Environmental Enrichment

A review of welfare indicators for sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation, with emphasis on environmental enrichment

For animals undergoing rehabilitation it is vital to monitor welfare in a way that is feasible, practical, and limits stress to the animal. The industry gold standard is to assess welfare under the Five Domains model, including nutrition, environment, physical...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Diggins, R., Burrie, R., Ariel, E. et al. 2022. A review of welfare indicators for sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation, with emphasis on environmental enrichment. Animal Welfare 31(2), 219-230.

Welfare of encaged rodents: Species specific behavioral reaction of voles to new enrichment items

The enrichment of the environment of captive animals is one of the methods applied to reduce stress of the animals and to assure their proper welfare. However, placing objects in a limited space of a cage does not always have...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Kapusta, J., Kruczek, M., Pochroń, E. et al. 2022. Welfare of encaged rodents: Species specific behavioral reaction of voles to new enrichment items. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 246, 105522.

Automatic brushes induce positive emotions and foster positive social interactions in group-housed horses

In mammals, positive tactile contact is recognized as an effective tool for triggering positive affective states. In this study, we investigated the benefits of providing automatic rotative brushes for group-housed horses. Our three aims were: i. to determine whether horses...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lansade, L., Lemarchand, J., Reigner, F. et al. 2022. Automatic brushes induce positive emotions and foster positive social interactions in group-housed horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 246, 105538.

Effects of environmental enrichment on recognition memory in zebrafish larvae

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) constitute a useful model for studying memory function and impairment in vertebrates and are now widely used in translational research. On the one hand, the adoption of simple, fast and reliable tests such as novel object recognition...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Gatto, E., Bruzzone, M., Dal Maschio, M. et al. 2022. Effects of environmental enrichment on recognition memory in zebrafish larvae. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 247, 105552.

The utility of scatter feeding as enrichment: Do broiler chickens engage with scatter–fed items?

In recent years, welfare certification companies have encouraged the use of scatter feeding as enrichment material, though there is little scientific evidence to support a scatter feeding program. This study aimed to understand the impact of scatter feeding on the...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Wood, B., Rufener, C., Makagon, M. M. et al. 2021. The utility of scatter feeding as enrichment: Do broiler chickens engage with scatter–fed items? Animals 11(12), 3478.

The effect of music on livestock: Cattle, poultry and pigs

The welfare of animals, especially those kept in intensive production systems, is a priority for modern agriculture. This stems from the desire to keep animals healthy, to obtain a good-quality final product, and to meet the demands of today's consumers,...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Pig

Citation: Ciborowska, P., Michalczuk, M., Bień, D. 2021. The effect of music on livestock: Cattle, poultry and pigs. Animals 11(12), 3572.

Effects of environmental enrichment on dog behaviour: Pilot study

Environmental enrichment (EE) can be used to enhance the environment of various animals. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effects of seven EE activities (Bonding, Bubble machine, Conspecific play, Interactive toy, Playhouse, Stuffed food toy and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Hunt, R. L., Whiteside, H., Prankel, S. 2022. Effects of environmental enrichment on dog behaviour: Pilot study. Animals 12(2), 141.

The use of attractants to stimulate neonatal piglet interest in rope enrichment

In the United States swine industry, preweaning mortality represents the highest mortality rate of any production phase, nearly half attributed to crushing. The overarching aim of this study was to determine if enrichment ropes would entice neonatal piglets away from...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Sundman, E. R., Gabler, N. K., Millman, S. T. et al. 2022. The use of attractants to stimulate neonatal piglet interest in rope enrichment. Animals 12(2), 211.

Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens’ fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior

Increased environmental complexity can improve animal welfare, depending on the resources provided and use by the animal. We provided chickens either with physical items that posed no biosecurity risk and were inexpensive (balls, chains, perches and rope) (P; n =...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Taylor, P. S., Hemsworth, P. H., Rault, J.-L. 2022. Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens' fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior. Animals 12(3), 310.

Rehabilitation of marine turtles and welfare improvement by application of environmental enrichment strategies

Sea turtles perform various ecological services in several marine environments and are considered architects of the marine landscape. At present, they are endangered species due to anthropogenic threats, pollution and degradation of marine habitats. These impacts make it urgent to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Reptile, Turtle & Tortoise

Citation: Escobedo-Bonilla, C. M., Quiros-Rojas, N. M., Rudín-Salazar, E. 2022. Rehabilitation of marine turtles and welfare improvement by application of environmental enrichment strategies. Animals 12(3), 282.