Environmental Enrichment

Effects of experimental housing conditions on recovery of laboratory mice

The beneficial effects of environment and social support during disease recovery in humans are widely accepted. Because laboratory mice are social animals and are highly motivated to interact with each other and with their environment, it is very likely that...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jirkof, P. 2015. Effects of experimental housing conditions on recovery of laboratory mice. Lab Animal 44(2), 65-70.

Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice

Huddling and nest building are two methods of behavioral thermoregulation used by mice under cold stress. In the laboratory, mice are typically housed at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 20°C, well below the lower end of their thermoneutral zone. We...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Maher, R. L., Barbash, S. M., Lynch, D. V. et al. 2015. Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice. American Journal of Physiology 308(12), R1070-R1079.

Laboratory animal behavior

The study of laboratory animal behavior has increased steadily over the last decade, with expanding emphasis on a variety of commonly used species. In the United States, this trend was initially focused on species for which there was a regulatory...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fowl, Gerbil, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mink, Mouse, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Bayne, K. A., Beaver, B. V., Mench, J. A. et al. 2015. Laboratory animal behavior. In: Laboratory Animal Medicine, 3rd edition. Fox, J. G., Anderson, L., Otto, G., et al. (eds). Elsevier, Inc., Amsterdam, NL. pp. 1617-1651.

The effects of environmental enrichment and age-related differences on inhibitory avoidance in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The inhibitory avoidance paradigm allows the study of mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation in zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton). For zebrafish, the physiology and behavior associated with this paradigm are as yet poorly understood. We therefore assessed the effects of...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Manuel, R., Gorissen, M., Stokkermans, M. et al. 2015. The effects of environmental enrichment and age-related differences on inhibitory avoidance in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish 12(2), 152-165.

How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs’ need to perform exploratory behaviour

Since 10 years, EU-legislation states that "pigs must have permanent access to sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities." While much research has focused on which materials enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, little has been...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Pedersen, L. J., Herskin, M.S., Forkman, B. et al. 2014. How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs' need to perform exploratory behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 160, 46-55.

Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens

Feather pecking is a maladaptive behavior where chickens (and other poultry species) peck the feathers of conspecifics and damage the plumage and frequently the skin. It is one of the most common behavioral problems in chickens today and can lead...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Adamson, T. W., Perez, M.C. 2014. Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 540 (Abstract #PS56).

Enriched open field facilitates exercise and social interaction in 2 strains of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Current housing guidelines for laboratory rodents include recommendations for enrichment. Working with guinea pigs, we have developed an open-field enrichment paradigm that provides several aspects of this species' natural environment. These naturalistic aspects include access to increased space for exploration,...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Brewer, J. S., Bellinger, S. A., Prianca, J. et al. 2014. Enriched open field facilitates exercise and social interaction in 2 strains of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). JAALAS 53(4), 344-355.

The influence of neonatal environment on piglet play behaviour and post-weaning social and cognitive development

Research has shown that the domestic pig is highly playful throughout its development and that play is an important aspect of social and cognitive development. Therefore, the neonatal environment is fundamental to successful stimulation of play in neonatal pigs, which...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Martin, J. E., Ison, S. H., Baxter, E. M. 2015. The influence of neonatal environment on piglet play behaviour and post-weaning social and cognitive development. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 163, 69-79.

Plumage damage in free-range laying hens: Behavioural characteristics in the rearing period and the effects of environmental enrichment and beak-trimming

Severe feather-pecking, whereby birds peck at and pull out the feathers of other birds, is one of the greatest welfare concerns and the most prevalent behavioural problem in laying hens. It can be extremely difficult to control, especially in non-cage...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Hartcher, K. M., Tran, M. K. T. N., Wilkinson, S. J., et al. 2015. Plumage damage in free-range laying hens: Behavioural characteristics in the rearing period and the effects of environmental enrichment and beak-trimming. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 164, 64-72.

Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions

In intensive pig farming of Western and Southern Europe, welfare concerns are still often related to barren environments and crowded conditions. Pig producers need to balance the requirements to improve welfare conditions at farm with practical considerations. The aim of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Cornale, P., Macchi, E., Miretti, S. et al. 2015. Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10(6), 569-576.