Environmental Enrichment
How do rats respond to playing radio in the animal facility?
In the animal facility, a range of different sounds are present. On the one hand, rats and humans will regard sound and noise differently even within the audible range, but on the other hand mice and rats being very adaptable...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent
Citation: Krohn, T. C., Salling, B., Kornerup Hansen, A. 2011. How do rats respond to playing radio in the animal facility? Laboratory Animals 45(3), 141-144.
Read MoreEnvironmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival
Historically, we have added approximately half a cup of shredded aspen bedding for nest making into each littering cage. This procedure was continued as we looked into additional environmental enrichment. There are many types of environmental enrichment available on the...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Griess, R. S. 2011. Environmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 16(1), 2-3.
Read MoreThe naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material
In laboratories, mice are housed at ambient temperatures between 20 to 24 °C, which is below their lower critical temperature of 30 °C, but comfortable for human workers. Thus, mice are thermally stressed, which can compromise many aspects of physiology...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Gaskill, B., Winnicker, C. L., Garner, J. P. et al. 2011. The naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 741 (Abstract #PS95).
Read MoreEnergy reallocation to breeding performance through improved behavioral thermoregulation
Mice are housed at temperatures which increase their basal metabolic rates and impose high energy demands to maintain core temperatures. Thus, energy may be reallocated from other biologic processes to increase heat production. We hypothesized that nesting material will allow...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Gaskill, B., Garner, J. P., Pritchett-Corning, K. 2011. Energy reallocation to breeding performance through improved behavioral thermoregulation. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 771 (Abstract #P120).
Read MoreImprovement and refinement in husbandry processes and environmental enrichment for ferrets housed at CL1 levels of containment
The aims of this paper are to discuss the most appropriate housing, husbandry routine and enrichment for ferrets .. without compromising science.
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Ferret
Citation: Cruden, J. 2011. Improvement and refinement in husbandry processes and environmental enrichment for ferrets housed at CL1 levels of containment. Animal Technology and Welfare 10, 177-200.
Read MoreRefining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment
Dynamic changes in housing and husbandry techniques based on the concept of 3Rs should be included as routine practice in breeding and experimental animal facilities tending to improve animal welfare. Immunosupressed mice are susceptible to diseases and have special requirements...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Paula, A. A., Goyeneche, L., Crispo, M. 2011. Refining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 777 (Abstract #P148).
Read MoreCage enrichment with paper tissue, but not plastic tunnels, increases variability in mouse model of asthma
Environmental enrichment, besides having a great impact on animal welfare, can also be a potential variable in experimental research. Thus, we investigated whether enrichment of cages with paper tissues or plastic tunnels affects scientific outcome in the well-described mouse model...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Pasalic, I., Bosnjak, B., Ivetic Tkalcevic, V. et al. 2011. Cage enrichment with paper tissue, but not plastic tunnels, increases variability in mouse model of asthma. Laboratory Animals 45(2), 121-123.
Read MoreEffects of environmental enrichment and loose housing of lactating sows on piglet behaviour before and after weaning
Weaning of piglets in commercial husbandry systems is earlier and more abrupt than would happen under natural conditions, resulting in low feed intakes and health and welfare problems in the immediate postweaning period. Piglets in commercial systems generally have limited...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Pig
Citation: Oostindjer, M., van den Brand, H., Kemp, B. et al. 2011. Effects of environmental enrichment and loose housing of lactating sows on piglet behaviour before and after weaning. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134(1-2), 31-41 .
Read MoreThe effect of cage enrichment on fluctuating asymmetry and fecal corticosterone of group-housed laboratory mice
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) represents small, random deviations from symmetry in bilaterally symmetrical anatomic characteristics, is highly correlated with the amount of stress during development, and thus, is considered as a potential welfare indicator. In the present study, female BALB/c mice...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent
Citation: Niu, Y., Zhang, M., Liu, J. 2011. The effect of cage enrichment on fluctuating asymmetry and fecal corticosterone of group-housed laboratory mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 740 (Abstract #PS91).
Read MoreEnvironmental enrichment for captive and wild-born macaques
Although the use of wild-born primates in research is banned in some countries, in others it is commonplace. It has been demonstrated that not only do wild-born primates react more strongly to some stressors than those that are captive-born, but...
Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate
Citation: Honess, P., Fernadez, L. 2011. Environmental enrichment for captive and wild-born macaques. Enrichment Record 9, 16-18.
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