Social Housing & Companionship

Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits

In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Van Damme, L. G. W., Ipek, N., Verwaeren, J. et al. 2024. Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Improved memory and lower stress levels in male mice co-housed with ovariectomized female mice

Aggressiveness, expressed by fighting, is a frequent problem in group-housed laboratory male mice and results in increased stress, injury, and death. One way to prevent fighting is by pairing the male mice with ovariectomized female mice to provide a compatible...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Wikanthi, L. S. S., Forsström, J., Ewaldsson, B. et al. 2024. Improved memory and lower stress levels in male mice co-housed with ovariectomized female mice. Animals 14(10), 1503.

Effects of the individual and pair housing of calves on long-term heifer production on a UK commercial dairy farm

Pair housing of pre-weaning dairy calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts on their growth, health and behaviour, but longer-term effects on production are still relatively unknown. This study followed a cohort of 431 Holstein heifers, recruited from a single UK...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Mahendran, S. A., Wathes, D. C., Booth, R. E. et al. 2024. Effects of the individual and pair housing of calves on long-term heifer production on a UK commercial dairy farm. Animals 14(1), 125.

Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens

The public has expressed growing concern for the well-being of fishes, including popular pet species such as the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). In captivity, male Bettas behave aggressively, often causing injuries and death if housed together. As a result,...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Oldfield, R. G., Murphy, E. K. 2024. Life in a fishbowl: Space and environmental enrichment affect behaviour of Betta splendens. Animal Welfare 33, e1.

Early-life contact with non-maternal adult cows and a pasture-based rearing environment influence behavioural responses of dairy heifers to novelty

The complexity experienced in early life can affect trait development of individuals, including sociability and fearfulness. The modern dairy calf's rearing environment often lacks environmental and social complexity. This study examined the effects of early-life, non-maternal adult contact and access...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Field, L., Hemsworth, L., Jongman, E. et al. 2024. Early-life contact with non-maternal adult cows and a pasture-based rearing environment influence behavioural responses of dairy heifers to novelty. Animal Welfare 33, e18.

Social stability via management of natal males in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Keystone individuals are expected to disproportionately contribute to group stability. For instance, rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) who police conflict contribute towards stability. Not all individuals' motivations align with mechanisms of group stability. In wild systems, males typically disperse at maturity...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Pritchard, A. J., Beisner, B. A., Nathman, A. et al. 2024. Social stability via management of natal males in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 27(2), 408–425.

Changes in enclosure use and basking behaviour associated with pair housing in Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko)

Due to often insufficient information, reptiles suffer welfare issues and increased mortality in captivity. In particular, the impact of the social environment remains poorly understood, despite evidence suggesting its' importance for welfare in a wide range of social animals. The...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Szabo, B. 2024. Changes in enclosure use and basking behaviour associated with pair housing in Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 272, 106179.

Social reinforcement guides operant behaviour and auditory learning in a songbird

Motivation to seek social interactions is inherent to all social species. For instance, even with risk of disease transmission in a recent pandemic, humans sought out frequent in-person social interactions. In other social animals, socialization can be prioritized even over...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Finch

Citation: Macedo-Lima, M., Fernández-Vargas, M., Remage-Healey, L. 2024. Social reinforcement guides operant behaviour and auditory learning in a songbird. Animal Behaviour 210, 127–137.

Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery

Sleep is an important contributor to good physical and mental health and an important component of post-surgical recovery. The assessment of dark phase (‘nighttime') behavior can provide insight into the efficacy of analgesic treatments and should be considered when assessing...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Paterson, E. A., O'Malley, C. I., Turner, P. V. 2024. Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 272, 106188.

An overview of black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii) husbandry

This article describes the enclosure, environmental parameters, feeding, enclosure dynamics, breeding, handling, identification, and enrichment for zoo-housed black tree monitors.

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Newton, R. 2023. An overview of black tree monitor (Varanus beccarii) husbandry. RATEL (Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) 50(3-4), 24-25.