Small ruminant production, particularly that of sheep and goats, has steadily increased over the years, with goat production alone doubling during the past three decades. Increased public attention to the impact of livestock management methods on animal well-being warrants rigorous research and dissemination of findings to address this issue. Small Ruminant Welfare, Production, and Sustainability focuses on advances in assessing and improving small ruminant well-being and the implications for the sheep and goat sectors worldwide. A variety of assessment systems for small-ruminant wellbeing are considered, including behavior, health, physiology, immunology, productivity, product quality, neural networks, thermal imaging, facial recognition, and artificial intelligence. Current methods and novel management practices are examined as they relate to both animal welfare and improvement of production systems. Small Ruminant Welfare, Production, and Sustainability is a welcome addition to the current body of work the current body of work on small ruminant management systems and welfare. Researchers in the fields of animal science, agricultural science, neuroscience, ethics and veterinary medicine, as well as stakeholders in the small ruminant industry and policymakers will benefit from this multidisciplinary resource.
Table of Contents
Section I. Advances in the Assessment of Animal Welfare1. Welfare Issues Related to Small Ruminant Production
2. Novel Technologies for Monitoring Small Ruminant Welfare
3. Understanding Emotions and Social Behavior in Small Ruminants to Improve Welfare
4. Behavior and Welfare of Sheep and Goats on Pasture
5. Assessment of Positive Welfare in Small Ruminants
6. Omics Approach for Measuring Stress in Sheep and Goats
7. Genetic Influence of Behavior and Welfare of Sheep
8. Pain-related Behaviors in Dairy Goats
Section II. Management Methods to Improve Animal Welfare
9. Prevention and Management of Common Health Problems in Small Ruminants
10. Dietary Strategies to Improve Health and Well-being in Goats
11. Antimicrobial Resistance
12. Welfare of Sheep and Goats Prior to Slaughter
13. Benefits of Habituation to Handling Goats
Section III. Better Welfare Equals Better Productivity
14. Sheep and Goat Management and Productivity
15. Dairy Goat Welfare and Milk Production
16. Biological Control of Internal Parasites for Enhancing Small Ruminant Health, Welfare, and Productivity
Section IV. Animal Welfare and Meat Quality and Safety
17. Welfare Assessment in Small Ruminants at Stunning and Slaughter
18. Impact of Animal Stress on Sheep and Goat Meat Quality
19. Preharvest Stress and Food Safety Risks in Sheep and Goats
???????Section V. Small Ruminant Production: Economics and Climate Change
20. Animal Welfare and Economics
21. Small Ruminants and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
22. Future of Animal Welfare Research in Relation to Sustainability of Sheep and Goat Operations
