Abnormal/Problematic Behavior

Frustration and perseveration in stereotypic captive animals: Is a taste of enrichment worse than none at all?

Stereotypic behaviours are common in animals in impoverished housing, arising from two complementary processes: (1) thwarted attempts to perform motivated behaviours; (2) forebrain dysfunction impeding normal behavioural inhibition. When enriched animals are moved to impoverished housing, they are sometimes protected...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Latham, N., Mason, G. 2010. Frustration and perseveration in stereotypic captive animals: Is a taste of enrichment worse than none at all? Behavioural Brain Research 211(1), 96-104.

The effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on exploration and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs

The experiment aimed to investigate the effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on explorative and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs. Thirty-six pens with partly slatted concrete floor were allocated to one of four treatments: (1) low space...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jensen, M. B., Studnitz, M., Pedersen, L. J. 2010. The effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on exploration and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 123(3-4), 87-92.

Recognizing and addressing stereotypic behaviors

The combination of mouse igloos and running wheels proved to be highly effective in reducing flipping, circling, and jumping.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Harper, V., Frey, A., Bradley, D. et al. 2010. Recognizing and addressing stereotypic behaviors. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 15(4), 2.

The effects of four types of enrichment on feather-pecking behaviour in laying hens housed in barren environments

Severe feather pecking, a potentially stereotypic behaviour in chickens (Gallus gallus), can be reduced by providing enrichment. However, there is little comparative information available on the effectiveness of different types of enrichment. Providing forages to birds is likely to decrease...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Dixon, L. M., Duncan, I. J. H., Mason, G. J. 2010. The effects of four types of enrichment on feather-pecking behaviour in laying hens housed in barren environments. Animal Welfare 19(4), 429-435.

Effects of access to voluntary wheel running on the development of stereotypy

Stereotyped motor behaviors are a common consequence of environmental restriction in a wide variety of species. Although environmental enrichment has been shown to substantially reduce stereotypy levels, the various components of enrichment have not been evaluated independently to determine which...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pawlowicz, A., Demner, A., Lewis, M. H. 2010. Effects of access to voluntary wheel running on the development of stereotypy. Behavioural Processes 83(3), 242-246.

Long-term effects of housing and enrichment on affective behavior and responsiveness of Sprague-Dawley rats

Most rodent studies evaluate different caging paradigms over short periods of time, which may not be realistic for typical colony settings. Inappropriate housing may lead to boredom, aggression, stereotypies, and altered metabolism, which in turn may affect experimental responses. In...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Turner, P. V., Ovari, J., Pinelli, C. et al. 2010. Long-term effects of housing and enrichment on affective behavior and responsiveness of Sprague-Dawley rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 658-659 (Abstract #PS12).

Middle-aged mice with enrichment-resistant stereotypic behaviour show reduced motivation for enrichment

For captive animals, living in barren conditions leads to stereotypic behaviour that is hard to alleviate using environmental enrichment. This resistance to enrichment is often explained via mechanisms that decouple abnormal behaviour from current welfare, such as "establishment": a hypothetical...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tilly, S.-L. C., Dallaire, J., Mason, G. J. 2010. Middle-aged mice with enrichment-resistant stereotypic behaviour show reduced motivation for enrichment. Animal Behaviour 80(3), 363-373.

Monitoring program for the treatment of nonhuman primates with behavioral disorders

Maintaining the psychologic wellbeing of nonhuman primates housed in a laboratory setting is an important aspect in providing the best possible care for these animals. Nonhuman primates kept in captivity can begin to display abnormal behaviors that are not typical...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Egeler, J. L., Hoekwater, S., Hoffman, H. D. 2010. Monitoring program for the treatment of nonhuman primates with behavioral disorders. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 717 (Abstract #P113).

Stopping self injurious behaviour of a young male chacma baboon (Papio ursinus)

While access to a foraging log had no curative effect on serious self-injurious biting of a single-caged subadult male baboon, transferring the animal to an outdoor section with compatible females in adjacent cages (allowing grooming interactions) resulted in a healing...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: De Villiers, C., Seier, J. V. 2010. Stopping self injurious behaviour of a young male chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). Animal Technology and Welfare 9(2), 77-80.

A survey of alopecia in group-housed baboons

Although alopecia may arise from a variety of causes, it is often viewed as an indicator of impaired wellbeing, frequently becoming a focus of regulators or facility managers. However, the extent of alopecia in populations of nonhuman primates has not...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Baboon, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lutz, C. K., Condel, L. L., Ponce, F. B. 2010. A survey of alopecia in group-housed baboons. American Journal of Primatology 72(S1), 35. (33rd Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #32)