe feeders and puzzles baited with food treats also promote more foraging behaviour, but they are relatively expensive and require added labour time to load and clean them.
An Observational cohort Study of the Effects of Catching Method on Carcase Rejection Rates in Broilers
Authors: Ekstrand C 
Published: January 2023

AbstractAutomatic broiler catching machines have been developed for several reasons. Manual catching is expensive, often rough and may cause injury to the birds. Apart from animal welfare considerations, the demand for good quality meat means that rejection rates must be kept at a low level. The poor working conditions for manual catching teams are also an important factor. Only a few scientific studies on the effects of catching machines on bird health and welfare have been published. In this study, the carcase rejection rates in relation to manual and mechanical catching were compared at a poultry abattoir following a change of loading and unloading systems. The effect on the level of birds found ‘dead on arrival’ at the slaughterhouse initially varied considerably, regardless of catching method. During the last 3-month period of the study however, mechanically caught flocks showed significantly higher frequencies of dead birds on arrival than manually caught flocks. During the same last period, when running-in problems should be regarded as solved, the prevalence of bruises was also still significantly higher in the mechanically caught flocks, whereas the prevalence of fractures did not differ significantly between the two groups. This suggests that there are still opportunities for further improvements of the machine, although in Sweden it has now been accepted for commercial use in accordance with Swedish animal welfare legislation, under the supervision of the National Board of Agriculture.
Taking Lambs to the Slaughter: Marketing Channels, Journey Structures and Possible Consequences for Welfare
Authors: Murray K C , Davies D H , Cullinane S L , Eddison J C , Kirk J A 
Published: January 2023

AbstractConsumers now demand evidence of welfare assurance at all stages of animal production, marketing, transport and slaughter. In response, retailers have increasingly adopted preferred supply chain relationships which preclude sourcing animals via livestock auction markets. One of the criteria dictating this action is a perceived improvement in animal welfare resulting from direct transport from farm to abattoir.A survey of complete journey structures of 18 393 slaughterweight lambs from farm to abattoir was conducted between April and July 1997. Journeys were characterized in terms of distances travelled, duration and the number of discrete components within a whole journey which comprised: transport; trans-shipping (when animals were transferred from one vehicle to another); multiple pickups from a number of farms; and holding at either assembly points, lairages or auction markets. The results identified that journeys in the livestock distribution system are diverse and range in complexity, irrespective of marketing channel. Journey complexity was found to be positively related to distance travelled.The study demonstrates that discussions concerning welfare of livestock in transit should consider the journey structure and not just the marketing channel per se. Furthermore, it also shows that changes taking place in the infrastructure of the marketing and meat processing sectors may result in a reduction in animal welfare.
Mealworm Dispensers as Environmental Enrichment for Captive Rodrigues Fruit Bats(Pteropus Rodricensis)
Authors: O'Connor K I 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis study is an assessment of the use of mealworm dispensers as environmental enrichment devices for Rodrigues fruit bats(Pteropus rodncensis). Captive animals frequently receive easily consumed food at set times and locations, which often minimizes the time they spend searching for and processing food. The mealworm dispensers used in this study provide an unpredictable food source, which allows the link between foraging and feeding to be reinstated. Mealworm dispensers were placed into the Rodrigues fruit bat enclosure at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and the behaviour of the bats recorded over 14 days. For 7 days the dispensers were empty but, for the remaining 7, 20 mealworms were placed in each dispenser. The number of bats feeding declined with increasing time from initial food presentation in all cases, but the presence of mealworms in the dispensers decreased the rate of decline. In addition, the number of bats active within 20cm of the food in the dishes and on the heater tops increased significantly when mealworms were present. Although the presence of mealworms had no effect on the number of flights made by the group of bats as a whole, both the number of bats on the enclosure floor and the amount of aggression observed in the enclosure decreased when mealworms were present.Installation of mealworm dispensers meant that the bats found food items as a consequence of their natural exploratory and foraging behaviour, and as such they provided important ingredients for approximating a natural habitat and improving welfare.
A Descriptive Survey of the Range of Injuries Sustained and Farmers’ Attitudes to Vulva Biting in Breeding Sows in South-West England
Authors: Rizvi S , Nicol C J , Green L E 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe within-farm prevalence of vulva biting in breeding sows in south-west England was investigated using a postal survey sent to 410 pig farmers in January 1997. The response rate was 65 per cent and there were 83 useable replies. The majority of farms where vulva biting was reported indicated a low within-farm prevalence of 1-9 per cent of sows affected, although prevalences as high as 30-60 per cent were reported. The injuries reported ranged from bleeding to removal of the whole vulva, the most commonly reported injuries being bleeding and superficial damage to the vulva. No long-term effects from this injury to service and dry sows were reported by 70 per cent and 76 per cent of farmers respectively. Competition for food, aggressive sows, closeness to farrowing and mixing of sows were the most common reasons suggested by these farmers as causes of vulva biting.
Evaluation of Welfare Indicators for the Social Environment in Cattle Herds
Authors: Jóhannesson T , Sørensen J T 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe social environment is very important for the welfare of animals in loose housing dairy production systems. This article reviews recent literature on the effect of animal density (AD) and regrouping (RG'j on the welfare of cattle and describes the development of feasible indicators for the social environment. Special emphasis is given to the methodological problems that arise when AD and RG are used as welfare indicators in a welfare assessment at the herd level. Various factors affecting estimates of AD were considered, including the size of the animals, correction for very high AD values, pen shape and how best to aggregate the results at herd level and over time. The examination of RG is centred around the effect of early social experience of the animals, the stability of social relationships, and the effect of pen changes.A range of parameters is suggested for the evaluation of AD and RG as possible welfare indicators. These are based on observational data from 10 Danish dairy herds and related to clinical records from the herd farms. It is concluded that mean AD is not feasible as a welfare indicator at the herd level but the 25th percentile of AD corrected for the liveweight of the animals should be used instead. The two most promising parameters for evaluation of RG are the frequency of combined pen and group changes for a sample of the herd, and the probability of a certain duration of inter-animal relationships. Results from clinical observations correlated with neither AD nor RG.
The Use of Nose-Rings in Pigs: Consequences for Rooting, Other Functional Activities, and Welfare
Authors: Horrell RI , A'Ness P J , Edwards S A , Eddison J C 
Published: January 2023

