Commercially reared broiler chickens are commonly supplied with drinking water through lines of nipple drinkers that are positioned above the birds' heads to avoid water leaking and spoiling the litter underfoot. This means that the birds have to peck upwards to obtain water, an action that is very different from the ‘scoop’ action of natural drinking seen when birds drink from troughs or puddles. In this study we investigate the welfare implications of this unnatural drinking behaviour imposed by nipple drinkers. We show 1) that chickens have no apparent aversion to the taste of tap water, 2) that they prefer bell drinkers and troughs over nipple drinkers, 3) that the stereotyped ‘scoop’ action is seen even when birds are drinking from bowls of different heights, 4) that chickens have a strong preference for drinking from nipples that are lower rather than higher and, 5) that when offered a choice between bowls and nipples of the same height, the chickens are indifferent to the method of water presentation. We conclude that the height at which water is presented to chickens is more important to them than whether they can drink with the natural ‘scoop’ action. While this might suggest that chicken welfare could be improved by lowering the drinker lines, wet litter causes welfare issues of its own through its effect on hock burn and pododermatitis. We suggest that drinker systems should be designed so that both aspects of welfare (birds able to drink in their preferred way and clean litter) are possible.

The post-release survival of hand-reared tawny owls (Strix aluco) was measured using radio-tracking and leg-band return data. Of 16 birds fitted with 2.4 g radiotelemetry tags, two shed their tags after four and nine days, respectively and one bird was recovered and the tag removed. The remaining 13 birds were tracked for between 16 and 84 days (median 38). Of these, two were found dead (one emaciated and one predated) and one was recovered alive but emaciated and was subsequently euthanased. Thirty-seven percent were radio-tracked for more than six weeks, thought to be the critical period beyond which raptors will mostly survive. Of 112 birds banded between 1995 and 2005, 18 were recovered (seven live and 11 dead). Of the seven live recoveries, three were involved in road traffic collisions. Of the dead recoveries for which the cause of death was known (n = 4), all had been involved in road traffic collisions. The time elapsed between release and recovery ranged from 1–2,246 days (median 123 days). Over 65% survived for more than six weeks. The distance travelled between release and recovery ranged between 0 and 6 km (median 0). Further work is required on the effects of hand rearing on post-release survival of rehabilitated wildlife.

Frequent diet change has been identified as a risk factor for feather pecking in commercial flocks but the mechanism underlying this association is not known. In this experiment we simulated a commercial change of diet between high quality (HQ) 19% protein, and low quality (LQ) 15% protein, diets. Twelve pairs of birds were fed both diets simultaneously for 38 days to determine whether clear preferences for the diets existed. A further 12 triplets of birds were fed either HQ or LQ diets for 38 days to examine any absolute effects of quality on behaviour. The remaining triplets received, on day 29, either a LQ to HQ diet change (n = 12 groups) or an HQ to LQ diet change (n = 12 groups). Half of the groups in these diet change treatments received oregano oil as a potential ‘masking’ agent to disguise the diet change. No dietary preferences were detected and there were no absolute effects of diet on behaviour. Diet change provoked significant increases in beak-related activity. Specifically, affiliative pecking (allopreening directed towards comb or beak) was increased after diet change. Masking the diet reduced the effects of diet change. Injurious pecking remained at low levels throughout the experiment and was not affected by diet change, but the relationship between affiliative pecking and subsequent injurious pecking requires further investigation.

