Husbandry & Management

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).

Group space allowance has little effect on sow health, productivity, or welfare in a free-access stall system

Free-access stalls allow sows to choose the protection of a stall or use of a shared group space. This study investigated the effect of group space width, 0.91 (SS), 2.13 (IS), and 3.05 (LS) m, on the health, production, behavior,...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Mack, L. A., Lay, D. C., Eicher, S. D. et al. 2014. Group space allowance has little effect on sow health, productivity, or welfare in a free-access stall system. Journal of Animal Science 92(6), 2554-2567.

The effect of two different individually ventilated cage systems on anxiety-related behaviour and welfare in two strains of laboratory mouse

The environment in which a laboratory animal is housed can significantly influence its behaviour and welfare, acting as a potential confounding factor for those studies in which it is utilised. This study investigated the impact of two Individually Ventilated Cage...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burman, O., Buccarello, L., Redaelli, V. et al. 2014. The effect of two different individually ventilated cage systems on anxiety-related behaviour and welfare in two strains of laboratory mouse. Physiology & Behavior 124, 92-99.

Effects of housing condition and cage change on characteristics of sleep in mice

Although human subjects are widely used to study sleep and sleep disorders, animals have been invaluable in developing our understanding of the physiology of sleep and underlying mechanisms of sleep disorders. Environmental stimuli are likely to modify sleep in both...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Febinger, H.Y., George, A., Priestley, J. et al. 2014. Effects of housing condition and cage change on characteristics of sleep in mice. JAALAS 53(1), 29-37.

Mixed housing with DBA/2 mice induces stress in C57BL/6 mice: Implications for interventions based on social enrichment

Several behavioral interventions, based on social enrichment and observational learning are applied in treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the mechanism of such modulatory effect and the safety of applied methods on individuals involved in social support need further investigation. We...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kulesskaya, N., Karpova, N. N., Ma, L. et al. 2014. Mixed housing with DBA/2 mice induces stress in C57BL/6 mice: Implications for interventions based on social enrichment. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 8, 257.

Environmental factors that affect the behavior and welfare of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed in cages

Understanding environmental factors that affect the behavior of cats in cages is important if caretakers are to improve the welfare of confined cats. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the macro (room) and micro (cage)...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Stella, J., Croney, C., Buffington, T. 2014. Environmental factors that affect the behavior and welfare of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed in cages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 160, 94-105.

Effects of space allowance on the behaviour of long-term housed shelter dogs

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of space allowance (4.5 m(2)/head vs. 9 m(2)/head) on the behaviour of shelter dogs (Canis familiaris) at different times of the day (from 10:30 to 13:30 vs. from 14:30 to...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Normando, S., Contiero, B., Marchesini, G. et al. 2014. Effects of space allowance on the behaviour of long-term housed shelter dogs. Behavioural Processes 103, 306-314.