Environmental Enrichment

The impact of environmental enrichment on red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys elegans)

This study aimed to determine whether tank enrichment improved positive species-specific behaviors (those that benefit the animals' overall well-being), such as basking, and/or decreased negative behaviors (those that may indicate stress, agitation, or discomfort), such as dragging limbs, in red-eared...

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

Citation: Lane, S., Williams, W., Mayo, M. 2022. The impact of environmental enrichment on red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys elegans). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 18-20.

Chicken gummy dog treats

Here is a simple, fast, and easy recipe for making homemade dog gummies only using 2 ingredients. The main ingredient in gelatin is collagen, a protein found in animal tissues, ligaments, tendons, bones, and skin. For this recipe, organic chicken...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Buchanan, K. 2022. Chicken gummy dog treats. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 42.

Effects of pen enrichment on leg health of fast and slower-growing broiler chickens

Pen enrichment for broiler chickens is one of the potential strategies to stimulate locomotion and consequently contribute to better leg health and welfare. This study was designed to evaluate effects of using a plethora of pen enrichments (barrier perches, angular...

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

Citation: Güz, B. C., de Jong, I. C., Da Silva, C. S. et al. 2021 Effects of pen enrichment on leg health of fast and slower-growing broiler chickens. PLOS ONE 16(12), e0254462.

Increasing shelter cat welfare through enrichment: A review

Research into cat behavior has gained more attention in recent years. As one of the world's most popular companion animals, work in this field has potential to have wide-reaching benefits. Cats living in shelters are posed with distinct welfare concerns....

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Houser, B., Vitale, K. R. 2022. Increasing shelter cat welfare through enrichment: A review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 248, 105585.

Commercial broiler breeder pullet hens use perches but show no preference for perch type or height

An important behavioral need for laying hens is perching, but few studies have investigated perching behavior in commercial broiler breeder pullets. The aim of this study was to investigate perching behavior throughout the pullet period and preferences for different perch...

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

Citation: Vasdal, G., Gebhardt-Henrich, S.G., Kittelsen, K.E. et al. 2022. Commercial broiler breeder pullet hens use perches but show no preference for perch type or height. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 249, 105608.

Effects of physical enrichment and pair housing before weaning on growth, behaviour and cognitive ability of calves after weaning and regrouping

Housing unweaned calves individually in barren environments negatively affects their growth, cognitive ability, and adaptability to environmental changes in later life. Social housing has been shown to improve those aspects, whereas physical environmental enrichment has rarely been studied in calves....

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Zhang, C., Juniper, D. T., Meagher, R. K. 2022. Effects of physical enrichment and pair housing before weaning on growth, behaviour and cognitive ability of calves after weaning and regrouping. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 249, 105606.

Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding

Mongolian gerbils can develop stereotypic behaviors, including corner digging. At our institution, gerbils also engage in repetitive corner jumping, which we sought to characterize as a potentially novel stereotypy in gerbils. We then attempted to mitigate this behavior by mimicking...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Habenicht, L. M., Staley, A. W., Clancy, B. M. et al. 2022. Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding. JAALAS 61(2), 149-158.

Bedding as an enrichment strategy in group-housed Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

The research community is committed to improving the well-being of nonhuman primates by providing opportunities to express species-specific behaviors such as foraging. In the wild, macaques spend a large part of their day foraging; this behavior is greatly limited in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Janavaris, M., Bader, L., Hansen, J. J. et al. 2022. Bedding as an enrichment strategy in group-housed Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). JAALAS 61(2), 159-164.

The use of a “go/go” cognitive bias task and response to a novel object to assess the effect of housing enrichment in sheep (Ovis aries)

It is widely acknowledged that environmental enrichment can improve animals' welfare and emotional state. This study used cognitive bias and response to a novel object to assess the effect of enriched housing on emotional state in sheep. Eighteen sheep were...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Stephenson, E., Haskell, M. J. 2022. The use of a “go/go” cognitive bias task and response to a novel object to assess the effect of housing enrichment in sheep (Ovis aries). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 25(1), 62-74.

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.