Category Archives: Experts

Did European pig-welfare legislation reduce pig welfare? Perhaps not, but experts confirm that common indestructible materials are not proper enrichment for pigs at all, except perhaps for an enhanced novel branched-chains design.

Published as: Marc B.M. Bracke and Paul Koene, 2019. Expert opinion on metal chains and other indestructible objects as proper enrichment for intensively-farmed pigs. PLOS ONE. Available at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0212610. EC Directive 2001/93 requires that all pigs have access to proper … Continue reading

Posted in Enrichment, Ethics, Experts, Future, Justice, Modelling, Pigs, Politics, Science | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Comparing overall welfare across species and conditions

An intellectual challenge This post introduces an intellectual challenge. It formulates a problem, without giving any anwers. It is the kind of problem I like to wrestle with. Welfare thermometer While many aspects of animal welfare can be measured, it … Continue reading

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Do pigs play with chains? Science versus society

Abstract Scientists object to the suggestion that pigs may be playing with toys like metal chains in their pen. In ordinary language, however, it is perfectly fine to use the word play for such animal-material interaction. Apparently, the word ‘play’ … Continue reading

Posted in Experts, Public, Science, Semantics | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Expert elicitation in animal welfare risk assessment – methods and limitations

Bracke, M.B.M. 2010. Expert elicitation in animal welfare risk assessment – methods and limitations. In: Lidfors, L., Blokhuis, H., Keeling, L., Proceedings of the 44th Congress of the ISAE, Uppsala, Sweden, August 4-7 2010, p. 237 (Invited presentation for the … Continue reading

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