Welfare Considerations Research Articles

Consequences of reduced effectiveness of salmon lice treatments for lice control

The effective control of ectoparasitic salmon lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, in fish farms is challenged by the salmon lice having developed resistance towards several antiparasitic drugs and by the effectiveness of non-medicinal treatments being limited by considerations of fish welfare. When new antiparasitics are introduced to the market, these should be used sparingly to slow resistance development. Using a population model for salmon lice parameterised for salmonid fish farms in Norway, we quantified how reduced treatment effectiveness influences treatment frequency and lice abundance. Furthermore, we investigated when in the production cycle a highly effective lice treatment leads to the largest reduction in the total number of treatments, mean lice abundance and lice larvae production. Results showed that reductions in treatment effectiveness to lower than 50% led to the steepest increases in treatment frequency and mean lice abundance, as well as to increased risk that lice abundance increased beyond control. The timing of the most effective treatment had only moderate effects on the total treatment need and the mean number of adult female lice through the production cycle, but large effect on the production of lice larvae in spring. These findings imply that farmers can optimise the timing of the most effective treatment to reduce the release of lice larvae in the period of year when wild salmonids are in coastal waters, without compromising total treatment need or mean lice levels.

Developing a Formal Animal-Assisted Therapy Program Across Disciplines at a Preschool with Welfare Considerations for Canine Participants

Abstract Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is becoming more common in school settings. When structured properly, there can be many benefits for student participants. However, a program should not be considered successful if it does not also carefully consider the welfare of the animal participants. To truly consider this perspective, there should be proper training for staff prior to seeking to incorporate AAT to ensure proper competency. Sessions should also be carefully and thoughtfully structured in ways that ensure that the welfare of the animal participants is prioritized. Each environment should also be carefully considered from the perspective of not only the goals to be accomplished via AAT but also from the perspective of the animal. This should include ways to avoid overworking the animal and balancing out their schedule with time for them to relax and recharge. Applying all of these factors together can provide a program with a holistic perspective to enhance the human-animal bond and be mutually beneficial and fulfilling. Information © The Author 2024

Group structure and individual relationships of sanctuary-living Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri).

The study of individual social relationships and group structure provides insights into a species' natural history and can inform management decisions for animals living in human care. The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) center provides permanent sanctuary for a group of 14 Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri), a critically endangered and poorly studied subspecies of the genus gorilla, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We monitored the association patterns of the gorillas at GRACE over eight months and here describe their individual relationships and group structure via multiple social network statistics. The group was highly connected but associations between individuals were weak on average. Social network metrics describe that an adult female was the most gregarious and socially central individual within the group. In fact, adult females were the most gregarious and socially central on average. Group level association patterns were significantly correlated over the study period and across observation types, suggesting the group was socially stable during the eight month study period. The data collected in this study were done so by GRACE caregivers as part of their daily husbandry routine and provided important insights into this group's behavior, ultimately informing on their care, welfare and future release considerations. The methodological approaches implemented here are easily scalable to any primate sanctuary or care facility seeking to use data to inform husbandry and management procedures. Lastly, our study is the first social network analysis to be conducted on Grauer's gorillas and provides tentative insights into the behavior of this poorly studied subspecies. Though more research is needed to evaluate if the findings here are reflective of this subspecies' natural history or the idiosyncrasies of the group.

Social Welfare Considerations in the Foundational Period of EU Competition Law and Policy

Social Welfare Considerations in the Foundational Period of EU Competition Law and Policy

Use of an expert elicitation methodology to compare welfare impacts of two approaches for blood sampling European badgers (Meles meles) in the field.

In the UK and Republic of Ireland, the European badger (Meles meles) is considered the most significant wildlife reservoir of the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, the cause of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). To expand options for bTB surveillance and disease control, the Animal and Plant Health Agency developed a bespoke physical restraint cage to facilitate collection of a small blood sample from a restrained, conscious badger in the field. A key step, prior to pursuing operational deployment of the novel restraint cage, was an assessment of the relative welfare impacts of the approach. We used an established welfare assessment model to elicit expert opinion during two workshops to compare the impacts of the restraint cage approach with the only current alternative for obtaining blood samples from badgers in the field, which involves administration of a general anaesthetic. Eleven panellists participated in the workshops, comprising experts in the fields of wildlife biology, animal welfare science, badger capture and sampling, and veterinary science. Both approaches were assessed to have negative welfare impacts, although in neither case were overall welfare scores higher than intermediate, never exceeding 5-6 out of a possible 8. Based on our assessments, the restraint cage approach is no worse for welfare compared to using general anaesthesia and possibly has a lower overall negative impact on badger welfare. Our results can be used to integrate consideration of badger welfare alongside other factors, including financial cost and efficiency, when selecting a field method for blood sampling free-living badgers.

