The welfare of fur-farmed mink. Captive animals may suffer if strongly motivated to perform activities that their housing does not allow. We investigated this experimentally for caged mink, and found that they would pay high costs to perform a range of natural behaviours, and release cortisol if their most preferred activity, swimming, was prevented. Mink on fur farms may thus suffer from frustration. Fur farming is widespread in North America, Scandinavia and Europe, approximately 30 million mink pelts being produced annually worldwide. On farms, American mink (Mustela vison) are kept in wire mesh cages c. 0.9 x 0.4 x 0.3 m containing a single nest-box, and access to drinking-water and a paste-like food. Those opposed to fur farming claim that this causes frustration , as in the wild, mink would patrol territories 1-4 km long, use several nest-sites, and hunt by following scent trails, investigating burrows, and diving and swimming for aquatic prey . Others, however, argue that farmed minks' excellent health and breeding success show adaptation to captivity . We addressed this issue objectively by measuring the costs paid by farm-raised mink to acquire resources enabling natural behaviours. Because of the key role of pleasure in motivating choice behaviour this approach pinpoints activities important for welfare. Eight male and eight female adult mink were individually housed in closed economy set-ups, each consisting of a conventional farm cage, plus seven similarly-sized resource compartments. These contained: 1) access to a waterpool beneath the cage, c. 1.5m x 0.5m, filled with 0.2m water; 2) a raised platform reached by a 2m vertical wire tunnel; 3) novel objects (e.g. discarded packaging, traffic cones, etc., changed daily); 4) an alternative nest-site (a wire box of hay); 5) toys for manipulation and chewing (e.g. tennis balls); and 6) a plastic tunnel; the seventh was left empty, to control for the importance of accessing additional space. Access costs were imposed by weighting one-way entrance-doors by 0kg, 0.25kg, 0.5kg, 0.75kg, 1kg or 1.25kg for seven successive days. Compartment-use was automatically recorded 24h/day, allowing calculation of four measures of value. The results are given in Table 1. Using seven males and seven females, we then blocked access to each of four resources for 24 hours to record endocrine stress responses . These were behavioural resources of high, intermediate, and low value (the water-pool, alternative nest-site and empty compartment respectively), and an essential physiological resource: food. During each treatment, urine was collected for the assay of excreted cortisol; creatinin was also assayed to enable correction for differences in urinary concentration. When deprived of food, urinary cortisol increased by 50.0±16.1% over baseline levels (Paired t = 2.77, df = 13, p < 0.05); it also increased, by 33.8±11.2%, when access to the water-pool was blocked (t = 2.75, p < 0.05). These two effects did not significantly differ (t = 2.47, p > 0.05). Cortisol excretion did not...

A strict transfusion algorithm can reduce the transfusion requirement for all blood components. Preheparin testing of platelet function with adenosine diphosphate aggregometry can identify patients at highest risk for perioperative bleeding and transfusions and might further reduce the perioperative transfusion requirement.

European duck meat production is based on the use of Pekin, Muscovy and Mule duck genotypes that vary in their behavioural and physiological characteristics. Furthermore, large differences exist in their housing and management conditions. The aim of this review is to discuss the welfare of these different genotypes in typical husbandry systems, focusing on ducks kept for meat production. Firstly, factors that can affect duck welfare, such as stocking density and group size, access to straw, an outdoor run, or open water, are described. Secondly, welfare problems such as feather pecking, fear and stress, and health problems are assessed. Thirdly, the various systems used in Europe are described for these aspects. Giving ducks access to straw, an outdoor run, or open water increases the behavioural opportunities of the ducks (foraging, preening, bathing, and swimming), but can also lead to poor hygiene and increased health-and food safety risks. Therefore, practical solutions that allow expression of natural behaviour, but do not lead to hygiene or health problems have to be found and some practical suggestions are provided.

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Simple SummaryCommercial free-range production has become a significant sector of the fresh egg market due to legislation banning conventional cages and consumer preference for products perceived as welfare friendly, as access to outdoor range can lead to welfare benefits such as greater freedom of movement and enhanced behavioural opportunities. This study investigated dispersal patterns, feather condition and activity of laying hens in three distinct zones of the range area; the apron area near shed; enriched zone 10–50 m from shed; and outer range beyond 50 m, in six flocks of laying hens under commercial free-range conditions varying in size between 4000 and 24,000 hens. Each flock was visited for four days to record number of hens in each zone, their behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distances (NND), as well as record temperature and relative humidity during the visit. Temperature and relative humidity varied across the study period in line with seasonal variations and influenced the use of range with fewer hens out of shed as temperature fell or relative humidity rose. On average, 12.5% of the hens were observed on the range and most of these hens were recorded in the apron zone as hen density decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the shed. Larger flocks appeared to have a lower proportion of hens on range. The hens used the range more in the early morning followed by a progressive decrease through to early afternoon. The NND was greatest in the outer range and decreased towards the shed. Feather condition was generally good and hens observed in the outer range had the best overall feather condition. Standing, pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonly recorded behaviours and of these, standing occurred most in the apron whereas walking and foraging behaviours were recorded most in the outer range. This study supported the findings of previous studies that reported few hens in the range and greater use of areas closer to the shed in free-range flocks. This study suggests that hens in the outer range engaged more in walking and foraging activities and showed signs of better welfare than those closer to the shed. AbstractIn this study, the range use and behaviour of laying hens in commercial free-range flocks was explored. Six flocks were each visited on four separate days and data collected from their outdoor area (divided into zones based on distance from shed and available resources). These were: apron (0–10 m from shed normally without cover or other enrichments); enriched belt (10–50 m from shed where resources such as manmade cover, saplings and dust baths were provided); and outer range (beyond 50 m from shed with no cover and mainly grass pasture). Data collection consisted of counting the number of hens in each zone and recording behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distance (NND) of 20 birds per zone on each visit day. In addition, we used techniques derived from ecological surveys to establish four transects perpendicular to the shed, running throu...