Observations on the use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in teleosts and elasmobranchs at a public aquarium, 728 cases, 2007-2020.

Between 2007 and 2020 at New England Aquarium, Boston, MA, USA, we implanted passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags into 728 fish representing 105 teleost and elasmobranch species to identify animals as individuals. At the time of retrospective data analysis, mean longevity interval (median, range) after tag placement for animals that remained alive (n = 236) was 4.7 years (4.5, 0.3-13.8). Mean interval (median, range) between tag placement and death (n = 317) was 2.1 years (1.6, 0-11.2); and mean interval (median, range) between tag placement and transfer to other facilities (n = 175) was 2.5 years (3.1, 0.1-9.3). Possible adverse effects of tagging were extremely rare. Using the described methods, the equipment cost for every 10 PIT tag implantations was $2.83. PIT tag implantation in fishes is a safe and cost effective method to identify individuals, providing an opportunity to accumulate valuable data regarding individual longevity, welfare, basic demographics, and outcome of medical management. PIT tag implantation is recommended as a routine aspect of acquisition, quarantine, and medical management of fish under human care.

Behaviour and animal welfare indicators of broiler chickens housed in an enriched environment.

The present study aimed to assess the influence of adding straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors as environmental enrichment resources on the behaviour and welfare indicators of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A sample of 4,000 day-old male Cobb® 500 birds was used. The experimental treatments consisted of No Environmental Enrichment (NEE)-similar to a conventional environment; and Environmental Enrichment (EE)-environment enriched with straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors, with four replicates per treatment of 500 animals. Behavioural characteristics (ethological observation through cameras, grab test, and modified touch test) and animal welfare indicators (pododermatitis and dorsal cranial myopathy) were assessed. The birds submitted to the EE treatment exhibited greater exploratory activity and expression of behaviours associated with comfort and welfare, whereas those in the NEE group were less active. Locomotion and play fighting behaviour decreased and behaviours associated with comfort increased as age advanced. The frequencies of interaction with laser spots and birds lying around straw bales were the highest in the 1st week (P<0.01). The behaviours of pecking at straw bales (P<0.0004), using the step platforms (P = 0.0001) and being on top of straw bales (P<0.0002) gradually increased. The chickens accessed the feeding troughs the most in the period of 0800 hours (P<0.0001) and expressed the highest frequencies of behaviours associated with comfort in the 1400 hours and 1700 hours periods. The birds in the EE group were calmer in face of human presence and touch and scored higher in animal welfare indicators. Adding straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors increased locomotion, reduced expression of fear, and improved animal welfare indicators of broiler chickens.

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico.

Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received differing intervention histories (veterinary treatment plus educational initiatives, veterinary treatment only and control communities) in order to assess their efficacy. Indicators of equid welfare were assessed using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool and included body condition score, skin alterations, lameness, general health status and reaction to observer approach. Owners were interviewed about their involvement in previous welfare initiatives, beliefs regarding equid emotions and pain, and the social transmission of welfare knowledge, including whether they ask advice about their equid or discuss its health with others and whether there is a specific individual that they consider to be 'good with equids' in their community. In total 266 owners were interviewed from 25 communities across three states. Better welfare (specifically body condition and skin alteration scores) was seen in communities where a history of combined free veterinary treatment and educational initiatives had taken place compared to those that had only received veterinary treatment or control communities. The social transfer of welfare knowledge was also higher in these communities, suggesting that the discussion and transfer of equid welfare advice within communities can act as a mechanism to disseminate good welfare practices more widely. Our results suggest that using a combined approach may enhance the success of welfare initiatives, a finding that may impact future NGO programming.

Welfare assessment in intensive and semi-intensive dairy cattle management system in Sicily.

