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Relationships between Biological Function and Animal Preferences in Studying Animal Welfare

42 Pages
1 Jul 0009
Author(s): Prof Paul Hemsworth

Australian Pork Ltd commissioned this project to compare the two main approaches to welfare assessment, measuring biological functioning and animal preferences, by examining whether animals deprived of highly preferred resources exhibit the most extreme coping attempts. The results provided limited evidence that deprivation of a preferred resource may result in biological dysfunction on the basis of adverse effects on stress physiology and productivity. Further research is required to examine whether these methodologies can be integrated to develop a broader consensus on animal welfare methodologies. Until the relationships between these concepts are established, it is prudent to utilise both methodologies.

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