Husbandry & Management

Fear contagion in zebrafish: A behaviour affected by familiarity

Emotional contagion has recently been described in fish but whether it is affected by familiarity is not known. We tested whether the sight of a distressed conspecific elicited fear in zebrafish, Danio rerio, and whether this was modulated by familiarity....

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Silva, P. F., de Leaniz, C. G., Luchiari, A. C. 2019. Fear contagion in zebrafish: A behaviour affected by familiarity. Animal Behaviour 153, 95-103.

Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs’ shelters: Welfare hazard analysis

The confined environment of the dog shelter, particularly over extensive time-periods can impact severely on welfare. Surveillance and assessment are therefore essential components of the welfare protocol. The aim of this study was to generate a descriptive analysis of a...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Arena, L., Berteselli, G. V., Lombardo, F. et al. 2019. Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs' shelters: Welfare hazard analysis. Animal Welfare 28(3), 353-363.

Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes

This open access book is a printed edition of the Special Issue on Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes that was published in the journal Fishes. The PDF is free for download.

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Arechavala-Lopez, P., Saraiva, J. L. 2019. Welfare of Cultured and Experimental Fishes. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI, 132 pages.

Sow and piglet behaviour in group lactation housing from 7 or 14 days post-partum

Under natural conditions, sows and piglets abandon the nest between 7 and 14 days postpartum and re-join the group. If given the choice, commercially housed sows begin to nurse piglets communally around this time. The best age at which to...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Verdon, M., Morrison, R. S., Rault, J.-L. 2019. Sow and piglet behaviour in group lactation housing from 7 or 14 days post-partum. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 214, 25-33.

Maternal-neonatal pheromone/interomone added to cat litter improves litter box use and reduces aggression in pair-housed cats

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: McGlone, J. J., Garcia, A., Thompson, W. G. et al. 2019. Maternal-neonatal pheromone/interomone added to cat litter improves litter box use and reduces aggression in pair-housed cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(2), 127-138.

Effects of surface type in an uncovered stand-off pad system on comfort and welfare of non-lactating dairy cows during winter

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of stand-off surface type on cow lying behaviour, cleanliness and lameness. One hundred and sixty Friesian × Jersey crossbreed, pregnant non-lactating dairy cows were blocked into five groups of 32...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Al-Marashdeh, O., Cameron, K. C., Bryant, R. H. et al. 2019. Effects of surface type in an uncovered stand-off pad system on comfort and welfare of non-lactating dairy cows during winter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 211, 17-24.

Ethanol and a chemical from fox faeces modulate exploratory behaviour in laboratory mice

Mice are macrosmatic animals that use olfaction as their main source of information to increase fitness; they process predator cues to assess risk, and plants and fruit cues to find nutritional resources and assess their quality or toxicity. In this...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Grau, C., Leclercq, J., Descout, E. et al. 2019. Ethanol and a chemical from fox faeces modulate exploratory behaviour in laboratory mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 213, 117-123.

Effect of high levels of background noise on dog responses to a routine physical examination in a veterinary setting

Veterinary visits result in behavioural and physiological signs of fear and stress for many companion dogs. There are a number of factors that likely contribute to this response, but little is known about possible effects of the acoustic environment. The...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Stellato, A. C., Hoffman, H., Gowland, S. et al. 2019. Effect of high levels of background noise on dog responses to a routine physical examination in a veterinary setting. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 214, 64-71.

The effect of supplementary ultraviolet wavelengths on broiler chicken welfare indicators

Qualities of the light environment are important for good welfare in a number of species. In chickens, UVA light is visible and may facilitate flock interactions. UVB wavelengths promote endogenous vitamin D synthesis, which could support the rapid skeletal development...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: James, C., Asher, L., Herborn, K. et al. 2018. The effect of supplementary ultraviolet wavelengths on broiler chicken welfare indicators. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 209, 55-64.

Growing without a mother during rearing affects the response to stressors in rams

Early maternal care contributes to the normal development of the physiological, social and emotional functions of the offspring. As sheep are a strongly gregarious species, separation and isolation of an individual from the flock provokes fear and, consequently a stress...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Damián, J. P., Hötzel, M. J., Banchero, G. et al. 2018. Growing without a mother during rearing affects the response to stressors in rams. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 209, 36-40.