The present study aimed to compare the welfare of dairy cows kept in two traditional husbandry systems (semi-intensive and intensive farming) in south-eastern Sicily. A total of 18 dairy farms (nine semi-intensive and nine intensive) were evaluated with a multicriteria system adapted for Sicilian conditions and obtained simplifying the model of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Values of welfare measures, collected by inspections of the farms (general well-being indicators, ventilation system, resting areas [cubicles or bedding], flooring, milking parlours and waiting area, manger and watering equipment), and those of health categories (cases of abortions, hypocalcemia, displacement of abomasum, acidosis/ketosis, enteritis, hoof problems, and mastitis) obtained through the farm records, were compared using Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared tests, respectively. Data showed significant differences (p ≤ .05) about the variables related to welfare categories such as housing ventilation system, resting area, manger, and water equipment that were better in the semi-intensive system than the intensive system. No significant differences were observed about the variables related to health indicators. The results demonstrated that in Sicily the semi-intensive farm is better than the intensive to satisfy the conditions of animal welfare.

Good-looking vs. Obedient, Which Would You Rather Take Home? Appearance and Behavioral Predictors Affecting the Adoption of Shelter Dogs in Slovakia.

The aim of the study was to investigate the key factors influencing the successful adoption of dogs from dog shelters in Slovakia. The study covered the following factors in relation to individual dogs: time spent at the shelter, age, body weight, sex, coat color, length of the coat, and behavior (specifically intraspecific aggression, aggression toward humans, activity, and fear-related behavior). The survey was conducted in three shelters in the territory of the Slovak Republic. The online and on-site questionnaires of about 162 successfully adopted dogs were collected and were filled in by the shelter staff, those who accepted dogs into the shelter. Non-parametric statistics (Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test followed by Dunn's multiple comparisons test with correction) confirmed that the most important factors influencing the decision-making process of potential adopters were the age of the dog and its weight. However, we found that the length or color of the coat and sex had no effect on early adoption. While behavior is important during the prospective adopter/owner's interaction with the dog, it is still not the most important criterion in making a decision.

Associations between On-farm Welfare, Milk Production, and Reproductive Performance in Dairy Herds in Northwestern Spain.

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between on-farm welfare, milk production, and reproductive performance in dairy herds in northwestern Spain. Data on the welfare status from 31 herds were collected using the Welfare Quality® protocol. Linear regression was applied to assess associations between WQ criteria/principle scores on farm average 305-d milk production and calving to conception interval (CCI). Results indicated that milk production was associated with the absence of prolonged hunger criterion (average increase of 22.33kg per unit score). Each one unit increase in the score for good feeding was also associated with a26.49kg increase in milk production. A10 unit increase in the scores for the absence of pain (by management procedures), expression of social behaviors, and absence of injuries was associated with reductions in CCI by 1.77, 0.8, and 0.29 days. CCI also decreased by 1.08 and 0.53 days when the principles of good health and appropriate behavior increased by 10 units. This study points out associations which can help encourage the dairy cattle sector to adopt practices that promote animal welfare.

Computational fluid dynamics applied to the ventilation of small-animal laboratory cages.

Several studies based on in vivo or in vitro models have found promising results for the noble gas argon in neuroprotection against ischaemic pathologies. The development of argon as a medicinal product includes the requirement for toxicity testing through non-clinical studies. The long exposure period of animals (rats) during several days results in technical and logistic challenges related to the gas administration. In particular, a minimum of 10 air changes per hour (ACH) to maintain animal welfare results in extremely large volumes of experimental gas required if the gas is not recirculated. The difficulty with handling the many cylinders prompted the development of such a recirculation-based design. To distribute the recirculating gas to individually ventilated cages and monitor them properly was deemed more difficult than constructing a single large enclosure that will hold several open cages. To address these concerns, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the preliminary design was performed. A purpose-made exposure chamber was designed based on the CFD simulations. Comparisons of the simulation results to measurements of gas concentration at two cage positions while filling show that the CFD results compare well to these limited experiments. Thus, we believe that the CFD results are representative of the gas distribution throughout the enclosure. The CFD shows that the design provides better gas distribution (i.e. a higher effective air change rate) than predicted by 10 ACH.

