Welfare Assessment

Be kind to others: Prosocial behaviours and their implications for animal welfare

Social interactions are central to the health and psychological well-being of domestic animals. Until now, research has overwhelmingly focused on negative social behaviours such as aggression or the lack of social interactions such as social separation and isolation. This contradicts...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Rault, J.-L. 2019. Be kind to others: Prosocial behaviours and their implications for animal welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 210, 113-123.

What can the quantitative and qualitative behavioural assessment of videos of sheep moving through an autonomous data capture system tell us about welfare?

Sheep can be exposed to a variety of challenges and failure to adapt to these challenges can compromise their health and wellbeing. Regular monitoring of stock on large-scale or extensive systems may not always be possible, although recent technological advancements...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Grant, E. P., Brown, A., Wickham, S. L. et al. 2018. What can the quantitative and qualitative behavioural assessment of videos of sheep moving through an autonomous data capture system tell us about welfare? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 208, 31-39.

Evaluation of infrared thermography for temperature measurement in adult male NMRI nude mice

Temperature monitoring during critical care provides important data required to guide treatment delivery. Body temperature is an easily quantified clinical parameter that can yield much information concerning the health of an animal. In research settings, temperature has been adopted as...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fiebig, K., Jourdan, T., Kock, M. H. et al. 2018. Evaluation of infrared thermography for temperature measurement in adult male NMRI nude mice. JAALAS 57(6), 715–724.

Body condition scoring for adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Body condition scoring (BCS) is a simple, rapid, noninvasive tool used to assess body condition in animals. In this study, we developed and validated a diagram-based BCS for adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), a popular research model. After receiving 20 min...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Clark, T. S., Pandolfo, L. M., Marshall, C. M. et al. 2018. Body condition scoring for adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). JAALAS 57(6), 698–702.

A review of welfare assessment methods in reptiles, and preliminary application of the Welfare Quality® protocol to the pygmy blue-tongue skink, Tiliqua adelaidensis, using animal-based measures

Reptiles are held at wildlife parks and zoos for display and conservation breeding programs and are increasingly being kept as pets. Reliable indicators of welfare for reptiles need to be identified. Current guidelines for the captive management of reptiles utilize...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Benn, A. L., McLelland, D. J., Whittaker, A. L. 2019. A review of welfare assessment methods in reptiles, and preliminary application of the Welfare Quality® protocol to the pygmy blue-tongue skink, Tiliqua adelaidensis, using animal-based measures. Animals 9(1), 27.

Development of an automated pain facial expression detection system for sheep (Ovis aries)

The use of technology to optimize the production and management of each individual animal is becoming key to good farming. There is a need for the real-time systematic detection and control of disease in animals in order to limit the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: McLennan, K., Mahmoud, M. 2019. Development of an automated pain facial expression detection system for sheep (Ovis aries). Animals 9(4), 196.

A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice

Neonatal animal models are increasingly employed in order to unravel age-specific disease mechanisms. Appropriate tools objectifying the clinical condition of murine neonates are lacking. In this study, we tested a scoring system specifically designed for newborn mice that relies on...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fehlhaber, B., Heinemann, A. S., Rübensam, K. et al. 2019. A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice. Scientific Reports 9, 5919.

Evaluating analgesic efficacy and administration route following craniotomy in mice using the grimace scale

Most research laboratories abide by guidelines and mandates set by their research institution regarding the administration of analgesics to control pain during the postoperative period. Unfortunately, measuring pain originating from the head is difficult, making adequate decisions regarding pain control...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cho, C., Michalidis, V., Lecker, I. et al. 2019. Evaluating analgesic efficacy and administration route following craniotomy in mice using the grimace scale. Scientific Reports 9, 359.

Is boredom an animal welfare concern?

Boredom, while often casually attributed to non-human animals by both laypeople and scientists, has received little empirical study in this context. It is sometimes dismissed by others as anthropomorphic or a trivial concern in comparison to other welfare problems faced...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Meagher, R. K. 2019. Is boredom an animal welfare concern? Animal Welfare 28(1), 21-32.

Can biomarkers of biological age be used to assess cumulative lifetime experience?

Objective methods for assessing the cumulative lifetime experience of non-human animals would be valuable. We develop the hypothesis that biological age is a common currency that integrates the overall quality of an animal's lifetime experience across a range of types...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Bateson, M., Poirier, C. 2019. Can biomarkers of biological age be used to assess cumulative lifetime experience? Animal Welfare 28(1), 41-56.