AbstractCommercial pigs kept outdoors are often given nose-rings, to inhibit rooting and minimize pasture damage. If rooting is a ‘behavioural need’ in the pig, and ringing is effective because it renders rooting painful, nose-ringing may be a threat to welfare. Thirty gestating sows were assigned to one of three conditions: unringed controls (UR); sows ringed with three, wire ‘clip’ rings through the snout rim (CR); or sows with one, rigid ‘bull’ ring (BR). They were observed on grass for 7h day−1 at intervals over 6 months. Ringing almost totally abolished penetration of the ground by rooting during the month after ringing (UR, CR and BR sows respectively spent 5.6%, 0.1% and 0.1 % of scan observations dig-rooting during this month; P < 0.001). These differences in recorded rooting were reflected in a much greater extent of pasture damage in paddocks containing UR sows. Rooting remained largely suppressed throughout the 6 months of observations in BR sows; but substantial recovery of this function occurred in CR sows by the sixth month, although much of this may be attributed to the fact that most sows lost at least some of their rings. Ringing also partially inhibited grazing (which accounted for 26.2%, 27.1% and 21.9 % of scans over the whole project in UR, CR and BR sows respectively; P < 0.05), nosing in straw, digging out wallows and stone-chewing (18.3%, 9.5% and 9.2% respectively of all scans in UR, CR and BR sows; P < 0.001). Ringed sows spent more time standing but otherwise inactive than did controls (0.8%, 1.7% and 4.0% of all scans in UR, CR and BR sows respectively; P < 0 .001), and displayed more straw-chewing, vacuum-chewing and digging at soil with the forepaw. We conclude that nose-ringing in pigs inhibited a range of functional activities, as well as rooting, and elicited more behaviours that suggest a degree of reduced welfare. BR sows displayed more of these effects than did CR ones, although these differences may be largely, but not entirely, due to a loss of clip rings over time.
Who Needs Consciousness?
Authors: Dawkins M S 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThinking about animal consciousness is beset with many pitfalls, a few of which are: i) lack of clarity in words used, especially confusing ‘cognition’ with ‘consciousness’ and using words such as ‘emotion’ in both an objective sense (behaviour and physiology) and to imply consciousness; ii) failing to acknowledge sufficiently that different people use different versions of the argument from analogy with ourselves to infer consciousness in non-humans in animals; iii) assuming that choice and preference imply consciousness; iv) assuming that autonomic responses imply consciousness (a particular danger to those who look for physiological ‘measures’ of animal welfare); v) assuming that complexity of behaviour implies complexity of cognition and in turn consciousness; and vi) assuming that only cognitively complex organisms are conscious. Consciousness raises many questions of direct relevance to animal welfare that as yet have no answers, but finding possible answers may be made slightly easier if we avoid these obvious pitfalls.
Behavioural and Neural Correlates of Mental Imagery in Sheep Using Face Recognition Paradigms
Authors: Kendrick K M , Leigh A , Peirce J 
Published: January 2023

