Social Space for Domestic Animals : a seminar in the CEC programme of coordination of research on animal welfare, held in Brussels on January 10-11, 1985 at the Commission of the European Communities, Directorate-General for Agriculture

Social space in farm animals was the subject of the semi­ nar held in Brussels, on January 10 - 11, 1985, at the Commis­ sion of the European Communities (C. E. C. ), Directorate General for Agriculture. As part of the work of the Division for the Coordination of Agricultural Research, the seminar was organi­ zed in the context of the various problems bearing relevance to animal welfare. Also, one of its main purports was to pre­ sent experimental results which were obtained in various labo­ ratories working in a CEC research programme on social space, particularly on the spatial requirements of laying hens in battery cages. These results are presented in section II of the proceedings, and section III offers similar results in other domestic animals such as pigs, dairy cows, and sheep. These contributions have focused on the problems raised by density, selected as a major variable among those present in current farm animal housing. In contrast to other books devoted to wel­ fare and stress of farm livestock, the present one emphasizes the relation between spatial measures (group size and floor area per animal) and social behaviour or social structure in domestic animals. The second objective of the seminar was to provide and discuss available information from experiments on social space in laboratory species and in domestic animals observed in non intensive environments. Content: Front Matter....Pages I-IX Chairman’s remarks. Session 1....Pages 1-2 On the Interpretation and Significance of Behavioural and Physiological Indicators of Stress Related to Social Space in Domestic Animals....Pages 3-14 Social Space: The Need for a New Look at Animal Communication....Pages 15-22 Discussion of Session I....Pages 23-24 Chairman’s Introduction....Pages 25-26 Some Factors Influencing Spacing in Domestic Fowl in a Semi-Natural Environment....Pages 27-36 Spacing Patterns of Laying Hens Kept at Different Densities in Battery Cages....Pages 37-70 Effects of Stocking Density on Production and Social Behaviour in Laying Hens....Pages 71-84 Effect of Group Size on Behaviour and Production of Egg Layers at Constant Space per Hen in Deep and Shallow Cages....Pages 85-98 Social Space in Small Groups of Laying Hens....Pages 99-109 Discussion of Session II....Pages 110-112 Applied Ethological Research on Farm Animals Other than Poultry : An Introduction....Pages 113-115 Social Space Requirements of Pigs....Pages 116-127 Effects of Confinement upon Behavioural, Hormonal Responses and Production Indices in Fattening Pigs....Pages 128-150 Physiological Aspects of Social Space in Heifers and Pigs....Pages 151-159 The Effect of Extra Space on the Behaviour of Dairy Cows Kept in a Cubicle House....Pages 160-170 Investigations on Social Space in Open and Restricted Environments in Sheep....Pages 171-191 Discussion of Session III....Pages 192-193 Chairman’s Introduction....Pages 194-196 Experiments on Behavioural and Cognitive Processes Involved in Social Space of Laying Hens at the Beginning of the Laying Period....Pages 197-229 Control Systems for Coping at Critical Densities....Pages 230-238 A Basic Approach of Space-Behaviour Relationships in Mammals....Pages 239-261 Contribution of Comparative Psychology to Spatial Indicators of Welfare....Pages 262-286 Discussion of Session IV....Pages 287-288 Back Matter....Pages 289-291