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Anghel, S., et al., The increase in detector sensitivity and availability in the past three decades has allowed us to derive knowledge of the meteoroid flux and impact energy into the Earth's atmosphere. We present the multi-instrument detected 2018 December 22 fireball over Western Pyrenees, and compare several techniques aiming to obtain a reliable method to be used when measuring impacts of similar scale. From trajectory data alone, we found a bulk density of 3.5 g cm-3 to be the most likely value for the Pyrenean meteoroid. This allowed to further constrain the dynamic mass, which translated into a kinetic energy of 1 ton TNT (4.184 × 109 J). For the second energy derivation, via the fireball's corrected optical radiation, we obtained a more accurate empirical relation measuring well-studied bolides. The result approximates to 1.1 ton TNT, which is notably close to the nominal dynamic result, and agrees with the lower margin of the seismic-based energy estimation, yet way lower than the infrasound estimate. Based on the relation derived in this study, we consider the nominal estimate from both the dynamic and photometric methods to be the most accurate value of deposited energy (1 ton TNT). We show that the combination of these two methods can be used to infer the meteoroid density. Among the methods presented in this paper, we found that the optical energy is the most reliable predictor of impact energy near the ton TNT-scale., S. Anghel and D. A. Nedelcu were supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Research and Innovation, CCCDI - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0226/16PCCDI/2018, within PNCDI III. EP-A and JMT-R acknowledge funding from PGC2018-097374-B-I00 (MCI-AEI-FEDER, EU). M. Birlan work was partly supported by SEEING-IEA CNRS program. R. Hueso and A. Sánchez-Lavega were supported by Diputación Foral de Bizkaia and Gobierto Vasco IT1366-19.

1. This study examined what elements of artificial enrichment structures attract hens in the outdoor range, and what behaviours hens perform around these structures. Three principles of cover design (height, orientation and visual density) were tested for laying hen preference in the outdoor range of a commercial egg farm using a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial design. The factors were height: 0.5 m or 1.5 m; orientation: vertical, horizontal or horizontal cover with one vertical side; and visual density: 0% (control), 50% or 90% UV blocking cloth.2. A significant three-way interaction between all factors was found (P 0.001). The most preferred visual density of these structures was the 90%, followed by 50% UV blocking cloth. Horizontal structures with one vertical side, of either height, were highly preferred. Short horizontal structures were preferred to tall ones, and tall vertical structures were slightly preferred over short ones.3. The most common behaviours observed around the structures were interaction with the structure (pecks, scratches and vigilance directed at the structure; 32.7%), foraging (32.2%), locomotion (9.9%), and air foraging (pecks and snapping in the air; 9.0%). A three-way interaction between the design principles influenced the proportion of hens performing each of these behaviours (P 0.001). Hens foraged more around structures with no shade cloth and interacted more with structures that had dense shade cloth.4. These results highlighted the complexity of designing attractive outdoor environments for laying hens. By testing the combination of elements that hens prefer it is possible to understand how to design attractive outdoor ranges that attract hens and promote a diverse range of behaviours on commercial farms.

Captive bolts or firearms are unsuitable for euthanasia of livestock when an intact brain is required for diagnostics. Injectable barbiturates can be used, but this method carries risk of poisoning animals eating the carcase. Intravenous saturated salt solutions have been used to euthanase heavily sedated ruminants and are cheap, readily available and not a risk to scavenging animals. However, there is concern that they may be painful or cause distress to animals that are not unconscious. This study aimed to determine the suitability of saturated salt solutions, in combination with xylazine, as a method of euthanasia of ruminants using a sheep model. Thirty-two sheep were sedated with xylazine (0.4 mg kg-1 IM) and euthanased with an intravenous overdose of pentobarbitone (PENT; n = 10), saturated potassium chloride (KCL; n = 11) or saturated magnesium sulphate (MGS; n = 10). Time until end of rhythmic breathing and cardiac arrest, and movement events were recorded. Conscious perception of pain was evaluated by measuring cortical brain activity by electroencephalography (EEG). There was no evidence of perceived pain or unpleasant sensory experience for any treatment as indicated by P50, P95 and Ptot and so all methods were deemed humane. Time until transient EEG was comparable for all treatments. Time until onset of isoelectric EEG was prolonged for KCL. Animals euthanased with KCL consistently exhibited severe reflex movements during infusion (eg kicking, convulsion). No severe movement events were observed in animals euthanased with MGS, hence, physiological and movement data support the preferential use of MGS over KCL.

