Body Modification/Mutilation

Infrared beak treatment method compared with conventional hot-blade trimming in laying hens

Infrared lasers have been widely used for noninvasive surgical applications in human medicine, and their results are reliable, predictable, and reproducible. Infrared lasers have recently been designed for the express purpose of providing a less painful, more precise beak-trimming method...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Dennis, R. L., Fahey, A. G., Cheng, H. W. 2009. Infrared beak treatment method compared with conventional hot-blade trimming in laying hens. Poultry Science 88(1), 38–43.

Pain issues in poultry

This review highlights the possible pain experienced by layer and broiler poultry in modern husbandry conditions. Receptors which respond to noxous stimulation (nociceptors) have been identified and physiologically characterised in many different part of the body of the chicken including...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/Mutilation, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Gentle, M. J. 2011. Pain issues in poultry. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 135(3), 252–258.

Current methods and techniques of beak trimming laying hens, welfare issues and alternative approaches

Current methods and techniques of beak trimming laying hens, welfare issues and alternative approaches Beak trimming is used in the egg industry to prevent mortality from cannibalism and minimise injurious pecking, vent pecking, aggressive pecking at the head and all...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Glatz, P. C., Underwood, G. 2020. Current methods and techniques of beak trimming laying hens, welfare issues and alternative approaches. Animal Production Science, 61(10), 968–989.

Comparison of changes in the plumage and body condition, egg production, and mortality of different non-beak-trimmed pure line laying hens during the egg-laying period

The spread of both alternative and non-cage laying hen housing systems and the more forceful European refusal of beak trimming generate new problems in commercial egg production. The hybrid layers, which have been genetically selected under cage housing conditions for...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Milisits, G., Szász, S., Donkó, T. et al. 2021. Comparison of changes in the plumage and body condition, egg production, and mortality of different non-beak-trimmed pure line laying hens during the egg-laying period. Animals, 11(2).

Welfare consequences of omitting beak trimming in barn layers

Beak trimming is used worldwide as a method of reducing the damage to feathers and skin caused by injurious pecking in laying hens. However, beak trimming also causes some welfare issues as trimming the beak results in pain and sensory...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Riber, A. B., Hinrichsen, L. K. 2017. Welfare consequences of omitting beak trimming in barn layers. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 4.

A high enrichment replenishment rate reduces damaging behaviors and increases growth rate in undocked pigs kept in fully slatted pens

One of the difficulties in complying with the prohibition of routine tail docking is a lack of effective alternative solutions to prevent tail biting, especially in fully slatted systems. This study compared three slat-compatible enrichment replenishment strategies for pigs. Forty-eight...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Chou, J.-Y., Sandercock, D. A., D'Eath, R. B. et al. 2020. A High Enrichment replenishment rate reduces damaging behaviors and increases growth rate in undocked pigs kept in fully slatted pens. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 584706.

Development of a donkey grimace scale to recognize pain in donkeys (Equus asinus) post castration

The objectives of this study were to establish a donkey ethogram, followed by a donkey grimace scale to be applied to donkeys pre- and post-castration and to test if there was a notable difference in scores based on observer knowledge,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Reproduction, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Orth, E. K., Navas González, F. J., Iglesias Pastrana, C. et al. 2020. Development of a donkey grimace scale to recognize pain in donkeys (Equus asinus) post castration. Animals 10(8), 1411.

Effects of the method of restraint for shearing on behaviour and heart rate variability in alpacas

Alpacas are increasingly kept in Europe for different purposes including fibre production. Yearly shearing is necessary to harvest fibre and for welfare reasons. Different methods of restraint are used during shearing, which may affect the welfare of the animals differently....

Year Published: 2020Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, RestraintAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Waiblinger, S., Hajek, F., Lambacher, B. et al. 2020. Effects of the method of restraint for shearing on behaviour and heart rate variability in alpacas. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 223, 104918.

Pessimistic dairy calves are more vulnerable to pain-induced anhedonia

Pain induces deficits in appreciation of rewards (i.e. anhedonia) and variation in response to pain may be partly explained by individual differences in general expectations (i.e. optimism). Dairy calves are routinely subjected to painful procedures such as hot-iron disbudding. We...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Body Modification/MutilationAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Lecorps, B., Nogues, E., von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. et al. 2020. Pessimistic dairy calves are more vulnerable to pain-induced anhedonia. PLOS ONE 15(11), e0242100.

Preliminary findings on a novel behavioural approach for the assessment of pain and analgesia in lambs subject to routine husbandry procedures

The identification and assessment of pain in sheep under field conditions are important, but, due to their stoic nature, are fraught with many challenges. In Australia, various husbandry procedures that are documented to cause pain are routinely performed at lamb...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Analgesia, Body Modification/Mutilation, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Grant, E. P., Wickham, S. L., Anderson, F. et al. 2020. Preliminary findings on a novel behavioural approach for the assessment of pain and analgesia in lambs subject to routine husbandry procedures. Animals 10(7), 1148.