Environmental Enrichment

Better welfare for broiler chickens given more types of environmental enrichments and more space to enjoy them

Providing an increased variety of environmental enrichment options, with sufficient space to use them, could increase the behavioural expression of positive affective states in production animals. The goal of this study was to investigate associations between the number of different...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Vas, J., BenSassi, N., Vasdal, G. et al. 2023. Better welfare for broiler chickens given more types of environmental enrichments and more space to enjoy them. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105901.

Validation of non-invasive sensor technologies to measure interaction with enrichment material in weaned fattening pigs

Measuring animal behaviour is important in the assessment of animal welfare. When interaction with the enrichment material (EM) can be measured, it can be used for detecting an increasing/decreasing interest in a certain EM. In this study, non-invasive sensor technologies...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Veldkamp, F., Garcia-Faria, T. I., Witjes, V. L. et al. 2023. Validation of non-invasive sensor technologies to measure interaction with enrichment material in weaned fattening pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 263, 105923.

Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Beekmans, M. H. C., Vinke, C. M., Maijer, A. et al. 2023. Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 265, 105986.

Trichromatic vision in toads: Evidence from preference for colour objects during mate choice

Input of different spectral types of photoreceptors in amphibian colour vision has been assessed by studying the behaviour of male toads Bufo bufo and B. gargarizans in a laboratory. This method is based on the males' innate reaction of approaching...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Kondrashev, S. L. 2023. Trichromatic vision in toads: Evidence from preference for colour objects during mate choice. Behaviour 160(8), 753–784.

Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis

Over 120 million mice and rats are used annually in research, conventionally housed in shoebox-sized cages that restrict natural behaviours (e.g. nesting and burrowing). This can reduce physical fitness, impair thermoregulation and reduce welfare (e.g. inducing abnormal stereotypic behaviours). In...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cait, J., Cait, A., Scott, R. W. et al. 2022. Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis. BMC Biology 20(1), 15.

The effect of enrichment on leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) housed in two different maintenace systems (rack system vs

The aim of this study was to test the usefulness of environmental enrichment for Eublepharis macularius depending on the maintenance method (terrarium vs. rack system). The hypothesis was that reptiles kept in an extremely low-stimulus environment (rack system) would be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Zieliński, D. 2023. The effect of enrichment on leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) housed in two different maintenace systems (rack system vs. Terrarium). Animals 13(6), 1111.

Animal agency, animal awareness and animal welfare

In nature, animals need to actively engage with the environment in order to prosper in survival and reproduction. Hence, agency is a central adaptive characteristic of animal life. In this paper, I propose that from the adaptive/functional point of view,...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Špinka, M. 2019. Animal agency, animal awareness and animal welfare. Animal Welfare 28(1), 11–20.

Environmental challenge and animal agency

Challenges are there to be overcome – seen usually as problems to avoid rather than as opportunities to enjoy. However, for humans a life without challenge would be likely to be dull and boring, lacking the enthusiasm and satisfaction that...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Špinka, M., Wemelsfelder, F. 2011. Environmental challenge and animal agency. Animal Welfare 27–43.

The four Cs of psychological wellbeing: Lessons from three decades of computer-based environmental enrichment

Three decades ago, the Animal Welfare Act was amended to require researchers to provide environments that promoted the psychological, as well as the physical, wellbeing of nonhuman primates maintained for research purposes. We developed a computer-task paradigm with the goal...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Washburn, D. 2015. The four Cs of psychological wellbeing: Lessons from three decades of computer-based environmental enrichment. Animal Behavior and Cognition 2(3), 218–232.

Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal

The welfare of animals used in scientific experiments should be one of the most important things to take care of. Many kinds of research show that the enriching elements can help animals to fulfil their natural behaviour. However, those studies...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Kapusta, J., Siewierska, D., Kruczek, M. et al. 2023. Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105899.