RDE955: Understanding and Improving the Welfare of Breeding and Teaser Males: Boars, Bulls and Rams

Aims and Objectives: Aim 1: Document current management practices and make inferences about their potential impact on the welfare of breeding and teaser males (boars, bulls and rams).
- Objective 1.1: Provide a detailed account of how breeding and teaser boars, bulls and rams are currently housed, managed and used in reproductive practices, both on farm and in commercial semen production facilities.
- Objective 1.2: Outline how these practices may affect animal welfare, considering both beneficial and harmful effects, and identifying any risks, inconsistencies, and areas for improvement.

Aim 2: Synthesise existing evidence and identify knowledge gaps relating to the welfare of breeding and teaser males.
- Objective 2.1: Collate existing evidence on the housing, husbandry and reproductive management of breeding and teaser boars, bulls and rams.
- Objective 2.2: Identify welfare relevant findings from broader literature on pigs, cattle and sheep and discuss potential implications for breeding males.
- Objective 2.3: Assess limitations in current knowledge and highlight gaps that require further investigations.