Recent advancements to increase success in assisted reproductive technologies in cattle.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are fundamental for cattle breeding and sustainable food production. Together with genomic selection, these technologies contribute to reducing the generation interval and accelerating genetic progress. In this paper, we discuss advancements in technologies used in the fertility evaluation of breeding animals, and the collection, processing, and preservation of the gametes. It is of utmost importance for the breeding industry to select dams and sires of the next generation as young as possible, as is the efficient and timely collection of gametes. There is a need for reliable and easily applicable methods to evaluate sexual maturity and fertility. Although gametes processing and preservation have been improved in recent decades, challenges are still encountered. The targeted use of sexed semen and beef semen has obliterated the production of surplus replacement heifers and bull calves from dairy breeds, markedly improving animal welfare and ethical considerations in production practices. Parallel with new technologies, many well-established technologies remain relevant, although with evolving applications. In vitro production (IVP) has become the predominant method of embryo production. Although fundamental improvements in IVP procedures have been established, the quality of IVP embryos remains inferior to their in vivo counterparts. Improvements to facilitate oocyte maturation and development of new culture systems, e.g. microfluidics, are presented in this paper. New non-invasive and objective tools are needed to select embryos for transfer. Cryopreservation of semen and embryos plays a pivotal role in the distribution of genetics, and we discuss the challenges and opportunities in this field. Finally, machine learning (ML) is gaining ground in agriculture and ART. This paper delves into the utilization of emerging technologies in ART, along with the current status, key challenges, and future prospects of ML in both research and practical applications within ART.

A new approach and insights on modelling the impact of production diseases on dairy cow welfare

Animal welfare is becoming an important consideration in animal health-related decision-making. Integrating considerations of animal welfare into the decision-making process of farmers involves recognising the significance of health disorder impacts in relation to animal welfare. Yet little research quantifies the impact, making it difficult to include animal welfare in the animal health decision-making process. Quantifying the impact of health disorders on animal welfare is incredibly challenging due to empirical animal-based data collection constraints. An approach to circumvent these constraints is to rely on expert knowledge whereby perceived welfare impairment weights are indicative of the negative welfare effect. In this research, we propose an expertise-based method to quantify the perceived impact of sub-optimal mobility (SOM) on the welfare of dairy cows, because of its welfare importance. We first quantified perceived welfare impairment weights of SOM by eliciting expert knowledge using adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA). Second, using the perceived welfare impairment weights, we derived the perceived welfare disutility (i.e., perceived negative welfare effect) of mobility scores 1–5 (1 = optimal mobility, 5 = severely impaired mobility). Third, using the perceived welfare disutility per mobility score, we quantified the perceived welfare impact at case- and herd-level of SOM for different SOM severity. Results showed that perceived welfare disutility increased with each increase in mobility score. However, the perceived welfare impact of SOM cases with lower mobility scores was higher compared to SOM cases with higher mobility scores. This was because of the longer-lasting duration of the SOM cases with lower mobility scores. Moreover, the perceived herd-level welfare impact was largely due to SOM cases with lower mobility scores because of the longer duration and more frequent incidence compared to the SOM cases with higher mobility scores. These results entail that better welfare of dairy cows with respect to SOM can be achieved if lower mobility scores are detected and treated sooner. Our research demonstrates a novel approach that quantifies the perceived impact of health disorders on animal welfare when empirical evidence is limited.