AbstractDetermining objective measures for proof of consciousness in non-human animals has been helped by improved understanding of neural correlates of human consciousness. Functional imaging and neuropsychological studies have shown remarkable overlap between structures involved in actual perception of social and non-social objects and those involved in forming mental images of them. One area of particular interest is individual face recognition. This involves regions of the temporal lobe that are mainly only activated by actual perception or mental imagery of faces. Using behavioural, neuroanatomical and neurophysiological approaches in sheep, we have found that they have similar specialized abilities for recognizing many individuals from their faces. They have developed the same specialized neural processing regions in the temporal lobe for aiding such recognition. Furthermore, parallel activation of other brain regions controlling behavioural and emotional responses only occurs when they are overtly interested in the individuals whose faces they perceive. Such interest might therefore equate to their becoming consciously aware of them. Preliminary experiments have indicated that sheep may form and use mental images and that the regions of the temporal lobe that respond to faces can also do so under conditions where faces are suggested but do not actually appear. Such similarities between humans and sheep in this form of social recognition make it difficult to claim that humans can form mental images of faces whereas sheep cannot. While the ability to form and use mental imagery is not in itself definitive proof of consciousness, it is an important component part.
Using Discrimination Training to Assess Mental States
Authors: Harding E J , Mendl M , Nicol C J , Paul E 
Published: January 2023

In humans, excessive pessimism is strongly indicative of a depressive mental state. The negative outlook demonstrated by the depressed person is seen as the result of the depression in some way biasing the person's thinking in a negative direction (Beck 1967). This negative thinking is most clearly manifested as biases in attention to, and memory for, negative information (Gotlib & Krasnoperova 1998). Conversely, an individual in an elated, positive mood is likely to perceive and recall information in a more ‘optimistic’ manner and be less prone to focusing on negative stimuli. Here we have a situation where an emotional state (positive or negative affect) and a cognitive state (a bias for mood-congruent information) appear closely linked. Assuming a similar link in animals, we are trying to use operant training techniques to derive systematic tests of cognitive bias which may reveal subjective emotional states which are, themselves, very difficult to measure directly. The rationale behind the technique is to train animals to expect positive or negative outcomes to two training tones of differing frequency. Rats were trained on a go, no-go task where one tone signalled pending reward and the animals were required to make an operant lever press in order to receive it, and the other tone signalled a short, unavoidable period of white noise which the animals quickly stopped responding to. Thus, animals were trained to signal what they ‘expected’ to happen given a particular predictive cue. According to cognitive theories of depression, a depressed individual should show a greater level of expectancy of negative events, especially when presented with ambiguous stimuli, ie they should act pessimistically. Positive mood is associated with positive expectations, thus we would expect an individual in such a mood state to evaluate an ambiguous situation in a more optimistic way. We presented our trained animals with novel tones and recorded their responses before and after a period of housing in an ‘enriched’ environment which is often assumed to be a positive treatment for animals.Development of the technique and preliminary results were presented.
Pituitary-Adrenal Activation in Pre-Parturient Pigs (Sus Scrofa) is Associated with Behavioural Restriction Due to Lack of Space Rather than Nesting Substrate
Authors: Jarvis S , Calvert S K , Stevenson J , vanLeeuwen N , Lawrence A B 
Published: January 2023