This study explored the effect of auditory stimulation on the behaviour and welfare of four zoo-housed, female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). All animals were exposed, in an ABA design, to two conditions of auditory stimulation: a ‘control’ (no auditory stimulation), and an ‘experimental’ condition, during which the animals were presented with a commercially-available CD of classical music. Each condition lasted for five days, with an interim period of two days between each condition (Study 1). The elephants’ behaviour was recorded every minute for four hours a day for the full five days of each condition using instantaneous scan-sampling. The procedure was repeated four months later (Study 2), for a shorter period of time (one day per condition, again using an ABA design) to assess whether the results are generalisable. Analysis of both studies revealed that the elephants spent significantly less of their time stereotyping during the experimental conditions than the control. None of the other behaviours recorded were influenced significantly by auditory stimulation. Overall, the findings from this study suggest that auditory stimulation, in the form of classical music, may be a useful method of reducing stereotypic behaviour in zoo-housed Asian elephants, although more long-term work with a larger number of animals is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Much attention has been focused, quite rightly, on the welfare of laboratory rodents and farm animals but certain other groups have been less well represented in welfare research. Small birds, for example, are often kept as pets and used in a wide variety of behavioural and physiological experiments where ‘best’ housing conditions are based on advice from experienced keepers as opposed to being tested experimentally. We investigated the effects of two husbandry conditions on the welfare of captive zebra finches: a) optional cover and b) rewarded handling versus random rewards. As a correlate of welfare in the four conditions (cover + reward, cover, reward, nothing), we recorded the time to settle and perform normal behaviours after an experimenter entered the room throughout the study (ie habituation to disturbance). In addition, we measured female preference for males in the four conditions to see whether welfare situation affected attractiveness as a mate. Birds in the two conditions where a reward was provided settled most quickly; and their settling time decreased across the study. Birds provided with cover alone became more disturbed by the entry of the experimenter as the study progressed. However, the birds taking longest on average to settle were those in cages with no cover and no reward. Females preferred males in the reward conditions as mates, either due to the fact that these males settled more quickly or because less-stressed males are more attractive in some other way. Thus, rewarding birds after disturbance is an effective and simple way to improve habituation to handling and human presence. In addition, these birds are more attractive to females, implying that males more habituated to captivity may be preferred as mates. Provision of cover may help under certain circumstances, but appears paradoxically to lead to increased fearfulness over time under the conditions studied here.

Fenn traps are widely used in New Zealand for control of small predators. Introduced stoats (Mustela erminea) pose a significant risk to many indigenous New Zealand bird species, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) has used Fenn traps to reduce their numbers over the last 20-30 years. Changes to New Zealand animal welfare legislation in 1999 focused attention on whether this trap killed quickly and consistently and, therefore, pen tests were carried out to assess their killing performance. A guideline for testing traps was developed for the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and to meet the guidelines kill traps must render all ten test animals irreversibly unconscious within three minutes. Testing is stopped as soon as three animals fail the criterion. New Mk IV and MkVI and used MkVI Fenn traps were tested. With the exception of one stoat captured in a new MkVI trap, all stoats remained conscious until euthanased at 5 minutes, and consequently only three stoats were used in each test. In response to these results, a new series of traps was developed (DOC 150, 200, and 250). These killed all 10 test animals, with all rendered irreversibly unconscious within 3 minutes and most unconscious in less than 20 seconds. The new DOC traps have also been tested for their efficacy at killing other small mammals including rats, ferrets, and hedgehogs, which are often captured as non-target species. As these new traps replace Fenn traps in Department of Conservation stoat control operations, significant improvements in the welfare of trapped stoats should result.

Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are often housed indoors both singly and in groups. However, there is a lack of studies dealing with cat-cat relationships, group composition and effects of environmental parameters on the well-being of privately-owned cats. One way to index the effects of stressful situations is to measure glucocorticoid levels, as glucocorticoids are released from the adrenal cortex in response to stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Therefore, we investigated the influence of single and group housing on basal urinary cortisol levels of indoor-only domestic cats in private households, taking into account dominance status and environmental parameters. Urine samples were collected non-invasively by owners from six single-housed cats and six alpha-omega animal pairs of multi-cat households. Dominance status in group-housed cats was determined by competition test series. Additionally, we compared cortisol levels of privately-owned cats with those of shelter cats. Results showed that basal urinary cortisol levels of cats in private households are neither influenced by housing style (single cat vs multi cat) nor by individuals' dominance status. Correlations indicated a positive influence of human density, number of persons per household, and number of m2 available to cats on basal urinary cortisol levels, whereas cat-related parameters such as number of cats per household, number of m2 per cat, and number of persons per cat, did not have any significant influence on basal urinary cortisol levels. A comparison of basal urinary cortisol levels of privately-owned and shelter cats revealed no influence of location (private household, shelter) and group type (single, group [dominant or subordinate]) on basal urinary cortisol levels. This study is the first to investigate basal urinary cortisol levels of domestic cats in private households and an animal shelter considering housing style, dominance status, and environmental parameters.

