This chapter describes how to implement animal welfare assessment programmes; the most severe animal welfare problems that must be corrected immediately; how to measure bruises, injuries and other animal welfare problems at the slaughter plant; the conceptual frameworks for forming animal welfare...

This chapter describes the behavioural measures for pain in livestock, poultry and fish that can be performed easily on the farm. It also discusses the importance of reducing fear stress. It is essential to measure serious animal welfare problems such as lameness or poor handling practices...

This chapter describes how to write clear animal welfare standards and guidelines that will be interpreted the same way by different people; the difference between animal-based outcome measures and input resource-based standards; how to determine the most important core criteria or critical points...

Calm, low-stress methods for handling cattle, sheep, pigs, and other farm animals will result in better productivity and increased human safety. People who are handling animals should be trained to understand and use basic behavioural principles such as the flight zone, point of balance, circling...

This chapter discusses if an animal is fit for transport, the preparation of animals for transport, the design of loading ramps and handling facilities, how to determine if bruises and injuries are occurring on vehicles or in the abattoir, research on space requirements and rest stops and the use...

This chapter discusses how grazing ruminants can be used to improve the environment, the principles of sustainability, animal welfare as a part of a sustainable system; development of supply chains where the origin of a meat product can be tracked and some programmes for renewable fuels that are...

This chapter describes how standards implemented by major meat buyers can be used to improve welfare, how different marketing systems can either improve welfare or make it worse, how to use incentive payments to improve welfare, the negative effects of biological overload of an animal on its...

This chapter describes the successful transfer of the center-track restrainer system, which is used in many large beef slaughter plants, from a research project to widespread commercial use. It also provides tips on the successful conversion of individual gestation stalls to group sow housing. In...

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the topics discussed in the book, including welfare at slaughter, ways to improve existing equipment, numerical animal-based measurements of welfare, how to achieve good animal welfare and welfare issues that originate on the farm.

When working with commercial companies, it is often more effective to actually achieve 70-80% of the desired welfare improvements than attempt to achieve 100% perfection and accomplish nothing. There are conditions that cause suffering that are always wrong and in these situations there is never a...