Due to genetic selection for large litters in pig production, piglets are often supernumerary to the teats on the sow. Providing milk replacer as a second feed source is increasingly being used to rear large litters. This results in increased competition at the udder when all piglets remain at the sow. We hypothesise that larger litter size and being amongst the smaller piglets within-litter (irrespective

The most widespread reproductive rhythm practiced in rabbit farming is based on artificial insemination (AI) performed at around 11 days pospartum. This approach results in high production rates, but requires high yearly replacement of animals that cannot sustain the enormous energy demand. Rabbit does that are in energy deficit have relatively short reproductive careers. Moreover, current housing

Provision of enrichment in welfare- and environmentally-friendly pig pens is important for sustainable pig production. The primary aim of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of maize silage as a singular enrichment compared to a combination of maize silage and chopped straw on behaviours important for determining pig welfare (play, locomotion, exploration, social contact, aggression

High-fibre diets have been suggested as alternative feeding strategies that potentially may alleviate the hunger felt by feed-restricted broiler breeders and fulfil their behavioural need for feeding behaviour. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of four dietary treatments, differing in fibre types and content, on the motivation for performing feeding behaviour, including both

Weaning and other regrouping events as routine work in commercial farms cause stress to pigs and compromise their welfare. Several studies found positive outcomes to mitigate weaning stress when piglets were socialized (i.e. co-mingled) or raised with enrichment materials in research settings. However, research in commercial settings is lacking. We aimed to investigate the effects of early-life socialization

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy impairs offspring behaviours and thereby their survival rate indirectly by decreasing lamb birth weight or by deteriorating milk production which in turn limits bonding of the dam with the neonate. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of maternal feed restriction during late pregnancy on performance and behaviours of ewes and their lambs. Twenty-four

As humans, we recognize the importance of exercise. We go to the gym, walk our dogs, and ride our horses. Even our hamsters get a wheel to run on. Considering this, it is surprising that, when it comes to the production animals that make up the bulk of domestic animals, the concept of ‘exercise’ becomes more muddled. There is empirical evidence of improvements to health and behavior that have been

Although group housing of naturally social animals like rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is desirable for ethical reasons, social conflicts can significantly increase the risk for injuries as well as stress incidences and negatively affect their welfare. A common housing system in Switzerland is the "semi group-housing". Here, rabbit does are kept individually shortly before the birth of their kits

Animals often display consistent differences in behaviours across situations and contexts. However, little is known about how behavioural traits might vary in a context-dependent manner, with selection favouring correlated sets of behaviours in particular types of environments. Comparative studies of behavioural trait differences and associations among different populations can provide valuable insights

Domesticated horses mainly live in individual boxes, a housing system reported as compromising animal welfare. A common practice in riding schools involves offering a temporary period on pasture with conspecifics to alleviate the impact of long-term deprivation triggered by boxes. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of this practice using four behavioural indicators reflecting a compromised

Exposure to chronic stressors and/or traumatic events can trigger depression-like forms of waking inactivity in non-human species (mice, horses, primates) as well as clinical depression in humans. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that elevated levels of waking inactivity in the home environment, in tandem with exposure to chronic stress and/or traumatic events, could reflect a depression-like

To investigate whether zebu (Bos indicus) cows organize in different social groups according to their physiological state, cow–cow and cow–calf distances were measured. A single herd of 31 multiparous cows around parturition was observed for 6 weeks. Through the evaluation period, animals were classified as pregnant (P), calving (C) and lactating (L) cows according to their physiological state during

Different measures reflecting the cows’ behavioural responses towards humans are used for the assessment of the human-animal relationship (HAR). Besides the established avoidance distance (AD), different handling tests, such as the tolerance to tactile interaction (TTI), release behaviour after restraint (RB), and qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) during a human-animal interaction are used. However

We validated the accuracy of two commercially available activity loggers for cattle in determining lying and standing durations, number of lying bouts and number of steps in growing lambs. Ten growing lambs divided into two weight classes were fitted with an IceTag on the right hind leg and an IceQube on the left hind leg. The IceTag reports activity per second, whereas the IceQube reports activity

Undernourishment is a frequent condition in sheep pregnancies under extensive systems, since most of the pregnancies occur when the prairie has the lowest forage allowance. Underfed sheep pregnancies are associated with maternal-fetal oxidative stress, low birth weight and deteriorated ewe–lamb bond, which negatively affects the probability of postnatal survival. The aims of the present study were

