Abnormal/Problematic Behavior

Stereotyping starlings are more ‘pessimistic

Negative affect in humans and animals is known to cause individuals to interpret ambiguous stimuli pessimistically, a phenomenon termed ‘cognitive bias'. Here, we used captive European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to test the hypothesis that a reduction in environmental conditions, from...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Other Bird

Citation: Brilot, B. O., Asher, L., Bateson, M. 2010. Stereotyping starlings are more ‘pessimistic.' Animal Cognition 13(5), 721–731.

Nature calls: Intelligence and natural foraging style predict poor welfare in captive parrots

Understanding why some species thrive in captivity, while others struggle to adjust, can suggest new ways to improve animal care. Approximately half of all Psittaciformes, a highly threatened order, live in zoos, breeding centres and private homes. Here, some species...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Mellor, E. L., McDonald Kinkaid, H. K., Mendl, M. T. et al. 2021. Nature calls: Intelligence and natural foraging style predict poor welfare in captive parrots. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288(1960), 20211952

Reducing stress and stereotypic behaviors in captive female pygmy slow lorises (Nycticebus pygmeaus)

Improving captive conditions of pygmy slow lorises (Nekaris and Nijman have recently suggested that the pygmy slow loris should be called the pygmy loris and is distinctive enough to warrant a new genus, Xanthonycticebu) (Nycticebus pygmeaus) poses many challenges because...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Alejandro, J., Yamanashi, Y., Nemoto, K. et al. 2023. Reducing stress and stereotypic behaviors in captive female pygmy slow lorises (Nycticebus pygmeaus). American Journal of Primatology 85(7), e23495.

Effects of stocking rate and environmental enrichment on the ontogeny of pecking behavior of laying hen pullets confined in aviary compartments during the first 4 weeks of life

The objective of this study was to describe the ontogeny of the severe feather pecking (SFP), gentle feather pecking (GFP), aggressive pecking (AP), and enrichment pecking (EP) of non-beak-trimmed Lohmann Brown (LB)-pullets during the first 4 weeks of life (observation...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Schwarzer, A., Erhard, M., Schmidt, P. et al. 2022. Effects of stocking rate and environmental enrichment on the ontogeny of pecking behavior of laying hen pullets confined in aviary compartments during the first 4 weeks of life. Animals 12(19), 2639.

Horse welfare: A joint assessment of four categories of behavioural indicators using the AWIN protocol, scan sampling and surveys

Domesticated horses (Equus caballus) can be exposed to a compromised welfare state and detecting a deterioration in welfare is essential to modify the animals' living conditions appropriately. This study focused on four categories of behavioural indicators, as markers of poor...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Ruet, A., Arnould, C., Lemarchand, J. et al. 2022. Horse welfare: A joint assessment of four categories of behavioural indicators using the AWIN protocol, scan sampling and surveys. Animal Welfare 31(4), 455–466.

Exposure to soiled bedding reduces abnormal repetitive behaviors in mice

Hygiene management protocols in laboratory mouse husbandries worldwide most commonly employ soiled bedding-exposed sentinel mice to monitor the occurrence of infections in mouse colonies. Using this approach, sentinel mice repeatedly receive a mixture of used bedding, supplied by a variety...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Müller, K., Lengheimer, T., Kral-Pointner, J. B. et al. 2022. Exposure to soiled bedding reduces abnormal repetitive behaviors in mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16, 1062864.

Evaluating self-directed behaviours and their association with emotional arousal across two cognitive tasks in bonobos (Pan paniscus)

Self-directed behaviours (SDBs) are widely used as markers of emotional arousal in primates, and are commonly linked to negative arousal, or are used as indicators of stress or poor welfare. However, recent studies suggest that not all SDBs have the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Laméris, D. W., Verspeek, J., Salas, M. et al. 2022. Evaluating self-directed behaviours and their association with emotional arousal across two cognitive tasks in bonobos (Pan paniscus). Animals 12(21), 3002.

The fibre requirements of horses and the consequences and causes of failure to meet them

Failure to meet the minimum forage requirement of 1.5% of the horse's bodyweight and the opportunity for foraging for a minimum of 8 h a day (not going without this opportunity longer than four to five consecutive hours) can have...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Ermers, C., McGilchrist, N., Fenner, K. et al. 2023. The fibre requirements of horses and the consequences and causes of failure to meet them. Animals 13(8), 1414.

Green clay: Not just for a pretty face

Mice can be prone to skin lesions for various reasons. Green clay is a non-invvasive method to treat such skin lesions, and does not require veterinary approval or have properties that may interfere with an experiment. Green clay is ost...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Analgesia, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bissmire, H. 2022. Green clay: Not just for a pretty face. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(3), 242–243.

Comparison of single- and double-spaced feeders with regard to damaging behavior in pigs

This work compared the behavior and performance of 24 groups of 12 pigs kept in pens with either a DOUBLE [one feed space aligned with the front wall of the pen (WALL), and one immediately adjacent (IN)] or SINGLE (WALL...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: D'Alessio, R. M., Hanlon, A., O'Driscoll, K. 2023. Comparison of single- and double-spaced feeders with regard to damaging behavior in pigs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10, 1073401.