Abstract
On the basis of daily activity in the home cage and the open field test the effect of the internal design and location of cages on the behaviour of silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes) during a growth period was evaluated. The inclusion of platforms in cages increased the daytime activity of silver foxes in their home cage, but the inclusion of nest boxes did not. Silver foxes housed at the front of the animal barn were less active during the working day and more active in the evening than were animals housed at the rear. The results of the open field test did not differ significantly between animals housed in cages differing in design. This study demonstrates that the behaviour of silver foxes was only minimally affected by the interior environment of the cage, and that attempts to improve housing design should also take the environment outside the cage into account.
Highlights
As a basic improvement, the European Convention (1991) requires the housing systems used in fox farming to be furnished with nest boxes and platforms
T et al The activity and behaviour test performance of silverfoxes season had a greater effect on the reaction towards humans and on open field behaviour in both blue and silver foxes than had access to a platform or nest box throughout the year
The sex of the animals had no influence on behaviour either in the open field test or in the home cage (P>0.05)
Summary
The European Convention (1991) requires the housing systems used in fox farming to be furnished with nest boxes and platforms The use of these furnishings varies greatly, depending on their design, the species offox and the preference shown by individual animals (Mononen 1996). Harri et al (1995) found that age and Rekilä, T et al The activity and behaviour test performance of silverfoxes season had a greater effect on the reaction towards humans and on open field behaviour in both blue and silver foxes than had access to a platform or nest box throughout the year. The animals housed in the front section of the barn were nearest the door and exposed to more interaction with people coming in This emphasizes the fact that, under normal farm conditions, animals in different parts of the farm may experience considerable differences in sensory input. We evaluated the effects of the structural additions and the location of the cage on the behaviour of the foxes (see Rekilä et al 1996)
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