Environmental pollution is a growing concern in poultry production, with potential effects on broiler welfare. This study investigated the fear responses of broiler chickens reared in environments with and without industrial pollution over a six-week period. Two hundred 1-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were randomly allotted into two experimental groups: a control environment without industrial pollution and an industrial environment. Birds (n = 100/site) were housed in open-sided deep litter facilities under similar management. Air quality was assessed, and fear responses using tonic immobility, emergence, and inversion tests were monitored. Higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen dioxide with the exception of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide were observed at the industrial site. Birds at the industrial site exhibited longer (p < 0.05) emergence latency at weeks 5 and 6 and greater flapping intensity and duration during weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Birds in the industrial environment showed longer (p < 0.05) overall average tonic immobility and emergence latency, suggesting that industrial pollution may alter selected fear-related behavioral responses and potentially compromise welfare. .
This study evaluated the behavioral and productive responses of European quails (Coturnix coturnix) to environmental enrichments designed to mitigate monotonous confinement conditions. A total of 192 quails (96 females and 96 males) were distributed in a completely randomized 2 × 2 × 4 factorial design, comprising two lineages (LF1 and LF2), two sexes, and four enrichment treatments (control, beads, red wool, and beads + red wool), with 12 replicates per treatment combination. Behavior was recorded by eight cameras and assessed at five-minute intervals using an ethogram comprising 11 predefined behaviors. Behavioral diversity was evaluated using the Shannon index. Females had higher body weight, weight gain, and tissue mass than males, while lineage 2 showed higher body weight and tissue values than lineage 1. Enrichment did not affect surface body temperature, feed intake, or performance. A significant treatment × sex interaction indicated sex-dependent behavioral responses, with differences in behavioral diversity among male treatment groups. Overall, low-cost environmental enrichment promoted behavioral variation without impairing productive performance, although physiological stress indicators are needed for a more definitive welfare assessment.
HIGHLIGHTS:OLZs support greater behavioral diversity and more positive emotional states in urban dogs compared to on-leash conditions.Agility equipment increases physical activity and intraspecific interactions but is often underutilized and poorly adapted to small dog breeds.Dog owners prioritize safety, environmental quality, and perceived dog enjoyment when selecting OLZs, over proximity alone.
Primate social hair plucking (SHP) has been posited to be prosocial or agonistic, though the health-associated concerns of SHP are less frequently explored. We studied SHP in seven mixed-sex groups of captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), at the National Biomedical Research Institute. We examined whether individual rates of SHP were associated with grooming, aggression, and socio-demographic characteristics. We also examined whether SHP rates were associated with alopecia, body condition, and hair cortisol concentrations. Rates of SHP production and reception were similar to grooming and aggression, yet exhibited directional rank flow similar to aggression with kin biases similar to those for grooming. SHP given was associated with shared kinship with a social hair plucker; putative evidence of social transmission. SHP received was associated with alopecia. SHP given was associated with hair cortisol concentrations in females, albeit with high uncertainty. SHP fits the description of an abnormal behavior, is defined by a function, shows characteristics upheld by prosocial and aggressive behaviors, and has health associations. Future research should develop a comparative framework of SHP across species to examine mechanisms and motivations.
Parrots are among the most popular pets, yet few studies have examined how guardians provide their birds with environmental enrichment (EE). This study described common EE practices, identified underutilized strategies, documented behavior problems, and explored guardian motivations using a global online survey (n = 619, November 2020-February 2021). Most participants had heard of EE (88.8%), and nearly all reported intentionally providing it once defined (98.8%). Common practices included varying diet, rotating toys, encouraging bathing, and facilitating social interactions, however, diet-based enrichment often raised nutritional concerns. Fewer than half of parrots received cardiovascular exercise via flight (48.9%), foraging-based activities (46.2%), or positive reinforcement training (34.6%). Human interaction was commonly perceived as the most preferred EE by birds, followed by food-based and destructible toys. Guardian age was associated with EE motivations (χ², p = 0.034 to <0.001), with younger guardians more commonly citing welfare-related reasons. Most guardians (65.4%) reported at least one behavior concern, with aggressive and compulsive behaviours frequently being co-reported with fearfulness. Together these findings provide a foundation for evidence-based strategies to promote companion parrot welfare.
