Abnormal/Problematic Behavior

Changes in tail posture detected by a 3D machine vision system are associated with injury from damaging behaviours and ill health on commercial pig farms

To establish whether pig tail posture is affected by injuries and ill health, a machine vision system using 3D cameras to measure tail angle was used. Camera data from 1692 pigs in 41 production batches of 42.4 (±16.6) days in...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: D'Eath, R. B., Foister, S., Jack, M. et al. 2021. Changes in tail posture detected by a 3D machine vision system are associated with injury from damaging behaviours and ill health on commercial pig farms. PLOS ONE 16(10), e0258895.

Using individual-specific conditioning to reduce stereotypic behaviours: A study on smooth dogfish Mustelus canis in captivity

Despite how frequently stereotypic behaviours are discussed in the field of animal behaviour and welfare, research on stereotypies in captive elasmobranchs is far less represented in the literature compared to studies on mammalian species. This is particularly unfortunate as aquatic...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Hart, A., Reynolds, Z., Troxell-Smith, S. 2021. Using individual-specific conditioning to reduce stereotypic behaviours: A study on smooth dogfish Mustelus canis in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 9(3), 193-199.

Recommendations for abnormal behaviour ethograms in monkey research

Laboratory monkey ethograms currently include subcategories of abnormal behaviours that are based on superficial morphological similarity. Yet, such ethograms may be misclassifying behaviour, with potential welfare implications as different abnormal behaviours are likely to have distinct risk factors and treatments....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Polanco, A., McCowan, B., Niel, L. et al. 2021. Recommendations for abnormal behaviour ethograms in monkey research. Animals 11(5), 1461.

Self-injurious behavior in rhesus macaques: Issues and challenges

Some monkeys housed in research facilities develop abnormal behavior ranging from stereotypic to the more serious condition of self-injurious behavior (SIB). We initially sought to understand how and why monkeys engaged in SIB and more importantly why only a small...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Novak, M. A. 2021. Self-injurious behavior in rhesus macaques: Issues and challenges. American Journal of Primatology 83(6), e23222.

Animal-centric Care and Management – Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research

The concept of the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) has been used as a framework for improving the welfare of laboratory animals for the last half century. By establishing an animal-centric view on housing and management, Animal-centric Care and Management:...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Dog, Fish, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Zebrafish

Citation: Sørensen, D., Cloutier, S., Gaskill, B. (Eds.). 2021. Animal-centric Care and Management - Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Edible environmental enrichments in littered housing systems: Do their effects on integument condition differ between commercial laying hen strains?

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of additional enrichment materials (EMs; pecking stones and alfalfa bales) on the occurrence of plumage damage, skin injuries, and toe injuries, with an emphasis on the possible differences between commercial...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Schreiter, R., Damme, K., Freick, M. 2020. Edible environmental enrichments in littered housing systems: Do their effects on integument condition differ between commercial laying hen strains? Animals 10(12), 2434.

Normal and abnormal parrot behavior

Behavior and behavior-associated issues are an important part of psittacine medicine. However, many veterinarians have an approach to parrots from the basics of handling and restraint to their assessment of behavioral issues (e.g., feather plucking), that fails to take into...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Speer, B. 2014. Normal and abnormal parrot behavior. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine 23(3), 230-233.

Potential role for selenium in the pathophysiology of crib-biting behavior in horses

Crib-biting is a repetitive and compulsive behavior that is characterized by “grasping a fixed object with incisor teeth and aspirating air with an audible grunt.” Little is known about etiology and pathophysiology of crib-biting behavior in horses. Previously, we have...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Omidi, A., Jafari, R., Nazifi, S. et al. 2018. Potential role for selenium in the pathophysiology of crib-biting behavior in horses. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 23, 10-14.

Nutrient intake, feeding patterns, and abnormal behavior of growing bulls fed different concentrate levels and a single fiber source (corn stover silage)

Twenty-eight bulls weighing 227 ± 6.8 (SD) kg were randomly assigned to four concentrate levels (1-1.5 kg [low level of concentrate {LC}], 1.5-2 kg [medium level of concentrate], 2-2.5 kg [high level of concentrate {HC}], and 2.5-3 kg [highest level...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: ur Rahman, M. A., Xia, C., Ji, L. et al. 2019. Nutrient intake, feeding patterns, and abnormal behavior of growing bulls fed different concentrate levels and a single fiber source (corn stover silage). Journal of Veterinary Behavior 33, 46-53.

The gray matter: Prevention and reduction of abnormal behavior in companion gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus) are popular companion birds, particularly noted for their ability to mimic human speech, their intelligence, and longevity. They are also prone to developing abnormal behaviors such as feather damaging behavior. This review explores the current available...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Greenwell, P. J., Montrose, V. T. 2017. The gray matter: Prevention and reduction of abnormal behavior in companion gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Journal of Veterinary Behavior 20, 44-51.