Publications

Laying hens’ preferences for nest surface type are affected by enclosure

The nest surfaces preferred by hens are inconsistent with those typically provided in commercial settings. However, little research has explored hens' preferences for commercially available nest surfaces. Our objective was to compare hens' preferences for two such surfaces – red...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Hunniford, M. E., Mason, G. J., Widowski, T. M. 2018. Laying hens' preferences for nest surface type are affected by enclosure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 201, 7-14.

Feeding from perches in an aviary system reduces aggression and mortality in laying hens

Some commercial aviary systems for laying hens allow birds to access feed by standing on perches instead of platforms. Despite reports that providing laying hens with perches relates to reduced aggression and cannibalism, and increased prevalence of keel bone damage,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J., Stratmann, A., Gebhardt-Henrich, S. G. et al. 2018. Feeding from perches in an aviary system reduces aggression and mortality in laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 202, 53-62.

Perch-shape preference and perching behaviors of young laying hens

Provision of perches in enriched colony or cage-free hen housing facilitates birds' ability to express natural behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare. Although considerable research has been conducted on poultry perches, further investigation is needed of perching behavior and preference of...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Liu, K., Xin, H., Shepherd, T. et al. 2018. Perch-shape preference and perching behaviors of young laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 203, 34-41.

Effects of horizontal distance between perches on perching behaviors of Lohmann Hens

Perching is a highly-motivated natural behavior of laying hens that has been considered as one of the essential welfare requirements. The objective of the study was to evaluate perching behaviors of laying hens as affected by horizontal distance (HD) between...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Liu, K., Xin, H. 2017. Effects of horizontal distance between perches on perching behaviors of Lohmann Hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 194, 54-61.

Response to novelty as an indicator of reptile welfare

Whilst a great deal of research has been focused on identifying ways to assess the welfare of captive mammals and birds, there is comparatively little knowledge on how reptilian species are affected by captivity, and the ways in which their...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Moszuti, S. A., Wilkinson, A., Burman, O. H. P. 2017. Response to novelty as an indicator of reptile welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 193, 98-103.

Effects of human contact and intra-specific social learning on tonic immobility in guinea pigs, Cavia porcellus

Social learning is the capacity of animals to acquire adaptive information from others. In the case of fear responses, animals can learn fearful or non-fearful responses by observing the behavior of conspecifics. Tonic immobility (TI) is an anti-predatory behavior elicited...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: de Lima Rocha, A. D., Menescal-de-Oliveira, L., da Silva, L. F. S. 2017. Effects of human contact and intra-specific social learning on tonic immobility in guinea pigs, Cavia porcellus. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 1-4.

Chimpanzees with positive welfare are happier, extraverted, and emotionally stable

Facilities housing captive animals are full of staff who, every day, interact with the animals under their care. The expertise and familiarity of staff can be used to monitor animal welfare by means of questionnaires. It was the goal of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Robinson, L. M., Altschul, D. M., Wallace, E. K. et al. 2017. Chimpanzees with positive welfare are happier, extraverted, and emotionally stable. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 90-97.

Aggressive behaviour at regrouping is a poor predictor of chronic aggression in stable social groups

Commercial pigs globally are routinely mixed into new social groups. This results in regrouping aggression predominantly during the first 24h which compromises welfare and productivity. Chronic aggression persists thereafter and is also undesirable. Management strategies are needed that reduce the...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Turner, S. P., Nevison, I. M., Desire, S. et al. 2017. Aggressive behaviour at regrouping is a poor predictor of chronic aggression in stable social groups. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 98-106.

A novel method for the analysis of social structure allows in-depth analysis of sow rank in newly grouped sows

Chronic stress response in fearful animals can result in depression of growth and reproductive performance. It is therefore important to be aware of at risk animals in the herd. Thus far ‘hierarchy' calculations have involved the use of fights won...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Greenwood, E. C., Plush, K. J., van Wettere, W.H.E.J. et al. 2017. A novel method for the analysis of social structure allows in-depth analysis of sow rank in newly grouped sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 189, 29-35.

The association between infrared thermal imagery of core eye temperature, personality, age and housing in cats

Understanding individual responses to stress is a key aspect of maintaining optimal animal welfare. This is especially important where animals are being kept in sub-optimal environments or where the species may not clearly demonstrate stress. Therefore, the aim of this...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Foster, S., Ijichi, C. 2017. The association between infrared thermal imagery of core eye temperature, personality, age and housing in cats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 189, 79-84.