Pinpointing pigs: performance and challenges of an ultra-wideband real-time location system for tracking growing-finishing pigs under practical conditions.

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLSs) are promising precision livestock farming tools and have been employed in behavioural studies across various farm animal species. However, their application in research with fattening pigs is so far unexplored. The implementation of these systems has great potential to gain insight into pigs' spatial behaviour such as the use of functional areas and pigs' proximity to each other as indicators for social relationships.

Sow serenity: automatic long-term measurement of lying behavior in crates and free-farrowing pens using 3D accelerometers.

Accelerometers are useful in analyzing lying behavior in farm animals. The effect of the farrowing system on sow lying behavior has been studied around parturition, but not long-term. In a natural environment, sows increase activity 14 d post parturition, which we expected to be also evident in housed sows when they can move freely.

Pasture-based fattening does not cause severe nonperforating lesions in veal calves of dairy breeds.

Abomasal damage is a known health issue in intensive veal production and is associated with improper housing and feeding. Grass-based veal production could be an improvement, as access to pasture allows the expression of natural behaviors, such as species-specific foraging, and thus can contribute to calf welfare. However, data on the abomasal health of grazed calves have not yet been reported.

Cross-species discrimination of vocal expression of emotional valence by Equidae and Suidae.

Background: Discrimination and perception of emotion expression regulate interactions between conspecifics and can lead to emotional contagion (state matching between producer and receiver) or to more complex forms of empathy (e.g., sympathetic concern).