The aim of this study was to assess unconsciousness in pigs during exposure to CO2 through changes in the middle latency auditory evoke potentials (MLAEP) of the central nervous system (CNS), blood parameters (pH, carbon dioxide partial pressure [pCO2], oxygen partial pressure [pO2], oxygen saturation [SatO2] and bicarbonate [HCO−3]), behaviour and the corneal reflex. The MLEAP did not decrease significantly until after 60 s exposure to CO2. The blood parameters (decreased pH, pO2 and SatO2 and increased pCO2 and HCO3) changed 53 s after the onset of immersion. The burst suppression index (BS%) and the A-line ARX index (AAI) from the MLEAP recovered basal levels at 136 and 249 s, respectively. The first blood parameter to return to basal levels was HCO−3 at 76 s of exposure, followed by SatO2 at 180 s, pH and pO2 at 210 s and pCO2 at 240 s. During exposure to the gas, pigs exhibited lateral head movements and sneezing (10.3 s), gasping (23.5 s) and vocalisation (26.1 s). Furthermore, all pigs demonstrated muscular excitation after between 19 and 39 s exposure, when the AAI and BS% values were not significantly different from basal values. It was suggested, therefore, that these excitatory movements represent conscious movement, indicative of aversion to the gas. According to our results, loss of consciousness began, on average, after 60 s inhalation of 90% CO2. During exposure to the gas, decreased brain activity was seen, immediately following the changes in blood parameters. Following exposure, the restoration of blood parameters to basal levels allows a return to normal brain activity.

Male African cichlids (Oreochromis mossambicus) establish territories on the substrate upon which spawning pits are dug, thus attracting females. The substrate, therefore, plays a very significant role in its lifecycle. The effects of substrate access on behaviour and physiology in captivity were assessed. Mixed-sex, all-male and all-female groups were observed for five days, with and without substrate. Social patterns, behaviour directed towards the substrate, locomotor activity and spatial behaviour were recorded, and haematocrit, plasma cortisol and glucose levels were measured. Substrate inclusion saw a significant increase in behavioural diversity, sexual behaviour of dominant males in mixed groups, pit digging and territoriality whereas a lack of substrate was characterised by increased chafing and inactivity. Vacuum-pit digging was also observed. Frequency of aggression did not differ significantly and female behaviour was not affected by the presence of substrate. For both sexes, no differences in cortisol and glucose levels were found between the two treatments, but haematocrit increased with substrate. The key role played by substrate in territorial males is consistent with the behavioural and physiological data reported. In the absence of substrate, decreased territorial behaviour is contrasted with similar levels of aggression, cortisol and glucose; all of which are suggestive of a stress-related context. Moreover, the exhibition of vacuum activities is a signal that behavioural needs are not being met and may be some form of coping mechanism. These findings, taken in conjunction with the variations in behavioural diversity and inactivity, suggest that the welfare of male cichlids may be adversely affected by the absence of substrate.

