Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:48:45.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Gnawing bones as enrichment for farmed blue foxes (Vulpes lagopus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2010

L. Ahola ,
A. Turunen ,
J. Mononen  and
T. Koistinen
L. Ahola*
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
A. Turunen
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
J. Mononen
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
T. Koistinen
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

According to present acts and regulations, farmed foxes shall have a gnawing or other enrichment object in their cages. However, research on the welfare effects of gnawing objects has been scarce. We assessed physiology and health, that is weight development, urinary cortisol-creatinine ratio, serum cortisol level after adrenocorticotropic hormone administration, internal organ masses and incidence of gastric ulcerations as well as dental and overall oral health, in pair-housed juvenile blue foxes that were housed either with or without a possibility to interact with bones (cattle femur) during their growing season (July to December). The results show that the physiological effects of the possibility to interact with bones were either non-significant or suggested that competition for bones may jeopardize the welfare of subordinate individuals. However, the results clearly show that gnawing bones are beneficial for the dental health of farmed foxes.

Keywords

animal welfareblue foxenrichmenthealthphysiology
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 6 , June 2010 , pp. 951 - 957
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Broom, D, Johnson, KG 1993. Stress and animal welfare. Chapman & Hall, London, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buyse, J, Decuypere, E, Sharp, PJ, Huybrechts, LM, Kuhn, ER, Whitehead, C 1987. Effect of corticosterone on circulating concentrations of corticosterone, prolactin, thyroid hormones and somatomedin C and on fattening in boilers selected for high and low fat content. The Journal of Endocrinology 112, 229–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diffee, GM, Seversen, EA, Titus, MM 2001. Exercise training increases the Ca2+ sensitivity of tension in rat cardiac myocytes. Journal of Applied Physiology 91, 309–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duncan, ND, Williams, DA, Lunch, GS 1998. Adaptations in rat skeletal muscle following long-term resistance exercize training. European Journal of Applied Physiology 77, 372–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Convention 1999. Standing committee of the European Convention for the Protection of animals kept for farming purposes. Recommendations concerning fur animals. T-AP (96) 19. Council of Europe, France.Google Scholar
Ferchmin, PA, Bennett, EL, Rosenzweig, MR 1975. Direct contact with enriched environment is required to alter cerebral weights in rats. Journal of Comparative Physiology and Psychology 88, 360–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, ND 1970. Brain weight increases resulting from environmental enrichment: a directional dominance in mice. Science 179, 776–778.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iso, H, Simoda, S, Matsuyama, T 2007. Environmental change during postnatal development alters behavior, cognitions and neurogenesis of mice. Behavioural Brain Research 179, 90–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koistinen, T, Turunen, A, Kiviniemi, V, Ahola, L, Mononen, J 2009. Bones as enrichment for farmed blue foxes (Vulpes lagopus): Interaction with the bones and preference for a cage with the bones. Applied Animal Behavior Science 120, 108–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korhonen, H, Niemelä, P 2000. Enrichment value of wooden blocks for farmed blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Animal Welfare 9, 177–191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korhonen, HT, Jauhiainen, L, Niemelä, P, Sauna-aho, R 2002. Wooden blocks and straw as environmental enrichments for juvenile blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Acta Ethology 5, 29–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lasley, BL, Kirkpatric, JF 1991. Monitoring ovarian function in captive and free-ranging wildlife by means of urinary and fecal steroids. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 22, 23–31.Google Scholar
Lin, H, Sui, SJ, Jiao, HC, Buyse, J, Decuypere, E 2006. Impaired development of broiler chickens by stress mimicked by corticosterone exposure. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 143, 400–405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malheiros, RD, Moraes, VMB, Collin, A, Decuypere, E, Buyse, J 2003. Free diet selection by broilers as influenced by dietary macronutrient ratio and corticosterone supplementation. 1. Diet selection, organ weights, and plasma metabolites. Poultry Science 82, 123–131.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 1999. Decision on animal welfare requirements for fur animals (16/VFD/1999).Google Scholar
Mormede, P, Andanson, S, Auperin, B, Beerda, B, Guemene, D, Malmkvist, J, Manteca, X, Manteuffel, G, Prunet, P, van Reenen, CG, Richard, S, Veissier, I 2007. Exploration of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal function as a tool to evaluate animal welfare. Physiology and Behavior 92, 317–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newberry, RC 1995. Environmental enrichment: increasing the biological relevance of captive environments. Applied Animal Behavior Science 44, 229–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Novak, MA, Drewsen, KH 1989. Enriching the lives of captive primates. In Housing, care and psychological wellbeing of captive and laboratory primates (ed. EF Segal), pp. 162–164. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ.Google Scholar
Pedersen, V 2004. Pet toys as enrichment for farmed foxes: effects on behavior and physiology. In Proceedings of the 38th International Congress of the ISAE (ed. L Hänninen and A Valros), pp. 134, 3–7 August 2004. Helsinki, Finland.Google Scholar
Pedersen, V, Jeppesen, LL, Jeppesen, N 2004. Effects of group housing systems on behavior and production performance in farmed juvenile mink (Mustela vison). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 88, 89–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Post, J, Rebel, JMJ, ter Huurne, AAHM 2003. Physiological effects of elevated plasma corticosterone concentrations in broiler chickens. An alternative means by which to assess the physiological effects of stress. Poultry Science 82, 1313–1318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenzweig, MR, Bennett, EL 1996. Psychobiology of plasticity: effects of training and experience on brain and behavior. Behavioural Brain Research 78, 57–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selye, H 1950. The physiology and pathology of exposure to stress. Acta, Inc., Medical Publishers, Montreal, Canada.Google Scholar
Wakely, LG, Mallory, FF 1988. Hierarchical development, agonistic behaviors, and growth rates in captive arctic fox. Canadian Journal of Zoology 66, 1672–1678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar