Housing

Behavioral management approach to facilitate use of pen-housed nonhuman primates for toxicology studies

Housing laboratory primates in large pens can improve welfare by providing ample opportunity to express normal social and locomotor behaviors. This type of housing, however, can present great challenges in terms of manipulating animals for study procedures. The use of...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Animal Training, Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Strittmatter, R. R., Ferraro, A., Tiano, D. 2014. Behavioral management approach to facilitate use of pen-housed nonhuman primates for toxicology studies. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 539 (Abstract #PS53).

Elimination behavior of shelter dogs housed in double compartment kennels

For animals in confinement housing the housing structure has tremendous potential to impact well being. Dogs in animal shelters are often housed in one of two types of confinement housing – single kennels and rooms or double compartment kennels and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Wagner, D., Newbury, S., Kass, P. et al. 2014. Elimination behavior of shelter dogs housed in double compartment kennels. PLOS ONE 9(5), e96254.

Using porches to decrease feces painting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

The goal of this project was to evaluate the efficacy of a porch in decreasing feces painting in captive rhesus macaques. The porch is a small extension that is hung on the outside of a monkey's primary home cage. Porches...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gottlieb, D. H., O'Connor, J. R., Coleman, K. 2014. Using porches to decrease feces painting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). JAALAS 53(6), 653-656.

A comparison of soiled bedding densities and stress in sentinel mice

Sentinel animals are used to monitor the health status of rodents used in research. It is important to screen for potentially pathogenic viruses, parasites, and bacterial organisms to detect and rapidly respond to unwanted pathogens that may adversely affect research...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Murphy, S., Fortner, J., Adusumilli, S. 2014. A comparison of soiled bedding densities and stress in sentinel mice. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 609. (Abstract #P225).

Pharmacokinetics and excreta recovery of [14C]Erioglaucine to determine the impact of solid-bottom compared with wire-bottom caging in Sprague-Dawley rats

The Guide recommends the use of solid-bottom caging rather than wire-bottom caging in rodents for many reasons, including reduction in environmental stress, allowance for species-typical behaviors, and decreasing the incidence of pododermatitis and other types of foot lesions. In toxicologic...

Year Published: 2014Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Vilminot, N. M., Patterson, K. A., Cooper, D. M. et al. 2014. Pharmacokinetics and excreta recovery of [14C]Erioglaucine to determine the impact of solid-bottom compared with wire-bottom caging in Sprague-Dawley rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 597 (Abstract #P183).

Nest building and posture changes and activity budgets of gilts housed in pens and crates

The aim of the present work was to study nest building, posture changes and the overall activity budget of gilts in pens vs. crates. Twenty-three HB gilts (high piglet survival day 5) and 21 LB gilts (low piglet survival day...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Andersen, I. L., Vasdal, G., Pedersen, L. J. 2014. Nest building and posture changes and activity budgets of gilts housed in pens and crates. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 159, 29-33.

Laboratory animal behavior

The study of laboratory animal behavior has increased steadily over the last decade, with expanding emphasis on a variety of commonly used species. In the United States, this trend was initially focused on species for which there was a regulatory...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fowl, Gerbil, Goat, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mink, Mouse, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Bayne, K. A., Beaver, B. V., Mench, J. A. et al. 2015. Laboratory animal behavior. In: Laboratory Animal Medicine, 3rd edition. Fox, J. G., Anderson, L., Otto, G., et al. (eds). Elsevier, Inc., Amsterdam, NL. pp. 1617-1651.

Effects of semi-group housing and floor type on pododermatitis, spinal deformation, and bone quality in rabbit does

The most common housing system for reproduction rabbits, individual cage housing on a wire floor, is increasingly scrutinized because of its potential detrimental impact on animal welfare. We compared three types of housing: (1) individual cage housing on a wire...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Buijs, S., Hermans, K., Maertens, L. et al. 2014. Effects of semi-group housing and floor type on pododermatitis, spinal deformation, and bone quality in rabbit does. Animal 8(10), 1728-1734.

Effects of group housing on sow welfare: a review

Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to quantity of floor space, the quality of space is important: spatial separation between...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Verdon, M., Hansen, C. F., Rault, J. L. et al. 2015. Effects of group housing on sow welfare: a review. Journal of Animal Science 93(5), 1999-2017.

Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice

Huddling and nest building are two methods of behavioral thermoregulation used by mice under cold stress. In the laboratory, mice are typically housed at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 20°C, well below the lower end of their thermoneutral zone. We...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Maher, R. L., Barbash, S. M., Lynch, D. V. et al. 2015. Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice. American Journal of Physiology 308(12), R1070-R1079.