Social Housing & Companionship

Aggression in group-housed laboratory mice: Why can’t we solve the problem?

Group housing is highly important for social animals. However, it can also give rise to aggression, one of the most serious welfare concerns in laboratory mouse husbandry. Severe fighting can lead to pain, injury and even death. In addition, working...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weber, E. M., Dallaire, J. A., Gaskill, B. N. et al. 2017. Aggression in group-housed laboratory mice: Why can't we solve the problem? Lab Animal 46(4), 157-161.

The effect of early life experience, environment, and genetic factors on spontaneous home-cage aggression-related wounding in male C57BL/6 mice

Aggression is a major welfare issue in mice, particularly when mice unfamiliar to each other are first placed in cages, as happens on receipt from a vendor, and following cage cleaning. Injuries from aggression are the second leading cause of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B. N., Stottler, A. M., Garner, J. P. et al. 2017. The effect of early life experience, environment, and genetic factors on spontaneous home-cage aggression-related wounding in male C57BL/6 mice. Lab Animal 46(4), 176-184.

Social behavior of adult male New Zealand White rabbits housed in groups or pairs in the laboratory

Rabbits are usually singly housed in laboratories, but a new emphasis on providing social housing for social species has prompted exploration of alternative housing for this species. However, a paucity of literature on the social behavior of rabbits in captivity...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: DiVincenti, L. Jr., Rehrig, A. 2017. Social behavior of adult male New Zealand White rabbits housed in groups or pairs in the laboratory. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 20(1), 86-94.

Gibbon aggression during introductions: An international survey

Little is known regarding the prevalence of aggression seen during introductions of captive gibbons (Hylobatidae). In this study, an online survey was developed to quantify and collect contextual details regarding the frequency and types of aggression seen during introductions of...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Harl, H., Stevens, L., Margulis, S. W. et al. 2016. Gibbon aggression during introductions: An international survey. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(3), 260-270.

The impact of social context on behaviour and the recovery from welfare challenges in zebrafish, Danio rerio

Understanding how animals experience stress in a laboratory environment is crucial for improving their welfare. Increasing numbers of fish are being used in scientific studies and further research is required to ensure appropriate conditions are used to promote good conduct...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: White, L. J., Thomson, J. S., Pounder, K. C. et al. 2017. The impact of social context on behaviour and the recovery from welfare challenges in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Animal Behaviour 132, 189-199.

Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially?

Experiments of environmental enrichment usually compare between group-housed rats in enriched and unenriched cages or between group-housed rats in enriched cages and single-housed rats in unenriched cages. This bias is mainly to maximize the chance of enrichment both socially and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abou-Ismail, U. A., Darwish, R. A., Ramadan, S. G. A. 2014. Should cages of laboratory rats be enriched physically or socially? Global Veterinaria 13(4), 570-582.

Zebrafish social behavior in the wild

Wild zebrafish exhibit a wide range of behavior. We found abundant wild zebrafish in flowing rivers and still water, in large, tightly-knit groups of hundreds of individuals, as well as in small, loose shoals. In two still-water populations, zebrafish were...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Suriyampola, P. S., Shelton, D. S., Shukla, R. et al. 2016. Zebrafish social behavior in the wild. Zebrafish 13(1), 1-8.

The impact of group size on welfare indicators of ewes during pregnancy

Group size (GS) and space allowance have major implications for the welfare of production species, however their effects are often confounded. In a previous study we investigated the impact of varying space allowance at constant GS. In the present work...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Averós, X., Beltrán de Heredia I., Ruiz, R. et al. 2016. The impact of group size on welfare indicators of ewes during pregnancy. PLOS ONE 11(11), e0167061.

Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project

Measuring the activity and temperature of rats is commonly required in biomedical research. Conventional approaches necessitate single housing, which affects their behavior and wellbeing. We have used a subcutaneous radiofrequency identification (RFID) transponder to measure ambulatory activity and temperature of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Redfern, W. S., Tse, K., Grant, C. et al. 2017. Automated recording of home cage activity and temperature of individual rats housed in social groups: The Rodent Big Brother project. PLOS ONE 12(9), e0181068.

Assessment of housing density, space allocation and social hierarchy of laboratory rats on behavioural measures of welfare

Minimum space allowances for laboratory rats are legislated based on weight and stocking rates, with the understanding that increased housing density encourages crowding stress. However, there is little evidence for these recommendations, especially when considering positive welfare outcomes. This study...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Barker, T. H., George, R. P., Howarth, G. S. et al. 2017. Assessment of housing density, space allocation and social hierarchy of laboratory rats on behavioural measures of welfare. PLOS ONE 12(9), e0185135.