The chicken chorioallantoic membrane as a low-cost, high-throughput model for cancer imaging

Mouse models are invaluable tools for radiotracer development and validation. They are, however, expensive, low throughput, and are constrained by animal welfare considerations. Here, we assessed the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an alternative to mice for preclinical cancer imaging studies. NCI-H460 FLuc cells grown in Matrigel on the CAM formed vascularized tumors of reproducible size without compromising embryo viability. By designing a simple method for vessel cannulation it was possible to perform dynamic PET imaging in ovo, producing high tumor-to-background signal for both 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) and (4S)-4-(3-18F-fluoropropyl)-L-glutamate (18F-FSPG). The pattern of 18F-FDG tumor uptake were similar in ovo and in vivo, although tumor-associated radioactivity was higher in the CAM-grown tumors over the 60 min imaging time course. Additionally, 18F-FSPG provided an early marker of both treatment response to external beam radiotherapy and target inhibition in ovo. Overall, the CAM provided a low-cost alternative to tumor xenograft mouse models which may broaden access to PET and SPECT imaging and have utility across multiple applications.

Exotic pet trade in Canada: The influence of social media on public sentiment and behaviour

The live trade in wild animals can increase the risk of escape of exotic animals, introduce invasive species, spread zoonotic diseases, over-exploit wild populations, and harm animal welfare. Trade in exotic pets is a particularly understudied issue in Canada. While Canadians generally have pro-environmental attitudes, it is unclear whether this extends to the trade in exotic animals. With most Canadians on social media, we aimed to use Natural Language Processing of social data to examine public sentiment towards exotic pet trade in Canada. We analysed 9,274 posts on Twitter (now 'X') about exotic pets between 2012 and 2022, and 150,236 comments from 2568 TikTok videos showing exotic pets from 50 unique Canadian accounts. We found that social media users demonstrate markedly positive attitudes towards the live trade in reptiles and amphibians, mammals, birds, and arachnids and insects, even on TikTok videos showing poor animal care and questionable legality. We propose a conceptual framework for how exotic pet influencers directly and indirectly contribute to increased demand for exotic pets through opinion leadership, sharing information on where to buy exotic pets, and normalising exotic pet ownership. We suggest that it is important to raise public awareness among social media users about the challenges associated with wildlife trade, including animal welfare considerations, and the links between exotic pet trade and conservation.

The Iconic Philippine Coral Reef at Steinhart Aquarium: The Husbandry, Welfare, Behavior, and Veterinary Care Considerations of a Large Multi-Taxa Living Coral Reef System

In 2008, Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, CA, USA, unveiled a brand new facility with the 212,000 gallon Philippine Coral Reef habitat as its iconic centerpiece. Designing and managing a system that consists of a living reef this large, with associated invertebrates and teleosts, has been a challenge for the aquarium’s husbandry and veterinary teams. Establishing appropriate lighting, water quality, and flow has required a scientific approach and resulting adjustments to the original habitat design. The medical management of reef species has required an in-habitat approach as well as trial-and-error therapeutics. Determining the criteria for assessing the welfare of corals and other tank inhabitants has been a shifting process that has heavily utilized photography-tracked changes and other quantitative parameters as baselines. This report details the successes and limitations of establishing the environmental and veterinary management of this mesocosm. The consideration of interplay between species is discussed, and recommendations for monitoring welfare both on an individual and tank level are made. Making adjustments for the benefit of the exhibit and its animals is key for the unique aquarium displays that comprise captive coral reef systems.

Twisting collars on male elephants in shrub terrain: animal welfare considerations for researchers, managers and manufacturers

For the purposes of testing the impacts of habitat expansion on elephant movement, six XL LoRa elephant radio collars were fixed on three adult male elephants and three adult female elephants prior to a fence being removed at Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa. While none of the collars on female elephants twisted, within five months, all the male elephant collars had twisted, with some triple and double twisting. Behavioural monitoring revealed indications of irritation that resulted in the removal and/or replacement of all twisted collars. It was discovered that two of the male elephants had developed wounds underneath their twisted collars, therefore, only one elephant was re-collared, with a collar that was modified to minimize further risk of twisting, however it twisted again. To investigate this rare incidence of elevated collar twisting, our study assessed the following: elephant behaviour to guide decision-making around interventions and well-being; when, where and how these incidents occurred to investigate the mechanism of twisting and the likelihood of human error; collar design and refurbishment to develop recommendations to minimize the likelihood of twisting; and data obtained from organizations using elephant collars for comparison. From this, it was theorized that browsing behaviour in bulls in dense vegetation, and inadequate collar design were the likely causes in twisting occurrence. We urge organizations using LoRa elephant collars to emphasize post-application monitoring, and exercise caution, when attaching on bulls in dense vegetation. We encourage collar manufacturers to thoroughly investigate twisting incidents and adjust collar structures accordingly, and inform clients about the possibility of twisting. By addressing these issues, we can better ensure the well-being of elephants, research success, and improved device safety and efficacy.