Track devices can cause behavioral, physical, and physiological adverse effects, with individuals varying in how quickly they adapt to them. We examined behavioral effects of replica radio-collars on two captive psittacid species, Scaly-headed Parrot (17 Pionus maximiliani) and Blue-winged Macaw (12 Primolius maracana), and whether temperament influences adaptation to the device. Five temperament dimensions were identified: Activity, Boldness, Anxiety, Neophobia/Neophilia, and Proximity to Humans. Behavioral observations were conducted in two conditions: baseline (no collars) and with collars. With collars, parrots spent less time in "movement," "locomotion," "preening," "environment interaction," "feeding," and "negative social interaction" (p < 0.05), and more time at "rest" and in "inactivity" (p < 0.05) than their baseline measure. "rest" and "inactivity" decreased, while "preening," "environment interaction," "feeding," "movement," and "locomotion" increased (p < 0.05) as days passed. "Interaction with collar" did not change over time (p > 0.05). Temperament did not influence the adaptation to neck collars (p > 0.05). These behavioral changes may hinder the adaptation and survival of released birds by reducing exploration and increasing stationary behaviors. Such effects can lead to starvation and troublesome social interactions, posing risks for radiotelemetry conservation efforts.
Pangolins, such as the critically endangered Chinese and Malayan species, often develop stereotypic behaviors in captivity. To automate the detection of these behaviors, we propose a video recognition method using an improved YOLO v8n-CBAM model. It detects pangolins and maps their image coordinates to real-world locations, generating movement trajectories. These are segmented and analyzed by a ResNet18 model to identify stereotypic behavior. Our improved YOLO model achieves 99.93% recall and 95.63% mAP@0.50:0.95. Trajectory distance accuracy reaches 98.48%, and stereotypic behavior periods are detected with an average accuracy of 96.37%. This automated approach provides a scientific basis for improving pangolin husbandry and conservation management.
This study compared animal welfare outcomes in grazing and confined dairy systems. Eighteen farms (nine grazing and nine confined) were evaluated using 30 animal- and resource-based measures aggregated into 12 criteria and four welfare principles (0-100 scale): Good Feeding, Good Housing, Good Health, and Appropriate Behavior. No significant differences were detected for Good Feeding (75 vs. 76) or Good Health (32 vs. 34). Appropriate Behavior scores were lower in confined systems (16) than in grazing systems (34). For Good Housing, confidence intervals suggested higher scores in grazing systems (71) than in confined systems (57), although the lack of variability among grazing farms limited statistical interpretation. Despite similar Good Health scores, some individual indicators showed contrasting patterns. The proportion of cows with injuries or nasal discharge was higher in grazing systems, whereas the proportion with somatic cell counts ≥ 400,000 cells/mL was lower in confined herds. In contrast, grazing systems showed a higher proportion of non-lame cows and lower mortality (5% vs. 8%). Overall, both systems showed welfare strengths and weaknesses, although grazing systems showed advantages in behavior, locomotion, and survival.
This study examined the link between human-pet touch and pet wellbeing and further compared dogs and cats, given that dogs tend to be more social. A sample of 443 pet caregivers (owners) rated their companion animal's (pet's) wellbeing and reported on the duration and types of physical contact with their pet. Stroking emerged as the only form of owner-initiated touch that significantly predicted higher levels of perceived pet wellbeing. Among pet-initiated behaviors, leaning and, less consistently, bunting (i.e. head rubbing) showed positive effects. Importantly, wellbeing benefits depended on the context of touch, the owner's affective response to touch, and/or the species. Effects of owner stroking and pet leaning appeared only in dogs, whereas effects of rubbing/bunting were evident only in cats. Together, these findings provide novel evidence for the role of physical contact in household pets' wellbeing and highlight additional factors, including species-specific sociality, that shape the effects of touch.
Sheep farming is a major livestock sector supporting rural economies and social cohesion. Alongside management practices, breed plays an important role in shaping adaptability. In recent years, animal behavior has gained prominence as an indicator of welfare and a tool for improving sheep management. Sheep display a wide range of social interactions; however, most behavioral studies have focused on free‑ranging populations, leaving limited knowledge about behavior under intensive systems. This study evaluated the activity and social behavior of two dairy breeds, Chios and Karagouniki. Two groups of ewes at the same production stage (Chios: n=24; Karagouniki: n=15) were monitored daily using video recording. Behavioral data were analyzed to quantify activity patterns and social interactions within each group. Most activity behaviors did not differ significantly between breeds, except for standing and lying, which occurred more frequently (p<0.05) in Karagouniki ewes. Also, Chios ewes both initiated and received more affiliative behaviors and initiated more agonistic behaviors (p<0.05). However, Social Index and Average Dominance Index values did not differ between breeds. These findings contribute to understanding sheep behavior in intensive farming environments.