There is a need to assess the welfare of dairy cows that live outdoors under cold and wet conditions. This study combined a number of techniques to measure stress and make an assessment of welfare in this situation. Two groups of ten non-pregnant, non-lactating Holstein Friesian cows were exposed to a week of wind and rain (WR) or housed indoors (I) with pre- and post-treatment weeks indoors in a cross-over design. Wind and rain consisted of continual air movement (7.1 kph) using fans, water sprinkling for 15 min (3.0 mm) per hour, a mean temperature of 3.4°C and wind chill of –0.3°C. Internal body temperature was recorded every ten min and behaviour for 16 h per day. Blood, faeces and infrared temperatures were sampled at 0800h each morning during treatment weeks, and three times per week during pre- and post-treatment weeks. All cows were challenged with 2 ml Leptoshield Vaccine (CSL Animal Health, Australia) subcutaneously after 3 days of cold exposure to test immune responses. During WR, cows spent a greater proportion of time standing and less time lying down and eating than during I. Infrared temperatures were lower during WR than I in both dorsal and orbital (eye) regions. There was a distinct diurnal pattern of internal body temperature which had a greater amplitude during WR than I resulting from both a lower minimum and a higher maximum. The time of the minimum was 40 min later for WR than I. The overall mean body temperature was 0.07°C higher in WR than I. There were greater increases in plasma and faecal cortisol during WR than I, respectively. Total T4 was higher during WR than I. Non-esterified fatty acid concentration was higher in the week following WR than I. Total white blood cell numbers were lower during WR than I. No treatment differences were found for creatine kinase or for tumour necrosis factor, heat shock protein 90, interleukin 6 or interferon gamma expression in response to vaccination. In conclusion, this study applied a suite of stress measures to dairy cows exposed to extreme cold and wet conditions. Together, these measures indicated activation of the stress axis, physiological and behavioural adaptations to cold and a reduction in welfare. A number of these measures could be used to assess welfare under cold conditions on farms.

Marine ecotourism has undergone worldwide expansion in recent years, leading to increased concern regarding the impact on the environment. Despite this, however, few studies into the potential effect of tourist boats on dolphin welfare, have been carried out. In order to evaluate the impact of these activities on the presence and foraging behaviour of the threatened marine tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis), we observed them: 1) prior to the arrival of a boat in the bay; 2) for the duration of a vessel's stay in the bay and 3) after the boat's departure: ie pre-exposure, exposure and post-exposure phases. Both the average number of dolphins and the foraging activity were significantly reduced while a vessel was in the bay. Marine tucuxis are exclusively coastal and show fidelity to the site where they choose to live which makes any environmental disturbance of particular importance. Moreover, our findings are further evidence of the need for motorboat activity to be regulated and monitored to protect marine tucuxis as well as other coastal and estuarine dolphins.

The effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of stabled horses was estimated on the basis of positive and negative behavioural indicators. Six stabled horses were exposed for seven days to each of two conditions in early spring: i) a window at the back of the loose box was opened, but no horses were within the view of the subject horses (OW) and ii) the window in the loose box was opened and two horses that had been in the same stable as the subject horses were turned out to the paddock next to the stable and were within view of the subject horses (OWH). The window in the loose box had been closed prior to the start of the study for protection against the cold during winter months (CW condition) but horses could see outside the loose box through the grille door. The behaviour of the subject horses was recorded by video camera from 1300 to 1530h, firstly, in the CW condition for the three days prior to treatment as the control condition, and then for the last three days of each week in the OW and OWH conditions. The behaviour was focal- and instantaneous-sampled at 30-s intervals. Significant differences between the effects of the loose box conditions on the mean percentage of time spent in standing behaviour, looking behaviour, and bedding investigation behaviour (which may be an indicator of frustration) were observed but no significant difference in the mean percentage of time spent in standing-sleep behaviour (which may be an indicator of behavioural satisfaction) was observed. When the window was opened, bedding investigation and standing behaviour decreased and, when the conspecifics were within view, bedding investigation behaviour decreased and looking behaviour increased. The results suggested that the OW and OWH treatments suppressed the frustration of stabled horses which did not perform any abnormal behaviour, but may not increase the behavioural satisfaction of stabled horses.