Under natural conditions cows and their calves live together. In dairy practice, calves are separated from their mothers within hours after birth and then housed individually. This study investigated the effects of the presence of the dam during the colostrum feeding period and subsequent group housing during early ontogeny on reproduction, milk performance and locomotion at first lactation as well

Visual and auditory impairments can have a large impact on performance in cognitive tests. It is important to evaluate the sensory capacities of dogs before enrolling them in cognitive tests, in order to exclude sensory impairment as confounding effect. Therefore we designed multiple non-invasive testing paradigms to detect subjects with potential auditory and visual impairment, without requiring extensive

Triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture has been extensively considered for many years, but its development has so far remained very limited. This is mostly due to poorer farming performances of triploid fish (3 N) in comparison with their diploid (2 N) counterparts, with temperature seen as a key explanatory factor. Furthermore, there are many inconsistencies between studies and considerable

Litter sizes where piglets are supernumerary to teats leads to the practice of fostering to nurse sows or to artificial rearing systems, which is associated with compromised welfare. An alternative strategy is to leave the supernumerary piglets with their own dam and provide milk replacer in the farrowing pen. To provide sufficient space around the sow’s udder, loose housing could be an alternative

As dairy cows’ needs and demands change over the different phases of their reproductive cycle, regrouping is common practice in dairy farming to facilitate management and handling. However, social instability associated with regrouping is known to have negative effects on the cows, including disturbances in their lying behaviour. In this study, we examined the effect of familiar group mates on lying

Female lambs have a stronger attachment with their mothers and show a greater susceptibility to stressors than male lambs. Male lambs grow faster than female lambs do, achieving a greater nutritional independence from their mothers. Our hypothesis was that female lambs and their mothers are more susceptible to stress of abrupt weaning than male lambs and their mothers. The objective of this study was

In modern pig production up to 50% of the sows are slaughtered each year. Typically, the period from the decision to cull and until a sow is slaughtered consists of a stay in an on-farm pick-up pen (hours to weeks), transport (eventually passing buying stations or similar) and lairage. However, even though cull sows are often mentioned as vulnerable toward challenges such as transport, the behaviour

The interaction of internal clocks and environmental conditions determines the daily behavioural rhythm of an animal. Due to the strong influence of light, these circadian rhythms oscillate in mammals over a cycle length of about 24 hours, equivalent to the daily light-dark cycle. The relation between activity and rest within this cycle is species-specific and age dependent. Since strong deviations

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of environmental enrichment (EE), in the form of a cattle brush, on feedlot cattle behavior, productivity and stress physiology. Steers were blocked by weight and assigned to one of two treatments 1) Cattle brush secured to fence line (BRUSH; n = 3 pens; 25 animals) or 2) No enrichment (CON; n = 3 pens; 26 animals). Video recordings were decoded

Restrictively fed broiler breeders are known to have increased motivation to explore and reduced fearfulness because hunger increases the motivation to search for and to acquire food, forcing the birds to face and engage with aversive stimuli that they would otherwise avoid. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of four dietary treatments on the level of fear and motivation to explore during

Temperament is a trait of interest as it impacts ease of handling, production and reactivity to stressful situations. Excessive behavioural reactivity, as an aspect of temperament, may lead to reduced welfare and stockperson safety. Current tests of behavioural reactivity involve isolating the subject and it can be difficult to differentiate between behavioural responses. We therefore aimed to develop

Laying hens have undergone strong selection pressure for traits related to productivity in recent decades. This has led to an impressive increase in egg production but is also assumed to cause undesirable side effects, such as behavioural changes or increased bone damage. Resource trade-offs resulting from egg production might trigger such changes. Our hypothesis was that hens from lines selected for

The study aimed at evaluating different management protocols of grouping does in regard to aggressive interactions and the establishment of a hierarchy under commercial conditions. Fifty-seven multiparous rabbit does of the Hycole hybrid maternal line were randomly distributed into three different management protocols (MP) for a total of 5 consecutive trials: MP12 with grouping 12 days after parturition

Preferences for scratchers in adult cats have not yet been explored. Thirty-six adult cats were the subjects in three experiments to evaluate adult cat in-home preferences for scratchers, scratching materials, and the use of scratchers with added olfactory stimuli. Scratchers compared in each of the first two experiments were presented to cats at the same time with randomized sequences of how scratchers

The quality of the social environment should be studied as one of the welfare components of dairy herds. Licking and preference between cows are important socio-positive experiences in this context.The aims of this study were: 1) to describe the behaviours temporally associated with social licking in grazing dairy cows, 2) to measure the association of social licking with social hierarchy and gestational

