Blog Posts Tagged: welfare

The value of tracking software: using EthoVision XT to monitor broiler activity

What can EthoVision XT provide over manual observations? We explore that question in the context of a animal welfare study, where fly larvae were provisioned to broilers.

Determining the best housing strategy for mice

When using animal models for scientific research, their welfare should be a priority. Here, we're looking at the effects of different housing strategies for mice, and how PhenoTyper provides researchers with insight.

How does heat stress affect the health and welfare of dairy cows?

When environmental temperatures rise, livestock animals, such as dairy cows, are vulnerable to heat stress. Researchers Polsky and von Keyserlingk reviewed how heat stress affects animal productivity, health, and welfare.

ChickenStress project

The abolition of battery farming has improved chicken welfare, but there are still problems like feather pecking. In the ChickenStress project, we will try to understand better how to reduce stress and improve welfare.

Free-choice digital interactive enrichment and human-animal interaction

Great apes have fast reflex, gazes, and movements: The Observer XT’s features allow frame by frame coding and accurate data integration.

Prof. Berry Spruijt says goodbye (but not really)

Prof. Dr. Berry M. Spruijt recently retired from his position at Utrecht University. I had the honor of attending the symposium that was organized to reflect on and celebrate his career.

The impact of visitor access in a shelter on the welfare of shelter dogs

If you’ve ever been to a shelter to adopt a dog, you know that when you walk into the holding area, the dogs can get very noisy.

The welfare of therapy dogs

Dogs have been used with adult substance abuse patients in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Why use dogs in therapy? The impact of animal-assisted therapy on the dogs.

How to measure emotions in pigs

A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test.In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors are scored.

Unraveling primate behavior, why do monkeys rub their fur?

Did you know that tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) rub their fur vigorously with substances such as leaves, fruit, or insects? Such substances are often insecticidal, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory.

Horses: behavioral research, physiology and biomechanics

Besides the study of the relation between humans and popular pets such as cats and dogs, human-horse interaction is an increasingly popular subject of science.