Stocking Density

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.

The effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on exploration and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs

The experiment aimed to investigate the effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on explorative and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs. Thirty-six pens with partly slatted concrete floor were allocated to one of four treatments: (1) low space...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jensen, M. B., Studnitz, M., Pedersen, L. J. 2010. The effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on exploration and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 123(3-4), 87-92.

A meta-analysis of the combined effect of housing and environmental enrichment characteristics on the behaviour and performance of pigs

To quantify the combined effect of housing conditions and environmental enrichment on the behaviour and performance of pigs, a meta-analysis was performed using information from 45 experiments in 42 published manuscripts. Multiple regression models were applied to evaluate the effects...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Averós, X., Brossard, L., Dourmad, J. et al. 2010. A meta-analysis of the combined effect of housing and environmental enrichment characteristics on the behaviour and performance of pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 127(3-4), 73-85.

Effects of space allocation and housing density on measures of wellbeing in laboratory mice: A review

In the majority of countries where there are legislative requirements pertaining to the use of animals in research, figures are quoted for minimum cage sizes or space allocation to be provided per animal. These figures are generally based on professional...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Whittaker, A. L., Howarth, G. S., Hickman, D. L. 2012. Effects of space allocation and housing density on measures of wellbeing in laboratory mice: A review. Laboratory Animals 46(1), 3-13.

Does stocking density modify affective state in pigs as assessed by cognitive bias, behavioural and physiological parameters?

Recent studies suggest that emotional state can affect cognitive abilities of humans and non-human animals, determining biases in information processing. Negative mental states, such as anxiety or depression, induce pessimistic judgments of ambiguous stimuli. These assumptions may be used to...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Scollo, A., Edwards, S. A., Gottardo, F. et al. 2014. Does stocking density modify affective state in pigs as assessed by cognitive bias, behavioural and physiological parameters? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 153, 26-35.

Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions

In intensive pig farming of Western and Southern Europe, welfare concerns are still often related to barren environments and crowded conditions. Pig producers need to balance the requirements to improve welfare conditions at farm with practical considerations. The aim of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Cornale, P., Macchi, E., Miretti, S. et al. 2015. Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10(6), 569-576.

Crowding increases salivary cortisol but not self-directed behavior in captive baboons

Reduced space can lead to crowding in social animals. Crowding increases the risk of agonistic interactions that, in turn, may require additional physiological defensive coping mechanisms affecting health. To determine the stress induced from increased social density in a group...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Baboon, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Pearson, B. L., Reeder, D. M., Judge, P. G. 2015. Crowding increases salivary cortisol but not self-directed behavior in captive baboons. American Journal of Primatology 77, 462-67.

Effects of changing housing conditions on mangabey behavior (Cercocebus atys): Spatial density, housing quality, and novelty effects

The separate influences of spatial density and housing quality on the behavior of captive animals are difficult to measure because the two factors are often intrinsically linked. Here, we recorded affiliative and agonistic behavior in adult sooty mangabeys in various...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Crast, J., Bloomsmith, M. A., Jonesteller, T. 2015. Effects of changing housing conditions on mangabey behavior (Cercocebus atys): Spatial density, housing quality, and novelty effects. American Journal of Primatology 77(9), 1001-1014.