Michael Erhard
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View article: A gentling program decreases fear-related behaviour towards humans but not towards novel objects in broiler chickens
A gentling program decreases fear-related behaviour towards humans but not towards novel objects in broiler chickens Open
The human-animal-relationship is a crucial aspect of good animal welfare. Improvements in this regard might be particularly relevant for chickens, as their relationship with humans in commercial husbandry conditions is often limited to bri…
View article: Movements after Captive Bolt Stunning in Cattle and Possible Animal- and Process-Related Impact Factors—A Field Study
Movements after Captive Bolt Stunning in Cattle and Possible Animal- and Process-Related Impact Factors—A Field Study Open
Movements in cattle after captive bolt stunning cause problems in the slaughter process and lead to uncertainties in assessing stunning effectiveness. The objective of this study was to categorize and quantify these movements and determine…
View article: Which affiliative behaviour can be used as a valid, reliable and feasible indicator of positive welfare in horse husbandry?
Which affiliative behaviour can be used as a valid, reliable and feasible indicator of positive welfare in horse husbandry? Open
To date, the suitability of affiliative behaviours for inclusion in a horse welfare assessment protocol has not been thoroughly studied. This is surprising, given the growing focus on demonstrating the presence of positive welfare rather t…
View article: Urinating in transponder-controlled feeding stations – Analysis of an undesirable behaviour in horses
Urinating in transponder-controlled feeding stations – Analysis of an undesirable behaviour in horses Open
Urination in transponder-controlled roughage feeding stations is a widespread undesirable behaviour of group-housed horses. Urination on hard surfaces, such as the floor of the stations, is contrary to the natural elimination behaviour of …
View article: Behavior of broilers and impacts occurring to them during mechanical loading under field conditions
Behavior of broilers and impacts occurring to them during mechanical loading under field conditions Open
Mechanical loading has been used increasingly in recent years alongside the manual loading of broilers. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of various factors on the behavior of broilers and the impacts occurring to broilers…
View article: Behavior of Piglets in an Observation Arena before and after Surgical Castration with Local Anesthesia
Behavior of Piglets in an Observation Arena before and after Surgical Castration with Local Anesthesia Open
Surgical castration of piglets is generally recognized as a painful procedure, but there is currently no gold standard for the assessment of pain behavior in piglets. However, pain assessment is essential for evaluating the effectiveness o…
View article: Which animal-to-feeding-place ratio at time-controlled hay racks is animal appropriate? Preliminary analysis of stress responses of horses
Which animal-to-feeding-place ratio at time-controlled hay racks is animal appropriate? Preliminary analysis of stress responses of horses Open
Introduction Automated feeding systems offer numerous advantages for animals and humans, but the associated benefits and risks can often only be seen under practical conditions. The space allowance (~80 cm per horse) at time-controlled hay…
View article: Behavioral and hormonal assessment of stress in foals (Equus caballus) throughout the weaning process
Behavioral and hormonal assessment of stress in foals (Equus caballus) throughout the weaning process Open
This study had the aim to demonstrate the midterm effects (three weeks) of weaning on foals’ welfare. For this purpose, foals’ behavioral changes and fecal levels metabolites of cortisol were evaluated. The observations took place at the s…
View article: Effects of Stocking Rate and Environmental Enrichment on the Ontogeny of Pecking Behavior of Laying Hen Pullets Confined in Aviary Compartments during the First 4 Weeks of Life
Effects of Stocking Rate and Environmental Enrichment on the Ontogeny of Pecking Behavior of Laying Hen Pullets Confined in Aviary Compartments during the First 4 Weeks of Life Open
The objective of this study was to describe the ontogeny of the severe feather pecking (SFP), gentle feather pecking (GFP), aggressive pecking (AP), and enrichment pecking (EP) of non-beak-trimmed Lohmann Brown (LB)-pullets during the firs…
View article: Risk Factors for the Occurrence of Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed Pullets and Laying Hens on Commercial Farms
Risk Factors for the Occurrence of Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed Pullets and Laying Hens on Commercial Farms Open
Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a behavioral disorder, for which there are multifactorial reasons. Various aspects of pullet and laying-hen husbandry—including housing conditions, management, feeding, and genetics—must be considered, to pr…
View article: Dogs working in schools–Safety awareness and animal welfare
Dogs working in schools–Safety awareness and animal welfare Open
Gaining popularity, animal-assisted education is thought to enhance learning processes and children's development, inter alia. While previous research has focused on these potential positive effects for the pupils, animal welfare and human…
View article: Nociception-Induced Changes in Electroencephalographic Activity and FOS Protein Expression in Piglets Undergoing Castration under Isoflurane Anaesthesia
Nociception-Induced Changes in Electroencephalographic Activity and FOS Protein Expression in Piglets Undergoing Castration under Isoflurane Anaesthesia Open
The objective of this study was to investigate the electroencephalographic reaction pattern and FOS protein expression in male piglets undergoing surgical castration under light isoflurane anaesthesia with or without local anaesthesia. The…
View article: Individual plumage and integument scoring of laying hens on commercial farms: correlation with severe feather pecking and prognosis by visual scoring on flock level
Individual plumage and integument scoring of laying hens on commercial farms: correlation with severe feather pecking and prognosis by visual scoring on flock level Open
Various plumage and integument scoring methods are commonly used to deduce the occurrence of severe feather pecking and cannibalism in laying hens. The aim of our study was to provide evidence of correlations between the occurrence of seve…
View article: Short communication: Do the tameness of the dams and the sex of the offspring have an influence on the “gentling” effect in laboratory rats?
