Welfare Assessment

Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare

Keeping captive tortoises healthy and well is a significant challenge. Because they are ectotherms, these reptiles are totally dependent upon external sources to maintain body temperature and therefore metabolic function. Their physical environment is vital for them to remain healthy,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Williams, J. 2024. Tortoise Husbandry and Welfare. CABI, 303 pages.

Quantifying the cumulative impact of use in teaching and research: An initial assessment of an objective tool developed to safeguard working horse welfare in a university setting

Universities offering veterinary and equine science education typically keep horses to support teaching and research activities. The Australian Code requires approval of horse use by an independent Animal Ethics Committee and that cumulative use over an individual’s working lifetime is...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Skyner, L., Wassens, S., Dennis, A. et al. 2025. Quantifying the cumulative impact of use in teaching and research: An initial assessment of an objective tool developed to safeguard working horse welfare in a university setting. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 80, 39–48.

Non-invasive ultrasound measurements for determination of hepato-somatic index in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides)

Hepato-somatic index (HSI) is widely used to indicate fish body condition and level of energy reserves related to feeding/physiology and reproduction. HSI is traditionally obtained by dissection and measurement of liver mass versus body mass, but ultrasound technology may provide...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Schilling, J. W., Hussey, N. E., Hedges, K. J. et al. 2025. Non-invasive ultrasound measurements for determination of hepato-somatic index in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides). Journal of Fish Biology 107(4), 1313–1322.

Novel application of machine learning to enhance untrained and inexperienced evaluators’ diagnosis of acute pain in pigs

Accurately identifying pain is a critical first step required to adequately mitigate pain and improve pig health, welfare and quality of life. The objective of this study was to verify whether random forest and support vector machine algorithms trained utilizing...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Peres, B. G., de Oliveira, M. C., Pivato, G. M. et al.

Advancing canine welfare assessment in kennels: Evaluating the validity of Field Instantaneous Dog Observation (FIDO) scoring in commercial breeding kennels

Accurate assessment of social fear in dogs housed in commercial breeding kennels is necessary to inform their behavioral management, including interventions needed to support their welfare. The Field Instantaneous Dog Observation (FIDO) tool, which was developed to quickly identify areas...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Mugenda, L., Shreyer, T., Croney, C. 2025. Advancing canine welfare assessment in kennels: Evaluating the validity of Field Instantaneous Dog Observation (FIDO) scoring in commercial breeding kennels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106770.

Do the ear and tail positions reflect the emotional state of calves?

This study aimed to determine the associations between ear and tail position and stroking or umbrella stimuli in dairy calves at different stimulus application times (before the test, pretest, test, and posttest). Thirty-two mixedbred Holstein calves of different ages were...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Machado, M., Silveira, R. M. F., Bittar, C. M. M. et al. 2024. Do the ear and tail positions reflect the emotional state of calves? Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology 12(2), e2024017.

Quantification of sea turtle swimming patterns using a standardized arena to minimize effort in welfare assessment

Welfare assessment of captive sea turtles has become increasingly important as the need for lifelong care grows. The most valuable indicator of sea turtle welfare is behavioral assessment, as it is non-invasive and more cost-effective than other methods such as...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Inoue, N. K. 2025. Quantification of sea turtle swimming patterns using a standardized arena to minimize effort in welfare assessment. Behavioural Processes 231, 105200.

The challenge of identifying positive emotional indicators in equids: A scoping review to evaluate if this approach is putting the cart before the horse (Equus caballus)

Driven by multiple converging factors, highlighting the negative impact of equestrian sports on equine welfare, recent scientific research has focussed on recognising positive states in horses (Equus caballus). In particular, this has yielded an increasing number of studies prioritising the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Humphreys, S., Freire, R., Waran, N. et al. 2025. The challenge of identifying positive emotional indicators in equids: A scoping review to evaluate if this approach is putting the cart before the horse (Equus caballus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106760.

Premises for digital twins reporting on Atlantic salmon wellbeing

Many species of fish, birds and mammals commonly live in human captivity; Atlantic salmon Salmo salar is one of them. The international legal status of the welfare of captive animals is slowly developing and still requires rigorous specification. For example,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Salmon

Citation: Giske, J., Dumitru, M. L., Enberg, K. et al. 2025. Premises for digital twins reporting on Atlantic salmon wellbeing. Behavioural Processes 226, 105163.

The good, the bad, the comfortable: A review of welfare practices and indicators based on the five domains model in farmed deer

Increasing consumer interest in game meat has globally expanded wild animal farming, with deer being a prominent non-traditional species farmed in numerous countries. Consequently, methods for assessing the welfare of captive animals have been developed over the last few decades,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Esattore, B., Bartošová, H., Bartošová, J. 2025. The good, the bad, the comfortable: A review of welfare practices and indicators based on the five domains model in farmed deer. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(4), 618–632.