Behavioural ecology and the welfare of extensively farmed animals
The paper discusses whether the methods of behavioural ecology (derived from studies of wild animals) may be used to identify and suggest solutions to welfare problems in animals farmed under extensive conditions. Behavioural ecology involves looking at the interplay between an animal’s behaviour and ecology as it manoeuvres itself through the processes of survival and […]
Body condition score as an indicator of ewe survival under extensive conditions
Survival and mortality of extensive hill ewes are important commercial factors and valuable indicators of welfare, but difficult to study. Body condition scoring is a tried-and-tested management and monitoring tool which has been defined as a good predictor of fitness in ewes and is easily measured under hill farm conditions. This paper presents the results […]