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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2014; 4(1); 93-118; doi: 10.3390/ani4010093

Social Networks and Welfare in Future Animal Management.

Abstract: It may become advantageous to keep human-managed animals in the social network groups to which they have adapted. Data concerning the social networks of farm animal species and their ancestors are scarce but essential to establishing the importance of a natural social network for farmed animal species. Social Network Analysis (SNA) facilitates the characterization of social networking at group, subgroup and individual levels. SNA is currently used for modeling the social behavior and management of wild animals and social welfare of zoo animals. It has been recognized for use with farm animals but has yet to be applied for management purposes. Currently, the main focus is on cattle, because in large groups (poultry), recording of individuals is expensive and the existence of social networks is uncertain due to on-farm restrictions. However, in many cases, a stable social network might be important to individual animal fitness, survival and welfare. For instance, when laying hens are not too densely housed, simple networks may be established. We describe here small social networks in horses, brown bears, laying hens and veal calves to illustrate the importance of measuring social networks among animals managed by humans. Emphasis is placed on the automatic measurement of identity, location, nearest neighbors and nearest neighbor distance for management purposes. It is concluded that social networks are important to the welfare of human-managed animal species and that welfare management based on automatic recordings will become available in the near future.
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Publication Date: 2014-03-17 PubMed ID: 26479886PubMed Central: PMC4494306DOI: 10.3390/ani4010093Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article suggests that maintaining the social network groups of human-managed animals, similar to their natural environment, could potentially enhance their welfare. The study emphasizes that while Social Network Analysis (SNA) is readily employed for wild and zoo animals, its usage on farm animals needs exploration to improve their management and ensure welfare.

Importance of Studying Social Networks in Farmed Animals

  • Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides essential insights into the social behavior of animals on multiple levels – group, subgroup, and individual. This understanding can help improve the management and welfare of human-managed animals, particularly those on farms.
  • The research indicates a scarcity of data about the social networks of farmed animal species and their ancestors, underlining the need for more investigations in this area.

Current Focus and Limitations

  • The present study is primarily focused on cattle due to various practical constraints in large groups like poultry, where recording individual details can get expensive.
  • Moreover, the existence of definitive social networks among poultry is uncertain because of on-farm restrictions.

The Importance of Stable Social Networks in Farmed Animals

  • There is evidence to suggest that a stable social network could potentially impact an individual animal’s fitness, survival, and overall welfare.
  • The researchers used examples of horses, brown bears, laying hens, and veal calves to illustrate how small social networks are formed among farmed animals and highlight the importance of their study.

Role of Automatic Recordings in Welfare Management

  • The researchers emphasized the significance of automatically documenting elements like animal identity, location, nearest neighbors, and the distance between them for managing animal welfare.
  • The study concluded that these automatic recordings, in addition to being important for welfare management, could potentially become a common practice in the near future.

Implication for Animal Management

  • One of the key takeaways from this research is the potential benefits of maintaining natural social network groups among human-managed or farm animals.
  • This kind of management strategy could better mimic the animals’ original habitat, thereby enhancing their welfare by reducing stress and promoting more natural behavior.

Cite This Article

APA
Koene P, Ipema B. (2014). Social Networks and Welfare in Future Animal Management. Animals (Basel), 4(1), 93-118. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani4010093

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
Pages: 93-118

Researcher Affiliations

Koene, Paul
  • Department of Animal Welfare, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands. paul.koene@wur.nl.
Ipema, Bert
  • Department of Farm Systems, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands. bert.ipema@wur.nl.

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