Sara Barbieri

University of Milan | UNIMI · Department of Veterinary Science

The Italian pig sector requires heavy pigs (raised for at least nine months and slaughtered at >160 kg). In order to avoid boar taint and lower the impact on welfare, immunocastration provides an alternative to surgical castration. This study investigated the effects of immunocastration compared to surgical castration on the chemical composition an...

Background: According to EU legislation, animal-based indicators (ABMs) are used to evaluate the efficacy of stunning methods to ensure that animals do not regain consciousness. EFSA has provided a list of ABMs for electrical and mechanical stunning in sheep; however, there is still a lack of information on their feasibility. We aimed to identify...

Immunocastration has been pointed out as an alternative to surgical castration; though, most of the scientific studies were performed in light pig production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of immunocastration on animal welfare in heavy pig production through the evaluation of behaviour and body lesions. A total of 188 commercial-hybrid pi...

Noise anxiety is an over-reaction to loud noises commonly detected among pets and can greatly impact on their welfare and on their management. When exposed to noisy events, horses can show intense escape attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the rider/handler. The aim of the present study was to investigate, through a web sur...

Tail docking has been used in the pig industry to decrease the occurrence of tail biting behavior. This abnormal behavior has a multifactorial origin since it is a response to simultaneous environmental, nutritional and management changes. Given the calming properties of Passiflora incarnata, we hypothesized that dietary supplementation with the ex...

This study aims to assess the correlation between surface temperature estimated by infrared thermography and core temperature measured with rectal thermometer in weaning and fattening pigs. A total of 108 pigs were used in this study. Thermal images of the eye of each animal were recorded with a thermal imaging camera, rectal temperatures were meas...

Currently, no specific animal-based measures (ABMs) protocols are available for geese in commercial meat production systems. Following a critical review of the literature and consultation of experts, seven ABMs, potentially valid and feasible for the on-farm welfare assessment of geese, were identified and then tested in 12 farms in Poland to asses...

Pig cryptorchidism is a congenital anomaly, which requires surgical intervention. Pain assessment in pig farming has some limitations and consumers are increasingly concerned about suffering linked to on-farm procedures. The PGS seems to be a promising tool for pain assessment in piglets, although it has not been investigated whether this tool is a...

Welfare of animals significantly depends on how stakeholders perceive their needs and behave in a way to favor production systems that promote better welfare outcomes. This study aimed at investigating stakeholders’ perception of the welfare of equines, small ruminants, and turkeys using text mining analysis. A survey composed by open-ended questio...

Flooring may influence animal welfare; in particular, solid floor could improve comfort during resting. This study aims to test the effectiveness of rubber mats in improving welfare of weaning and fattening Italian heavy pigs. A total of 320 weaning (6-30 kg) and fattening (30-160 kg) pigs, reared in province of Mantova (Italy), were monitored f...

This research investigated whether using qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) with a fixed list of descriptors may be related to quantitative animal- (ABM) and resource-based (RBM) measures included in the AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) welfare assessment prototype protocol for goats, tested in 60 farms. A principal component analysis (PCA) was...

Introduction - In addition to lameness and mastitis, the presence of abscesses is one of the most common health problems in small ruminants. Abscesses can have a negative impact on famers' income. The presence of external abscesses has been suggested has a possible animal-based indicator for on-farm welfare assessment, but further studies are requi...

Two independent trials were carried out to test the effectiveness of different environmental enrichments in improving Italian heavy pigs’ welfare. Eighty undocked Landrace × Large White barrows (body weight range: 27.1–158.4 kg) were used. In Trial 1, group C1 received a metal chain and group WL wooden logs (placed inside a specifically designed me...

This study aimed to apply qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) to horses farmed in single boxes, in order to investigate their emotional state and explore its association with indicators of human-animal relationship. A fixed list of 13 QBA descriptive terms was determined. Three assessors experienced with horses and skilled in measuring animal be...

