Assessment of animal welfare aspects in extreme breeds of pet animals: principles, rules and other measures

The review deals with fundamental aspects of the problems and the assessment of animal welfare aspects in extreme breeds of companion and pet animals, with legislation and with other measures to avoid breeding animals with extreme characteristics. Efforts are important in particular by breeding organisations to adapt breeding standards and to improve the education of judges and breeders. Furthermore adequate activities to correctly inform animal keepers are important.     

Transport of racing pigeons and animal welfare

A short overview about the transport of the racing pigeon from home to the place of liberation will be given. Some facts related to the transport will be explained. Facts like Number of pigeons in one crate, supplying the pigeons with water and food during transportation and at the place of liberation, the supply of the pigeons with fresh air will be explained.     

Animal welfare aspects of animal slaughter

For many years animal welfare aspects of slaughtering were not discussed. But in the last ten years the research has much increased in this field. The new knowledges will be taken in account in national and european legislation. The question if ritual slaughtering without pre-slaughter stunning has to be allowed, was answered by the amendment of the Animal Welfare Act: This form of slaughtering is now only allowed in the context of constitutional guaranteed religious liberty.     

关于中国地方畜禽品种的评价与保护的若干思考

中国畜禽地方品种资源十分丰富，对它们进行有效保护和合理开发利用，既是发展优质、高产高效畜牧业的基础和保障，又是实现畜牧业可持续发展、满足人们对畜产品消费多元化和保持生物多样性的需要。作者对支撑地方畜禽品种生存和发展的条件，地方畜禽品种资源的评估及地方畜禽品种的保护理论与方法等问题作了全面的论述。     

从国家畜禽新品种审定谈我国犬品种

生物多样性是人类社会生存和发展的基础,已越来越受到国际社会的强烈关注。1992年6月,包括中国在内的150多个国家共同签署了《生     

Activity requirement for young domestic rabbits: raw fiber consumptionand animal welfare

Swiss Animal Protection Regulations summon that the food provided shall be such as to permit the animals to satisfy their need for occupation combined with feeding. In intensive cage-keeping of fattening rabbits there is often no hay or straw fed in addition to the pellets, despite ethological evidence, that this does not fit their need for occupation. In a large semi-natural enclosure (600 m2) with grass and shrubs as well as feeding huts with pellets young rabbits at the age of 30-120 days are observed seven times from 6.00-21.00 h (N = 78 observations on 13 individuals). During this time they spend 81 +/- 37 minutes feeding on pellets and 92 +/- 47 minutes grazing, mainly early in the morning or late in the evening. In a group housing system for fattening rabbits (base 150 x 150 cm, two floors) the behaviour of 24 young rabbits from six different groups is surveyed in the region of the hay rack with a video camera. Two recordings during 24 hours in each group at the age of about 60 days (N = 48) show that in addition to feeding on pellets the animals engage with hay and straw for 111 +/- 45 minutes a day. The daily distribution shows maxima at dawn and dusk. The feeding patterns correspond to those observed in the semi-natural enclosure. Based on the ethological evidence and the Animal Protection Ordinance rabbits are to get additional straw or hay.     

Commercial scale research and assessment of poultry welfare

1. Commercial level research on poultry welfare is increasingly important because of the insight it gives into what improves welfare in the context of other important drivers such as human health, environmental impact and cost. 2. There are, however, a number of problems with conducting commercial level research - such as conflicts over aims, financial compensation and legal issues - that need to be addressed if the gains from commercial research are to be optimized. Cooperation between all parties and mutual understanding of the different priorities that may exist between industry and academia are essential. 3. Three important developments for the future are: the setting up of a 'data bank', the application of new statistical methods for analyzing data and new technology for assessing welfare automatically.     

Quality management in animal welfare

In the EC since Jan. 1st 2006 the Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 requires also in the field of animal welfare uniform official controls of a consistently high quality on the basis of documented procedures. Rised demands for the administration necessitate nowadays an all-embracing conception and controlling of the system. Therefore the land of Lower Saxony developed an uniform process-oriented conception for all involved official authorities based on ISO 9001 (EQUINO -Uniform Quality Management in Official Organisations for Consumer Protection in Lower Saxony) and implemented it including a system of internal audits.