Housing

Effects of pen partition design and hiding facilities on elimination and lying behavior of finishing pigs

In intensive commercial pig production systems, the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors plays a crucial role in pen hygiene, management efficiency, and animal welfare. Pen partition design and the provision of hiding facilities are key structural factors that...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Yu, Z., Wang, H., He, Z. et al. 2026. Effects of pen partition design and hiding facilities on elimination and lying behavior of finishing pigs. Animals 16(5).

Pardon my finch … have you seen my juicy garland?

We have a responsibility to promote a Culture of Care to ensure that all species have an appropriate positive environment. Enrichment provides holistic welfare opportunities for captive animals enabling them to demonstrate their natural behaviour. Commercially available enrichment is usually...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Wightman, J., Fordyce, L. 2025. Pardon my finch … have you seen my juicy garland? Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 259–263.

Ethological constraints and welfare-related bias in laboratory mice: Implications of housing, lighting, and social environment

Laboratory mice are the most widely used model organisms in biomedical and behavioral research, yet growing concerns regarding reproducibility and translational validity have highlighted the substantial influence of housing and husbandry conditions on experimental outcomes. Although domestication is often assumed...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Török, H. K., Bárdos, B. 2026. Ethological constraints and welfare-related bias in laboratory mice: Implications of housing, lighting, and social environment. Animals 16(2).

Validation of enhanced floor pen housing for chickens

This study assesses the transition from isolator housing to an enhanced floor pen system for chickens, with the goal of improving Animal Welfare and promoting natural behaviours. Historically, chickens in our facility were housed in isolators, which limited the opportunities...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Teggart, M., Mackay, F., Merck Enrichment Team 2025. Validation of enhanced floor pen housing for chickens. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 251–253.

Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 31 years. These meetings provide an opportunity for members to discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share their experiences of the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Robinson, E., Jackson, M. et al. 2025. Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting. Animal Welfare and Technology 4(3), 219–226.

Assessment of behavioral, clinical, and histological outcomes in Sprague-Dawley rats housed in enriched colony cages versus conventional pair housing over 28 days

The standardization of husbandry in animal studies for drug development aims to minimize variability and enhance inter-laboratory comparability. Rats are a commonly used species in such studies. This standardization yields housing conditions that do not reflect the natural environment of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Shamsi, A., Niebl, P., Kalina, A. et al. 2025. Assessment of behavioral, clinical, and histological outcomes in Sprague-Dawley rats housed in enriched colony cages versus conventional pair housing over 28 days. Animals 15(24).

The impact of light-dark cycles and caging-systems on behavior and corticosterone excretion in the naked mole rat.

The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) (NMR) is increasingly becoming an important animal model in biomedical research. Housing NMR optimally in captivity is therefore important. The present study was designed to establish the effects of varying photoperiods and cage designs...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Mwobobia, R., Kanui, T., Abelson, K. 2025. The impact of light-dark cycles and caging-systems on behavior and corticosterone excretion in the naked mole rat. Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 51, 38–50.

Main husbandry practices and health conditions that affect welfare in calves: A narrative review

Calf welfare is critically influenced by early-life husbandry practices and health conditions. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on key management practices affecting calf welfare, including calving, colostrum intake, milk feeding, water provision, weaning, housing, mutilations, and transport. A structured...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Rearing & Weaning, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Mainau, E., Goby, L., Manteca, X. 2025. Main husbandry practices and health conditions that affect welfare in calves: A narrative review. Animals 15(21).

Simple life, simple minds? How habitat simplification in aquatic ecosystems shape fish cognition

This narrative review synthesises current knowledge on the effects of habitat complexity, defined as the variation in physical structures within ecosystems, on fish cognition, brain morphology, and personality. Globally, habitat complexity is declining through a process known as habitat simplification,...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Natural Behavior, PersonalityAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Klinke, A., Brown, C. 2026. Simple life, simple minds? How habitat simplification in aquatic ecosystems shape fish cognition. Animal Cognition 29(1), 23.

Pasture heterogeneity improves donkey welfare: Effects of structural variation, species diversity, and sward height on herd emotional states

Grazing environment plays a key role in the welfare of domestic herbivores. In the UK, donkeys are typically kept on species-poor, agriculturally improved grasslands that offer limited dietary and behavioural opportunities. Obesity, driven by low exercise levels and unsuitable diet,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Fitts, J., Kubasiewicz, L. M., Norris, S. L. et al. 2025. Pasture heterogeneity improves donkey welfare: Effects of structural variation, species diversity, and sward height on herd emotional states. Animals 15(23).