Two meteorite pieces have been recovered in Italy, near the town of Cavezzo (Modena), on 2020 January 4th. The associated fireball was observed on the evening of New Year’s Day 2020 by eight all-sky cameras of the PRISMA fireball network, a partner of FRIPON. The computed trajectory had an inclination angle of approximately 68° and a velocity at infinity of 12.8 km s−1. Together with the relatively low terminal height, estimated as 21.5 km, those values were indicating the significant possibility of a meteorite dropping event, as additionally confirmed by the non-zero residual total mass. The strewn-field was computed taking into account the presence of two bright light flashes, revealing that the meteoroid had been very likely subject to fragmentation. Three days after the event, two samples, weighing 3.1 and 52.2 g, were collected as a result of a dedicated field search and thanks to the involvement of the local people. The two pieces were immediately recognized as freshly fallen fragments of meteorite. The computed orbital elements, compared with the ones of known Near-Earth Asteroids from the NEODyS database, are compatible with one asteroid only; 2013 VC10. The estimated original mass of the meteoroid, 3.5 kg, and size, approximately 13 cm, is so far the smallest among the current 35 cases in which meteorites were recovered from precise strewn-field computation thanks to observational data. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of accurate processing of fireball network data even on challenging events generated by small size meteoroids.

BACKGROUND Access to an outdoor area is believed to allow free-range hens to express a greater behavioural repertoire. However, very little research has been done in this area. We hypothesised that the type and frequency of behaviours would differ between areas that vary in their characteristics and distance from the shed. METHODS This preliminary study investigated the behaviour of free-range laying hens in indoor and outdoor areas on one commercial free-range farm, through video recordings and scan sampling of focal hens, with the aim of determining their behavioural repertoire and time budget. RESULTS While ranging, hens spent most of their time foraging. Indoors, hens preened and rested. Behaviour in the wintergarden showed similarities to both the indoor and outdoor areas, with preening, resting and foraging behaviours. Differences were not in the main behavioural repertoire, but rather in terms of time budget, with access to the range and wintergarden encouraging exploration. CONCLUSION There was no difference in the types of behaviours that hens performed in the outdoor range compared with inside the shed, but access to a wintergarden and the outdoor range were favoured by the hens for foraging.

Timely euthanasia on swine farms can help to reduce the incidence of poor welfare outcomes for compromised pigs (Sus scrofa) when recovery is prolonged or impossible. Timely euthanasia relies upon caretakers’ abilities to identify compromised pigs and administer euthanasia in various environments. To determine appropriate timelines and most common reasons for on-farm euthanasia, an online survey was conducted with members of the United States National Pork Board. Additionally, two focus groups were conducted to investigate barriers and possible solutions associated with timely euthanasia. Clinical signs related to poor locomotion (57.6%), prolapses (47.2%), and hernias (43.5%) were identified by the greatest percentage of respondents who believed immediate euthanasia was warranted, while a greater percentage of respondents believed euthanasia was not warranted for clinical signs related to the integumentary (90.3%), reproductive (75.8%), and respiratory (67.5%) systems. The most common reason for euthanasia was poor body condition in pre-weaned piglets and non-ambulatory or severely weak for both breeding and non-breeding pigs. In the focus groups, two themes were identified when evaluating barriers to euthanasia on-farm, and participants agreed that making timely decisions relies upon several dimensions of risk analysis. An unsupportive farm culture was identified as a critical barrier to timely euthanasia decision-making, suggesting that caretaker characteristics may play a role in the success of any timely euthanasia programme. This present study has highlighted areas for future research and demonstrated the need to extend educational efforts both to swine industry leaders and producers to improve overall animal welfare by ensuring timely euthanasia in swine.