Animal welfare is an increasingly relevant aspect of livestock farming for societal and economic reasons. It should also be a requirement for high-quality and sustainable production as assuring optimum welfare helps to minimize losses in animal performance and resource loss. In order to implement these production models it is critical to the livest...

The Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project promoted the development of protocols centred on animal-based indicators to assess welfare in goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and turkeys. An important feature of the project was the adoption of a simple and practical approach to the dissemination of scientific results to general public and stakeholders su...

The European Animal Welfare Indicators Project (AWIN) addressed the development, integration and dissemination of animal-based welfare indicators, with an emphasis on pain assessment and pain recognition. In this framework, AWIN researchers developed practical and science-based welfare assessment protocols for sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and turk...

The EU-funded Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) research project (2011-2015) aimed to improve animal welfare through the development of practical on-farm animal welfare assessment protocols. The present study describes the application of the AWIN approach to the development of a welfare assessment protocol for horses (Equus caballus). Its developmen...

Introduction - The use of straw as bedding material promotes animal comfort during resting as well as reducing stress induced behavioural disorders such as excessive aggressiveness and tail biting, which are some of the most relevant animal welfare problems. Aim - To investigate the effect of two different management systems of litter (traditional...

Two experimental trials were carried out in order to test the effectiveness of different environmental enrichments in improving the welfare of weaned pigs. A total of 120 undocked piglets was used. In trial one, group C1 received a metal chain and group WL a wooden log mounted on a frame. In trial two, the enrichments proposed were a hanging chain...

A truthful snapshot of horse welfare conditions is a prerequisite for predicting the impact of any actions intended to improve the quality of life of horses. This can be achieved when welfare information, gathered by different assessors in diverse geographical areas, is valid, comparable and collected in a harmonized way. This paper aims to present...

The populations of Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra are currently not at risk of extinction, but local population declines have been observed in some areas. Competition with other herbivore species may be one of the causes for this decline. The present research aims at describing the autumnal diet and preferences of Alpine chamois livin...

The AWIN project aimed at developing an on-farm welfare assessment protocol for adult dairy goats. A prototype protocol was tested in 30 intensive dairy goat farms to evaluate its feasibility in farms of different size. Time for applying the prototype was recorded and any other constraint was taken into account. Moreover, data collected during the...

Simple The Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project developed a practical welfare assessment protocol for lactating dairy goats in intensive husbandry systems, using animal-based indicators that cover the whole multidimensional concept of animal welfare. The strict collaboration between scientists and stakeholders resulted in an easy-to-use protoc...

This investigation tested the feasibility and validity of indicators of cold and heat stress in dairy goats for on-farm welfare assessment protocols. The study was performed on two intensive dairy farms in Italy. Two different 3-point scale (0-2) scoring systems were applied to assess cold and heat stress. Cold and heat stress scores were visually...

The aim of this study is to gather information about the possibility of including the haircoat condition as an animal-based indicator in an on-farm welfare assessment protocol foradult dairy goats. Validity was tested in two repetitions performed in Portugal and Italy,in order to increase the sample size. Two homogeneous groups of 24 adult dairy go...

This paper reviews animal-based welfare indicators to develop a valid, reliable, and feasible on-farm welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. The indicators were considered in the light of the 4 accepted principles (good feeding, good housing, good health, appropriate behavior) subdivided into 12 criteria developed by the European Welfare Qual...

Introduction - Use of environmental enrichment in commercial pig production represents an opportunity to reduce stress-induced behavioural disorders such as cannibalism and excessive aggressiveness that are one of the most important animal welfare problems. Aim - A questionnaire was used to gather the opinions of 600 Italian farmers on environmenta...

In the African context, the production of milk and dairy products is affected by the application of improper procedures during milking and processing, leading to microbial spoilage of milk, especially in local small scale processing plants.The aim of this survey was to identify potential hazards and evaluate the microbial contamination of milk and...