Animal lives embodied in food loss and waste

While the importance of reducing meat loss and waste is acknowledged due to its substantial environmental impacts, the aspect of animal welfare largely remains unaddressed. The suffering and death that is inflicted on animals to produce food that is never eaten remains invisible. This study aims to bridge the gap between food loss and waste (FLW) accounting literature and animal welfare considerations. It achieves this by estimating the number of animal lives embodied in meat loss and waste of six major meat-producing species along the food supply chain and by modelling three potential reduction scenarios. It shows that approximately 18 billion animal lives were embodied in losses and waste of global meat production and consumption in 2019. The scenarios reveal that wasted and lost animal lives could be reduced by 7.9 billion if best regional efficiencies were mainstreamed, and by 4.2 or 8.8 billion if Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 was implemented, achieving a 50 % loss and waste reduction in the downstream or whole supply chain, respectively. Considering species-specific conscience and sentience, and previous recommendations, the analysis finds leverage points for change at the consumption stage in developed, high-income countries, in Industrialized Asia, judging by absolute, and in North America and Oceania, judging by per-capita numbers, as well as in top countries of FLW and animal life loss. It further identifies trade-offs for animal welfare between reducing FLW of different meat types, especially chicken and beef, and reducing production-based losses while keeping emissions and resource use low and supporting food security.

Dairy calf transportation in the United States: Challenges and strategies to improve animal welfare

The objectives of this symposium review are to summarize relevant research and key welfare issues relative to calf transportation and identify strategies to mitigate welfare challenges. An important animal welfare concern across the US dairy industry is the transportation of preweaning calves from the source dairy to a calf-raising facility (e.g., calf ranches, heifer raising facilities, veal operations), auction, livestock market, or directly to slaughter. Millions of calves are transported annually in the United States and calf transport has garnered increased attention. Transportation stressors include limited (if any) access to food and water, commingling, environmental temperature changes, and a variety of handling techniques. Calves in the United States are often transported at an average age of 3 d, and in many cases, less than 24 h of age. Neonates are particularly vulnerable to transportation stressors due to their decreased ability to thermoregulate, underdeveloped immune system, and immature physiologic stress responses. In addition to age, fitness for transport is a key welfare consideration; recent data from the United States demonstrate that some source dairies transport compromised calves (i.e., dehydration, diarrhea, navel inflammation, and so on), leading to important welfare challenges during transportation. Calves arriving at US veal facilities have been reported to be dehydrated, lethargic, hypoglycemic, and may also have poor body condition, navel inflammation, and diarrhea. Thus, there is ample opportunity to target decision-making and producer-focused education not only at the source dairy, but also at each stage of transportation to address critical welfare concerns. In addition, the supply chain and procurement model that influence calf transport practices should be evaluated to determine potential opportunities to improve calf welfare. Here, we provide 5 potential strategies to improve the welfare of transported calves: (1) provide excellent newborn care that “preconditions” calves for transport, (2) assess calves' fitness-for-transport to ensure they can withstand the journey, (3) handle calves with care, (4) wait until calves are older to transport, and (5) reduce transport duration.

When Reading Gets Ruff: Welfare Challenges and Strategies in an Elementary School Dog-Assisted Literacy Program

Abstract The co-authors of this case report have worked collaboratively for over 10 years in a dog-assisted literacy program at an elementary school. In their roles as a teacher and a dog handler, the authors are able to provide unique insights into the challenges and strategies of successfully implementing a school-wide program. This case report addresses animal and participant welfare considerations in the specific areas of recruiting and selecting dog-handler teams, preparing teachers and students, program adaptations for differing abilities, and navigating loss due to separation or retirement. While the examples and anecdotes are from elementary children in a reading program, readers interested in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) in other settings and with different clients can also benefit as the discussion is broad and the topics relevant to many interventions. Readers are encouraged to exercise proper preparation and planning, as well as consider the various challenges discussed, as a way to facilitate the implementation of future AAIs. Information © The Authors 2023