Euthanasia is a necessary act for any facility keeping live animals. Nevertheless, the crucial role and responsibility of the stockperson in deciding and conducting on-farm euthanasia has been overlooked. Stockperson characteristics and knowledge that lead to appropriate decision-making and the skills to competently perform the procedure remain to be identified. An important component of the stockperson's characteristics that predict behavior is the stockperson's attitudes. This preliminary study investigated the factors that influence stockperson attitudes toward the practice of on-farm euthanasia in the pork industry. A total of 120 stockpeople from 10 Australian pig farms (ranging in size from 50 to 4,754 sows and from 2 to 32 employees) completed a questionnaire based on focus group input to assess their attitudes toward euthanasia and decision processes. Factors identified included stockperson attitudes and attributes (empathy affect, empathy attribution, feeling bad about euthanizing, and negative attitudes to pigs), beliefs about the working environment (perceived time constraints and relying on others), and factors related to decision-making (comfortable with euthanasia, trouble deciding and avoid if possible, confidence, insufficient knowledge, seeking knowledge, and using sources to get advice). Numerous significant correlations were found between these variables. Furthermore, regression analyses showed confidence as the only significant predictor of being comfortable with euthanasia (12.5% of the variance;0.001); insufficient knowledge and empathy attribution both as predictors of trouble deciding and avoid if possible (15.1% of the variance; = 0.001 and = 0.032, respectively); and empathy affect, insufficient knowledge, and perceived time constraints as predictors of feeling bad about euthanizing (23.2% of the variance;0.001, = 0.006, and = 0.022, respectively). Stockpeople reported seeking more knowledge if they had not euthanized an animal before working with pigs ( = 0.05), and women reported greater difficulty than men in conducting euthanasia (0.01). The findings indicate that euthanasia, which comprises both a decision-making process and the act itself, can adversely affect stockpeople. This preliminary study offers insights for implementation of successful practical and humane pig euthanasia protocols on farm. This will benefit stockperson well-being and animal well-being alike.

Humane slaughter implies that an animal experiences minimal pain and distress before it is killed. Stunning is commonly used to induce insensibility but can lead to variable results or be considered unsatisfactory by some religious groups. Microwave energy can induce insensibility in rats, and high power equipment has recently been developed for sheep and cattle. We examined the effectiveness of different settings for microwave energy delivery, power and duration, to induce insensibility based on electroencephalography (EEG) of anaesthetised cows, using the minimal anaesthesia model. All applications resulted in the appearance of seizure-like complexes in the EEG, a pattern considered incompatible with awareness. Shorter duration of application resulted in more rapid EEG changes, as quickly as 3 s. Higher power resulted in a longer duration of EEG suppression, at least 37 s and up to 162 s. Microwave energy can induce insensibility in cattle based on seizure-like complexes in the EEG.

Access to an outdoor area is believed to allow free-range hens to express a greater behavioural repertoire. However, very little research has been done in this area. We hypothesised that the type and frequency of behaviours would differ between areas that vary in their characteristics and distance from the shed.This preliminary study investigated the behaviour of free-range laying hens in indoor and outdoor areas on one commercial free-range farm, through video recordings and scan sampling of focal hens, with the aim of determining their behavioural repertoire and time budget.While ranging, hens spent most of their time foraging. Indoors, hens preened and rested. Behaviour in the wintergarden showed similarities to both the indoor and outdoor areas, with preening, resting and foraging behaviours. Differences were not in the main behavioural repertoire, but rather in terms of time budget, with access to the range and wintergarden encouraging exploration.There was no difference in the types of behaviours that hens performed in the outdoor range compared with inside the shed, but access to a wintergarden and the outdoor range were favoured by the hens for foraging.

Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to quantity of floor space, the quality of space is important: spatial separation between sows can be provided with visual or physical barriers and stalls. Whereas 1.4 m/sow is insufficient, further research is required to examine space effects in the range of 1.8 to 2.4 m/sow in more detail. The period immediately after mixing has the most pronounced effects on aggression and stress, and therefore, well-designed mixing pens offer the opportunity to reduce aggression, injury, and stress while allowing the social hierarchy to quickly form. Because hunger is likely to lead to competition for feed or access to feeding areas, strategies to reduce hunger between meals through higher feeding levels, dietary fiber, or foraging substrate should be examined. However, feeding systems, such as full-body feeding stalls, can also affect aggression and stress by providing protection at feeding, but deriving conclusions on this topic is difficult because research directly comparing floor feeding, feeding stalls, and electronic sow feeder systems has not been conducted. Familiar sows engage in less aggression, so mixing sows that have been housed together in the previous gestation may reduce aggression. Although there is evidence in other species that early experience may affect social skills later in life, there are few studies on the effects of early "socialization" on aggressive behavior of adult sows. Genetic selection has the potential to reduce aggression, and therefore, continued research on the opportunity to genetically select against aggressiveness and its broader implications is required. Most research to date has examined mixing sows after insemination and knowledge on grouping after weaning is limited.

