Publications

The impact of flow and physical enrichment on preferences in zebrafish

Environmental enrichment is used extensively to improve the welfare of animals in captivity, however, the importance of physical exercise as enrichment is only now coming to light. A key question in assessing the welfare of animals in captivity is, ‘What...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: DePasquale, C., Fettrow, S., Sturgill, J. et al. 2019. The impact of flow and physical enrichment on preferences in zebrafish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 215, 77-81.

Dairy goat usage of flooring types varied by material, slope and slat width

Barn flooring and bedding management are two critical issues in intensive dairy goat facilities. This study aimed at identifying the most appropriate seasonal floorings through observation of the behavioral characteristics of dairy goats. Four different trials were carried out in...

Year Published: 2019Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Tölü, C., Savaş, T. 2019. Dairy goat usage of flooring types varied by material, slope and slat width. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 215, 37-44.

Increasing the number of wooden beams from two to four increases the exploratory behaviour of finisher pigs

Pigs are highly motivated to perform exploratory behaviour and must have permanent access to manipulable material according to the EU Directive 2008/120/EC. A commonly used type of manipulable material is wooden beams. The beams are placed in vertical racks and...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Larsen, M. L. V., Jensen, M. B., Pedersen, L. J. 2019. Increasing the number of wooden beams from two to four increases the exploratory behaviour of finisher pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 216, 6-14.

Laying hen’s mobility is impaired by keel bone fractures and does not improve with paracetamol treatment

Keel bone fractures (KBF) in laying hens pose a severe problem for animal welfare as they are likely to be associated with pain and suffering. Furthermore, they are suspected to hinder or restrict hens in their performance of natural species-specific...

Year Published: 2019Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Rentsch, A. K., Rufener, C. B., Spadavecchia, C. et al. 2019. Laying hen's mobility is impaired by keel bone fractures and does not improve with paracetamol treatment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 216, 19-25.

Infrared thermography—A non-invasive method of measuring respiration rate in calves

Respiration rate (RR) is commonly used to assess states of cattle health and welfare such as pain, stress and disease. Traditionally, RR is measured by counting flank movements, a method often considered to be labour-intensive and impractical. This study investigated...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Lowe, G., Sutherland, M., Waas, J. et al. 2019. Infrared thermography—A non-invasive method of measuring respiration rate in calves. Animals 9(8), 535.

The use of environmental enrichments affects performance and behavior of growing rabbits housed in collective pens

This study assessed the effects of an elevated plastic-slatted platform and/or a plastic hiding tube in collective pens with large group sizes (27 or 36 rabbits/pen; 16 rabbits/m2) on the performance and welfare of rabbits kept from weaning (at 33...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Trocino, A., Zomeño, C., Filiou, E. et al. 2019. The use of environmental enrichments affects performance and behavior of growing rabbits housed in collective pens. Animals 9(8), 537.

Automatic classification of cat vocalizations emitted in different contexts

Cats employ vocalizations for communicating information, thus their sounds can carry a wide range of meanings. Concerning vocalization, an aspect of increasing relevance directly connected with the welfare of such animals is its emotional interpretation and the recognition of the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Ntalampiras, S., Ludovico, L. A., Presti, G. et al. 2019. Automatic classification of cat vocalizations emitted in different contexts. Animals 9(8), 543.

Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse

Physiological changes provide indices of stress responses, however, behavioural measures may be easier to determine. Spontaneous eye blink rate has potential as a non-invasive indicator of stress. Eyelid movements, along with heart rate (HR) and behaviour, from 33 horses were...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Merkies, K., Ready, C., Farkas, L. et al. 2019. Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse. Animals 9(58), 62.

Housing horses in individual boxes is a challenge with regard to welfare

Horses are mainly housed in individual boxes. This housing system is reported to be highly detrimental with regard to welfare and could trigger the expression of four behavioural indicators of a compromised welfare state: stereotypies, aggressiveness toward humans, unresponsiveness to...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Euet, A., Lemarchand, J., Parias, C., Mach, N. et al. 2019. Housing horses in individual boxes is a challenge with regard to welfare. Animals 9(9), 621.

Animal research, accountability, openness and public engagement: Report from an international expert forum

In November 2013, a group of international experts in animal research policy (n = 11) gathered in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss openness and accountability in animal research. The primary objective was to bring together participants from various jurisdictions (United States,...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Ormandy, E. H., Weary, D. M., Cvek, K. et al. 2019. Animal research, accountability, openness and public engagement: Report from an international expert forum. Animals 9(9), 622.