Bird

Enrichment for Carneaux pigeons used in behavioral learning research

Litter-box mats provisioned with cracked corn serves as feeding enrichment substrate.

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Turner, T. 2009. Enrichment for Carneaux pigeons used in behavioral learning research. Lab Animal 39(2), 40-41.

Farm Animal Welfare in Great Britain: Past, Present and Future

The Council has examined the effectiveness of British policy on farm animal welfare since 1965 and sets out a strategy that will lead to steady improvements in welfare over the next 20 years. Proposals are made for Government and commercial...

Year Published: 2009Animal Type: All/General, Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Farm Animal Welfare Council 2009. Farm Animal Welfare in Great Britain: Past, Present and Future. Farm Animal Welfare Council, London, UK.

Organic wheatgrass as environmental enrichment

Environmental enrichment must be provided for the various animal species that are housed in laboratory animal facilities. Wheatgrass can be used as a natural form of enrichment that requires minimal preparation and effort. Wheatgrass is appropriate enrichment for cats, rabbits,...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cat, Chicken, Finch, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Other Bird, Parrot, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brown, C. 2010. Organic wheatgrass as environmental enrichment. Lab Animal 39(3), 74-75.

The effects of four types of enrichment on feather-pecking behaviour in laying hens housed in barren environments

Severe feather pecking, a potentially stereotypic behaviour in chickens (Gallus gallus), can be reduced by providing enrichment. However, there is little comparative information available on the effectiveness of different types of enrichment. Providing forages to birds is likely to decrease...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Dixon, L. M., Duncan, I. J. H., Mason, G. J. 2010. The effects of four types of enrichment on feather-pecking behaviour in laying hens housed in barren environments. Animal Welfare 19(4), 429-435.

The effects of sanded (bottom only) perches on finch feet

Birds that are kept in captivity often require nail trims, presumably due to the lack of opportunity to wear the nails down on natural substrates. For many birds, restraint for the nail trim may result in increased stress. In an...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Sheets, M. D., Lindstrom, K. E., Carbone, L. G. 2011. The effects of sanded (bottom only) perches on finch feet. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 779 (Abstract #P157).

Friends with benefits: Social support and its relevance for farm animal welfare

Despite growing interest in promoting positive welfare, rather than just alleviating poor welfare, potential measures of good welfare, and means to provide it, have remained elusive. In humans social support improves stress-coping abilities, health, and promotes positive psychological welfare. Therefore,...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Rault, J.-L. 2012. Friends with benefits: Social support and its relevance for farm animal welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 136(1), 1-14.

The effects of music on animal physiology, behavior and welfare

Physiological and psychological effects of listening to music have been documented in humans. The changes in physiology, cognition and brain chemistry and morphology induced by music have been studied in animal models, providing evidence that music may affect animals similarly...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cattle, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Fish, Fowl, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Fish, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Alworth, L. C., Buerkle, S. C. 2013. The effects of music on animal physiology, behavior and welfare. Lab Animal 42(2), 54-61.

Use of dynamic and rewarding environmental enrichment to alleviate feather pecking in non-cage laying hens

Feather pecking (FP) can cause feather loss, resulting in physical injuries, which may lead to cannibalism. FP appears to be a redirection of foraging behavior, which intensifies when hens have difficulty coping with stress and fear. Dynamic environmental enrichment (EE)...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Daigle, C. L., Rodenburg, T. B., Bolhuis, J. E. et al. 2014. Use of dynamic and rewarding environmental enrichment to alleviate feather pecking in non-cage laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 161, 75-85.

Laboratory animal behavior

The study of laboratory animal behavior has increased steadily over the last decade, with expanding emphasis on a variety of commonly used species. In the United States, this trend was initially focused on species for which there was a regulatory...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fowl, Gerbil, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mink, Mouse, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Bayne, K. A., Beaver, B. V., Mench, J. A. et al. 2015. Laboratory animal behavior. In: Laboratory Animal Medicine, 3rd edition. Fox, J. G., Anderson, L., Otto, G., et al. (eds). Elsevier, Inc., Amsterdam, NL. pp. 1617-1651.

Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens

Feather pecking is a maladaptive behavior where chickens (and other poultry species) peck the feathers of conspecifics and damage the plumage and frequently the skin. It is one of the most common behavioral problems in chickens today and can lead...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Adamson, T. W., Perez, M.C. 2014. Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 540 (Abstract #PS56).