It is extremely difficult to carry out an assessment of welfare in an entirely objective manner. The choice of welfare indicators, as well as the assignment of relative weightings to these indicators, both involve a certain degree of subjectivity. The aim of this study was to create a possible method of dealing with this subjectivity, using the opinions of groups of experts to increase the consensus for a protocol for the on-farm assessment of laying-hen welfare. The selection of the 17 separate welfare indicators was based both on a questionnaire submitted to 18 international poultry welfare experts and on the practical feasibility of collecting the respective data during a one-day farm visit. Subsequently, a second group of 13 experts was asked to assign relative weightings to the welfare indicators in this protocol. This assessment was carried out twice, once with and once without provision of detailed information on the welfare indicators. When detailed information was provided, the weightings assigned to the welfare indicators were generally lower than when no detailed information was provided. In conclusion, subjectivity regarding the choice of welfare indicators and the assignment of their relative weightings, can be dealt with and made transparent by seeking consensus among experts. Although the choice of experts, the methodology for extracting consensus data, and the nature and amount of information on the welfare indicators that should be provided, are likely to benefit from further refinement, the data presented in this study should be valuable for the development and application of formalised protocols for an integrated assessment of the welfare of laying hens, on-farm.

Until recently, little attention has been focused on the influence of social interactions and the presence of conspecifics on stereotypic pacing in captive carnivores. This study examined the effect of adding a visual barrier between two tiger (Panthera tigris) exhibits on stereotypic pacing behaviour. Continuous sampling was used to record the duration of time tigers spent pacing and the total number of pacing bouts. The results show a significant decrease in stereotypic pacing for the group of six female tigers after obstruction of the view of neighbouring tigers. These results suggest that the opportunity for tigers to view conspecifics in other exhibits may influence time spent pacing therefore it is felt that the design or renovation of tiger exhibits should take the visibility of neighbouring individuals into account.

Behavioural and salivary Cortisol responses were measured in hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) (n = 5) undergoing positive reinforcement training (PRT). Compliance was assessed by collecting behavioural data on desirable and undesirable responses during each training session (33-46 training sessions per male). Saliva was collected before implementation of the training programme (3-4 baseline samples per male) and immediately before and ten minutes after a training session (24-53 saliva samples per male). During training, the incidence of leaving the training area, vocalising and threat displays changed across time. Performance of the desired behaviour (holding a target for increasing increments of time) improved for all males during the study period. Concentrations of salivary cortisol were similar for pre-training and post-training collection times, but both were significantly lower than baseline concentrations. The overall decline in undesirable behaviours and the absence of constantly elevated salivary cortisol suggest that PRT had no adverse effects on animal welfare.

A survey was carried out to examine the attitudes of Turkish veterinarians towards animal welfare issues. The email questionnaire consisted of three sections of statements with a five-point Likert scale for choices of answer. The first section included statements examining the attitudes of Turkish veterinarians to animal welfare issues relating to European Union (EU) Legislation (93/119/EC, 95/29/EC, 2002/4EC and Council Regulation 1/2005). In the second, statements were designed to ascertain veterinarian attitudes towards the recently-passed Animal Protection Law, TR-5199. The statements in the last section were designed to assess the respondents' personal beliefs on a variety of welfare topics. The survey was sent to 615 veterinarians and the response rate was 40.2%. Turkish veterinarians expressed considerable support for the implications of animal welfare with the exception of statements regarding ‘stunning of ruminants pre-slaughter’, ‘phasing out of battery cages for poultry’ and ‘not operating on animals for aesthetic purposes’. In addition, they did not agree with the statements related to ‘ethological needs of farm animals’ and ‘effectiveness of EU laws and legislation in Turkey’. Females had higher mean values than males. The results of the survey indicated that significant concern for animal welfare issues is seen in the Turkish veterinarian population. Although the process of becoming a fully-integrated member of the EU will not occur rapidly, the influence of veterinarians could potentially enhance animal welfare in Turkey.

