Let sleeping rats lie: Does the timing of husbandry procedures affect laboratory rat behaviour, physiology and welfare? (2008)

Abou-Ismail, U. A., Burman, O. H. P., Nicol, C. J. et al.

Abstract

Light phase treatment rats thus displayed indicators of reduced welfare (e.g. less sleep, elevated chromodacryorrhoea, lighter thymus glands, higher aggression) relative to dark phase treatment rats. Therefore, husbandry procedures applied in the dark rather than the light phase might improve the welfare of laboratory rats.