Husbandry & Management

Nest material preference of wild mouse species in laboratory housing

Our research examined the nest-building characteristics of two mouse species native to Hungary, the mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), under laboratory housing conditions. In indoor housing, the nest-building material plays a very important role in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bárdos, B., Nagy, I., Gerencsér, Z. et al. 2022. Nest material preference of wild mouse species in laboratory housing. Applied Sciences 12(11), 5750.

Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves

Hunger remains a significant animal welfare concern as restricted feeding practices are common on farms. Studies to date have focused on negative effects on health and productivity but little research has addressed the feeling of hunger, mostly due to methodological...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Lecorps, B., Woodroffe, R. E., von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. et al. 2023. Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves. Biology Letters 19(1), 20220475.

Reassessing cow comfort measures on Canadian dairy farms after a recommendation of improvements

In a previous study (Assessment 1), an on-farm assessment tool was used to establish a standard across 60 Quebec dairy farms using animal-, stall-, and management-based measures of cow comfort. The objective of the present follow-up study (Assessment 2) was...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Palacio, S., Zambelis, A., Adam, S. et al. 2023. Reassessing cow comfort measures on Canadian dairy farms after a recommendation of improvements. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 103(2), 174–184.

Different housing conditions for zebrafish: What are the effects?

Zebrafish is a popular experimental model in several research areas but little is known about the effects of using different strains or housing conditions. Poor control of genetic background and housing conditions could affect experimental results and data reproducibility. Here...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Silva, P. F., Garcia de Leaniz, C., Freire, F. A. M. et al. 2023. Different housing conditions for zebrafish: What are the effects? Behavioural Processes 209, 104886.

Responses of purple mud crab (Scylla tranquebarica) to various saccharide solutions and the saccharide-coated pelleted feeds

Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are economically important portunid species for aquaculture in many countries across the Indo-Pacific region. However, there is still no commercial species-specific formulated feed available for mud crabs, and mud crabs generally reject pelleted feed and the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Crustacean, Invertebrate

Citation: Liew, K.-S., Tan, K., Liew, H. J. et al. 2022. Responses of purple mud crab (Scylla tranquebarica) to various saccharide solutions and the saccharide-coated pelleted feeds. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 257, 105793.

A buffet of litters – Broiler chickens behave differently according to litter type and freshness

Poultry are usually provided with a single litter type that may not satisfy all litter-directed behavioural functions and may lose functional value over time due to soiling and degradation. We investigated this hypothesis in two commercial broiler flocks reared to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Holt, R. V., Vas, J., Vasdal, G. et al. 2023. A buffet of litters – Broiler chickens behave differently according to litter type and freshness. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 260, 105856.

Influence of social enrichment on transport stress in fish: A behavioural approach

Ornamental fishes are among the most commonly owned companion animals in the world, however, the transportation process during acquisition can result in fishes being exposed to biotic and abiotic conditions which compromise welfare. While many studies have considered methods of...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & Management, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Jones, M, Alexander, M. E., Lightbody, S. et al. 2023. Influence of social enrichment on transport stress in fish: A behavioural approach. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105920.

Room size and offspring presence impact pair-bonded primate affiliation

Primates live in a variety of social groupings and vary in the expression of species-typical behaviors depending upon social conditions. Coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) are pair-bonding, territorial primates often used to study neurobiology and social behavior in captivity at...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lau, A. R., Pinto, B. R., Witczak, L. R. et al. 2023. Room size and offspring presence impact pair-bonded primate affiliation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 265, 105994.

Welfare and performance of finishing pigs on commercial farms: Associations with group size, floor space per pig and feed type

Based on data from a field survey of 85 Norwegian farms, we aimed to investigate associations of group size, floor space per pig and type of feed with selected welfare- and performance indicators in finishing pigs. On each farm, we...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Andersen, I. L., Ocepek, M., Thingnes, S. L. et al. 2023. Welfare and performance of finishing pigs on commercial farms: Associations with group size, floor space per pig and feed type. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 265, 105979.

Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs

With growing concern from consumers and regulatory agencies about the welfare of farmed animals such as pigs, the livestock sector must assess how animal welfare can be improved whilst ensuring livestock production remains economically and environmentally sustainable. Understanding the behaviour...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Euthanasia, Husbandry & Management, Reproduction, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Edwards, S. (Ed.) 2021. Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited, Sawston, Cambridge, UK. 594 p.