Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment for rats and mice housed in laboratories: A metareview

Environmental enrichment has been widely studied in rodents, but there is no consensus on what enrichment should look like or what it should achieve. Inconsistent use of the term “enrichment” creates challenges in drawing conclusions about the quality of an...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ratuski, A. S., Weary, D. M. 2022. Environmental enrichment for rats and mice housed in laboratories: A metareview. Animals 12(4), 414.

Advancing a “good life” for farm animals: Development of resource tier frameworks for on-farm assessment of positive welfare for beef cattle, broiler chicken and pigs

There is increasing recognition that farm animal welfare standards should ensure positive welfare, as well as prevent negative welfare. Resources that are valued by an animal and that provide opportunities to engage in motivated behaviours can elicit positive physical and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Pig

Citation: Rowe, E., Mullan, S. 2022. Advancing a “good life” for farm animals: Development of resource tier frameworks for on-farm assessment of positive welfare for beef cattle, broiler chicken and pigs. Animals 12(5), 565.

Positive effects of elevated platforms and straw bales on the welfare of fast-growing broiler chickens reared at two different stocking densities

In conventional rearing systems, fast-growing broiler chickens commonly experience welfare issues, such as contact dermatitis, walking difficulties or a lack of expression of species-specific behaviours. Enriching their environment may be a way to improve their welfare. The objective of this...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Mocz, F., Michel, V., Janvrot, M. et al. 2022. Positive effects of elevated platforms and straw bales on the welfare of fast-growing broiler chickens reared at two different stocking densities. Animals 12(5), 542.

Do hens use enrichments provided in free-range systems?

Hens in free-range systems are given enrichments to increase foraging and limit injurious pecking, but the efficacy of enrichment types requires investigation. We studied hen behaviour and feather cover in eight commercial free-range flocks each given access to four enrichments...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sandilands, V., Baker, L., Donbavand, J. et al. 2022. Do hens use enrichments provided in free-range systems? Animals 12(8), 995.

Impact of stationary brush quantity on brush use in group-housed dairy heifers

Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of stationary brush quantity on brush use and competition in weaned dairy heifers naïve to brushes. Sixty-three Holstein heifers (95 ± 5.7 days old) were housed in groups of eight (with the exception...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Reyes, F. S., Gimenez, A. R., Anderson, K. M. et al. 2022. Impact of stationary brush quantity on brush use in group-housed dairy heifers. Animals 12(8), 972.

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.