Husbandry & Management

Comparative effects of 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch corncob bedding on cage ammonia levels, behavior, and respiratory pathology of male C57BL/6 and 129S1/Svlm mice

Corncob is a common bedding material used in laboratory rodents, but little is known about differences in the effects of the 2 available sizes on rodent models and health. This study compared the effects of these 2 corncob bedding sizes...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cantara, S. I., Blas-Machado, U., Zhao, X. et al. 2020. Comparative effects of 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch corncob bedding on cage ammonia levels, behavior, and respiratory pathology of male C57BL/6 and 129S1/Svlm mice. JAALAS 59(6), 695-702.

Identification of sick or dead mice (Mus musculus) housed with 6 grams of crinkle paper nesting material

Although nesting material is beneficial to the welfare of laboratory mice, provision of appropriate amounts may impair visualization of the mice. In anticipation of our academic research institution transitioning to providing 6 grams of nesting material to all mice, we...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burlingame, L. A., Gaskill, B. N., Lofgren, J. L. S. 2021. Identification of sick or dead mice (Mus musculus) housed with 6 grams of crinkle paper nesting material. JAALAS 60(1), 18-27.

Effects of compressed paper bedding on mouse breeding performance and recognition of animal health concerns

The combination of bedding substrate and nesting material within the microenvironment of mice is an important consideration for animal care programs in regard to optimizing animal wellbeing. We used 3 general or breeding mouse colonies in our institution to evaluate...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Allen, P. S., Lawrence, J., Stasula, U. et al. 2021. Effects of compressed paper bedding on mouse breeding performance and recognition of animal health concerns. JAALAS 60(1), 28-36.

Comparison of four beddings for ammonia control in individually ventilated mouse cages

Ammonia control is an important characteristic of rodent bedding materials. Among natural bedding materials, corncob bedding provides excellent ammonia control but contains estrogenic compounds and is ingested by mice. By comparison, processed cellulose bedding products are biologically inert and harbor...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tataryn, N. M., Buckmaster, C. A., Schwiebert, R. et al. 2021. Comparison of four beddings for ammonia control in individually ventilated mouse cages. JAALAS 60(1), 37-43.

Evaluation of nutritional gel supplementation in C57BL/6J mice infected with mouse-adapted Influenza A/PR/8/34 virus

Mice are a common animal model for the study of influenza virus A (IAV). IAV infection causes weight loss due to anorexia and dehydration, which can result in early removal of mice from a study when they reach a humane...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Felgenhauer, J. L., Brune, J. E., Long, M. E. et al. 2020. Evaluation of nutritional gel supplementation in C57BL/6J mice infected with mouse-adapted Influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. Comparative Medicine 70(6), 471-486.

About welfare and stress in the early stages of fish

In conclusion, the investigations carried out up to now demonstrate that during the early stages fish show high sensitivity to many types of stressors involving an array of responses to overcome alterations that could affect the animal and be transmitted...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Ramos, J., Balasch, J. C., Tort, L. 2021. About welfare and stress in the early stages of fish. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 634434.

Is magnesium supplementation an effective nutritional method to reduce stress in domestic pigs? A systematic review

In commercial pig production, stressful events are common and can have detrimental impacts on the pig's health and welfare, as well as on the performance of the farm. Supplementary magnesium may reduce stress, and subsequent harmful and aggressive behaviors, that...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Bushby, E. V., Dye, L., Collins, L. M. 2021. Is magnesium supplementation an effective nutritional method to reduce stress in domestic pigs? A systematic review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 596205.

The impact of acute loud noise on the behavior of laboratory birds

Husbandry procedures and facility settings, such as low-frequency fire alarms, can produce noises in a laboratory environment that cause stress to animals used in research. However, most of the data demonstrating harmful effects that have, consequently, led to adaptations to...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Corbani, T. L., Martin, J. E., Healy, S. D. 2021. The impact of acute loud noise on the behavior of laboratory birds. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 607632.

Eureka! Enhanced water recipe and enrichment for oocyte quality and embryo development in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)

Husbandry staff set a goal to develop a health monitoring program for a Xenopus laevis colony that included not only specific pathogen freedom, but wellness. This article describes environmental enrichment and a water recipe for the insurance of proper water...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Heyworth, C., Owens, D. 2019. Eureka! Enhanced water recipe and enrichment for oocyte quality and embryo development in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(1) (March), 43-45.

Fasting of male mice – Effects of time point of initiation and duration on clinical chemistry parameters and animal welfare

Fasting of mice is a common procedure, which can affect the outcome of the study as well as animal welfare. In this study, we assess the effects of fasting, fasting duration and fasting initiation time in relation to light schedule...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jensen, T. L., Kiersgaard, M. K., Mikkelsen, L. F. et al. 2019. Fasting of male mice – Effects of time point of initiation and duration on clinical chemistry parameters and animal welfare. Laboratory Animals 53(6), 587–597.