Welfare Protocols and Behavioural Assessment of Equine and Other Non‑Traditional Species From Farm to Fork

In recent years, animal welfare science has made substantial progress in developing and validating assessment protocols for traditional livestock species. However, equids and other non‑traditional species—including camelids, many bird species beyond conventional poultry, fish, and a wide range of wild and zoo animals—often remain under-represented in welfare frameworks, despite their increasing relevance in food systems and related value chains.These species may be involved in meat, milk, fibre, or egg production, transport, draught work, tourism, conservation breeding, game farming, and mixed farming systems. They may also be managed in captive settings (e.g. zoos, wildlife parks, aquaculture facilities) that intersect directly or indirectly with the food chain. For many of these taxa, species-specific welfare protocols and behavioural indicators are still scarce, fragmented, or insufficiently validated under field conditions.Building on previous Research Topics that focused on the creation and validation of animal-based welfare indicators, this collection in the Animal Behavior and Welfare section of Frontiers in Veterinary Science aims to advance knowledge on welfare protocols and behavioural assessment of equine and other non‑traditional species along the entire farm-to-fork continuum.This Research Topic seeks contributions that:-Develop, refine, or validate species-appropriate welfare assessment protocols for equids and other non‑traditional species, with a focus on feasibility and reliability in real-world contexts.-Improve our understanding and use of behavioural indicators as measures of affective state, coping ability, and overall welfare status.-Integrate animal-based, resource-based, and management-based measures into coherent and practically applicable assessment schemes.-Translate research findings into evidence-based recommendations that can support best practice, policy, certification, and on-the-ground decision-making. Topic editors: Barbara Padalino, Nikola Čobanović Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77556/welfare-protocols-and-behavioural-assessment-of-equine-and-other-non-traditional-species-from-farm-to-fork