The variability of animal-based parameters was studied within a population of 41 farrow-to-finish farms. Data were collected during three visits, each corresponding to a different season within a two-year period. The largest between-farm variability was observed for stereotypic behaviour by pregnant sows, and for skin, ear and tail lesions, dirtiness and respiratory problems in growing pigs. Relationships with housing and management parameters were established to formulate advice on how to improve pigs' welfare. Group-housed sows performed less oral stereotypic behaviour than individual housed sows (18.7 versus 44.1%), but a higher proportion of skin lesions was observed in group-housed sows (15.4 versus 2.0%). Prevalence of tail-biting behaviour varied between 0 and 21%. The risk for tail biting was higher in cases of reduced levels of floor space per pig, and ear-biting behaviour occurred more often when tails were docked short. Coughing was not correlated directly with the occurrence of lung lesions, but the risk was higher in instances of reduced space availability per pig. Farms could be ranked according to these welfare parameters, ie either according to the score of each individual parameter or based on the summation of all scores. Hence, welfare status was defined in relation to farm-specific information, allowing formulation of advice on housing and management to ultimately improve pig welfare through the matching of a predefined benchmark.

Operant procedures occupy a prominent role within animal welfare science because they provide information about the strength of animals’ preferences. It is assumed that strongly motivated choices commonly indicate conditions necessary for uncompromised welfare. A review of the literature shows that members of many species will work for access to resources not commonly provided to them; including a secure resting place (perches for hens or boxes for rodents) and substrates for species-typical activities such as nesting, digging and rooting (in hens, rats, mice and pigs). Despite a recent surge in popularity, operant techniques remain under-utilised and studies employing them struggle to find the best method for prioritising resources. In order to fully exploit the potential of operant procedures a wider appreciation of the relevant theories and techniques might be beneficial; including greater employment of the basic principles of reinforcement theory and further development of more complex economic analogies. If these two strands of research develop together, operant approaches have a key role to play in refining and replacing husbandry practices that undermine animal welfare.

The aim of this trial was to describe the behavioural, neuroendocrine, immune and acute phase stress responses in dogs undergoing elective surgery in normal, clinical practice conditions. Sixteen dogs were submitted to elective orchiectomy or ovariohysterectomy using a standardised surgical protocol. Each animal was confined to the Intensive Care Unit during pre- and post-surgery and perioperative behavioural, neuroendocrine, immune and acute phase responses were studied. Behavioural categories, cortisol, prolactin, white blood cell, C-reactive protein and haptoglobin variation were evaluated. Values at different times were compared with basal values shown by the dog in its usual environment. Communicative and explorative behaviours showed high occurrence pre-surgery and were inhibited post-surgery. Decreases in post-surgery activity, interactive behaviours and changes in waking/sleeping patterns were observed. The most sensitive marker of psychological stress, cortisol, in comparison with basal values, showed a significant increase both during pre- and post-surgery confinement in the ICU cage. Prolactin values were characterised by a significant decrease early into the post-surgery period. The immune response was characterised by long-term neutrophilia and monocytosis, but by short-term lymphopaenia and eosinopaenia, limited to the early post-operative period. With regard to the acute phase response, both C-reactive protein and haptoglobin showed a long-term increase, post-surgery. Changes in behavioural, haematological and biochemical markers showed that perioperative stress represents a major challenge to dog welfare.

From 2012 onwards, all laying hens in Europe will need to be housed either in furnished cages or non-cage systems (aviaries or floor-housing systems). In terms of animal welfare, furnished cages and non-cage systems both have advantages and disadvantages. Data on direct comparisons between the two, however, are limited. The aim of this study was to carry out an on-farm comparison of laying hens’ welfare in furnished cages and non-cage systems. To meet this aim, six flocks of laying hens in furnished cages and seven flocks in non-cage systems (all without an outdoor run) were visited when hens were around 60 weeks of age and a number of measures were collected: behavioural observations, fearfulness, plumage and body condition, incidence of bone breaks, bone strength, TGI-score (or Animal Needs Index), dust levels and mortality. In non-cage systems, birds were found to be more active and made greater use of resources (scratching area, perches) than in furnished cages. These birds also had stronger bones and were less fearful than birds in furnished cages. On the other hand, birds in furnished cages had lower mortality rates, lower incidence of bone fractures and lower airborne dust concentrations. When all the welfare indicators were integrated into an overall welfare score, there were no significant differences between systems. These results indicate that furnished cages and non-cage systems have both strong and weak points in terms of their impact on animal welfare.