Husbandry & Management

Stainless steel puzzle feeder

This NHP puzzle feeder was designed and manufactured with the assistance of a local metal fabricating company. The need for a custom feeder arose following the use of several types of commercially available NHP puzzle feeders, all of which had...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Ferraro, A. S. 2013. Stainless steel puzzle feeder. Enrichment Record 17, 5-6.

Dry bedding provides cost-effective enrichment for group-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Dry bedding has been shown to be an effective enrichment strategy for small groups of captive nonhuman primates housed in cages or in small enclosures with concrete flooring. However, dry bedding is used infrequently for large groups because of the...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Doane, C. J., Andrews, K., Schaefer, L. J. et al. 2013. Dry bedding provides cost-effective enrichment for group-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). JAALAS 52(3), 247-252.

More bedding is better for mice

A study was run to determine the optimum level of bedding to be dispensed into clean mouse cage bases. A depth of approximately 25mm was found to increase foraging and burrowing, decrease fighting, and require less frequent cleaning (this causing...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: White, M. 2012. More bedding is better for mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 11, 149-150.

Risk factors for stereotypic behavior and self-biting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Animal’s history, current environment, and personality

Captive rhesus macaques sometimes exhibit undesirable abnormal behaviors, such as motor stereotypic behavior (MSB) and self-abuse. Many risk factors for these behaviors have been identified but the list is far from comprehensive, and large individual differences in rate of behavior...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gottlieb, D. H., Capitanio, J. P., McCowan, B. 2013. Risk factors for stereotypic behavior and self-biting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Animal's history, current environment, and personality. American Journal of Primatology 75(10), 995-1008.

The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed indoors experience many routine husbandry activities on a daily basis. The anticipation of these events can lead to stress, regardless of whether the events themselves are positive or aversive in nature. The specific goal of...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gottlieb, D. H., Coleman, K., McCowan, B. 2013. The effects of predictability in daily husbandry routines on captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 143, 117-127.

Training nonhuman primates to check their watering system as a means to increase psychologic wellbeing and increase efficiency for husbandry staff

Through the use of operant conditioning methods, that is, clicker training, it is possible to train nonhuman primates to check their automatic watering system. Primate species not indicated. We will detail a training study.

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Giordano. K.A. 2013. Training nonhuman primates to check their watering system as a means to increase psychologic wellbeing and increase efficiency for husbandry staff. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 615 (Abstract #PS41).

Making use of a laser pointer as training and enrichment tool: A discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum

We have successfully trained with a laser pointer at least one cyno in each pair/group to target to their lixits. Currently this stands at about 35 cages housing a total of 63 animals. We no longer need to check the...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Ferraro, A., Brunelli, R., Nelsen, S. L. et al. 2013. Making use of a laser pointer as training and enrichment tool: A discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Animal Technology and Welfare 12, 195-196.

Enrichment for laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This article discusses how behavioral management, enrichment structures, diet, and light cycle can be used to help improve the welfare of zebrafish.

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Collymore, C., Lawrence, C., Lieggi, C. 2014. Enrichment for laboratory zebrafish (Danio rerio). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 2(3) (September), 51-54.

Noisy construction does not have to generate noisy data

Our institution opened the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurologic Research Institute (NRI) in November of 2010. This facility houses a team of world renowned researchers working with mice and rats to develop treatments for childhood neurologic disorders. The second and...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Posadas, M., Neubauer, T., Buckmaster, C. A. 2013. Noisy construction does not have to generate noisy data. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 670-671 (Abstract).

Successful social housing of mature male cynomolgus macaques in mixed sex rooms

We are committed to ensuring all our animals have the highest level of care and welfare. To this end, our social housing program includes placing all animals in pairs or groups. We have a rate of almost 100% success social...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Abney, D. M., Harding, K., Toscano, J. et al. 2014. Successful social housing of mature male cynomolgus macaques in mixed sex rooms. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 567. (Abstract #P70).