Animal welfare evaluation at slaughterhouses for pigs at the "Eje Cafetero" region in Colombia.

Within the insensitization by electronarcosis and the bleeding processes performed at the pig's slaughterhouses, there are some factors that hinder the achievement of an adequate slaughter of these animals, being this a critical phase in which animal welfare must be guaranteed; the objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficiency of insensitization by electronarcosis and two types of bleeding direction (horizontal and vertical). Dependent variables were measured as indicators of animal welfare (absence of the corneal reflex, absence of reflex of sensitivity to painful stimuli, attempts to reinstatement or posture recovery and vocalization), after the stunning and bleeding process, in four slaughterhouses of national category in "Eje Cafetero", Colombia. The methodological approach included the binomial distribution, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing and statistical significance. The results show that the efficiency of the insensitization procedures and type of bleeding direction depends on multiple aspects, including the tranquility of the animals during their handling, the correct position of the insensitization clamps, the amperage used and the time between insensitization and bleeding. In this way, the analysis of possible preventive and/or corrective measures includes: Continuous training and supervision of the personnel in charge of carrying out the procedures, the need to immobilize pigs prior to their insensitization process, the continuous monitoring of process variables and the appropriate vascular cutting that ensures animal's death prior to their entrance into the scalding machine.

Dairy cow trade-off preference for 2 different lying qualities: Lying surface and lying space.

Lying down is an important behavior for cows, contributing to their health and welfare. With dairy cows being housed for increasingly longer periods, if not year-round, it is important to ensure that dairy cow lying comfort is not compromised when they are housed. The aim of this study was to assess cow preference for 2 different qualities of lying area that appear to be important to cows-surface type and an open lying space-to better understand how to optimize lying comfort for cows when housed. Twenty-four Holstein dairy cows were used during the study, which took place in Scotland from July to November 2018. The study consisted of 6 experimental periods, each lasting a total of 21 d. Cows were tested 4 at a time and individually housed in their own test pen. Each pen had 3 lying surfaces: sand, mattress, and straw (2.4 m × 2.4 m each) with a freestall in the middle of each, which could be removed. Cows were given access to one surface at a time (training period) with a freestall for 2 d, and then given a choice of all 3 surfaces for 2 d. When given the choice with freestalls in position, cows spent, on average, the largest amount of their lying time on straw (46.6 ± 7.8%) followed by mattress (44.3 ± 12.4%). Freestalls were then removed and the training and choice phase was repeated on the following day, with cows, on average, spending the most time lying on straw (64.4 ± 7.2%). Finally, a freestall was refitted onto each cow's most preferred surface and the cows were given a choice between lying on their most preferred surface with a freestall (P1 + freestall) or on their second or third preferred surface without a freestall (P2 + open and P3 + open, respectively) for 3 d. During this final trade-off stage, of the 19 cows for which data were available, 14 cows chose to give up the opportunity to lie down on their most preferred surface to have more space on P2 + open and P3 + open, 3 cows chose to lie down on P1 + freestall, and 2 cows made no clear choice. Overall, cows spent the largest amount of their total lying time on their second most preferred surface as an open lying space (65.7 ± 6.9%) compared with their preferred surface with a freestall (20.5 ± 5.9%) and their third preferred surface as an open lying space (13.8 ± 3.7%). The results indicate that when lying down, these dairy cows value an open lying space more than the lying surface.

Make Me a Match: Prevalence and Outcomes Associated with Matching Programs in Dog Adoptions.

Animal shelters and rescues are typically judged on their live release rates. The number of companion animals adopted and then returned to the shelter is not as frequently considered. Matching programs are implemented to reduce the chances that a companion animal will be returned after adoption by assuring the best possible "match" between adopter needs, wants, and lifestyles, and the behaviors and needs of the animal. This research is based on data from 370 animal shelters and rescues across the US and assesses the prevalence of and the relationship between different aspects of matching programs and outcomes such as return, live release, and euthanasia rates, and days in the shelter. Several elements of matching programs appear to be associated with positive outcomes: conducting matching conversations before potential adopters see any dogs, showing only dogs that are a good match, and limiting choice to those dogs that are deemed the best fit.

