Time-Budget of Horses Reared for Meat Production: Influence of Stocking Density on Behavioural Activities and Subsequent Welfare.
Authors: Raspa Federica, Tarantola Martina, Bergero Domenico, Nery Joana, Visconti Alice, Mastrazzo Chiara Maria, Cavallini Damiano, Valvassori Ermenegildo, Valle Emanuela
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Intensive housing of meat-producing horses in group pens raises welfare concerns, yet behavioural responses to stocking density have been poorly characterised in this production context. Researchers observed 22 young horses across varying stocking densities over 72 hours using systematic scan sampling (96 scans per horse daily), developing a 13-behaviour ethogram to quantify how time allocation shifted with pen density. Locomotion, play behaviour, and self-grooming all showed significant positive correlations with lower stocking density, suggesting these activities warrant consideration as welfare indicators in commercial settings; notably, standing dominated the time-budget at 30.56%, closely followed by feeding (30.55%) and lying (27.33%), with locomotion comprising only 4.07%—a striking deviation from wild-type behavioural patterns. These findings indicate that high-density confinement substantially constrains movement expression in young horses, and managers should prioritise stocking density reduction as a practical lever for promoting healthier behavioural repertoires and identifying welfare compromise before clinical signs emerge.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor standing duration and reduced locomotion as early warning signs of welfare compromise in intensively housed meat horses; prioritise lower stocking densities to promote movement and self-grooming
- •The unusually high standing and low locomotion percentages suggest adaptation to confinement; consider whether current housing densities allow sufficient space for natural behavioural expression
- •Use observable increases in playing and self-grooming as practical on-farm indicators that stocking density adjustments have improved welfare conditions
Key Findings
- •Locomotion, playing, and self-grooming positively correlated with reduced stocking density, suggesting these behaviours serve as positive welfare indicators
- •Standing (30.56%) and feeding (30.55%) comprised the majority of time-budget, with lying at 27.33% and locomotion at only 4.07%, representing an unusual distribution compared to wild horses
- •Behavioural time-budget was significantly influenced by stocking density in young horses kept in group pens on intensive meat production farms