Calves reared on pasture learn to graze from their dam and conspecifics during weaning. Social learning can be beneficial for calf performance and welfare, and pair-housing and companionship on pasture have been proposed as management practices to develop efficient foraging behaviour. Yet, the interaction between early housing and the experience of a companion on the development of grazing and ruminating

The behaviour of new world camelids towards humans has received little research attention so far. Our aims were to assess the response of alpacas and llamas to handling, and to investigate its associations with caretaker attitudes and handling practices (i.e., the reported amount of contact to the animals at different ages). Reactions of 116 alpacas and llamas during handling by a familiar person and

Greyhounds retired from the racing industry, or who are deemed unsuitable for racing, can make good companion animals. However, some greyhounds have a strong predilection towards predatory behaviour (PB), a motor pattern associated with the catching and consuming of prey. This tendency can negatively impact whether the dog is deemed suitable for adoption. Very few published studies have examined whether

Reconciliation is well documented in a number of species, including nonhuman primates, dolphins, wolves, and many others. Researchers studied domestic dogs in a variety of natural and artificially-created packs. While each report some evidence of reconciliation, they found more dispersal than reconciliation occurred postconflict, with cohort relationships being a factor. In the present study, we observed

This study aimed to identify possible differences in the lying and standing sequence between lame and non-lame gestating sows. A total of 85 stall-housed sows (average parity 0.9 ± 1.14; range 0–4) were scored for walking lameness on a 3-point scale (1 = normal to 3=severely lame) while moving to a separate gestation stall for recording of one lying-standing event on days 30, 60 and 90 of gestation

A major problem in conventional pig production systems is the occurrence of abnormal behaviours such as tail biting. Tail biting is a multifactorial problem, but it seems that a lack of proper enrichment materials prevents the animals from performing normal species-specific behaviour, e.g., rooting, nosing or chewing, and thus increases the prevalence of tail biting. The aim of this study was to identify

In aquaculture, fish are exposed to unavoidable stressors that can be detrimental for their health and welfare. However, welfare in farmed fish can be difficult to assess, and, so far, no standardized test has been universally accepted as a welfare indicator. This work contributes to the establishment of behavioural welfare indicators in a marine teleost in response to different water quality acute

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a suggested criterion of reproductive mate choice in many species. MHC-dissimilarity was suggested to play role in male selection by female horses (mares) in experimental settings. In our project, we asked whether under natural conditions mares choose breeding stallions guided by a certain MHC-type, either MHC-dissimilar or MHC-diverse. We observed the reproductive

Visual information is key to how many animals interact with their environment, and much research has investigated how animals respond to colour and brightness information in the natural world. Understanding the visibility of features in anthropogenic environments, and how animals respond to these, is also important, not least for the welfare and safety of animals and the humans they co-exist with,

Voluntary participation in behavioural studies offers several scientific, management, and welfare benefits to non-human primates (NHPs). Aside from the scientific benefit of increased understanding of NHP cognition, sociality, and behaviour derived from noninvasive behavioural studies, participation itself has the potential to provide functional simulations of natural behaviours, enrichment opportunities

Socially inflicted traumas are a major concern for the management of captive groups of rhesus macaques. Rhesus macaques are the most commonly used nonhuman primate in biomedical research, and social housing is optimal for promoting psychological well-being. However, trauma is frequent due to a strong reliance on aggression to establish and maintain hierarchical relationships. We studied six captive

Qualities of the light environment are important for good welfare in a number of species. In chickens, UVA light is visible and may facilitate flock interactions. UVB wavelengths promote endogenous vitamin D synthesis, which could support the rapid skeletal development of broiler chickens. The aim of the study was to investigate the impacts of Ultraviolet wavelengths (UV) on welfare indicators in broiler

When measuring animals' valenced behavioural responses to stimuli, the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) test goes a step further than many approach-based and avoidance-based tests by establishing whether a learned preference for, or aversion to, the location in which the stimulus was encountered can be generated. We designed a novel, four-chambered CPP test to extend the capability of the usual CPP

In recent years there has been a growing research interest in the field of animal emotion. But there is still little agreement about whether and how the word "emotion" should be defined for use in the context of non-human species. Here, we make a distinction between descriptive and prescriptive definitions. Descriptive definitions delineate the ways in which the word emotion is used in everyday life

Automated monitoring of behaviour can offer a wealth of information in circumstances where observing behaviour is difficult or time consuming. However, this often requires attaching monitoring devices to the animal which can alter behaviour, potentially invalidating any data collected. Birds often show increased preening and energy expenditure when wearing devices and, especially in laying hens, there