The Number of Dogs Entering Shelters in Five States, and Factors that Affect Their Outcomes: A Study of the Sheltering System.

As there are few requirements for mandatory registration or reporting for humane animal organizations, it is difficult to quantify how many dogs enter such organizations annually, or know their outcomes. Our objectives were to quantify the number of dogs entering animal shelters in five states in 2017, and determine factors that influenced their outcomes. A census was conducted of shelters in five states from each geographical region of the US. Organizations were excluded if they transferred all dog, or were breed-specific, foster-based, or functioned solely as a sanctuary with no options for adoption. Shelter employees were questioned in face-to-face interviews about specific shelter characteristics, the number of dogs that entered their shelter in 2017, and their outcomes. In total 342 of the 471 (73%) shelters in the final sampling frame reported receiving 227,783 dogs in 2017. Of these, 45% were adopted, 18% were transferred other facilities, 19% were reclaimed, and 14% were euthanized. Shelter characteristics influencing dog outcomes included financial source, source of dogs, county population per square mile, and education level of the county.

Risk factors for tail lesions in undocked fattening pigs reared on Swiss farms.

INTRODUCTION: Tail lesions caused by tail biting are a major welfare and economic concern in fattening pigs. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence and incidence of tail lesions in undocked pigs on individual animal level during the fattening period, to elucidate potential risk factors associated with tail lesions, and to describe the stockpersons' attitudes towards tail biting on Swiss farms. Thirty-eight farms were visited three times during the fattening period (beginning, mid-point, end). During each farm visit, tail lesions were scored on 30-126 individually marked pigs per farm (total: 2209 pigs), information on potential risk factors for tail lesions was recorded, and a standardized interview with the farmer was conducted to explore his/her opinion on tail biting. Potential risk factors were defined by indices when adequate, and their influence on the occurrence of tail lesions was analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression models. During the first and the second half of the fattening period, on average 14,1 and 15,4 pigs, respectively, out of 100 developed new tail lesions or aggravation of old lesions. The risk for new or aggravated tail lesions increased with higher scores for a «disease index¼ and with increasing group size, and it decreased with higher space allowances and with restrictive compared with ad libitum feeding. The prevalence of tail lesions on arrival was not associated with the incidence of tail lesions in the first and the second half of the fattening period, neither at farm level nor at pen level. In the interviews, farmers expressed their interest in getting professional advice on how to reduce tail biting on their farms. In conclusion, our study identified several risk factors for tail lesions in undocked fattening pigs indicating that the incidence of tail lesions could be reduced by improving animal health and housing conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Les lésions de la queue causées par morsure sont un problème majeur de bien-être et d'économie chez les porcs d'engraissement. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de décrire la prévalence et l'incidence des lésions de la queue pendant la période d'engraissement chez les porcs non écaudés au niveau de chaque animal, d'élucider les facteurs de risque potentiels associés aux lésions de la queue et de décrire les attitudes des éleveurs à l'égard des morsures de queue dans les exploitations suisses. Trente-huit exploitations ont été visitées trois fois pendant la période d'engraissement (début, mi-parcours, fin). Lors de chaque visite, les lésions de la queue ont été notées sur 30 à 126 porcs marqués individuellement par l'exploitant (total: 2209 porcs), des informations sur les facteurs de risque potentiels de lésions de la queue ont été enregistrées et un entretien standardisé avec l'éleveur a été mené pour connaitre son avis sur les morsures de queue. Les facteurs de risque potentiels ont été définis par des indices lorsqu'ils étaient adéquats et leur influence sur la survenue des lésions caudales a été analysée à l'aide de modèles de régression logistique à effets mixtes. Pendant la première et la deuxième moitié de la période d'engraissement, en moyenne 14,1 et 15,4 porcs, respectivement, sur 100 ont développé de nouvelles lésions de la queue ou une aggravation d'anciennes lésions. Le risque de nouvelles lésions de la queue ou d'aggravation augmentait avec des scores plus élevés pour un «indice de maladie¼ et avec l'augmentation de la taille du groupe et il diminuait avec des allocations d'espace plus élevées et avec une alimentation restrictive par rapport à l'alimentation à volonté. La prévalence des lésions de la queue à l'arrivée n'était pas associée à l'incidence des lésions de la queue dans la première et la seconde moitié de la période d'engraissement, ni au niveau de l'exploitation ni au niveau des boxes. Dans les entretiens, les agriculteurs ont exprimé leur intérêt à obtenir des conseils professionnels sur la façon de réduire les morsures de queue dans leurs exploitations. En conclusion, notre étude a identifié plusieurs facteurs de risque de lésions de la queue chez les porcs d'engraissement non écaudés indiquant que l'incidence des lésions de la queue pourrait être réduite en améliorant la santé animale et les conditions de logement.

