Sub-project 2
To develop robust on-farm welfare monitoring and information systems for selected farm animal species.

The overall aim of Sub-project 2 is to develop an integrated standardised methodology for the on-farm assessment of welfare in  cattle, pigs and poultry from farm to slaughter, based on animal measures (for the assessment of the welfare) and on resource and management measures (for the diagnosis of causes of poor welfare). The development includes determining the way in which the measurements should best be integrated.

This Sub-project is divided into 4 Work Packages that are closely linked to each other. The first (WP 2.1) concentrates on defining a list of measures (from existing knowledge) that could be used in practical conditions (from farm to slaughter) and that cover the different dimensions of welfare.  Validity, repeatability and on-farm feasibility of measures identified in WP 2.1 as suitable for inclusion in monitoring systems will be checked in WP2.2., A comprehensive assessment of animal welfare will then be built by integrating the validated measures (WP 2.3). Finally, monitoring systems (based on validated measure and integration) that meet the requirements of high sensitivity and low complexity will be proposed, tested and validated in WP 2.4.

Work package 2.1       Definition of a framework for developing monitoring systems

Work package 2.2       Development of prototype monitoring systems

Work package 2.3       Design of methods for multi-criteria evaluation of animal welfare

Work package 2.4       Definition of final monitoring systems