ArticleAnimal welfare (South Mimms, England)2023
An effective environmental enrichment framework for the continual improvement of production animal welfare.
Article in Animal welfare (South Mimms, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Functionally Relevant Feeding Enrichment: An Examination of Nectar Feeding Devices With Two Species of Parrot.Veterinary medicine and science · 2026Article
- Animal welfare in deep-bedded pig systems: A systematic review, evidence synthesis, and translational frameworks for sustainable veterinary practice.Veterinary world · 2026Review
- The Influence of Environmental Conditions and Husbandry Practices on Goat Welfare.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
- Effect of dairy calf rearing systems on affective states.Discover animals · 2026Review
- Comparing the use of different environmental enrichment items by Hereford-Holstein cattle in a high containment facility.BMC veterinary research · 2025Article
- Physiological and Behavioral Responses of Stabled Horses (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Environmental enrichment for laboratory rats and mice: endocrine, physiological, and behavioral benefits of meeting rodents' biological needs.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Review
- Enrichments Adjusted to the Number of Litters: Simple Approach to Improve the Welfare of Weaned Piglets under Farm Conditions.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Global Overview of Environmental Enrichment Studies: What Has Been Done and Future Directions.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- A Multidimensional Evaluation of the Factors in the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) That Are Associated with, and Predictive of, Behaviour Disorders in Dogs.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- A Practical Approach to Providing Environmental Enrichment to Pigs and Broiler Chickens Housed in Intensive Systems.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Erratum: An effective environmental enrichment framework for the continual improvement of production animal welfare - ERRATUM.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Substrates and objects are provided to farm animals on the assumption that they improve animal welfare by enriching the environment, but these often fail to consider the extent to which an environmental enrichment (EE) improves animal welfare, if at all. Furthermore, there are numerous definitions of EE, each with a unique expectation. If expectations of animal welfare improvement are set too high, industry uptake may be thwarted, but if thresholds are set too low it will not result in meaningful improvements to animal welfare. We propose an EE framework based on revised definitions of EE that reflect improvements to various components of animal welfare: (i) pseudo-enrichment; (ii) EE for meeting basic needs; (iii) EE for pleasure; and (iv) EE for positive welfare balance. This framework requires short- and long-term assessments to determine the impact of the EE, although many are lacking in the production animal literature. Redefining EE with a focus on specific animal welfare outcomes will assist producers in identifying the optimal EE for their enterprise. Subsequently, we encourage dialogue between farmers, researchers and industry stakeholders when designing environmental enrichment programmes. This framework is a science-based tool that can be used to inform the development of clear EE assessment protocols and requirements for animal welfare legislation, assurance programmes and industry. This evidence-based framework ensures that the focus is on the
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.