Why is it important to understand my greyhound’s background? Greyhounds can, and do, make great pets. Unfortunately many of their early life experiences, such as a lack of appropriate...
Do animals grieve the loss of another animal in the household? While cannot know exactly how animals are feeling, there is evidence that animals can experience positive and negative emotional states...
What should I know before taking my dog to an ‘off-leash’ park? Off-leash dog parks offer many physical and mental benefits for dogs and people including the opportunity to exercise, socialise, and...
Is permanently housing dairy cows indoors an animal welfare issue? There are over 1.4 million dairy cows in Australia. On average, each cow produces close to 6,170 litres of milk...
How can feather pecking be managed in cage-free layer hen systems? Severe feather pecking is an injurious behaviour performed by birds, where they will vigorously peck at and pull out the...
How can free-range layer hens be encouraged to use the range area? Hens’ use of the outdoor range area in free-range housing systems is dependent on multiple factors. These factors include the...
How much space does a layer hen need? For layer hens to experience good animal welfare it is important they have enough space to move freely and express...
Why are calves separated from their mother in the dairy industry? For cows to produce milk, they have to give birth to a calf. Standard dairy industry practice is to separate...
How can the risk of disease and parasites be managed in cage-free layer hen housing systems? Cage-free systems for layer hens include free-range, barn, and aviary housing systems. Cage-free systems are beneficial for hen welfare because...
Why is it important for layer hens to express normal behaviours? Layer hens will normally lay their eggs in an enclosed nest, perch, forage, and dust bathe [1, 2]. The ability...
What are the animal welfare issues with weaning nose rings and other anti-suckling devices for calves? Anti-suckling devices such as nose rings or nose flaps are designed to wean calves off milk by preventing access to...
What is beak trimming and why is it carried out? Beak trimming is the practice of removing the tip of a bird’s beak to blunt or round its end. Beak...
Why do whales strand? It is often very difficult to determine the cause of a whale stranding, however, there are several plausible explanations for...
What is the RSPCA’s view on keeping dolphins in captivity? Dolphins are marine mammals belonging to the group known as cetaceans, which also includes whales, orcas and porpoises. RSPCA Australia...
Does my horse need a companion? Horses naturally live in herds and a normal horse is never alone by choice. These facts drive the behaviour of...
What are the key things I should understand about horse behaviour? Understanding at least basic horse behaviour is a very important part of responsible horse ownership. A good understanding of horse...
What is virtual fencing (and virtual herding) and does it impact animal welfare? What is virtual fencing? Virtual fencing aims to remotely map and control livestock grazing behaviour without the use of fixed...
Why is environmental enrichment important for pig welfare? Providing environmental enrichment may be an effective strategy to improve animal welfare by enabling positive affective (emotional) states and improving...
Why is group housing important for pig welfare? Pigs are intelligent, social animals, with a complex range of behaviours and needs. Group housing of pregnant pigs allows them...
Why is wallowing important for pig welfare? Wallowing is a natural behaviour which pigs are motivated to perform and, when given the opportunity, pigs will make their...