Environmental Enrichment

Two novel swine enrichments

We describe 2 novel pen enrichments for swine that promote rooting, gnawing, and scratching behaviors. ..Material costs were $40 .. and both enrichments took less than 1 h to make. ..During the entire [3 months] periods, pigs continued to interactwith...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Glenn, A. S., Watson, J. 2007. Two novel swine enrichments. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 45-46 (Abstract).

Environmental enrichment:Running wheels; burrows for rats and gerbils

Running wheels provide suitable enrichment rodents.The need to dig a burrow is probably not as strong in rats as it seems to be in mice. In sharp contrast to rats - who are very curious - mice are reluctant to...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment:Running wheels; burrows for rats and gerbils. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 72-74. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment: mirrors, music, toys, paper-based items and wooden objects

The literature suggests that mirrors may be useful to buffer isolation stress in some species. We do not really know if being forced to listen to loud music of the personnel's liking is also to the animals' liking. If it...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General, Dog, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment: mirrors, music, toys, paper-based items and wooden objects. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 60-71. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment: Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents

The needs for a shelter and nesting material of mice and rats are quite different. Building their own nests is almost a must for mice, and the nest will then also be used as a retreat. For rats, access to...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment:Shelter and nesting material for rodents and rabbits; bedding for rodents. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 74-79. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment for pigs

Within the given constraints of single-housing, straw provides optimal species-appropriate enrichment of which pigs do not get bored, because it allows them to engage in rooting, foraging, chewing and playing. Toys are best suspended with chains so that they do...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment for pigs. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 90-92. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment for fishes and frogs

Our frogs get PCV tubes in which they hide, upside-down plastic boxes, rocks and bricks on which they climb, and plastic litter boxes filled with water serving as little pools.For our fishes, we place PVC pipes in the tanks. We...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Amphibian, Fish, Frog & Toad

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment for fishes and frogs. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 92-93. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment for ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits

You do not have to spend a lot of money to make ferrets happy. Empty bedding bags were a great hit! They also enjoyed rolling around small cat balls with bells in them, though they destroyed them rapidly and, hence,...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Ferret, Guinea Pig, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment for ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 87-90. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment: Definition and criteria of effectiveness

Regardless of how we define the term environmental enrichment, it will always distract from the fact that we do not enrich the environment of captive animals, but provide them, at best, with opportunities to express very basic behavioral needs.Biologically relevant...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment: Definition and criteria of effectiveness. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 47-51. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment: beds for dogs

An easy way to make a bed for dogs is to buy plastic dog kennels and use each half as a bed. It provides three sides that are high enough to give the animal a sense of security. Our dogs...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Environmental enrichment: beds for dogs. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 79-80. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Environmental enrichment effects on development of retinal ganglion cell dendritic stratification require retinal BDNF

A well-known developmental event of retinal maturation is the progressive segregation of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrites into a and b sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), a morphological rearrangement crucial for the emergence of the ON and OFF...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Landi, S., Cenni, M. C., Maffei, L. et al. 2007. Environmental enrichment effects on development of retinal ganglion cell dendritic stratification require retinal BDNF. PLOS ONE 2(4), e346.