ANIMAL-BASED ASSESSMENT

Purpose: To assess the welfare of animals within a housing facility or while in use of a procedure/teaching
Method: animals are assessed directly during a visit/observation. Assessment of animals in housing facility should be done with assessment of
THE HOUSING AND MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT. Animals-based measurement should be consideration at all levels, and
resource-based assessment taken when animal-based measures are inadequate.
Experience/knowledge of specific-species requirement may be needed for thorough assessment.

Audit Information:

Institution name: Auditor:

Corresponding person: Date:
Previous audit date:

General Information:

DESCRIPTION √ COMMENTS DOCS Obtained Score

Are animals`welfare constantly accessed?
How?
Numbers of animals and species
WELFARE DESCRIPTION COMMENTS DOCS Score
Principles Obtained
1. Good Feeding i. Absence of prolonged hunger

ii. Absence of prolonged thirst

2. Good Housing i. Comfort around resting

ii. Thermal comfort

iii. Ease movement

3. Good Health i. Absence of injuries

ii. Absence of disease

iii. Absence of pain induced by management

procedures

4. Appropriate i. Expression of social behaviours

Behaviour
ii. Expression of other behaviours (natural
behaviours)

iii. Good human-animal relationship

iv. Positive emotional state (qualitative behavioural

assessment)
Examples for measurement i

WELFARE DESCRIPTION COMMENTS DOCS Score

Principles Obtained
5. Good Feeding i. Absence of prolonged hunger Body condition score, emaciation

ii. Absence of prolonged thirst Dehydration status

6. Good Housing i. Comfort around resting Cleanliness of body, time needed to lie down, absence of
pressure score/bursitis

ii. Thermal comfort Panting, huddling

iii. Ease movement

7. Good Health i. Absence of injuries Lameness, hock burn, foot pad dermatitis, breast blister,
wounds on body, integument alterations

ii. Absence of disease On farm mortility, culls on farm, ascites, dehydration,

septicemia, hepatitis, pericarditis abscess

iii. Absence of pain induced by Pain assessment

management procedures

8. Appropriate i. Expression of social behaviours

Behaviour
ii. Expression of other behaviours Cover on the range, free range
(natural behaviours)
iii. Good human-animal relationship Avoidance distance test (ADT)

iv. Positive emotional state Qualitative behavioural assessement (QBA)

(qualitative behavioural
assessment)