AbstractPrevious research has shown that pre-parturient primiparous pigs (gilts) housed in behaviourally restrictive farrowing crates without straw redirect their nest-building behaviour to non-manipulable substrates such as the bars of the crate. These gilts also show elevated plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Cortisol levels, particularly around the peak of nest-building activity, when compared to gilts in larger pens that have been provided with a manipulable substrate (straw). It remains unclear whether these behavioural and physiological responses to crating result from the lack of a suitable nesting substrate or from the restricted space. This study investigated the effects of space (crate [C] versus pen [P] and straw (straw [S] versus no straw [NS]) using a 2 × 2 factorial design. Thirty-four gilts were implanted with an indwelling jugular catheter at around 12 days before parturition. They were moved to one of the four environments five days before parturition, and blood sampling and recording of behaviour were carried out during the pre-parturient period. Penned gilts (P), irrespective of straw availability, spent more time standing and walking and performed more total substrate-directed behaviour than crated (C) gilts. When straw was not available to penned gilts, a large proportion of their substrate-directed behaviour was redirected to the floor. Space also had an effect on ACTH and Cortisol levels across the entire pre-parturient phase, with C gilts having higher levels than P gilts irrespective of straw availability, but particularly so at the peak of nest-building activity. There was no effect of straw on ACTH or Cortisol levels. Overall, it appears that increased space, perhaps through allowing locomotion, increases substrate-directed behaviour of pre-parturient gilts. When space is available but straw is absent, pre-parturient gilts redirect their nest-building behaviour to the floor. The ability to express substrate-directed behaviour as a result of increased space is reflected in lower levels of indicators of physiological stress.
Early Life Experiences: Activity Levels and Abnormal Behaviours in Resocialised Chimpanzees
Authors: Martin J E 
Published: January 2023

AbstractChimpanzees(Pan troglodytes)that are kept in captivity come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and a proportion of them have been subjected to maternal separation and social deprivation during development. The long-term effects of such practices have received little investigation. This study investigates whether the removal of infants from their mothers and/or other chimpanzees affects their activity levels and abnormal behaviours later in life. A total of 69 resocialised chimpanzees were studied at six zoos in the United Kingdom. Chimpanzees were categorised into one of three rearing conditions: reared by their mother in a group of conspecifics (MGR); reared with other conspecifics but separated from their mothers (RO); and reared apart from their mother or other conspecifics for a period of time during infancy (RA). Results indicate that ‘socially deprived’ individuals show reduced levels of normal activity, elevated levels of abnormal behaviours and a wider repertoire of abnormal behaviours. These differences were more pronounced in younger individuals, with adults from the three different rearing conditions performing abnormal behaviour patterns at comparable levels. It is concluded that human-rearing, either alone or with conspecifics, influences behaviour through suppression of normal activity levels as a result of separation and elevation of levels of abnormal behaviours as a mechanism for coping with maternal loss and restricted rearing. However, these effects are not irreversible and recovery of ‘normal’ behaviours may occur with access to an enriched social environment.
Influence of Social Status on the Welfare of Sows in Static and Dynamic Groups
Authors: O'Connell N E , Beattie V E , Moss B W 
Published: January 2023

AbstractForty-eight Large White x Landrace multiparous sows were mixed into twelve groups of four animals after their piglets were weaned. These groups were defined as static, with no animals being added to or removed from the groups after their formation. Aggressive and submissive behaviours were recorded continuously for 9 h after the sows were mixed, and the sows were assigned high or low social status on the basis of their relative aggressiveness and success in aggressive interactions. After five weeks, each static group was mixed into a dynamic group of 40 ±2 sows for an 11-week period. Three static groups (ie 12 animals) at a time were added to the dynamic group at three-week intervals; the same number of animals was removed at these time-points in order to maintain the group number at 40 ± 2. Injury levels increased significantly with the transition from static groups to the dynamic group (P < 0.001). Sows with low social status had lower bodyweights (P < 0.001) and higher injury levels one week after mixing into static and dynamic groups (P < 0.01). Social status did not significantly affect salivary Cortisol levels. Sows with low social status were positioned lower in the feed order, determined using an electronic feeder (P < 0.001), and tended to be displaced from the feeder queue more often (P < 0.1) in the dynamic group. Sows with low social status were also displaced from the drinker more often than highranking sows in the dynamic group (P < 0.01). This may have led to the greater frequency of drinking behaviour shown by low-ranking sows (P < 0.05). Sows with low social status were observed less often in the kennel areas than were the high-ranking sows in the dynamic group (P < 0.05), suggesting that they were denied access to the prime lying areas. The results suggest that the welfare of sows is negatively affected by low social status in both small static and large dynamic groups.