Reproduction

A comparison of oocyte yield between ultrasound-guided and laparoscopic oocyte retrieval in rhesus macaques

Obtaining quality oocytes is a prerequisite for ART-based studies. Here we describe a method for transabdominal ultrasound-guided (US) oocyte retrieval in rhesus macaques (Macaca mullata) and compare it to the standard surgical approach using laparoscopy (LAP). We analyzed oocyte yield...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Reproduction, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Piekarski, N., Hobbs, T. R., Jacob, D. et al. 2023. A comparison of oocyte yield between ultrasound-guided and laparoscopic oocyte retrieval in rhesus macaques. Animals 13(19), 3017.

Effects of incubation temperatures on learning abilities of hatchling velvet geckos

Stressful environments in utero can have a profound influence on cognitive functions and learning ability. In lizards, thermal environments experienced by embryos can shape a range of traits, including sex, body size, and locomotor performance, which may influence fitness. Recent...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Abayarathna, T., Webb, J. K. 2020. Effects of incubation temperatures on learning abilities of hatchling velvet geckos. Animal Cognition 23(4), 613–620.

Composition of the wild rabbit nest and its implication for domestic rabbit breeding

Wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) give birth in an underground nursery burrow where the kits are hermetically closed into the nest chamber for several weeks except for the three minutes of daily nursing. Given this confinement, the nest quality seems...

Year Published: 2022Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Bilkó, Á., Petróczi, I., Bárdos, B. et al. 2022. Composition of the wild rabbit nest and its implication for domestic rabbit breeding. Applied Sciences 12(4), 1915.

Preterm rat survival is enhanced by gestational environmental enrichment

Throughout the last decade, the estimated global human preterm birth rate was 10.6 %, with higher rates in Asia, South America, and Africa. Preterm individuals, even in adulthood, are more likely to develop cardiorespiratory, renal, and metabolic disorders. On the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Núñez-Murrieta, M. A., Coria-Avila, G. A., Martínez, A. J. et al. 2023. Preterm rat survival is enhanced by gestational environmental enrichment. Behavioural Processes 205, 104820.

The beneficial effects of providing prepartum sows with nesting materials on farrowing traits, piglet performance and maternal behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sows are highly motivated to engage in nest-building behavior prior to farrowing. Studies have shown that providing nesting material to farrowing sows reduces the occurrence of redirected nest-building behaviors, improves farrowing traits and maternal behavior, and decreases pre-weaning mortality. However,...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Monteiro, M. S., Muro, B. B. D., Carnevale, R. F. et al. 2023. The beneficial effects of providing prepartum sows with nesting materials on farrowing traits, piglet performance and maternal behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 259, 105795.

Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs

With growing concern from consumers and regulatory agencies about the welfare of farmed animals such as pigs, the livestock sector must assess how animal welfare can be improved whilst ensuring livestock production remains economically and environmentally sustainable. Understanding the behaviour...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Body Modification/Mutilation, Euthanasia, Husbandry & Management, Reproduction, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Edwards, S. (Ed.) 2021. Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited, Sawston, Cambridge, UK. 594 p.

Trichromatic vision in toads: Evidence from preference for colour objects during mate choice

Input of different spectral types of photoreceptors in amphibian colour vision has been assessed by studying the behaviour of male toads Bufo bufo and B. gargarizans in a laboratory. This method is based on the males' innate reaction of approaching...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Kondrashev, S. L. 2023. Trichromatic vision in toads: Evidence from preference for colour objects during mate choice. Behaviour 160(8), 753–784.

Performance and welfare of sows exposed to auditory environmental enrichment in mixed or collective housing systems

The research aimed to assess the effects of auditory environmental enrichment on sows in mixed housing (caged until 35 days after insemination and then collective pens) or collective housing (caged until 72 h after insemination and then collective pens). Reproductive...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Palermo Mendes, J., Ribeiro Caldara, F., de Castro Burbarelli, M. F. et al. 2023. Performance and welfare of sows exposed to auditory environmental enrichment in mixed or collective housing systems. Animals 13(7), 1226.

Analgesia during parturition in domestic animals: Perspectives and controversies on its use

This article analyzes the physiological role of pain during parturition in domestic animals, discusses the controversies surrounding the use of opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and local analgesics as treatments during labor, and presents the advantages and disadvantages for mother...

Year Published: 2022Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Cattle, Equine, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Mota-Rojas, D., Velarde, A., Marcet-Rius, M. et al. 2022. Analgesia during parturition in domestic animals: Perspectives and controversies on its use. Animals 12(19), 2686.

Social deprivation in maternal mouthbrooders Tropheus sp

Early offspring separation from mothers causes social deprivation. Mouthbrooding, when eggs and fry are incubated in the buccal cavity of the parent, is one of the reproductive strategies in fish. The mother is the incubating parent in African lake cichlids...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Rearing & Weaning, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Novák, J., Frynta, D., Nováková, D. et al. 2023. Social deprivation in maternal mouthbrooders Tropheus sp. “Caramba” (Teleostei: Cichlidae) decreases the success rate of reproduction and survival rate of fish fry. Scientific Reports 13(1), 8284.