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Artificial intelligence used to detect sheep pain
Severe pain in sheep is associated with conditions such as foot rot and mastitis, which are both common in large flocks.
System could lead to early diagnosis of painful conditions
 
An artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to detect sheep pain could improve animal welfare and aid the diagnosis and treatment of common, painful conditions.

The system, developed by scientists at the University of Cambridge, uses five facial expressions to determine if a sheep is in pain, and to estimate the severity of that pain.

Building on earlier work that teaches computers to recognise emotions and expressions in human faces, the system detects distinct parts of a sheep’s face and compares it to a standardised measurement tool, the Sheep Pain Facial Expression Scale (SPFES).

According to SPFES, five key things happen to a sheep’s face when it is in pain: the eyes narrow, cheeks tighten, ears fold forward, lips pull down and back, and the nostrils change from a U shape to a V shape. The scale then ranks these traits from one to 10 to determine the severity of the pain.

SPFES has been shown to recognise pain with high accuracy, but training people to use it can be time-consuming and individual bias may lead to inconsistent scores. Cambridge scientists used it as the basis for the AI system in order to improve the accuracy of pain detection.

To train the AI model, they used a small dataset of around 500 sheep photographs that had been gathered by veterinary surgeons during the course of providing treatment. Early tests show that the model is able to estimate pain levels with about 80 per cent accuracy, but much larger datasets are now needed to make it more robust.

Going forward, researchers plan to train the system to detect and recognise sheep faces from moving images, including when the sheep is not looking directly at the camera. If this is successful, they may be able to position cameras at water troughs or other areas where sheep congregate, and the system would be able to recognise any sheep in pain.

Severe pain in sheep is associated with conditions such as foot rot and mastitis, which are both common in large flocks. Reliable and effect pain assessment would aid early diagnosis, leading to faster treatment and pain relief. Scientists say the system could even be rolled out to other species.

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

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Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.