To improve horse welfare do we need more science or a different scientific approach? For over 40 years researchers have called for change to improve horse welfare. During this time, publications have grown exponentially, improving our understanding of horse's needs and the need for change. However, the translation of science into practice is arguably too slow, and yet, there is scant industry-specific research to guide change efforts. To assist behaviour change research, this paper recasts an influential, highly regarded systems thinking framework, the Meadows 12, for the horse industry as the Horse Welfare 12 (HW12). The HW12 identifies 12 places to intervene in a system (horse industry), ranking them from least to most effective, providing researchers with an accessible, practical tool that can be adapted for any species or animal use industry. The HW12 is based on the authors' combined industry lived experience, and extensive horse welfare and systems thinking research. The HW12 is a roadmap that could accelerate translating science into practice, which is perhaps the missing piece of the welfare science puzzle for creating meaningful horse welfare improvements.
This study investigated the effect of cohabitation period on breeder welfare, hatching weight, performance, and carcass traits of offspring. 180 breeder quails were selected for the formation of the experimental groups, which consisted of breeder Group A (males and females were housed together throughout the experimental period), Group B (males were housed together with females once a week throughout the experimental period), and Group C (males were housed together with females twice a week throughout the experimental period). The body injury score was significantly higher in breeder group B and C compared to breeder group A, with females having significantly higher body injury scores than males (p ≤ 0.05). The rectal temperature was significantly higher in breeder females (p ≤ 0.05). The body weight (1, 3, and 4 wk) was significantly higher and the feed conversion ratio (1 wk) significantly better in offspring of breeder group A (p ≤ 0.05). Lower body weight (at 2 wk), body weight gain (at 1 wk), and poorest feed conversion ratio (at 1 wk) were identified in offspring of breeder group C (p ≤ 0.05). Higher slaughter weight, thigh weight, breast weight, and breast yield were identified in the offspring of breeder group A (p ≤ 0.05).
Agility training promotes canine well-being but may also induce physiological arousal. Training sessions, not just competitions, can impose significant physical and emotional demands on dogs. This study evaluated behavioral and physiological arousal responses during agility training, focusing on associations with training experience and breed function. Nineteen owned dogs were assessed using salivary cortisol sampling and a species-specific ethogram. Behavioral data were recorded during training, and cortisol levels were measured at baseline (T0), before (T1), and after training (T2). Baseline cortisol was significantly lower than T1 and T2, with no differences between T1 and T2, suggesting sustained physiological activation from anticipation through the post-training phase. Beginner dogs showed higher frequencies of stress-related behaviors (e.g., licking, panting), while Juniors displayed more arousal-related behaviors (e.g., jumping, vocalizing). Herding dogs exhibited consistently higher cortisol levels across all time points without a corresponding increase in stress-related behaviors, suggesting a breed-related coping tendency. A PCA revealed distinct clustering for Beginners, while herding dogs showed a homogeneous pattern driven by cortisol variables. These findings highlight the value of combining behavioral and physiological measures to describe arousal patterns during agility training.
Developing cost-effective and easily deployable fencing systems for cattle to mitigate escape risk is essential to promote the creation of grazing enclosures in abandoned fields. Visual perception of the environment outside a fence may trigger escape behavior of cattle. We investigated the impact of obstructing visual information on escape-related behaviors in four Japanese black cows and six Holstein non-lactating cows. In Experiment 1, we evaluated the frequency and time of escape-related behaviors in cows placed in an electric fence enclosure when the electricity was turned off and highly palatable feed was visible beyond the fence. In Experiment 2, we installed opaque sheets outside the electric fence to prevent the cows from recognizing any palatable feed and evaluated the effect on escape-related behaviors in cows using the recorded data (Experiments 1 and 2:1872 h in total). In Experiment 1, five cows exhibited escape-related behaviors and escaped from the electric fence (average escape time: 4.6 ± 1.3 days (mean ± SE)). In Experiment 2, the escape-related behaviors of the cows were significantly reduced by visual blockage of the environment outside the fence (p < 0.01).
