Husbandry & Management

Establishing a predictable cue for catches to reduce reactivity to management events for captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Psychological duress can emerge from the perceived lack of predictability such that, in captive circumstances, reliable signals for aversive events can afford animals with the opportunity to behaviorally and physiologically prepare. Does a reliable and unique signal cue for an...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Pritchard, A. J., Blersch, R. A., Nathman, A. C. et al. 2025. Establishing a predictable cue for catches to reduce reactivity to management events for captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 285, 106578.

Effects of light colour and intensity on stress responses in the Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei).

Stress is a natural defence mechanism that can negatively impact the outcome of experiments and increase interindividual variability. Among environmental parameters, light colour and intensity are known to impact stress responses in numerous species. The Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Crustacean, Invertebrate

Citation: Pichon, C., Kersante, P., Le Reste, G. et al. 2025. Effects of light colour and intensity on stress responses in the Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 289, 106694.

Assessing the motivation of laying hens to outdoor space access

The present study aimed at evaluating the motivation of laying hens to access outdoor space and their behavior under indoor and outdoor conditions. A total of 54 laying hens (White Leghorns) at 38 weeks of age were housed in two...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Mancinelli, A. C., Chiattelli, D., Menchetti, L. et al. 2025. Assessing the motivation of laying hens to outdoor space access. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 285, 106581.

The effects of light and novel enrichment on Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) behavior and physiology

Reptiles play an important role in education and conservation goals within the zoological community, yet evidence-based management protocols tailored to this group remain notably scarce. To redress this, a study was designed to assess behavioral and physiological changes to different...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Lynch, E. C., Roznik, E. A., Smith, D. et al. 2025. The effects of light and novel enrichment on Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) behavior and physiology. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 286, 106598.

Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study

Stabling is a common lifestyle for horses, yet numerous studies show that it negatively impacts their welfare, leading to behavioural and health issues. In this study, we aimed to determine how much time horses choose to spend inside their stalls...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lansade, L., Lemarchand, J., Ruet, A. 2025. Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 290, 106699.

Investigation of food marking and contamination behaviors informs feeding practice in research colonies of laboratory opossums

The laboratory opossum, Monodelphis domestica, serves as a critical marsupial model in biomedical research. Proper feeding approaches are essential for promoting animal growth and wellbeing. In this study, we systematically evaluated food scattering and potential food contamination from feces across...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Lanier, A. L., Schemera, B., Rynders, P. E. et al. 2025. Investigation of food marking and contamination behaviors informs feeding practice in research colonies of laboratory opossums. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(1), 89–97.

Effect of novel high-fat diet feeding methods on food wastage, weight gain, hair coat grease accumulation, and scratching behavior in C57BL/6NCrl mice

Soft-pelleted, high-fat diets (HFD) are greasy and crumble easily leading to food wastage and hair coat grease accumulation when mice are fed using commercially available feeders. The ideal HFD feeder design should reduce food wastage, facilitate mouse weight gain, and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Guy, A. R., Klores, M., Prestia, K. et al. 2025. Effect of novel high-fat diet feeding methods on food wastage, weight gain, hair coat grease accumulation, and scratching behavior in C57BL/6NCrl mice. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(1), 98–105.

Behavioral or nutritional drive: Which motivation affects rates of food grinding in CD1 mice?

Wire mouse feeders used in laboratory mouse cages typically hold enough food to feed 5 mice for two weeks. However, some mice gnaw the food provided into powder, which they do not ingest. The ground-up food fills the cage, resulting...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. N., Davis, H., Gosselin, R. P. et al. 2025. Behavioral or nutritional drive: Which motivation affects rates of food grinding in CD1 mice? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 284, 106533.

Analysis of individually ventilated cage (IVC) microenvironments during 21-d cage change frequency for mice using two different bedding types

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals provides recommendations on sanitation frequencies for rodent caging equipment; however, it allows for performance standards to be used when extending this frequency for individually ventilated cage (IVC) caging. Our institution...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Felgenhauer, J. L., Copio, J. N., Suri, A. M. et al. 2025. Analysis of individually ventilated cage (IVC) microenvironments during 21-d cage change frequency for mice using two different bedding types. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(2), 259–265.

Light cycle phase effects on behavioral responses to stress exposure in rats

Animal models enable investigation of the impact of stress on emotional-behavioral performance to facilitate understanding of posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced in humans. Refinement of animal stress models could lead to a reduction in the number of subjects needed to detect...

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

Citation: Brown, C. E., Borrell, A. C., DeMar, J. C. et al. 2025. Light cycle phase effects on behavioral responses to stress exposure in rats. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(1), 64–75.