Husbandry & Management

Breeding zebrafish: A review of different methods and a discussion on standardization

In recent years, a rapidly increasing number of scientific papers have been published that utilize zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an alternative model organism in the study of a wide range of biological phenomena from cancer to behavior. This is, in...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Housing, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Tsang, B., Zahid, H., Ansari, R. et al. 2017. Breeding zebrafish: A review of different methods and a discussion on standardization. Zebrafish 14(6), 561-573.

Diet size preference of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae fed on cross-linked protein-walled capsules

To optimize diet particle size for ingestion by zebrafish larvae, Danio rerio, a series of diet selection experiments were carried out using two different length classes: 5-day-old, first feeding larvae with a mean standard length (MLs) of 3.8 mm and...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Önal, U., Langdon, C. 2016. Diet size preference of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae fed on cross-linked protein-walled capsules. Zebrafish 13(6), 556-562.

Evaluating and optimizing fish health and welfare during experimental procedures

Many facilities house fish in separate static containers post-procedure, for example, while awaiting genotyping results. This ensures fish can be easily identified, but it does not allow for provision of continuous filtered water or diet. At the Wellcome Trust Sanger...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Goodwin, N., Westall, L., Karp, N. A. et al. 2016. Evaluating and optimizing fish health and welfare during experimental procedures. Zebrafish 13(S1), S127-S131.

A meta-analysis on the effects of the housing environment on the behaviour, mortality, and performance of growing rabbits

Although the number of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) produced in Europe is important, they are under-represented in welfare research. Studies on the effects of housing conditions have focused on performance and mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis to further understand the impact...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Sommerville, R., Ruiz, R., Averós, X. 2017. A meta-analysis on the effects of the housing environment on the behaviour, mortality, and performance of growing rabbits. Animal Welfare 26(2), 223-238.

Reducing the effect of pre-slaughter fasting on the stress response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Fasting is commonly used in aquaculture to empty the gut before slaughter, but little is known about how feeding frequency before fasting affects the stress response of trout. To find out more, 240 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were separated into...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Euthanasia, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Bermejo-Poza, R., De la Fuente, J., Pérez, C. 2016. Reducing the effect of pre-slaughter fasting on the stress response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Animal Welfare 25(3), 339-346.

Domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus) are motivated to obtain forage and demonstrate contrafreeloading

Domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus) are adapted to digest high-roughage diets, but in confinement they are commonly fed low-roughage, high-energy diets. This practice may leave cattle with an unfulfilled need to consume forage. A way to quantify motivation is to...

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

Citation: Van Os, J. M. C., Mintline, E. M., DeVries, T. J. 2018. Domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus) are motivated to obtain forage and demonstrate contrafreeloading. PLOS ONE 13(3), e0193109.

Assessment of stress responses in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to daily routine procedures in system neuroscience based on salivary cortisol concentrations

Non-human primates participating in neurophysiological research are exposed to potentially stressful experimental procedures, such as dietary control protocols, surgical implants and their maintenance, or social separation during training and experimental session. Here, we investigated the effect of controlled access to...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Pfefferle, D., Plümer, S., Burchardt, L. et al. 2018. Assessment of stress responses in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to daily routine procedures in system neuroscience based on salivary cortisol concentrations. PLOS ONE 13(1), e0190190.

A review of factors affecting the welfare of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

In the expanding salmon industry, many farmers use production methods that could result in poor welfare of the fish at various points of their lifecycle. We have reviewed methods used for producing salmon for food with the aim of identifying...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Euthanasia, Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Fish, Salmon

Citation: Santurtun, E., Broom, D. M., Phillips, C. J. C. 2018. A review of factors affecting the welfare of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Animal Welfare 27(3), 193-204.

A link between damaging behaviour in pigs, sanitary conditions, and dietary protein and amino acid supply

The tendency to reduce crude protein (CP) levels in pig diets to increase protein efficiency may increase the occurrence of damaging behaviours such as ear and tail biting, particularly for pigs kept under suboptimal health conditions. We studied, in a...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: van der Meer, Y., Gerrits, W. J. J., Jansman, A. J. M. 2017. A link between damaging behaviour in pigs, sanitary conditions, and dietary protein and amino acid supply. PLOS ONE 12(5), e0174688.

Effects of relocation and individual and environmental factors on the long-term stress levels in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Monitoring hair cortisol and behaviors

Understanding the factors associated with the long-term stress levels of captive animals is important from the view of animal welfare. In this study, we investigated the effects of relocation in addition to individual and environmental factors related to social management...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & Management, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Yamanashi, Y., Teramoto, M., Morimura, N. et al. 2016. Effects of relocation and individual and environmental factors on the long-term stress levels in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Monitoring hair cortisol and behaviors. PLOS ONE 11(7), e0160029.