PSX-6 From Bright Leaf to Berkshires: an Alternative Swine Production Course and Outreach Program

Abstract The From Bright Leaf to Berkshires program is a two-year extension outreach initiative funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and facilitated by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University. The objective of the program is to train small, limited-resource farmers from across North Carolina in low-cost, alternative swine production systems, retaining ownership of their processed pork, adding value to their pork products, and the targeting of local niche markets. Small farmers in the region have been financially impacted by tobacco-related, healthcare, and social changes that have shifted both price and demand for North Carolina's top cash crop, tobacco. As opposed to tobacco, the demand for one of North Carolina's leading livestock commodities, pork, has remained strong. Therefore, training these farmers in low-cost swine production systems will allow them to diversify their operations, while producing high-end pork products that can be marketed at premium prices. Using the "farmer field school" extension approach, the training of the first cohort of participants took place between March and May of 2023 at the N.C. A&T Farm Pavilion and Swine Facility. The ages of the participants ranged from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. They were trained in employing both pasture-based and hoop structure swine production systems. The participants were also introduced to the digestive system, nutritional needs, reproductive and breeding systems, required disease surveillance, welfare considerations, and appropriate waste management of outdoor swine. The N.C. A&T Swine Specialist, Dr. Derrick J. Coble, served as the director of the program, providing the participants with some of the basic training in swine physiology and management systems. Additional experts were invited to train the cohort in other areas of swine and pork production. The North Carolina Pork Council Representative and former President of the National Pork Board, Jan Archer, facilitated a workshop in which the participants were trained in animal welfare and swine transport. The participants received Pork Quality Assurance and Transport Quality Assurance certifications from the National Pork Board for their participation in this workshop. The Technical Program Coordinator for N.C. Choices, Lee Menius, facilitated a workshop pertaining to the local food systems and niche markets for pasture-based pork in North Carolina. Dr. Stephanie Kulesza, a Nutrient Management and Animal Waste Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, facilitated a workshop in sustainability and the application of animal waste as fertilizer. The program concluded with small-scale, niche swine producers sharing their experiences in pork production. Upon graduation from the program, the participants receive their own hoop structure. Their swine operations will be monitored for three years to track their on-farm practices, participation in alternative swine production, and the economic impact of their operations to their communities.

Welfare Considerations of Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome in Dogs

Abstract Small brachycephalic dog breeds have had a recent period of popularity. Brachycephalic Ocular Syndrome (BOS) is a term used to describe the many ocular problems these breeds suffer from, largely as a result of their conformation. The exact presentation of BOS is often breed dependent but corneal health is often poor in the affected animals. When treating corneal disease in these breeds, attention must be given to correcting the underlying causes, the eyelids, cornea and tear film need to be thought of as one entity. Medial canthoplasty is the usual surgical treatment to improve facial conformation, but support of the tear film and correction of aggravating factors such as ectopic cilia and distichiasis may be required. As well as the treatment of individual cases, the development of guidelines and potential legislation to encourage the breeding of dogs with less extreme conformation is desirable. Public information plays an important role in educating the public on the problems associated with these breeds so they can think carefully before purchasing one and should they do so, what care they require. Information © The Author 2023

Swine industry stakeholders' perception on the use of water-based foam as an emergency mass depopulation method.

The U.S. pork supply chain is vulnerable to various internal and external threats and in need of prompt, comprehensive response plans. Under urgent circumstances, for example in the case of foreign disease incursions, swine farms will have to perform on-farm animal depopulation to prevent disease spread. Several animal depopulation methods including water-based foam (WBF) have been proposed and are under evaluation for feasibility in the field. However, the psychological/emotional impacts of applying depopulation methods for personnel managing and carrying on the tasks are not currently well understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate WBF as an alternative for depopulation compared to existing methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Swine industry stakeholders were invited to voluntarily observe a WBF depopulation trial and to provide their self-reported perspectives before and after the observation. A survey was designed to explore key areas on expected and perceived method effectiveness, efficiency, and animal welfare considerations, as well as to evaluate short-term post-observation psychological impacts. Among 42 recruited stakeholders, 31.0% (13/42) were educators/researchers followed by animal health officials (26.2%, 11/42) and veterinarians (23.8%, 10/42), with an average of 11.7 ± 12.6 (n = 39) years of work experience. After the trial, respondents' positive perception of WBF depopulation increased specifically regarding the animal loading process being less stressful than restrained in-barn depopulation options (P = 0.003) and by the observation of fewer swine escape attempts and vocalizations than expected (P < 0.001). Respondents' positive perception of WBF also increased regarding to the time required to fill the trailer with foam, to stop hearing animal vocalization, and stop hearing animal movement, as the observed trial times were faster than their pre-observation estimates (P < 0.001). Additionally, 79.5% (31/39) of respondents agreed that the rapid destruction of animal populations had priority over animal welfare under urgent scenarios. Minor post-traumatic stress disorder-like (PTSD-like) symptoms from the observed trials were reported (26.7%, 4/15 respondents) one month after the observation. This study showed that the WBF depopulation process was perceived positively by swine stakeholders and may have limited short-term psychological impacts on personnel involved in animal depopulation.