Abnormal behavior occurs in a number of captive nonhuman primate species and is often used as an indicator of welfare. However, reported levels of abnormal behavior often vary across species, making general welfare judgments difficult. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in levels of abnormal behavior and associated risk factors across three species of Old World monkeys in order to

Play behaviour in pre-weaned piglets has previously been shown to vary consistently between litters. This study aimed to determine if these pre-weaning litter differences in play behaviour were also consistent in the post-weaning period. Seven litters of commercially bred piglets were raised in a free farrowing system (PigSAFE) and weaned at 28 days post-farrowing (+/-2 days). Post-weaning piglets

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a pathology observed in both humans and animals. In humans, SIB has been linked to various mental health conditions that are also associated with significant sleep disruption. In rhesus macaques, SIB consists of self-directed biting which can range from mild skin abrasions to wounds requiring veterinary care. However, only one study suggests possible sleep disruption

There has been increased recognition of the 3Rs in laboratory animal management over the last decade, including improvements in animal handling and housing. For example, positive reinforcement is now more widely used to encourage primates to cooperate with husbandry procedures, and improved enclosure design allows housing in social groups with opportunity to escape and avoid other primates and humans

Exposure to estrous ewe urine stimulates investigation and mounting activity in sexually active but not sexually inactive rams. It was hypothesized sexual indifference may result from an inability to detect olfactory cues or an interruption of the pathway from detection of the olfactory stimulus to the motor response. Sexually active (n=4) and inactive (n=3) rams were exposed to urine from estrous

In order to assess dogs' personality changes during ontogeny, a cohort of 69 Border collies was followed up from six to 18-24 months. When the dogs were 6, 12, and 18-24 months old, their owners repeatedly filled in a dog personality questionnaire (DPQ), which yielded five personality factors divided into fifteen facets. All five DPQ factors were highly correlated between the three age classes, indicating

Mice used in biomedical research should have pain reduced to an absolute minimum through refinement of procedures or by the provision of appropriate analgesia. Vasectomy is a common and potentially painful surgical procedure carried out on male mice to facilitate the production of genetically modified mice. The aim of our study was to determine if 0.05 mg/kg buprenorphine would ameliorate pain associated

Full body repetitive behaviors, known as motor stereotypic behaviors (MSBs), are one of the most commonly seen abnormal behaviors in captive non-human primates, and are frequently used as a behavioral measure of well-being. The main goal of this paper was to examine the role of environmental factors (i.e., foraging enrichment and socialization) and intrinsic factors (i.e., temperament and origin) in

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder in children. Presently there is no effective treatment and the disorder is lethal. NCL occur in a variety of non-human species including sheep, which are recognised as valuable large animal models for NCL. This experiment investigated the progressive postural, behavioural and liveweight changes in NCL-affected lambs, to

Prevention or alleviation of pain in laboratory mice is a fundamental requirement of in vivo research. The mouse grimace scale (MGS) has the potential to be an effective and rapid means of assessing pain and analgesic efficacy in laboratory mice. Preliminary studies have demonstrated its potential utility for assessing pain in mouse models that involve potentially painful procedures. The next step

The aim of this study was to analyse spontaneous play behaviour in litters of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) for sources of variation at individual and litter levels and to relate variation in play to measures of pre and postnatal development. Seven litters of commercially bred piglets (n = 70) were born (farrowed) within a penning system (PigSAFE) that provided opportunities for the performance of spontaneous

Early life environment, including temporary family separation, can have a major influence on affective state. Using a battery of tests, the current study compared the performance of adult common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), reared as infants under 3 different conditions: family-reared twins, family-reared animals from triplet litters where only 2 remain (2stays) and supplementary fed triplets. No

The aim of our study was to explore the association between dominance rank and body condition in outdoor group-living domestic horses, Equus caballus. Social interactions were recorded using a video camera during a feeding test, applied to 203 horses in 42 herds. Dominance rank was assigned to 194 individuals. The outcome variable body condition score (BCS) was recorded using a 9-point scale. The variables

Measures that are likely to increase sociability in dog puppies, such as appropriate socialisation, are considered important in preventing future fear or aggression related problems. However, the interplay between sociability and conflict behaviour has rarely been investigated. Moreover, while many studies have addressed aggression in domestic dogs, alternative, non-aggressive conflict resolution strategies

Our ability to provide analgesia in wild and exotic patients is hampered by a lack of species-specific information on effective drugs and protocols. One contributing factor is the difficulty of applying data from traditional laboratory tests of nociception to clinical conditions frequently involving combinations of inflammatory, mechanical, and neuropathic pain. Pain-suppressed behaviors have become