The relationship of laying hens towards humans is an important aspect of animal welfare. Tests for assessing the hen–human relationship on farm should be validated prior to their use. In this paper, we investigated the validity of three recently developed tests assumed to measure the hen–human relationship in non-caged hens. The study was conducted in …
There is considerable concern over the continued use of battery cages because of the severe restriction of movement which these systems impose. This has led to the development of alternatives, some of which involve allowing flocks of hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) free movement between the inside of a building and outside pasture areas. In these …
1. Production of total heat, divided into sensible and latent heat, together with carbon dioxide and animal activity were determined …
Environmental effects of economic activities are ultimately driven by consumption, via impacts of the production, use, and waste management phases of products and services ultimately consumed. Integrated product policy (IPP) addressing the life-cycle impacts of products forms an innovative new generation of environmental policy. Yet this policy requires insight into the final consumption expenditures and …
1. In a pen study, NH3 flux estimates were performed when clean wheat straw or wood shavings were used as …
Differences in soil, climate and socioeconomic conditions cause animal production to vary widely between European regions, notably in animal density and percentage landless farming. They have in common that animal products result from the cycling and redistribution of nutrients through soil, air, plants, animals and manure, with energy from photosynthesis or from the input of …
Poultry production faces increasing environmental challenges, in the United States and globally. Although the environmental impact of poultry production has …
Food consumption may account for upwards of 15% of U.S. per capita greenhouse gas emissions. Online carbon calculators can help consumers prioritize among dietary behaviors to minimize personal “carbon footprints,” leveraging against emissions-intensive industry practices. We reviewed the fitness of selected carbon calculators for measuring and communicating indirect GHG emissions from food consumption. Calculators were …
Research shows that livestock account for a significant proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global consumption of livestock products is growing rapidly. This paper reviews the life cycle analysis (LCA) approach to quantifying these emissions and argues that, given the dynamic complexity of our food system, it offers a limited understanding of livestock’s GHG …
The objective is to show that it is possible to estimate facility demand of laying hens with discrete-event modelling. This …
Social relationships in domestic fowl are commonly assumed to rely on social recognition and its pre-requisite, discrimination of group-mates. If this is true, then the unnatural physical and social environments in which commercial laying hens are typically housed, when compared with those in which their progenitor species evolved, may compromise social function with consequent implications …
T.G.C.M. van Niekerk, Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research Center (Wageningen UR), The Netherlands. P.L.M van Horne, Agricultural Economics …
Ban on Cages in Netherlands – LEI Report
Regulations regarding the washing of shell eggs within the EU, published on 23 June 2008.
Section taken from the “Regulations Governing the Voluntary Grading of Shell Eggs”.
Conventions to protect domestic animals during transport, farming and slaughter were established by the Council of Europe and approved by many European states. Conventions are followed by recommendations that specify how the general principles of conventions apply for the different species. The European Union (EU) started discussions on animal welfare in the 1980s and adopted …
Le réseau Agri Bien-être Animal, créé par l’INRA en 1998 à l’initiative de Robert Dantzer, permet à l’ensemble des chercheurs travaillant sur le thème du bien-être de mettre en commun leur expertise, leurs projets et leurs résultats. Ce regroupement apparaît particulièrement important en raison de l’approche nécessairement pluridisciplinaire du bien-être, rassemblant biologie, sciences sociales et …
“Tout animal étant un être sensible doit être placé par son propriétaire dans des conditions compatibles avec les impératifs biologiques de l’espèce “. La loi du 10 juillet 1976 fixe ainsi la nécessité de respecter le bien-être des animaux qui vivent sous la dépendance de l’Homme. Afin d’éviter tout anthropomorphisme dans le jugement des situations …