This chapter presents various behavioural tests to help determine the different characteristics expressed by an individual animal, such as optimism, anxiety, fearfulness, boldness and dominance.

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...

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 animal welfare in the context of slaughter and reviews the types of welfare issues that some animals can experience before and during slaughter. It shows how animal feelings such as pain, distress, fear, hunger, thirst, fatigue and discomfort can be affected by the procedures ...

This chapter presents studies investigating the history and principles with regards to feelings in well being in animals and emphasized that proper understanding of the states of suffering and states of pleasure in animals that will help us to design optimum environments for animals as well as...

This chapter addresses the positive effects of social affiliation that extend beyond these fitness benefits. Current evidence convincingly demonstrates that social mammals (including humans, as well as some nonmammalian species) share a distinct attribute, referred to as social support, whereby...

In this chapter, a review of what is known about how mental health may be influenced-for the better and for the worse-and how that research can be used to create programs that can improve and perhaps even optimize mental health of animals was discussed. The authors also took a developmental...

In this chapter, the author discussed the Panksepp basic emotional systems and suggests based on studies that it is the best way to explain the many conflicting results in scientific studies of farm animal temperament. From the different studies he presented he then concludes that the Jaak Panksepp ...

In this chapter, the physical and psychological factors that serves as threat to the mental health of horses are discussed as well as the diagnosis and treatment options available.

This chapter discusses the importance of mental health and well-being in captive birds, with practical recommendations for bird caregivers to maximize the mental wellness of birds in their care.