Pollution of the environment by human and animal faecal pollution affects the safety of shellfish, drinking water and recreational beaches. To pinpoint the origin of contaminations, it is essential to define the differences between human microbiota and that of farm animals. A strategy based on real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays was therefore developed and applied to compare the compositio...

In pasture-based milk production systems, using available farm resources in order to reduce feeding costs, the composition and functional properties of dairy cows’ milk are of considerable importance to the dairy farmer, manufacturer and consumer. Basically, there are three options for altering the composition and/or functional properties of milk: 1) cow nutrition and grazing management, 2) cow...

Due to the incompleteness of animal genome sequencing, the analysis and characterization of serum proteomes of most farm animals are still in their infancy, compared to the already well-documented human serum proteome. This review focuses on the implications of the farm animal serum proteomics in order to identify novel biomarkers for animal welfare, early diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of...

Nearly 30 years ago the British government issued a landmark report on farm animal welfare (Brambell, 1965). This report stimulated the establishment of farm animal welfare policies and advisory bodies throughout Europe (Spedding, 1993), as well as a scientific research effort designed to address basic questions about how animal well-being could be defined and measured. Research attention was a...

In Germany politics and consumers ask for the implementation of more animal welfare. So far there are no bio economic models available to calculate animal welfare measures on the farm management level. Experiments on animal welfare often result in limited data for farm management analysis. In this article the economic effects of measures for animal welfare using stochastic simulations are analy...

Progress and changes in embryo technology in farm animals are briefly reviewed in terms of how well embryos can be made and used and what the subject has taught us about the maintenance of pregnancy and reproduction in general. Generalizations are made about the need to not accept dogma, how initially complex techniques always become simplified and thereby more applicable, and the need for the ...

Livestock conservation is changing rapidly in light of policy developments, climate change, and diversifying market demands. The last decade has seen a step change in technology and analytical approaches available to define and manage Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR). However, these rapid changes pose challenges for FAnGR management in terms of technological continuity, analytical capacity...

The reports primarily contain research results and trial statements aimed at Danish Conditions. Also, the reports describe larger completed research projects or act as an appendix at meetings and conferences. The reports are published in the series: Plant Science, Animal Science and Horticulture. Funding This project is financed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) unde...

Food safety, protection of the environment and animal welfare are three concerns consumers have about modern food production systems. Standards dealing with these three issues can be in conflict, and finding ways to reduce this conflict is essential as international standards governing animal welfare develop. These conflicts can be reduced if flexible animal welfare standards are animal-based a...

Animal welfare has achieved significant global prominence for perhaps three reasons. First, several centuries of scientific research, especially in anatomy, evolutionary biology and animal behaviour, have led to a gradual narrowing of the gap that people perceive between humans and other species; this altered perception has prompted grass-roots attention to animals and their welfare, initially ...