This document provides foundational methodological guidelines and quantitative assessment standards for implementing the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF). The guidelines outlined herein serve as a practical reference for conducting systematic, evidence-based measurement of animal welfare impacts, facilitating decision-making and benchmarking across sectors. This core documentation should be cited as: Alonso, W. J., & Schuck-Paim, C. (2025). Welfare Footprint Framework: Methodological Foundations and Quantitative Assessment Guidelines. Center for Welfare Metrics (Sao Paulo). https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/94bxs 1 Summary................................................................................................................................. 3 Innovative Tools and Metrics....................................................................................................4 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 5 Trademark Usage and Requirements........................................................................................ 6 Core Framework Components.................................................................................................. 6 Intraspecific Analyses............................................................................................................ 12 Definition of Analytical Boundaries........................................................................................ 12 I. Zootechnical Description..........................................................................................................13 II. Veterinary
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…an OPEN ACCESS alternative method for male animal surgical castration EDITED BY Izhar Hyder Qazi, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan REVIEWED BY Chun Wang 1, Cuiting Yang…
…an OPEN ACCESS alternative method for male animal surgical castration EDITED BY Izhar Hyder Qazi, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan REVIEWED BY Chun Wang 1, Cuiting Yang…
…towards surgical castration of piglets without anaesthesia versus implications for animal welfare. The biology of animal stress: alternative strategies. Research in Veterinary Science, 92(3), 524– basic principles and implications for animal…
…towards surgical castration of piglets without anaesthesia versus implications for animal welfare. The biology of animal stress: alternative strategies. Research in Veterinary Science, 92(3), 524– basic principles and implications for animal…
gical, behavioural 159. Kiley-Worthington M. The tail movements of ungulates, canids and felids with and facial expression responses. PLoS One. (2012) 7:e44437. doi: particular reference to their causation and function as displays. Behaviour. (2008) 10.1371/journal.pone.0044437 56:69–114. doi: 10.1163/156853976x00307 135. Viscardi AV, Hunniford M, Lawlis P, Leach M, Turner PV. Development of a 160. Rizzuto S, Evans D, Wilson B, McGreevy P. Exploring the use of a qualitative piglet grimace scale to evaluate piglet pain using facial expressions following castration behavioural assessment approach to assess emotional state of calves in rodeos. Animals. and tail docking: a pilot study. Front Vet Sci. (2017) 4:51. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00051 (2020) 10:113. doi: 10.3390/ani10010113 136. Häger C, Biernot S, Buettner M, Glage S, Keubler LM, Held N, et al. The sheep 161. Keeling LJ, De Oliveira D, Rustas B-O, Keeling LJ, De Oliveira D, Rustas B-O. Use grimace scale as an indicator of post-operative distress and pain in laboratory sheep. of mechanical rotating brushes in dairy cows—a potential proxy for performance and PLoS One. (2017) 12:e0175839. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175839 welfare In: C Kamphuis and W Steeneveld, editors. Precision dairy farming. Wageningen, Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers (2016). 343–7. 137. Leslie E, Hernández-Jover M, Newman R, Holyoake P. Assessment of acute pain experienced by piglets from ear tagging, ear notching and intraperitoneal injectable 162. Keeling LJ, Winckler C, Hintze S, Forkman B. Towards a positive welfare protocol transponders. Appl Anim Behav Sci. (2010) 127:86–95. doi: for cattle: a critical review of indicators and suggestion of how we might proceed. Front 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.09.006 Anim Sci. (2021)
gical, behavioural 159. Kiley-Worthington M. The tail movements of ungulates, canids and felids with and facial expression responses. PLoS One. (2012) 7:e44437. doi: particular reference to their causation and function as displays. Behaviour. (2008) 10.1371/journal.pone.0044437 56:69–114. doi: 10.1163/156853976x00307 135. Viscardi AV, Hunniford M, Lawlis P, Leach M, Turner PV. Development of a 160. Rizzuto S, Evans D, Wilson B, McGreevy P. Exploring the use of a qualitative piglet grimace scale to evaluate piglet pain using facial expressions following castration behavioural assessment approach to assess emotional state of calves in rodeos. Animals. and tail docking: a pilot study. Front Vet Sci. (2017) 4:51. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00051 (2020) 10:113. doi: 10.3390/ani10010113 136. Häger C, Biernot S, Buettner M, Glage S, Keubler LM, Held N, et al. The sheep 161. Keeling LJ, De Oliveira D, Rustas B-O, Keeling LJ, De Oliveira D, Rustas B-O. Use grimace scale as an indicator of post-operative distress and pain in laboratory sheep. of mechanical rotating brushes in dairy cows—a potential proxy for performance and PLoS One. (2017) 12:e0175839. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175839 welfare In: C Kamphuis and W Steeneveld, editors. Precision dairy farming. Wageningen, Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers (2016). 343–7. 137. Leslie E, Hernández-Jover M, Newman R, Holyoake P. Assessment of acute pain experienced by piglets from ear tagging, ear notching and intraperitoneal injectable 162. Keeling LJ, Winckler C, Hintze S, Forkman B. Towards a positive welfare protocol transponders. Appl Anim Behav Sci. (2010) 127:86–95. doi: for cattle: a critical review of indicators and suggestion of how we might proceed. Front 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.09.006 Anim Sci. (2021)
of a Precision Livestock Farming tool. Appl Anim LJ. Pain behaviour after castration of piglets; effect of pain relief with Behav Sci. 2019;215:26–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.03. lidocaine and/or meloxicam. Animal. 2013;7(7):1158–62. https://doi. 011. org/10.1017/S1751731113000086. 82. Leslie E, Hernández-Jover M, Newman R, Holyoake P. Assessment of 102. Camerlink I, Ursinus WW. Tail postures and tail motion in pigs: A review. acute pain experienced by piglets from ear tagging, ear notching Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2020;230: 105079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appla and intraperitoneal injectable transponders. Appl Anim Behav Sci. nim.2020.105079. 2010;127(3–4):86–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2010.09.006. 103. Wedin M, Baxter EM, Jack M, Futro A, D’Eath RB. Early indicators of tail 83. Rutherford KM, Thompson CS, Thomson JR, Lawrence AB, Nielsen EO, biting outbreaks in pigs. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2018;208:7–13. https:// Busch ME, et al. A study of associations between gastric ulcers and the doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.08.008. behaviour of finisher pigs. Livest Sci. 2018;212:45–51. https://doi.org/10. 104. Conte S, Bergeron R, Gonyou H, Brown J, Rioja-Lang FC, Connor L, 1016/j.livsci.2018.03.013. et al. Measure and characterization of lameness in gestating sows 84. Osther PJ, Pedersen KV, Lildal SK, Pless MS, Andreassen KH, Osther SS, using force plate, kinematic, and accelerometer methods. J Anim Sci. et al. Pathophysiological aspects of ureterorenoscopic management of 2014;92(12):5693–703. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2014-7865. upper urinary tract calculi.
…2005) Animal welfare issues associated with extensive livestock thresholds to mechanical stimulation in healthy and lame sheep. production: the northern Australian beef cattle industry. Applied Animal Research in Veterinary Science 58, 61…