This project compared the effects of grouping sows after weaning or within 2 d after insemination on sexual behavior, aggression, injuries, stress, and mating success. At weaning (d 0), 360 sows were housed in groups of 10 sows at 4.4 m2 per sow (group weaned [GpW]) or individual stalls (stall weaned [StW]), with 18 groups per treatment. Six days after weaning (d 6), 7 inseminated GpW sows were moved to pens at 2.1 m2 per sow and keeping acquainted sows, and simultaneously, groups of 7 inseminated StW sows were mixed at 2.1 m2 per sow. Group-weaned sows showed greater variation in the onset of estrus (P=0.02) but not in the length of estrus compared to StW sows (P=0.21), with 7% fewer GpW sows inseminated within 5 d of weaning (P=0.05). Group-weaned sows showed lower sexual receptivity scores, showing less spontaneous standing during boar exposure and partly compensating by a greater response to the back-pressure test (both P0.01). The GpW treatment also showed greater variability in sows inseminated twice within 6 d of weaning, with 3 out of 18 pens having only 5 mated sows out of 10. Mixing after weaning resulted in higher levels of stress than mixing after insemination, with GpW sows having higher plasma cortisol concentration than StW sows on d 1 (P0.001) but no treatment differences on d 7 in cortisol concentration or aggression at feeding (P=0.48). Group-weaned sows experienced greater weight loss during the first week postweaning (P=0.05). Anogenital sniffing in GpW sows was frequently observed from d 2 to 5, but mounting and flank nosing increased on d 4 and 5. Frequency of sexual behavior initiated by GpW sows tended to correlate with weight loss (P=0.08), and sexual behavior received correlated positively with cortisol concentration at d 1 (P=0.005). In conclusion, sows housed in groups at weaning and regrouped after insemination experienced higher stress than sows housed in individual stalls at weaning and mixed in groups after insemination. This resulted in lower mating success within 5 d of weaning, which in turn increased between-week variability. The lower sexual receptivity in sows grouped at weaning may be due to suppressed estrus-related behaviour, with ovulation occurring, or delayed ovulation beyond d 6. Further research is needed to identify underlying mechanisms to reduce variability, manage aggression and sexual behavior, and optimize estrus detection in group-housed weaning systems.

The main impetus for 'modern' intensive animal production occurred after the Second World War, when Western governments developed policies to increase the availability of cheap, safe food for their populations. Livestock benefit under intensive husbandry by protection from environmental extremes and predators, and better nutritional and health management. Nevertheless, there are costs to the animal, such as impaired social behaviour, limited choice of living environment or pen mates, poor environmental stimulation and behavioural restrictions. The rapid progress in genetic selection of production traits has also, in some cases, adversely affected welfare by creating anatomical and metabolic problems. Above all, the intensively housed animal is heavily reliant on the stockperson and, therefore, inadequate care and husbandry practices by the stockperson may be the largest welfare risk. In a future in which the food supply may be limited as the world's population grows and land availability shrinks, intensive animal production is likely to expand. At the same time, ethical considerations surrounding intensive farming practices may also become more prominent. Novel technologies provide the opportunity to enhance both the productivity and welfare of intensively kept animals. Developing countries are also establishing more intensive commercial systems to meet their growing need for animal protein. Intensive livestock production in such countries has the potential for major expansion, particularly if such developments address the key constraints of poor welfare, inadequate nutrition, poor reproduction, poor housing, and high mortality often seen with traditional systems, and if farmer access to emerging market opportunities is improved. However, as shown by previous experience, inadequate regulation and staff who lack the appropriate training to care for the welfare of intensively housed livestock can be major challenges to overcome.