The welfare impacts of mechanical and manual broiler catching and of circumstances at loading under field conditions.

Loading of broilers for transport to the processing plant poses a notable injury risk for broilers. Therefore, the poultry industry has developed mechanical methods as alternatives to manual loading methods. Our objective in the present study was to compare manual loading (MAN) of broilers with the mechanical loading (MECH). We assessed the injuries of broilers of 12 MAN and 12 MECH flocks on-farm before and immediately after loading, documented the numbers of broilers dead on arrival reported by the processing plant, and assessed the circumstances at loading. A smaller number of broilers with a hematoma (≥0.5 cm in diameter) on the wing were observed after MAN compared with MECH using the examined harvester (MAN vs. MECH odds ratio: 0.16; 95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.28). The number of broilers with severe wing injuries did not differ between the loading methods. The number of broilers dead on arrival was greater in mechanically loaded flocks (MAN vs. MECH odds ratio: 0.26; 95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.68), but lower than in comparable studies. We observed a lower average stocking rate than targeted in the drawers of MECH containers, most likely because the used harvester can adapt to short-term changes in weight and adjust the stocking rate during the loading process. A longer total loading duration in MAN was associated with an increase of wing hematomas, and the involvement of more working people per 10,000 broilers during MAN was associated with a lower occurrence of hematomas. The total loading duration in MECH had no notable influence on the occurrence of injuries. Physical conditions of the involved personnel might play a larger role in MAN than in MECH. The harvester that was examined should be further developed to reduce the occurrence of hematomas. Our results indicate that the choice of loading method alone does not determine the injury risk, and multiple factors are associated with broiler welfare during loading. It is important that the chosen method is performed under the most adequate conditions.

#Eggs: social and online media-derived perceptions of egg-laying hen housing.

Enormous quantities of data are generated through social and online media in the era of Web 2.0. Understanding consumer perceptions or demand efficiently and cost effectively remains a focus for economists, retailer/consumer sciences, and production industries. Most of the efforts to understand demand for food products rely on reports of past market performance along with survey data. Given the movement of content-generation online to lay users via social media, the potential to capture market-influencing shifts in sentiment exists in online data. This analysis presents a novel approach to studying consumer perceptions of production system attributes using eggs and laying hen housing, which have received significant attention in recent years. The housing systems cage-free and free-range had the greatest number of online hits in the searches conducted, compared with the other laying hen housing types. Less online discussion surrounded enriched cages, which were found by other methods/researchers to meet many key consumer preferences. These results, in conjunction with insights into net sentiment and words associated with different laying hen housing in online and social media, exemplify how social media listening may complement traditional methods to inform decision-makers regarding agribusiness marketing, food systems, management, and regulation. Employing web-derived data for decision-making within agrifood firms offers the opportunity for actionable insights tailored to individual businesses or products.

Quantifying poor working equid welfare in Nepalese brick kilns using a welfare assessment tool.

BACKGROUND: Across Asia the brick-kiln industry is expanding. In Nepal, urban dwelling has increased in recent years, raising requirement for low-cost, mass produced bricks to meet the population needs. Working equids (WEs) play a key role in non-mechanised kilns. Assessing the welfare of these equids is the starting point to addressing concerns. In line with One Welfare principles, the health and welfare of animals, people and the kiln environment are interlinked. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In December 2019, 119 WEs were assessed in seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal, using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool, developed by The Donkey Sanctuary. The objective was to measure welfare at the start of the brick kiln season. RESULTS: Horses were the predominant species of WE. Hazardous housing and environments were seen in all kilns. Behaviour responses were mixed. Owner responses and animal examination indicated poor working conditions. Signs of harmful practice were evident in most animals. The majority were underweight, with poor general health, skin alterations and musculoskeletal issues. CONCLUSION: The welfare of equids prior to starting brick kiln work is poor, posing significant concerns for the actual working period. Intervention to enhance health and welfare is required.

Forensic cases of suspected dog and cat abuse in the Community of Madrid (Spain), 2014-2019.

Companion animal abuse is an issue that concerns not only veterinarians and law enforcement agencies but also society in general. Animals that die under suspicious or violent circumstances should be submitted to reference laboratories for a postmortem examination by veterinary forensic pathologists trained to recognize animal abuse. Nevertheless, the low notification rate of such cases in Spain may explain the country's lag in the development of veterinary forensics and the limited information available on animal abuse epidemiology in comparison with other countries. By sharing information among the entities involved in recognizing animal abuse, we can better address these issues, thus improving veterinary forensics in Spain (and elsewhere). In this study, we analysed the cause and manner of death of 96 dog and cat carcasses suspected of animal abuse. These cases were submitted to our diagnostic laboratory for forensic postmortem examination by public agencies and animal protection centres. To our knowledge, this is the first study to focus on the postmortem analysis of forensic cases of suspected dog and cat abuse in Spain. On the basis of gross and histopathological findings, we distinguished between natural and non-natural abuse-related deaths, classifying the latter. We confirmed that most of the dog deaths were related with abuse, though the suspected abuse and the cause of death did not always coincide. In contrast, cause of death was determined to be natural in many of the cat suspected abuse cases. The most frequent non-natural abuse-related cause of death in dogs was blunt force trauma (n=24, 43.64%), followed by firearm injuries (n=10, 18.18%), asphyxia (n=5, 9.09%), heatstroke (n=3, 5.45%), starvation (n=2, 3.64%), bite injury (n=1, 1.82%), and sharp force trauma (n=1, 1.82%). In cats, the most common cause of death was blunt force trauma (n=9, 21.95%), followed by firearm injuries (n=3, 7.32%) and bite injury (n=2, 4.88%). The main goal of our study is to share our results with the scientific community to advance the field of veterinary forensics in Spain, which will lead to more successful prosecutions by law enforcement agencies. Finally, we highlight that veterinarians who can accurately recognize signs of animal abuse may be able to better respond to cases of companion animal cruelty, which in turn, may prevent possible escalation to interpersonal violence.

Effects of on-farm and traditional hatching on welfare, health, and performance of broiler chickens.

In on-farm hatching systems, eggs that have been incubated for 18 D are transported to the broiler farm. After hatching around day 21, the chicks have immediate access to feed and water. By contrast, traditionally hatched chicks are in early life exposed to dust and pathogens in the hatcher, handling procedures, and transport and remain without feed and water until they have arrived on the farm 1 to 3 D after hatching. We compared welfare and performance of on-farm hatched (OH) and traditionally hatched control (C) Ross 308 broiler chickens from day 0 to 40, housed under semicommercial conditions. The experiment included 3 production cycles in 4 rooms, with each room containing 1 OH and 1 C pen with 1,150 chickens in each pen. Per cycle, C and OH chicks were from the same batch of eggs of 1 parent stock flock. Day-old chick quality was worse for OH than C chickens (hock and navel score; P < 0.05). On-farm hatched chickens were heavier than C chickens until day 21 of age (P < 0.05). Total mortality was significantly lower in OH compared with C pens (P < 0.05). A tendency for lower footpad dermatitis scores was found in OH pens compared with C pens (P < 0.10), probably because of the dryer litter in OH than C pens (P < 0.05). No differences between treatments were found in gait, hock burn, cleanliness, and injury scores, and no or only minor, short lasting differences were found in pathology and intestinal histology. In conclusion, the present study showed that on-farm hatching may be beneficial for broiler welfare, as it reduced total mortality and resulted in dryer litter which is known to be beneficial for reducing footpad dermatitis.

