Publications

Responses of purple mud crab (Scylla tranquebarica) to various saccharide solutions and the saccharide-coated pelleted feeds

Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are economically important portunid species for aquaculture in many countries across the Indo-Pacific region. However, there is still no commercial species-specific formulated feed available for mud crabs, and mud crabs generally reject pelleted feed and the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Crustacean, Invertebrate

Citation: Liew, K.-S., Tan, K., Liew, H. J. et al. 2022. Responses of purple mud crab (Scylla tranquebarica) to various saccharide solutions and the saccharide-coated pelleted feeds. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 257, 105793.

Welfare and quality of life assessments for shelter cats: A scoping review

The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the published welfare and quality of life assessments that are available for shelter cats. The specific objectives were to identify the available assessments, characterize the assessments as validated...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Lamon, T. K., Slater, M. R., Moberly, H. K. et al. 2023. Welfare and quality of life assessments for shelter cats: A scoping review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 258, 105797.

The beneficial effects of providing prepartum sows with nesting materials on farrowing traits, piglet performance and maternal behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sows are highly motivated to engage in nest-building behavior prior to farrowing. Studies have shown that providing nesting material to farrowing sows reduces the occurrence of redirected nest-building behaviors, improves farrowing traits and maternal behavior, and decreases pre-weaning mortality. However,...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Monteiro, M. S., Muro, B. B. D., Carnevale, R. F. et al. 2023. The beneficial effects of providing prepartum sows with nesting materials on farrowing traits, piglet performance and maternal behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 259, 105795.

Play behaviour positively relates to weight gain, feeding behaviour and drinking behaviour in weaner pigs (Sus scrofa)

Engagement in play behaviour has been associated with the presence of positive affective states and, thus, proposed to be an indicator of positive animal welfare. However, the interpretation of play in animals remains challenging due to the complexity of motivating...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Franchi, G. A., Larsen, M. L. V., Kristoffersen, I. H. et al. 2023. Play behaviour positively relates to weight gain, feeding behaviour and drinking behaviour in weaner pigs (Sus scrofa). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 259, 105836.

A buffet of litters – Broiler chickens behave differently according to litter type and freshness

Poultry are usually provided with a single litter type that may not satisfy all litter-directed behavioural functions and may lose functional value over time due to soiling and degradation. We investigated this hypothesis in two commercial broiler flocks reared to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Holt, R. V., Vas, J., Vasdal, G. et al. 2023. A buffet of litters – Broiler chickens behave differently according to litter type and freshness. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 260, 105856.

Can the emotional state of calves be noticed by their facial expression and heart rate?

The aim of this study was to identify whether or not dairy calves change their facial expression and heart rate according to their emotional state when subjected to a stroking or umbrella stimulus. Thirty-two mixed-breed Holstein calves of different ages...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Machado, M., Freitas Silveira, R. M., Machado Bittar, C. M. et al. 2023. Can the emotional state of calves be noticed by their facial expression and heart rate? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 260, 105874.

Better welfare for broiler chickens given more types of environmental enrichments and more space to enjoy them

Providing an increased variety of environmental enrichment options, with sufficient space to use them, could increase the behavioural expression of positive affective states in production animals. The goal of this study was to investigate associations between the number of different...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Vas, J., BenSassi, N., Vasdal, G. et al. 2023. Better welfare for broiler chickens given more types of environmental enrichments and more space to enjoy them. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105901.

Influence of social enrichment on transport stress in fish: A behavioural approach

Ornamental fishes are among the most commonly owned companion animals in the world, however, the transportation process during acquisition can result in fishes being exposed to biotic and abiotic conditions which compromise welfare. While many studies have considered methods of...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & Management, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Jones, M, Alexander, M. E., Lightbody, S. et al. 2023. Influence of social enrichment on transport stress in fish: A behavioural approach. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105920.

Positive human interaction improves welfare in commercial breeding dogs: Evidence from attention bias and human sociability tests

Intensive breeding practices found in large scale Commercial Breeding Establishments (CBEs) raise significant concerns about breeding dam welfare. Large-scale CBE dams spend most of their reproductive lives confined to kennels, with limited access to enriching experiences including positive human interaction....

Year Published: 2023Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Baqueiro-Espinosa, U., Lo, T. H., Hunter, R. et al. 2023. Positive human interaction improves welfare in commercial breeding dogs: Evidence from attention bias and human sociability tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105904.

Validation of non-invasive sensor technologies to measure interaction with enrichment material in weaned fattening pigs

Measuring animal behaviour is important in the assessment of animal welfare. When interaction with the enrichment material (EM) can be measured, it can be used for detecting an increasing/decreasing interest in a certain EM. In this study, non-invasive sensor technologies...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Veldkamp, F., Garcia-Faria, T. I., Witjes, V. L. et al. 2023. Validation of non-invasive sensor technologies to measure interaction with enrichment material in weaned fattening pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 263, 105923.