How are they really doing? Animal welfare on organic laying hen farms in terms of health and behaviour.

1. The present study describes the current welfare situation on commercial organic laying hen farms in Sweden in terms of indoor environment, bird health and behaviour.2.

Preliminary investigation into the housing of dwarf hamsters.

Background: Although pet hamsters are widely available, the literature on their husbandry and health is limited, and guidelines for the care of hamsters are variable. This study investigated housing in different dwarf hamster species, focusing on factors affecting co-housing failure.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey shared on social media investigated potential factors influencing co-housing failure of dwarf hamsters in captivity, such as sex, species and resources provided.

Easier said than done! Organic farmers consider free-ranging important for laying hen welfare but outdoor areas need more shelter - important gaps between research and practice.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the design and management of free-range areas and their use by birds on commercial organic laying hen farms in Sweden and to document farmers' perspectives on outdoor access for poultry.2.

Individual Monitoring of Activity and Lameness in Conventional and Slower-Growing Breeds of Broiler Chickens Using Accelerometers.

Accelerometers are increasingly being investigated to detect animal behavior as a method for monitoring individual welfare that overcomes manual challenges associated with time, resource, and discrete sampling. We investigated the effects of broiler chicken hybrid (hereafter breed) and weight on accelerometer activity (activityA; calculated as percentage of time spent active (%)) and its association with lameness as a major broiler welfare concern. Accelerometers were attached to birds of different breeds on between 2 and 4 occasions from 26 to 30 days old (conventional breed CNV) and 26 to 49 days old (two slower-growing breeds SGH; SGN).

Associations between behaviour and health outcomes in conventional and slow-growing breeds of broiler chicken.

Broiler chickens are prone to a range of complex health and welfare issues. To support informed selection of welfare traits whilst minimising impact on production efficiency and to address a major gap in understanding, we systematically explored associations between health and behavioural indicators of broiler welfare. One conventional (CNV, n = 350) and two slow-growing broiler breeds (SGH and SGN, respectively n = 400) were reared from hatch in pens of 50 birds.

The effect of visitors on the behavior of zoo-housed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

Primates, especially apes, are popular with the public, often attracting large crowds. These crowds could cause behavioral change in captive primates, whether positive, neutral, or negative. We examined the impact of visitors on the behavior of six western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), observing the troop over 6 weeks during high season (4.

The behaviour of commercial broilers in response to a mobile robot.

1. Modern broiler production in large sheds holding upwards of 50 000 birds uses indoor climate control based on a handful of fixed-location sensors, often well above the bird-occupied zone. Significant deviations from optimal climate conditions for the birds are common, but installing a higher-density grid of fixed sensors is not cost effective.

Pregabalin for the treatment of syringomyelia-associated neuropathic pain in dogs: A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trial.

Pregabalin is the first-line treatment for neuropathic pain (NeP) in humans. Dogs with Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM) associated with NeP could benefit from pregabalin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin for NeP in dogs with CM/SM.

Reporting of suspected dog fighting to the police, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and equivalents by veterinary professionals in the UK.

Dog fighting became unlawful in the UK in 1835, yet it continues today (as reported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and Crown Prosecution Service), although with an unknown prevalence. We used an online questionnaire to (1) determine the occurrence of dogs suspected of use in fighting in UK veterinary practices; (2) explore relative reporting of incidents to police, RSPCA or equivalent charity by registered veterinary nurses (RVN) and veterinarians; and (3) determine factors influencing reporting. Emails (n=2493) containing the questionnaire were sent to UK veterinary practices: 423 questionnaires (159 by RVNs, 264 by veterinarians) were completed.

Development and initial validation of a sensory threshold examination protocol (STEP) for phenotyping canine pain syndromes.

Objective: To study the feasibility and test-retest repeatability of a sensory threshold examination protocol (STEP) and report the quantitative sensory threshold distributions in healthy dogs.

Study Design: Prospective, observational, cohort study.

Animals: Twenty-five healthy client-owned dogs.

Dogs attending primary-care practice in England with clinical signs suggestive of Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia.

Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia (CM/SM) in dogs describes a developmental disorder that can cause pain and reduced quality of life. This retrospective study aimed to report the period prevalence, clinical signs and risk factors for diagnosis of symptomatic CM/SM in the veterinary primary-care setting using a cross-sectional design. The study population included all dogs within the VetCompass Programme (September 1, 2009-June 13, 2014).

Questionnaire-based behaviour analysis of Cavalier King Charles spaniels with neuropathic pain due to Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia.

Chiari-like malformation (CM)/syringomyelia (SM) is a disease complex recognised in Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCSs) that can lead to neuropathic pain (NeP). In humans, NeP is associated with anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life (QoL). In this study, databases of three specialist veterinary centres were searched and CKCS breed societies and health forums were contacted to identify CKCS with an imaging diagnosis of CM/SM.

Effect of low light and high noise on behavioural activity, physiological indicators of stress and production in laying hens.

1. Commercial laying hens are commonly housed in noisy and dim environments, yet relatively little is known about whether these conditions, particularly in combination, have any effect on welfare or egg production. 2.

Estimation of the number and demographics of companion dogs in the UK.

Background: Current estimates of the UK dog population vary, contain potential sources of bias and are based on expensive, large scale, public surveys. Here, we evaluate the potential of a variety of sources for estimation and monitoring of the companion dog population in the UK and associated demographic information. The sources considered were: a public survey; veterinary practices; pet insurance companies; micro-chip records; Kennel Club registrations; and the Pet Travel Scheme.

The impact of chronic environmental stressors on growing pigs, Sus scrofa (Part 2): social behaviour.

The effects of common and concurrent environmental stressors on the social behaviour of farm animals are poorly understood. Here, we report the results of a multifactorial experiment designed specifically to examine the individual, additive or interactive effects of elevated ammonia, noise and low light (LL) levels on the social behaviour of growing pigs. Social behaviour was measured in terms of the nature, frequency and duration of both initiated and response behaviours for 4 weeks following mixing of the groups.

The impact of chronic environmental stressors on growing pigs, Sus scrofa (Part 1): stress physiology, production and play behaviour.

Commercially farmed animals are frequently housed in conditions that impose a number of concurrent environmental stressors. For pigs housed indoors, elevated levels of mechanical noise, atmospheric ammonia and low light intensities are commonplace. This experiment examined the effects on growing pigs of chronic exposure to combinations of commercially relevant levels of these potential stressors.

Stimulus luminance and the spatial acuity of domestic fowl (Gallus g. domesticus).

The luminance dependence of spatial acuity in domestic fowl was measured directly over stimulus luminances ranging from 0.06 to 57.35 cd m(-2).

Measuring and modelling the spatial contrast sensitivity of the chicken (Gallus g. domesticus).

The spatial contrast sensitivity (CSF) of the chicken has been measured using a behavioural technique. The results obtained show that spatial vision in this species is relatively poor compared with the human observer. For a visual stimulus luminance of 16 c dm(-2), the upper frequency limit of spatial vision in the chicken (acuity) was found to be about 7.

Investigating social discrimination of group members by laying hens.

Social relationships in domestic fowl are commonly assumed to rely on social recognition and its pre-requisite, discrimination of group-mates. If this is true, then the unnatural physical and social environments in which commercial laying hens are typically housed, when compared with those in which their progenitor species evolved, may compromise social function with consequent implications for welfare. Our aims were to determine whether adult hens can discriminate between unique pairs of familiar conspecifics, and to establish the most appropriate method for assessing this social discrimination.

Controlled atmosphere stunning of broiler chickens. II. Effects on behaviour, physiology and meat quality in a commercial processing plant.

1. The effects of controlled atmosphere stunning on behavioural and physiological responses, and carcase and meat quality of broiler chickens were studied experimentally in a full scale processing plant. 2.

Controlled atmosphere stunning of broiler chickens. I. Effects on behaviour, physiology and meat quality in a pilot scale system at a processing plant.

1. The effects of controlled atmosphere stunning on the behaviour, physiology and carcase and meat quality of broiler chickens were studied experimentally in a pilot scale plant. 2.