Reproduction

Refining mouse re-derivation by using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with fresh or frozen sperm as opposed to embryos

To attempt to reduce, refine and replace, we have employed a several new approaches to rederive mouse strains. By using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with fresh or frozen sperm we can reduce the timeframe and number of animals required to...

Year Published: 2019Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Travers, A., Thomson, J., Sharp, M. 2019. Refining mouse re-derivation by using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with fresh or frozen sperm as opposed to embryos. Animal Technology and Welfare 18(1), 73-74.

Team awesome: Why we can be proud

The presentation I gave at IAT Congress 2019 was based on the changes and refinements the University of Dundee, Medical School Resource Unit (MSRU) has made over the past 18 months. These changes, described in this paper, include: guinea pig...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: King, J. 2019. Team awesome: Why we can be proud. Animal Technology and Welfare 18(2), 127-131.

Time’s up for tick-over colonies… Do we now need to maintain so many GA mouse lines?

The practice of continually breeding lines to maintain them as a live resource either in-between studies or indefinitely “just in case” is common practice in many animal facilities. This process of “ticking over” colonies has historically occurred due to the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Newman, S., Woodley, S. 2019. Time's up for tick-over colonies… Do we now need to maintain so many GA mouse lines? Animal Technology and Welfare 17(3), 155-157.

Report of the Enrichment; Awareness and Uptake Workshop 2018 on 26th June at College Court, Leicester

The point of the session was to have a collaborative discussion about environmental enrichment. The organisers wanted to know people's experiences with enrichment, the barriers they have faced, if they have overcome any, and also to share some of their...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: King, J. 2018. Report of the Enrichment; Awareness and Uptake Workshop 2018 on 26th June at College Court, Leicester. Animal Technology and Wefare 17(3), 163-167. [Meeting Report]

Testing the weekend effect hypothesis: Time of day and lunar phase better predict the timing of births in laboratory‐housed primates than day of week

The weekend effect hypothesis proposes that captive primates are more likely to give birth during times of low disturbance and reduced staff activity. The hypothesis specifically predicts that laboratory‐housed primates will be more likely to give birth during the weekend...

Year Published: 2019Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey

Citation: Hopper, L. M., Fernandez‐Duque, E., Williams, L. E. 2019. Testing the weekend effect hypothesis: Time of day and lunar phase better predict the timing of births in laboratory‐housed primates than day of week. American Journal of Primatology 81(7), e23026.

Female mate choice significantly increases captive breeding success, and scents can be frozen to determine choice, in the stripe-faced dunnart

Devising non-invasive techniques to maintain natural behaviours and increase breeding success of captive populations is a high priority in the conservation of endangered species. Allowing animals to choose their own mates not only preserves behaviours that are essential for successful...

Year Published: 2019Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Parrott, M. L., Nation, A., Selwood, L. 2019. Female mate choice significantly increases captive breeding success, and scents can be frozen to determine choice, in the stripe-faced dunnart. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 214, 95-101.

Female social behaviour during three male introductions in captive groups of rhesus macaques

Introductions of new males into captive primate groups are often necessary to prevent inbreeding, but also bear high social risks. To minimize these risks, it is crucial to understand the social behaviour accompanying male introductions. While the behaviour of new...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Rox, A., de Vries, H., Louwerse, A. L. et al. 2018. Female social behaviour during three male introductions in captive groups of rhesus macaques. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 207, 89-97.

Intergenerational sex-specific transmission of maternal social experience

The social environment is a major determinant of individual stress response and lifetime health. The present study shows that (1) social enrichment has a significant impact on neuroplasticity and behaviour particularly in females; and (2) social enrichment in females can...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Faraji, J., Karimi, M., Soltanpour, N. et al. 2018. Intergenerational sex-specific transmission of maternal social experience. Scientific Reports 8, 10529.

Associations between the dominance status and sexual development, skin lesions or feeding behaviour of intact male pigs

In boars, social relationships could influence pubertal development and feeding behaviour. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relationships between behaviour (agonistic, mounting and feeding behaviours), plasma sex steroids (oestradiol, testosterone) and fat androstenone. A total of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Parois, S., Larzul, C., Prunier, A. 2017. Associations between the dominance status and sexual development, skin lesions or feeding behaviour of intact male pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 187, 15-22.

Synchronisation of oestrous cycle on C57BL/6J mice after the introduction of a hanging perforated container with bedding soaked by the excretions of male mice

Synchronisation of oestrous cycle is a commonly used method to manage pregnancies either for breeding or for research purposes. Based on Whitten effect, the aim of our study was to introduce a new refined method for oestrous synchronisation and to...

Year Published: 2018Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Balafas, E., Stasinopoulou, M., Alexakos, P. et al. 2018. Synchronisation of oestrous cycle on C57BL/6J mice after the introduction of a hanging perforated container with bedding soaked by the excretions of male mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 17(1), 9-11.