ABSTRACT
Animal welfare-related problems have been discussed in international forums for nearly 40 years. A range of denitions and criteria of farm animal welfare protection have been elaborated over that time. Animal welfare is the rst and foremost important thing for the animal. However, better livestock management and care can improve the productivity level and food quality. Consideration of environmental factors and behavioral patterns is an essential issue in the development of animal welfare (Kołacz and Bodak 1999; EFSA 2012). This provides the basis for the creation of animal-friendly production systems. In addition to the optimization of production conditions taking into account space allocation and physical factors (e.g., temperature, light, and noise), the protection of animals against excessive stress is also an important issue (Kołacz and Dobrzan´ski 2006; Kilchsperger et al. 2010; Velarde and Dalmau 2012). Moreover, disease prevention activities and farm biosafety are
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 147 5.2 Denitions and Welfare Assessment ............................................................ 148 5.3 Legal Protection of Animals ........................................................................ 151 5.4 Consumer versus Animal Welfare ................................................................ 152 5.5 Bioinsurance and Quality Systems in Primary Production .......................... 154 5.6 Systems of Animal Housing ......................................................................... 155 5.7 Organic Farms .............................................................................................. 158 5.8 Livestock Building Microclimate ................................................................. 161
5.8.1 Light and Radiation .......................................................................... 161 5.8.2 Temperature ...................................................................................... 162 5.8.3 Noise ................................................................................................. 165 5.8.4 Air Pollution ..................................................................................... 165 5.8.5 Dusts ................................................................................................. 166
5.9 Toxic Heavy Metals ...................................................................................... 167 5.10 Conclusions ................................................................................................... 168 References .............................................................................................................. 169
signicant in terms of reducing the risk of production losses, which affects the quality and safety of animal-based products.