Introduction - The intention of the new European legislation on rooting materials for pigs is to improve the welfare of pigs, supporting their need to express exploratory behaviours (i.e. rooting, sniffing, and chewing), reducing the risk of the pigs performing abnormal behavioural patterns that may be harmful to their pen mates. Aim - The aim of t...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the per-formance of recognised by Italian law (tattoos) and other (ear tags and injectable transpon-ders) identification systems and to investigate if they caused different levels of short-term discomfort in piglets. Ninety-six ten-day-old piglets – equally assigned to four experimental groups – were identified...

The present study investigates the long-term stability of two behaviour tests used to evaluate the human–animal relationship as well as gather information to refine on-farm welfare assessment protocols in alpine husbandry systems. Two tests, Avoidance Distance (AD) and Avoidance Distance at the Feeding rack (ADF) were performed on 50 lactating cows...

The aim of this investigation was to compare the prevalence of indicators of poor welfare among 5 Italian cattle breeds (Italian Holstein-Friesian, Italian Bruna, Pezzata Rossa Italiana, Grigia Alpina, and Pezzata Rossa d'Oropa) kept in tie-stalls in the Italian Alps under similar housing and management conditions. We recorded the presence of integ...

The present study monitored daily and seasonal variations of rectal temperature in response to different environmental temperatures in alpacas bred in the Italian Apennines at 300 m a.s.l. In each season, the rectal temperature of 33 clinically healthy alpacas was measured three times/day (morning, midday, afternoon). Ambient temperatures were also...

The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy of a diet containing caseinate hydrolysate (CH) on signs of stress in 2 groups of dogs (defined as Anxious and Nonanxious), using physiological (serum cortisol and lysozyme, N:L ratios and heart rate) and behavioral parameters.From an initial group o...

Abstract not available.

The present study investigates the feasibility in goats of an avoidance distance (AD) behaviour test set-up for cattle, and compares the results in the two species to assess the suitability of the test for on-farm welfare evaluation in goat farms.The tests were performed on 324 lactating cows (170 in small farms and 154 in large farms) and 271 lact...

Local dairy production plays a very important role in developing countries in order to promote the health status of the population. To determine the weight and the hygiene level of milk products, available in the market of the capital city of the Extrême-Nord region, a survey on the milk yield and microbial contamination was developed. Milk samples...

Animal Welfare (AW) issues are becoming an increasing concern for food-producing and laboratory animals. Risk Assessment (RA) is usually used to describe and quantify the risk of introduction of infections, toxi-infections or residues coming from veterinary medicines, by importing live animals and their products or to identify options for the contr...

Identification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Current livestock identification systems are not 100% efficient and present certain disadvantages such as losses, breakages and an unreadable identification code. The use of injectable transponders may be a reliable method for individual identification, providing an...

Traditional insemination techniques in pigs depose a high number of spermatozoa (2 to 3×10⁹ spermatozoa) in a large volume of liquid (80-100 ml) into the cervix channel. The dose can be reduced markedly deposing it directly into the uterine horn. Previous studies showed that fertility rate and litter size were not significantly different with 5 or...

Identification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Actual livestock identification systems (ear-tags, tattoos, etc.) are not completely efficient and offer some inconveniences. The use of injectable transponders might be a reliable method for individual identification, allowing the improvement of the data recording...

Zebu cattle are widely adaptable to tropical and sub-tropical environments (Turner, 1984), which influence productive and reproductive traits of dairy cows. However, objective measurements of characteristics that directly affect adaptability are limited. Some metabolic and haematological parameters have been suggested as indicators of heat stress a...

Growing population and urbanisation in Central and West Africa lead to an increasing demand for meat and milk products. The improvement of cattle production might cover these needs for human consumption (de Haan, 2001). Mass selection is the first step to develop animal production, where genealogical information might not be available, above all to...