Societal demands for group housing of social farm animals such as rabbits are increasing due to animal welfare concerns. When breeding does are housed in groups, maternal protective behaviour negatively affects the reproductive performance of the does. In part-time group housing, does are housed in ...

Author reports effect of housing and stocking densities for 76 White New Zealand weaned rabbit does aged 5 weeks and weighing ~550 g. For housing, we reared groups of 10 in straw bed pen (1) or cages (2) with floor of 2 m². For density we reared 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 16 rabbits/m² by cages. Rabbits...

In society today, there is increasing concern for the welfare of farm animals. New models of rabbit breeding are proposed, such as group housing of rabbit does in a semi-group system or environmental enrichment of individual housing. This work aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance and...

The welfare of juvenile Finnraccoons (Nyctereutes procyonoides ussuriensis) was compared between various housing conditions through the measurement of day-time behaviour and physiological variables. For the small control treatment (SC), Finnraccoons were raised in pairs in small cages; in the large ...

The majority of cows are now culled due to poor health and welfare. All cows should obtain adequate comfort, the design of stall and other management should be practiced to facilitate 14 hrs of lying time for each cows within a pen. Stall should be designed to allow cows to assume natural resting...

In recent decades, concern about rabbit welfare and sustainability has increased. The housing system is a very important factor for animal welfare. However, information about how different available housing types for female rabbits affect their health status is scarce, but this is an important...

The event of giving birth is an essential part of animal production. In dairy cattle production, there are substantial economical and welfare-related challenges arising around the time of parturition, and hence increased focus on efficient management of the calving cow. Drawing on the research...

Although the welfare of farm mink has been debated for decades, the status at mink farms has not previously been reported. Likewise, little is known about the variation in housing conditions and animal responses between mink farms, although relevant for identifying key opportunities and challenges. ...

Comfort around resting is one of the key factors affecting farm animal welfare. The aim of the present study is to document the resting preferences in the Finnraccoon (Nyctereutes procyonoides ussuriensis) with special attention to the use of a platform. Sixteen sister-pairs of Finnraccoons were ...

In response to an increased awareness concerning the welfare of captive animals, several studies have investigated the effect of provisions on stress levels in model species, such as small mammals, birds and fish. In contrast, reptiles have received less attention. Although many reptilian species...