Husbandry & Management

Shelter enrichment for rats

Nest boxes are a simple and effective form of environmentalenrichment. Rats accept a wide range of nest-box types but have the strongest...preference for enclosed, opaque, thermoplastic boxes. ...Tubes have proven a relatively ineffective enrichment for rats. ... Nesting paper may...

Year Published: 2003Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Patterson-Kane, E. G. 2003. Shelter enrichment for rats. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 42(2), 46-48.

Strain-specific aggressive behaviour of male mice submitted to different husbandry procedures

We used postcleaning aggressive behavior, wound counts, and testosterone levels as indicators of aggressiveness. .. Furthermore, the aggression-modulating effects of two enrichment items (ShepherdShack/DesRes and PVC tube) were explored. Marked differences found between the two strains. CD-1 mice were more...

Year Published: 2003Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Van Loo, P. L. P., Van der Meer, E., Kruitwagen, C. L. J. J. et al. 2003. Strain-specific aggressive behaviour of male mice submitted to different husbandry procedures. Aggressive Behavior 29, 69-80.

Stress-like responses to common procedures in individually and group-housed female rats

Mean resting HR values in the mornings prior to human contact were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in rats housed four per cage than animals housed alone or with one cage mate, whereas MAP during this period was lowest in...

Year Published: 2003Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sharp, J. L., Zammit, T., Azar, T. A. et al. 2003. Stress-like responses to common procedures in individually and group-housed female rats. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 42(1), 9-18.

Are “”by-stander”” female Sprague-Dawley rats affected by experimental procedures? Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 42(1), 19-28

The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that female rats are stressed by being in the same room as animals subjected to common husbandry and experimental procedures and that the level of stress is affected by housing...

Year Published: 2003Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Euthanasia, Handling, Husbandry & Management, Restraint, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Sharp, J. L., Zammit, T., Azar, T. A. et al. 2003. Are "by-stander" female Sprague-Dawley rats affected by experimental procedures? Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 42(1), 19-28.

Gorilla behavior in response to systematic alternation between zoo enclosures

Gorillas were more likely to increase exhibit use and visibility to zoo visitors during a 4-day novel phase compared to subsequent days in the exhibit. Regularly alternating gorillas between zoo exhibits is a form of environmental enrichment that can increase...

Year Published: 2003Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lukas, K. E., Hoff, M. P., Maple, T. L. 2003. Gorilla behavior in response to systematicalternation between zoo enclosures . Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81, 367-386.

Providing shelter does not complicate manipulation in two mouse strains

Enrichment in the form of sheltering objects [PVC tubes] does not complicate catching or handling mice and does not interfere with management or cost of laboratory animals. FVB males should not be kept together unless such enrichment is provided.

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Moons, C., Van Wiele, P., ?dberg, F. O. 2004. Providing shelter does not complicate manipulationin two mouse strains. Proceedings of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations [FELASA] Symposium, 212 (Abstract).

Common husbandry-related variables in biomedical research with animals

The barren primary enclosure is an abnormal living environment for laboratory animals. Species-appropriate enrichment attenuates some of the distress resulting from chronic understimulation. Social deprivation distress of individually-caged social animals is best mitigated by the provision of compatible companionship. Biotelemetry...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Reinhardt, V. 2004. Common husbandry-related variables in biomedical research with animals. Laboratory Animals 38, 213-235.

Water leakage in rodent cages: A discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum

It is not uncommon that malfunctioning in watering valves or leaks of water bottles result in the accumulation of water in rodent cages (especially during holidays and on weekends), a circumstance that can have serious implications for the animals trapped...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Barley, J. B., Cherry, K. A., Garner, J. et al. 2004. Water leakage in rodent cages: A discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum. Animal Technology and Welfare 3, 111-114.

Looking after animals kept in research laboratories

The following discussion took place on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF] in December 2003. .. In my experience in a biomedical research setting it is exceedingly rare to have researchers who get into the muck. We have...

Year Published: 2004Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Anonymous 2004. Looking after animals kept in research laboratories. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 53(2), 14-15.

Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results

Many aspects of the research animal's housing environment are controlled for quality and/or standardization. Of recent interest is the potential for environmental enrichment to have unexpected consequences such as unintended harm to the animal, or the introduction of variability into...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Hamster, Macaque, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bayne, K. 2005. Potential for unintended consequences of environmental enrihment for laboratory animals and research results. ILAR Journal 46(2), 129-139.