Short communication: Do the tameness of the dams and the sex of the offspring have an influence on the “gentling” effect in laboratory rats? Open
"Gentling" (soft touching, "taming") has long-term effects on the behavior of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus). Our own studies showed that the use of a "gentling" program in the fourth and fifth week of life resulted in a significant r…
View article: Begging with dogs: aspects of animal welfare and official veterinary monitoring by the authorities of Munich, Germany
Begging with dogs: aspects of animal welfare and official veterinary monitoring by the authorities of Munich, Germany Open
In recent years, dogs have increasingly been used for begging in Munich (Bavaria, Germany). Especially at events such as the Munich Oktoberfest or Christmas markets people are found sitting on the ground with a dog and begging for money. T…
View article: Evaluation of Two Injection Techniques in Combination with the Local Anesthetics Lidocaine and Mepivacaine for Piglets Undergoing Surgical Castration
Evaluation of Two Injection Techniques in Combination with the Local Anesthetics Lidocaine and Mepivacaine for Piglets Undergoing Surgical Castration Open
The present study evaluated the effects of two injection techniques in combination with lidocaine or mepivacaine for piglets undergoing castration. To improve ease of use, a cannula with side holes (one-step fenestrated (F)) was invented t…
View article: Physiological and Behavioral Reactions of Simmental Dairy Cows to Increasing Heat Load on Pasture
Physiological and Behavioral Reactions of Simmental Dairy Cows to Increasing Heat Load on Pasture Open
Climate change is accompanied by temperatures exceeding the thermal comfort zone of dairy cows, resulting in numerous consequences for production and welfare. Early detection of heat load enables taking countermeasures and can be realized …
View article: Heart rate and heart rate variability in school dogs
Heart rate and heart rate variability in school dogs Open
The aim of this study was to examine whether the canine stress level was elevated during animal-assisted education by means of the Polar monitor V800 (Polar Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland), which recorded heart rate (HR) and heart rate varia…
View article: Automatic Scoring System for Monitoring Foot Pad Dermatitis in Broilers
Automatic Scoring System for Monitoring Foot Pad Dermatitis in Broilers Open
The assessment of foot pad dermatitis at slaughter is a suitable method to assess and monitor the welfare of broilers. The goals of this study were to define and validate a camera-based score that could identify macroscopic lesions of the …
View article: Evaluation of small mammal pet supplies offered in German retail under animal welfare aspects
Evaluation of small mammal pet supplies offered in German retail under animal welfare aspects Open
German retailers offer a large variety of accessories for pets. However, not all products are suitable for pet husbandry. Several articles can negatively influence the wellbeing of pets or cause injuries, but empirical studies that evaluat…
View article: Saliva and Blood Cortisol Measurement in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Methodology, Application, and Limitations
Saliva and Blood Cortisol Measurement in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Methodology, Application, and Limitations Open
A central task of zoos and aquaria is the frequent and accurate assessment of their animals’ welfare. Recently, important steps have been made, such as the introduction of animal welfare evaluation tools and welfare decision trees. To dete…
View article: Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed and Beak-Trimmed Laying Hens on Commercial Farms with Aviaries
Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed and Beak-Trimmed Laying Hens on Commercial Farms with Aviaries Open
Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a major animal welfare problem in layers. It results in pain and injuries in the affected animal. It was the aim of this study to gain insight into the actual pecking behavior of laying hens kept on commerci…
View article: Behavior of domestic pigs under near-natural forest conditions with ad libitum supplementary feeding
Behavior of domestic pigs under near-natural forest conditions with ad libitum supplementary feeding Open
Today's livestock agriculture faces major changes in domestic pig husbandry—besides animal health and productivity, aspects of animal welfare and animal-friendly husbandry systems for pigs increasingly gain attention. To get a basic and cu…
View article: Welfare and Performance of Three Turkey Breeds—Comparison between Infrared Beak Treatment and Natural Beak Abrasion by Pecking on a Screed Grinding Wheel
Welfare and Performance of Three Turkey Breeds—Comparison between Infrared Beak Treatment and Natural Beak Abrasion by Pecking on a Screed Grinding Wheel Open
Feather pecking and cannibalism are behavioral disorders that cause animal-welfare-relevant and economic problems. To mitigate these problems, the beaks of conventionally reared turkeys are usually already trimmed in the hatcheries. To fin…