One of the possible ways to improve the housing conditions of laboratory animals is to give them opportunities to perform more species-specific behavioural repertoires through provision of environmental enrichment. Environmental enrichment is, by definition, any modification in the environment of...

During the last decades, the use of individually ventilated caging system has become more and more attractive for housing laboratory rodents. Since the Animal Facility of the Centre for Experimental Surgery of the Foundation of Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens was totally equipped with...

The concentration of ammonia was measured in the air space of 180 houses at 30 pig enterprises in Greece during an 8-month period by using tubes that chemically bind atmospheric ammonia. The mean overall ammonia concentration was 24.6 ppm (10-52 ppm). The mean ammonia concentration was 26.4 ppm in...

Fish welfare and in general the welfare of animals is a term that declares a painless and not stressful state of being. During the previous years this term has been questioned by the producers, however, nowadays, it is actually legally regulated in several countries. For fishes, few are the...

During the last decades there has been an increased scientific interest in the improvement of housing conditions for laboratory animals by providing them with opportunities to perform more species-specific behavioural repertoires through enriching their environment. Environmental enrichment is, by...

This study was conducted to determine the effect of domestication on the maternal and litter behaviour of wild sows and its piglets. Six indigenous and six wild sows and their purebred litters were used in the study. All sows were loose-housed in indoor pens (2.0×2.0 m) equipped with piglet creep...

Lameness is a major health problem in sheep flocks worldwide. It is associated with reduced productivity and welfare of lame animals within a flock. The consequences of lameness on production are studied in meat and wool producing breeds, but the available research studies are limited. This problem ...

The aims of implementing biosecurity measures on cattle farms are to preserve a high health status of animals by protecting them from new and existing pathogens and to ensure the production of safe food. General biosecurity measures should be implemented in any farm regardless of any specific...

Osteopenia is a significant disease of the skeleton in mature chickens used for egg production. It characteristically occurs in lines of laying hens with high rates of egg production and can be regarded as a generalised skeletal disorder resulting in bone fractures. Since the condition was first...

432 hybrid pullets, half of them of Leghorn type and half of Rhode Island Red (RIR) type, were divided into 3 classes according to 18-wk body weight, and were housed 2 or 3/cage (600 or 400 cm2/bird) at 20 wk of age. The experiment lasted up to 69 wk of age. Body weight increase was greater with 2...