Water consumption in small mammals (dwarf rabbits, Guinea pigs and chinchillas): New data about possible influencing factors.

Information on water requirement of small mammals is sparse and the assessment of daily water consumption is an important aspect of the veterinary practice in exotic pet nutrition. Water and feed daily intake are interlaced, that way the water to feed ratio is a meaningful indication. However, various factors such as ambient temperature or the uptake of substances to be eliminated via the kidney (i.e. calcium) must be taken into account when estimation of water consumption is carried out. Moreover, behavioural abnormalities could affect water consumption, like in the case of water uptake as a substitute action. Adequate water supply for small mammals is indispensable for health reasons (prophylaxis of urolithiasis) and consequences relevant to animal welfare. For this purpose, data from different trials enrolling no. 5 Flemish Belgian (FB) and no. 5 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits, no. 10 dwarf rabbits, no. 7 guinea pigs and no. 7 chinchilla, were obtained to assess water intake according to feed rationing. Water balance following feed rationing was seen to differ across the species of small mammals considered in these trials. The comparative approach pointed to species-dependent water intake behaviour. Due to the species-related high variation in water uptake, it is not possible to give general recommendations for water supply of small mammals. In addition, water uptake is also influenced by the water content of the food, absolute dry matter uptake and food composition. Nevertheless, an additional supply of drinking water is recommended for all species, since unsatisfactory water supply reduces dry matter intake and may lead to energy undersupply.

Associations between welfare and ranging profile in free-range commercial and heritage meat-purpose chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Despite consumers' belief that access to an outdoor range improves chicken welfare, still little is known about whether this is true and whether individual ranging profiles relate to the birds' welfare. The aim of the present study was to identify and compare welfare issues of the traditional broiler hybrid Sasso and the Polish heritage chicken Green-legged Partridge, having outdoor access, and examine if the birds' welfare status was associated with the ranging profile: outdoor-preferring, moderate-outdoor, and indoor-preferring. In August 2018, 60 non-beak trimmed birds per genetic strain were housed in groups of 10 from weeks 5 to 10, under conditions exceeding EU requirements of organic meat chicken production. Each pen had access to an individual outdoor range that was video-recorded continuously to obtain frequencies of individual birds' use of the ranges. Plumage condition, comb pecking wounds, skin injuries, dirtiness, toe damage, eye pathologies, footpad dermatitis, hock burns, respiratory infections, diarrhea, and walking difficulties were assessed at the end of the experiment. Statistical analysis was conducted applying generalized linear mixed models, with binomial distribution and logit link using SAS software, applying breed and ranging profile as fixed factors and their interaction, with pen as random factor. A tendency for more respiratory infections was observed in Sasso birds from each ranging profile, as compared to matching ranging profiles presented by Green-legged Partridges (outdoor-preferring: P = 0.0012; moderate-outdoor: P < 0.0001; and indoor-preferring: P = 0.0247). Indoor-preferring Green-legged Partridges tended to present more respiratory infections, as compared to the 2 other ranging profiles within the breed (outdoor-preferring: P = 0.0291; moderate-outdoor: P = 0.0448). Regardless of the breed, toe damages were more frequent in indoor-preferring birds, as compared to other ranging profiles (P = 0.017). It remains unknown whether the use of outdoor areas prevents development of welfare issues or if birds with a suboptimal welfare condition become indoor-preferring individuals.