caa a22 4500 467942749 CHVBK 20180406153017.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170328e20060201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10806-005-4493-7 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10806-005-4493-7 Assessing the Importance of Natural Behavior for Animal Welfare [Elektronische Daten] [M. Bracke, H. Hopster] The concept of natural behavior is a key element in current Dutch policy-making on animal welfare. It emphasizes that animals need positive experiences, in addition to minimized suffering. This paper interprets the concept of natural behavior in the context of the scientific framework for welfare assessment. Natural behavior may be defined as behavior that animals have a tendency to exhibit under natural conditions, because these behaviors are pleasurable and promote biological functioning. Animal welfare is the quality of life as perceived by the animal. Animals have evolved cognitive-emotional systems ("welfare needs”) to deal with a variable environment. Animals do not only have so-called physiological needs such as the need for food, water, and thermal comfort. They also need to exercise certain natural behaviors such as rooting or nest-building in pigs, and scratching or dust-bathing in poultry. All needs must be taken into account in order to assess overall welfare. The degree of need satisfaction and frustration can be assessed from scientific information about the intensity, duration, and incidence of (welfare) performance criteria such as measurements of behavior and/or (patho)physiology. Positive welfare value relates to how animals are inclined to behave under natural conditions, in preference tests, and in consumer-demand studies. Negative welfare value relates to stress, frustration, abnormal behavior, aggression, and reduced fitness. Examples are given to illustrate how the need to perform natural behaviors can be assessed following the general principles for welfare assessment, providing a first approximation of how different natural behaviors affect animal welfare. Springer, 2006 Animal welfare nationallicence assessment methodology nationallicence model nationallicence natural behavior nationallicence Bracke M. Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands aut Hopster H. Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands aut Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics Kluwer Academic Publishers 19/1(2006-02-01), 77-89 1187-7863 19:1<77 2006 19 10806 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-005-4493-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-005-4493-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Bracke M. Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hopster H. Animal Sciences Group, Division Animal Resources Development, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics Kluwer Academic Publishers 19/1(2006-02-01), 77-89 1187-7863 19:1<77 2006 19 10806 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer