Husbandry & Management

Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice

Huddling and nest building are two methods of behavioral thermoregulation used by mice under cold stress. In the laboratory, mice are typically housed at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 20°C, well below the lower end of their thermoneutral zone. We...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Maher, R. L., Barbash, S. M., Lynch, D. V. et al. 2015. Group housing and nest building only slightly ameliorate the cold stress of typical housing in female C57BL/6J mice. American Journal of Physiology 308(12), R1070-R1079.

Effects of semi-group housing and floor type on pododermatitis, spinal deformation, and bone quality in rabbit does

The most common housing system for reproduction rabbits, individual cage housing on a wire floor, is increasingly scrutinized because of its potential detrimental impact on animal welfare. We compared three types of housing: (1) individual cage housing on a wire...

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

Citation: Buijs, S., Hermans, K., Maertens, L. et al. 2014. Effects of semi-group housing and floor type on pododermatitis, spinal deformation, and bone quality in rabbit does. Animal 8(10), 1728-1734.

How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs’ need to perform exploratory behaviour

Since 10 years, EU-legislation states that "pigs must have permanent access to sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities." While much research has focused on which materials enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, little has been...

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

Citation: Pedersen, L. J., Herskin, M.S., Forkman, B. et al. 2014. How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs' need to perform exploratory behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 160, 46-55.

Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens

Feather pecking is a maladaptive behavior where chickens (and other poultry species) peck the feathers of conspecifics and damage the plumage and frequently the skin. It is one of the most common behavioral problems in chickens today and can lead...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Adamson, T. W., Perez, M.C. 2014. Use of cuttlebones to reduce the incidence of feather pecking in chickens. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 540 (Abstract #PS56).

The effect of conspecific removal on the behaviour and physiology of pair-housed shelter dogs

Dogs (Canis familiaris) are a highly social species and within a shelter environment pair-housing is recommended to prevent the stress associated with social isolation. Separation of individuals which may have formed bonds in this environment is a usual occurrence, as...

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

Citation: Walker, J. K., Waran, N. K., Phillips, C. J. C. 2014. The effect of conspecific removal on the behaviour and physiology of pair-housed shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 158, 46-56.

The effect of four different feeding regimes on rabbit behaviour

Dietary composition and presentation impacts on the behaviour of animals, and failure to provide a suitable diet can lead to reduced welfare through the development of poor health, the inability to express normal behaviours and the development of abnormal behaviours....

Year Published: 2015Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Prebble, J. L., Langford, F. M., Shaw, D. J. et al. 2015. The effect of four different feeding regimes on rabbit behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 169, 86-92.

Aspen shaving versus chip bedding: Effects on breeding and behavior

The choice of laboratory cage bedding material is often based on both practical and husbandry issues, whereas behavioral outcomes rarely appear to be considered. It has been noted that a breeding success difference appears to be associated with the differential...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jackson, E., Demarest, K., Eckert, W. J. et al. 2015. Aspen shaving versus chip bedding: Effects on breeding and behavior. Laboratory Animals 49(1), 46-56.

Aggression and cortisol levels in three different group housing routines for lactating sows

Background: Lactating sows in Swedish organic piglet production are commonly group-housed with piglets in a multi-suckling pen within 14 days after farrowing. Nursing behaviour may be disturbed when lactating sows are moved to a new environment and mixed with other...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Thomsson, O., Bergqvist, A. S., Sjunnesson, Y. et al. 2015. Aggression and cortisol levels in three different group housing routines for lactating sows. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 57(1), 9.

Cuttlefish in captivity: An investigation into housing and husbandry for improving welfare

The European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is often kept in public aquaria, is becoming more common in aquaculture, and is also the most frequently used cephalopod in European research. Since 1st January 2013, all cephalopods (Mollusca) have been protected under UK/EU...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Tonkins, B. M., Tyers, A. M., Cook G. M. 2015. Cuttlefish in captivity: An investigation into housing and husbandry for improving welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 168, 77-83.

Lack of negative effects on Syrian hamsters and Mongolian gerbils housed in the same secondary enclosure

In cases where different species might be housed in the same room or secondary enclosure, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals recommends that the animals should be behaviorally compatible and have the same health status. Syrian...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Gerbil, Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Pritchett-Corning, K. R., Gaskill, B. N. 2015. Lack of negative effects on Syrian hamsters and Mongolian gerbils housed in the same secondary enclosure. JAALAS 54(3), 261-266.