The use of biofloors in great ape zoo exhibits
The past several decades have seen significant progress in zoo exhibit design, with naturalistic spaces replacing many of the traditional concrete enclosures. Furthermore, research studying the impact of such exhibit design in terms of animal welfare and zoo visitor experience has increased. While this has been especially true for studies of zoo-housed great apes, the […]
The Effect of Altering Routine Husbandry Factors on Sleep Duration and Memory Consolidation in the Horse
Sleep is a critically important behaviour for all mammals due to its fundamental role within homeostatic/circadian systems and memory consolidation. As a large and vigilant prey species that is highly sensitive to stimuli at night, the horse sleeps less than other mammalian species. For this reason, the domestic environment has the potential to greatly affect […]
Preference of Syrian hamsters to nest in old versus new bedding
This study tested whether Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) have an aversion to old bedding (up to 14 days) by offering them the option to nest in a new cage. A secondary goal was to assess the relative value of shelters by testing whether the tendency to nest in the new cage was reduced when a […]
Effects of two stall flooring systems on the behaviour of tied dairy cows.
Effects on dairy cow behaviour of a new type of flooring in tie-stalls, with the ability to drain faeces and urine, was studied in a controlled randomised trial in one Swedish university herd. Forty-two Swedish Red and White cows were kept tied in traditional long-stalls (2.20m). In 21 stalls (one stall row), the rearmost 0.74m […]
Influence of housing variables on the development of stress-sensitive behaviors in the rat
Diverse environments early in mammalian life can have profound influences on the physiology and behavior of developing offspring. Environmental factors can influence offspring development directly or through perturbations in parental care. In the current study, we wished to determine if the influence of a single environmental variable, type of bedding material used in laboratory cages, […]
The effects of chronic exposure to common bedding materials on the metabolic rate and overall health of male CD-1 mice
Anecdotes and personal Web pages claim that cedar and pine beddings cause respiratory distress in rodents, although no previous research could be found to support these claims. There have, however, been published studies of respiratory distress in cedar and pine mill workers. That research links exposure to wood dust to asthma and to bronchial and […]
Dairy goats prefer to use different flooring types to perform different behaviours
Flooring is an important component of indoor housing systems for livestock as it can impact animal hygiene and welfare. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the lying and elimination preferences of goats, as well as their relative udder cleanliness, when presented with four different flooring types. At 8 months of age, 32 […]