Working equines are indispensable for transport and agriculture in Gondar town, yet welfare standards remain understudied. This first Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices study in this region highlights critical gaps despite working equines' socio-economic importance. A questionnaire survey was employed to collect data from 384 equine owners, assessing their demographic profiles, knowledge of equine welfare, attitudes toward animal care, and the welfare practices. A 5-point Likert questionnaire was used, and descriptive analysis was conducted. Only 40.9% understood animal welfare concepts, while 59.4% couldnot define it. The largest group of equine owners were aged 21-30 (47.7%) and most respondents (84.5%) maintained only "fair" practices, which indicates a universal need for practical welfare support. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences across demographics, though numeric variability was observed by age, education, and occupation. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on animal welfare in Ethiopia, offering recommendations for future initiatives aimed at supporting equine owners. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the need for improved educational strategies and support systems to facilitate better health outcomes, thereby enhancing the livelihoods of those who rely upon them.
The Standardbred racing industry plays an important role in the North American economy and is expected to continue operating and growing. However, public perception is often unfavorable, with increasing concern about the health and welfare of Standardbred racehorses. Despite this, limited research has examined Standardbred well-being. To address this gap, a survey of equine trainers on Prince Edward Island (PEI) was conducted to evaluate key health and welfare issues during racing careers. Results showed that over one quarter of respondents had at least one horse displaying stereotypic behaviors. Considerable variation was also found in free-exercise practices, with pasture or paddock access during the racing season ranging from none to daily access. Career- and life-ending injuries or illnesses were examined due to public concern in this regard. Most respondents (94%) reported no life-ending injuries or illnesses in the past year, while 68% reported no career-ending injuries or illnesses. Further investigation and targeted strategies could enhance horse welfare and strengthen public trust in the industry.
Mortality in the receiving stage is considered a direct indicator of animal health and productivity, and it may also serve as an indirect indicator of animal welfare. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with animal mortality during the receiving stage of feedlot cattle production systems. A cohort study conducted between August-December 2022 and January-May 2023. The receiving stage was analyzed production systems at state of Queretaro, Mexico. An integrated checklist was applied to assess the transport, handling, and infrastructure of animal pens. A descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis to assess potential risk factors associated with mortality, using Stata version15 software. The receiving stage in feedlot cattle lasted an average of 24.9 days. Included a total of 2263 animals. Nineteen lots originated from the south of México. A mortality rate of 0.75% was observed. Multivariate analysis revealed that cattle lots in which animals slipped during handling had an IRR of 6.6 (CI: 1.08-40.22; p = 0.041), compared with lots where no slipping animals was observed. These findings suggest that optimizing unloading and animal handling process may reduce cattle mortality in feedlots. In addition, the implementation of welfare practices under veterinary supervision could further decrease mortality rates.
This study evaluated hair cortisol as a biomarker of chronic stress in 34 domestic cats (Felis catus), comparing indoor and outdoor individuals. The aim was to investigate associations between hormonal levels, physical and social environmental characteristics, and behavioral indicators related to feline welfare. Hair samples were analyzed using the ELISA method, and guardians completed structured questionnaires. The overall mean cortisol concentration was 2.52 pg/mg, with no significant difference between indoor (2.40 pg/mg) and outdoor (2.62 pg/mg; p = 0.510) groups, suggesting that both housing styles may be compatible with low physiological stress levels. Indoor cats were associated with more intentionally enriched environments, including litter boxes, hiding places, vertical spaces, and predatory stimuli, highlighting the importance of resources provided by the owners indoors. Cats exhibiting behaviors such as isolation and excessive vocalization showed higher cortisol levels, while perceived stress reported by guardians did not correlate with hormonal data. The findings reinforce the relevance of environmental enrichment for feline welfare. Studies with larger samples are recommended to deepen these associations and support the dissemination of effective environmental management practices for domestic cats.
Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI's ChatGPT-4o and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro are increasingly used to retrieve care advice on specialized topics including exotic pet husbandry, raising concerns about accuracy and animal welfare. This study, to our knowledge, is the first direct comparison of these models for husbandry knowledge on the widely kept reptile leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Both were queried with 21 questions (biology, care, health) using two prompting styles: questions asked individually in separate chats and all questions asked within a single chat; responses were scored for accuracy and completeness. Both provided generally accurate information (≥2/3) without dangerous errors or "hallucinations." However, completeness varied; Gemini 2.5 Pro providing more detail. Prompting style was critical: individual prompts yielded far more comprehensive responses (average words: ChatGPT 136, Gemini 387) than combined prompts (ChatGPT 12, Gemini 64), which were sometimes incomplete, especially for ChatGPT-4o. Furthermore, the models demonstrated potential data biases - such as omitting commercial diets while recommending only larger-than-standard enclosures. LLMs can be useful starting points, but critical evaluation, effective prompting, and expert consultation remain essential to ensure animal welfare.
