Publications

The promise of behavioral tracking systems for advancing primate animal welfare

Recent years have witnessed major advances in the ability of computerized systems to track the positions of animals as they move through large and unconstrained environments. These systems have so far been a great boon in the fields of primatology,...

Year Published: 2022Topics: External Bodily Equipment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Knaebe, B., Weiss, C. C., Zimmermann, J. et al. 2022. The promise of behavioral tracking systems for advancing primate animal welfare. Animals 12(13), 1648.

Effects of housing system on anxiety, chronic stress, fear, and immune function in Bovan brown laying hens

The scientific community needs objective measures to appropriately assess animal welfare. The study objective was to assess the impact of housing system on novel physiological and behavioral measurements of animal welfare for laying hens, including secretory and plasma Immunoglobulin (IgA;...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Campbell, A. M., Johnson, A. M., Persia, M. E. et al. 2022. Effects of housing system on anxiety, chronic stress, fear, and immune function in Bovan brown laying hens. Animals 12(14), 1803.

Video conference technology as a tool for pair introduction in rhesus macaques

Pair housing is known to promote welfare for macaques in captivity. However, finding compatible partners can be challenging, particularly when animals are not located near one another. Because macaques show interest in videos of conspecifics, we examined the use of...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Stull, C., Heagerty, A., Coleman, K. 2022. Video conference technology as a tool for pair introduction in rhesus macaques. Animals 12(14), 1783.

Assessment of indoor air quality for group-housed macaques (Macaca spp.)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is strongly associated with animal health and wellbeing. To identify possible problems of the indoor environment of macaques (Macaca spp.), we assessed the IAQ. The temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and concentrations of inhalable dust (mg/m3),...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Maaskant, A., Janssen, I., Wouters, I. M. et al. 2022. Assessment of indoor air quality for group-housed macaques (Macaca spp.). Animals 12(14), 1750.

Increasing environmental complexity by providing different types of litter and perches during early rearing boosts coping abilities in domestic fowl chicks

Early experience of a complex environment can improve biologically relevant traits related to coping abilities. However, the mechanisms underlying these positive effects have not been well explored. We hypothesized that giving chicks possibilities to express choices within relevant resources could...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Nazar, F. N., Skånberg, L., McCrea, K. et al. 2022. Increasing environmental complexity by providing different types of litter and perches during early rearing boosts coping abilities in domestic fowl chicks. Animals 12(15), 1969.

Environmental enrichment as part of the improvement of the welfare of Japanese quails

The aim of this study was to evaluate the indicators of the behavioural and physiological welfare of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) as possible responses to the enrichment of the birds' habitat. The study sample consisted of 280 Japanese quails (224...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Fowl

Citation: Ramankevich, A., Wengerska, K., Rokicka, K. et al. 2022. Environmental enrichment as part of the improvement of the welfare of Japanese quails. Animals 12(15), 1963.

The application of 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics towards refinement of the piglet grimace scale

Proper methods of assessment to objectively identify pain are essential for welfare improvements of piglets undergoing surgical castration on commercial farms. The Piglet Grimace Scale (PGS) is used to identify changes in facial expressions caused by acute pain in piglets...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Lou, M. E., Porter, S. T., Massey, J. S. et al. 2022. The application of 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics towards refinement of the piglet grimace scale. Animals 12(15), 1944.

Preferences of dairy cattle for supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the resting area

Light from the environment is important for vision and regulating various biological processes. Providing supplemental lighting in the stall area could allow for individually targeted or group-level control of light. This study aimed to determine whether dairy cattle had preferences...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Wilson, A. M., Wright, T. C., Cant, J. P. et al. 2022. Preferences of dairy cattle for supplemental light-emitting diode lighting in the resting area. Animals 12(15), 1894.

An evaluation of ethograms measuring distinct features of enrichment use by captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Environmental enrichment provides mental stimulation and minimizes abnormal behaviors in captive animals. In captive chimpanzees, individual animals may vary in the ways in which they benefit from enrichment or use enrichment devices, so investigating nuances in enrichment use may improve...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Greeson, J. L., Gabriel, K. I., Mulcahy, J. B. et al. 2022. An evaluation of ethograms measuring distinct features of enrichment use by captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animals 12(16), 2029.

Effect of different ambient temperatures on reproductive outcome and stress level of lactating females in two mouse strains

Ambient temperature is an important non-biotic environmental factor influencing immunological and oncological parameters in laboratory mice. It is under discussion which temperature is more appropriate and whether the commonly used room temperature in rodent facilities of about 21 °C represents...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kolbe, T., Lassnig, C., Poelzl, A. et al. 2022. Effect of different ambient temperatures on reproductive outcome and stress level of lactating females in two mouse strains. Animals 12(16), 2141.