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Aufsatz
Animal Welfare Consequences of Organic Boar Fattening and Occurrence of Boar Taint on Five Commercial Farms
(2021-10-10)
Simple Summary
The usual castration of male fattening pigs is under discussion, especially in organic farming, because of the negative effects on the pig’s welfare and integrity. Nevertheless, it is feared that boars show more aggressive and mounting behaviours, resulting in stress, painful injuries and lameness, and that their meat has an unpleasant odour/taste (called “boar taint”). Therefore, it was examined to which extent these concerns come true under commercial organic conditions. Additionally, influences ...
Aufsatz
Wilde Urbaniten
(2020-04-24)
Die rechtlich-administrative und räumlich-planende Regulation des Vorkommens wildlebender Tiere im urbanen Raum lässt sich drei historisch gewachsenen Regimen zuordnen: Das Regime der Hygiene konstituiert die wilden Tiere der Stadt als Schädlinge, Lästlinge oder Nützlinge, das der Jagd als Nutzwild, Raubwild oder Raubzeug und das des Naturschutzes als Schutzobjekte, als heimisch oder fremd und als Leistungsträger oder Schädlinge. Dieses Regimedenken wandelt sich derzeit in der räumlichen Planungspraxis. Es wird mit ...
Aufsatz
Human–Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka: A Critical Review of Causal Explanations
(2021-08-02)
Human–elephant conflict (HEC) is a severe and much-debated issue in Sri Lanka. An average of two hundred animals are intentionally killed, and seventy to eighty human casualties are counted each year. The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is an endangered subspecies. The reported elephant mortality rates are high. On the other hand, human–elephant conflict also leads to hardship and trauma among rural populations. This research paper reviews causal explanations for HEC in Sri Lanka, tracing underlying ...
Aufsatz
Automatically Detected Pecking Activity in Group-Housed Turkeys
(2020-11-04)
Simple Summary
Cannibalism is one of the biggest welfare issues of today’s turkey husbandry. We hypothesized that changes in pecking activity might indicate imminent cannibalism. Therefore, in this pilot study a newly developed automatic pecking activity detection was validated, and continuously applied to gain information about pecking activity of group-housed turkeys during the rearing phase and before a cannibalistic outbreak. The pecking object was used by turkeys the whole recording time. Activity on the object ...
Aufsatz
Neither per, nor tim1, nor cry2 alone are essential components of the molecular circadian clockwork in the Madeira cockroach
(2020-08-04)
Circadian clocks control rhythms in physiology and behavior entrained to 24 h light–dark cycles. Despite of conserved general schemes, molecular circadian clockworks differ between insect species. With RNA interference (RNAi) we examined an ancient circadian clockwork in a basic insect, the hemimetabolous Madeira cockroach Rhyparobia maderae. With injections of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of cockroach period (Rm´per), timeless 1 (Rm´tim1), or cryptochrome 2 (Rm´cry2) we searched for essential components of the clock´s ...
Aufsatz
Analysis of Pigment-Dispersing Factor Neuropeptides and Their Receptor in a Velvet Worm
(2020-05-12)
Pigment-dispersing factor neuropeptides (PDFs) occur in a wide range of protostomes including ecdysozoans (= molting animals) and lophotrochozoans (mollusks, annelids, flatworms, and allies). Studies in insects revealed that PDFs play a role as coupling factors of circadian pacemaker cells, thereby controlling rest-activity rhythms. While the last common ancestor of protostomes most likely possessed only one pdf gene, two pdf homologs, pdf-I and pdf-II, might have been present in the last common ancestors of Ecdysozoa ...
Aufsatz
Fecal Cortisol Metabolites in Dairy Cows: A Cross-Sectional Exploration of Associations with Animal, Stockperson, and Farm Characteristics
(2020-10-01)
To date, little is known about influences on cows’ physiological stress levels on farms. The present study explored associations of fecal cortisol metabolite concentrations (FCM) with (1) farm factors including human–animal contact, (2) cows’ fear behaviors towards humans, and (3) milk production and udder health, involving 25 dairy farms and repeated fecal samples (n = 2625) from 674 focal cows. Farm factors via interviews and observations, avoidance distance (AD) and qualitative behavior assessment (QBA) during a ...
Aufsatz
Assessment of the N- and P-Fertilization Effect of Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) By-Products on Maize
(2020-09-22)
To meet the growing demand for an alternative animal protein source, the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) industry is expanding. Thus, the valuation of its byproducts, foremost BSF frass, is getting more economic and ecological weight. Three different residues, BSF frass, larval skins, and dead adult flies, were compared with a mineral and an organic commercial fertilizer in a pot trial with maize (Zea mays L., [Poales: Poaceae]). byproducts were applied in three nutrient-based application rates (180; 215 ...
Aufsatz
Vehicular Livestock Mobility in West Africa: Seasonal Traffic Flows of Cattle, Sheep, and Goats across Bamako
(2020-12-26)
Mali is a major livestock producing country in West Africa. However, in recent years, the sector has faced multiple challenges like farmer-herder conflicts, overuse of grazing and water resources, and the effects of climate change. Meanwhile, traditional livestock systems are becoming less important given the increased availability of vehicular transport for regional and international animal trade as well as new opportunities for more specialised urban and peri-urban production systems. To assess the role of Mali’s ...
Aufsatz
Suitability of Slower Growing Commercial Turkey Strains for Organic Husbandry in Terms of Animal Welfare and Performance
(2021-01-06)
Intensive turkey production with fast growing strains is often critically discussed regarding animal welfare problems. Studies evaluating the welfare status of both organic and less intensive selected turkey strains are limited, except in the slightly slower growing Kelly Broad Breast Bronze (Kelly). The aim of this study was to assess the welfare of turkeys from two strains with further decreased growth rate, Hockenhull Large Bronze (HoBr) and Hockenhull Black (HoBl), in comparison to Kelly under commercial organic ...