Social Housing & Companionship

Social and Physical Environmental Enrichment Differentially Affect Growth and Activity of Preadolescent and Adolescent Male Rats

Environmental enrichment for laboratory animals is a widely accepted practice for many species, but few studies address the periods of preadolescence and adolescence. Provision of igloos, tunnels, nesting materials, and social or communal housing are commonly used enrichment strategies in...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Zaias, J., Queeney, T. J., Kelley, J. B. et al. 2008. Social and Physical Environmental Enrichment Differentially Affect Growth and Activity of Preadolescent and Adolescent Male Rats. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science] 47(2).

Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dogs

Excellent review including: dog breeds; tray and feral dogs; housing and husbandry; exercise, human contact, socialization, and training; non-social enrichment; nutrition and health and behavior; noise; detection of stress, distress and pain relief.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Hubrecht, R. 2008. Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dogs. Introduction. Animal Welfare Information Center [AWIC] Resource Series 40.

Refining Rabbit Care: A Resource for Those Working With Rabbits in Research

The report sets out how to provide: optimal enclosure characteristicsand size; social housing; solid flooring and substrate; raised areas; refuges; gnawing objects and dietary enrichment; positive interaction with humans; toys and objects to manipulate; for the special needs of breeding...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Relocation & Transport, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Hawkins, P., Hubrecht, R., Buckwell, A. et al. 2008. Refining Rabbit Care: A Resource for Those Working With Rabbits in Research. UFAW/RSPCA: Southwater, UK, 27 pp.

Socialization of Dutch Belted Rabbits for Use in Research

This program includes adaptation to common handling procedures, environmental enrichment devices, and othe materials encountered in the laboratory. .. At seven weeks of age, the rabbits are paired with a partner for two weeks.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Pritt, S., Wood, J., Fetter, B. et al. 2008. Socialization of Dutch Belted Rabbits for Use in Research. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 13(4), 1-3.

Behaviour of growing rabbits under various housing conditions

The aim of this research was to assess the effects of environmental variables (group size, stocking density, floor type, environmental enrichment) on behaviour as a welfare indicator of growing rabbits. Two experiments were carried out with Pannon White rabbits. In...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Princz, Z., Dalle Zotte, A., Radnai, I. et al. 2008. Behaviour of growing rabbits under various housing conditions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 111(3-4), 342-356.

Behavior and welfare of the sheep

The most important features of the behaviour of sheep are their marked sociality and the bond formation between mother and young. Sheep show a strong need to stay with their group (or subgroup for some breeds), and become very vocal...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Human-Animal Interaction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Nowak, R., Porter, R. H., Blache, D. et al. 2008. Behavior and welfare of the sheep. In: The Welfare of Sheep. Dwyer, C. M. (ed). Springer, New York, NY.

Effect of an open window and conspecifics within view on the welfare of stables horsed, estimated on the basis of positive and negative behavioural indicators

The effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of stabled horses was estimated on the basis of positive and negative behavioural indicators. Six stabled horses were exposed for seven days to each of two conditions in early spring: i) a...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Ninomiya, S., Kusunose, R., Obara, Y. et al. 2008. Effect of an open window and conspecifics within view on the welfare of stables horsed, estimated on the basis of positive and negative behavioural indicators. Animal Welfare 17, 351-354.

Wounding incidence in isosexual pairs of adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) during introduction and in varying pair housing conditions

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of wounding in isosexual rhesus macaques paired in three styles of housing: continuous full contact (FC), intermittent full contact (IC: frequent separation), and protected contact (PC: separation by a partition...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Oettinger, B. C., Baker, K. C., Neu, K. et al. 2008. Wounding incidence in isosexual pairs of adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) during introduction and in varying pair housing conditions. American Journal of Primatology 70(S1), 44. (31st Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #71)

Animal economics: Assessing the motivation of female laboratory rabbits to reach a platform, social contact and food

We used novel techniques for assessing resource value to investigate what additions to a barren cage female laboratory rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, value. We tested motivation to reach two resources that are potentially practical enrichments: a platform (providing a partly enclosed...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Seaman SC, Waran NK, Mason G. 2008. Animal economics: Assessing the motivation of female laboratory rabbits to reach a platform, social contact and food. Anim Behav. 75;31-42.

Effect of individual or paired housing during post-weaning on feed intake, growth rate and behaviour of lambs

The aim of this study was to compare the behaviour and weight gain of weaned lambs penned either in pairs or alone, with visual and tactile contacts between pens. A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted over seven weeks....

Year Published: 2009Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Villeneuve, L., Méthot, H., Cinq-Mars, D. et al. 2009. Effect of individual or paired housing during post-weaning on feed intake, growth rate and behaviour of lambs. Small Ruminant Research 85(2-3), 99-104.