Articles | Volume 69, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-69-363-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-69-363-2026
Original study
 | 
16 Jul 2026
Original study |  | 16 Jul 2026

Semantic modelling of animal welfare explained – Part 1: Calculating overall welfare scores for husbandry systems using the ANyWEL model framework

Janine Benthin, Karen Kauselmann, E. Tobias Krause, Marc B. M. Bracke, and Margret L. Vonholdt-Wenker

Related authors

Semantic modelling of animal welfare explained – Part 2: The basis of welfare weighting and usage of scientific information
Margret L. Vonholdt-Wenker, Janine Benthin, Karen Kauselmann, Marc B. M. Bracke, and E. Tobias Krause
Arch. Anim. Breed., 69, 383–396, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-69-383-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-69-383-2026, 2026
Short summary

Cited articles

Alonso, M. E., González-Montaña, J. R., and Lomillos, J. M.: Consumers' concerns and perceptions of farm animal welfare, Animals, 10, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10030385, 2020. 
Anonymous: Scientists' Assessment of the Impact of Housing and Management on Animal Welfare, J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci., 4, 3–52, https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327604JAWS0401_2, 2001. 
Benthin, J., Vonholdt-Wenker, M. L., and Kauselmann, K.: Datenbank mit Literaturangaben, die für die Bewertung der Tiergerechtheit im Projekt InKalkTier verwendet wurden (Database with literature references used for the welfare assessment in the InKalkTier project) [Data set], Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10259931, 2023. 
Blanco-Penedo, I., Ouweltjes, W., Ofner-Schröck, E., Brügemann, K., and Emanuelson, U.: Symposium review: Animal welfare in free-walk systems in Europe, J. Dairy Sci., 103, 5773–5782, https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-17315, 2020. 
Blokhuis, H., Veissier, I., Miele, M., and Jones, B.: The Welfare Quality® project and beyond: Safeguarding farm animal well-being, Acta Agr. Scand. A-An., 60, 129–140, https://doi.org/10.1080/09064702.2010.523480, 2010. 
Short summary
We developed the ANyWEL (ANimal WELfare assessment of anY farm animal) model for improved semantic modelling. The model allows for the synthesis of scientific information about animal welfare. Housing conditions can be compared and ranked and welfare-relevant properties can be distinguished. We explain how this procedure works through a fictitious animal species. Herewith, semantic modelling becomes more transparent with regard to how scientific knowledge can be used to produce overall welfare scores.
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