Unmasking the Adverse Impacts of Sex Bias on Science and Research Animal Welfare.

Sex bias in biomedical and natural science research has been prevalent for decades. In many cases, the female estrous cycle was thought to be too complex an issue to model for, and it was thought to be simpler to only use males in studies. At times, particularly when studying efficacy and safety of new therapeutics, this sex bias has resulted in over- and under-medication with associated deleterious side effects in women. Many sex differences have been recognized that are unrelated to hormonal variation occurring during the estrous cycle. Sex bias also creates animal welfare challenges related to animal over-production and wastage, insufficient consideration of welfare (and scientific) impact related to differential housing of male vs female animals within research facilities, and a lack of understanding regarding differential requirements for pain recognition and alleviation in male versus female animals. Although many funding and government agencies require both sexes to be studied in biomedical research, many disparities remain in practice. This requires further enforcement of expectations by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee when reviewing protocols, research groups when writing grants, planning studies, and conducting research, and scientific journals and reviewers to ensure that sex bias policies are enforced.

Behavioral Evaluation of Laboratory-housed Ferrets (Mustela Putorius Furo) in Different Enclosure Sizes.

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a common research model for infectious disease and behavioral studies. Ferrets are social animals that are commonly pair-housed. The United States has no species-specific regulatory standards for housing ferrets. Optimal enclosure dimensions have also not been investigated in this species, and cage sizes reported in the literature vary. Adequate space is an important animal welfare consideration, as smaller cages have been linked to increased incidence of stress- or boredom-related behaviors in some species. Here, we evaluated activity budget and space utilization in 2 different enclosure sizes for pair-housed female ferrets (n = 12). Single cages measured 78.7×78.7×45.7cm; double cages were comprised of 2 single cages connected by a short tunnel measuring 17.8 cm. Three pairs of ferrets were housed in each cage size and continuous video recordings were captured for 2 wk prior to crossover to the other cage size. The overall activity budget was similar between groups, with the predominant behavior being inactivity (89%). Stereotypic behaviors, such as cage biting or escape attempts, were infrequent (<0.1%) in both groups. Ferrets in double cages remained in the same cage as their partner 96% of the time, suggesting that social support is very valuable. Our results suggest that ferrets in both cage sizes experienced satisfactory welfare conditions. Our findings also suggest that while cage size is not the only determinant of conspecific aggression, larger cages may be an effective intervention to ameliorate aggression in certain ferrets based on signalment or behavioral history, with particular utility as a potential alternative to re-pairing or single-housing. This study provides valuable information to guide animal care and use programs regarding appropriate ferret housing.

Multi-skilled workforce scheduling with training and welfare considerations

Abstract Flexibility in workforce scheduling in services is necessary to reduce the impact of demand uncertainty, absenteeism, and desertion while maintaining high service levels. This paper studies the workforce scheduling problem, including multiple skill accumulation, training, and welfare, as well as flexibility for employees and the company. All these elements are modelled and included in a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model that maximises their accumulated skill level. A real case study based on the scheduling of lab assistants to laboratory practices at a university in Colombia is used to generate numerical experiments. Different experiments were conducted, and the results show that the level of skill achieved is highly sensitive to the number of assistants and the number of allocations. The experiments also showed that, while keeping the same number of lab assistants, it is possible to include flexibility and welfare constraints. Finally, the proposed model can generate schedules that achieve high levels of skills and meet the different constraints of the model, including balance, accumulation, demand and welfare.