The search for alternative methods to euthanize piglets is critical to address public concern that current methods are not optimal. Scientific evidence supports that blunt force trauma is humane when performed correctly, but most people find it visually difficult to accept. The use of CO2 is often recommended; at the same time, it is criticized as being aversive to pigs. This research sought to 1) identify a method of scientifically determining if piglets find a gas aversive, using an approach-avoidance test, which relies on the perspective of the piglet, and 2) test different gas mixtures to determine if they are effective and humane for neonatal piglet euthanasia. Pigs were allowed to walk freely between 1 chamber filled with air and another chamber either gradually filled with gas mixtures (Exp. 1) or prefilled with gas mixtures (Exp. 2). Experiment 1 tested CO2 (90%) and air (10%), N2O (60%) and CO2 (30%), Ar (60%) and CO2 (30%), and N2 (60%) and CO2 (30%). Because piglets had to be removed when they started to flail, the test was shortest (P0.01) for the pigs in the CO2 treatment compared with pigs in the N2O/CO2, Ar/CO2, and N2/CO2 treatments, 3.1 ± 0.2, 8.5 ± 0.6, 9.6 ± 0.4, and 9.9 ± 0.1 min, respectively. Nonetheless, all gas mixtures adversely affected the pigs, causing the pigs to leave the test chamber. In Exp. 2, piglets were allowed to enter a chamber prefilled with N2/CO2 or N2O/CO2 (both 60/30%). Pigs exposed to the prefill chambers started to flail in fewer than 20 s, much faster in comparison with the gradual fill method, which supports that this method was more aversive. In Exp. 3, piglets were euthanized using a 2-step procedure. Pigs were first placed in a gradual fill chamber with 1 of 4 gas mixtures: 90% CO2, N2/CO2, N2O/CO2, or N2O/O2 (the last 3 mixtures at 60/30%) followed by placement into a 90% CO2 prefill chamber when the pigs started to flail or were anesthetized. All 3 gas treatments that contained CO2 killed pigs more quickly than N2O/O2 (P0.05). However, N2O/O2 was the only treatment that anesthetized the pigs instead of causing squeals or flailing although requiring about 12 min longer. Although longer, a 2-step procedure in which pigs are anesthetized with a mixture of N2O and O2 before being euthanized by immersion in CO2 may prove to be more humane than CO2 alone.

Surgical castration is performed on most male piglets in the United States. However, castration is painful and analgesics have been considered to relieve pain. Inhalant gases with analgesic properties allow for a fast induction, have short-term and reversible effects, and are a needle-free option. Nitrous oxide (N(2)O; "laughing gas") has been widely used in human surgery and dental offices as an analgesic, sedative, and anxiolytic drug, yet N(2)O has not been thoroughly investigated for use in farm animals. We hypothesized that the analgesic effect of N(2)O could reduce the pain experienced by piglets during or immediately after castration. Twenty-four male piglets, from 12 litters, were castrated at 3 d of age. One piglet received N(2)O and a littermate received air as a control. After 150 s of exposure to the gas, castration was performed while the piglet remained exposed to the gas. Agitation scores and total vocalization length were recorded during castration. Behavioral observations were continued for 3 d postcastration by using a 5-min scan-sampling method for 4 h the first morning and for 2-h periods in the morning and afternoon of each day thereafter. Body weight gain was measured on the day before castration, at 3 d postcastration, and at weaning. Data were analyzed using a mixed model in SAS (Cary, NC). Nitrous oxide successfully induced anesthesia in all N(2)O piglets, as validated by a skin pinch test and the loss of the palpebral reflex. Total vocalization length was shorter in piglets receiving N(2)O during the induction phase (P = 0.003) but was not different during castration itself because piglets receiving N(2)O awoke and vocalized as much as control piglets (P = 0.87). Agitation scores during the whole procedure were reduced in piglets receiving N(2)O in both frequency (P = 0.005) and intensity (P = 0.026). For 2 h after castration, piglets receiving N(2)O displayed less huddling behavior than did control piglets (P = 0.01). Over the 3 d, piglets receiving N(2)O performed more tail wagging (P = 0.02) and tended to show fewer sleep spasms (P = 0.06) than did control piglets. Piglets given N(2)O tended to have a reduced growth rate compared with control piglets at 3 d postcastration and at weaning (P = 0.05 and P = 0.06, respectively). Nitrous oxide was effective in inducing anesthesia in neonatal piglets during handling. Nonetheless, its analgesic effects appeared insufficient in preventing castration-induced pain.