Consumers now demand evidence of welfare assurance at all stages of animal production, marketing, transport and slaughter. In response, retailers have increasingly adopted preferred supply chain relationships which preclude sourcing animals via livestock auction markets. One of the criteria dictating this action is a perceived improvement in animal welfare resulting from direct transport from farm to abattoir.

A survey of complete journey structures of 18 393 slaughterweight lambs from farm to abattoir was conducted between April and July 1997. Journeys were characterized in terms of distances travelled, duration and the number of discrete components within a whole journey which comprised: transport; trans-shipping (when animals were transferred from one vehicle to another); multiple pickups from a number of farms; and holding at either assembly points, lairages or auction markets. The results identified that journeys in the livestock distribution system are diverse and range in complexity, irrespective of marketing channel. Journey complexity was found to be positively related to distance travelled.

The study demonstrates that discussions concerning welfare of livestock in transit should consider the journey structure and not just the marketing channel per se. Furthermore, it also shows that changes taking place in the infrastructure of the marketing and meat processing sectors may result in a reduction in animal welfare.

This study is an assessment of the use of mealworm dispensers as environmental enrichment devices for Rodrigues fruit bats (Pteropus rodncensis). Captive animals frequently receive easily consumed food at set times and locations, which often minimizes the time they spend searching for and processing food. The mealworm dispensers used in this study provide an unpredictable food source, which allows the link between foraging and feeding to be reinstated. Mealworm dispensers were placed into the Rodrigues fruit bat enclosure at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and the behaviour of the bats recorded over 14 days. For 7 days the dispensers were empty but, for the remaining 7, 20 mealworms were placed in each dispenser. The number of bats feeding declined with increasing time from initial food presentation in all cases, but the presence of mealworms in the dispensers decreased the rate of decline. In addition, the number of bats active within 20cm of the food in the dishes and on the heater tops increased significantly when mealworms were present. Although the presence of mealworms had no effect on the number of flights made by the group of bats as a whole, both the number of bats on the enclosure floor and the amount of aggression observed in the enclosure decreased when mealworms were present.

Installation of mealworm dispensers meant that the bats found food items as a consequence of their natural exploratory and foraging behaviour, and as such they provided important ingredients for approximating a natural habitat and improving welfare.

Repetitive ‘stereotyped’ behaviours are often performed by both wild and domestic rodents in small laboratory cages. In this study, a behaviour resembling a backwards somersault or backflip is described and quantified in captive roof rats (ship or black rats, Rattus rattus). Videotapes of captive-bred rat pups showed that repetitive backflipping developed rapidly after weaning. In all subjects, the behaviour was highly cyclical, with more than 90 per cent occurring during the dark phase of the light:dark cycle. Individual variability in the performance of backflipping was considerable but performance levels for each individual were consistent from day to day and at 30 and 60 days of age. Highly significant differences were found between litters (families), indicating important maternal and/or genetic effects on performance levels. Cage enrichment in the form of a wooden nest box resulted in dramatically lower rates of performance. Increased cage height resulted in delayed development of backflipping, as well as changes in the form of the behaviour. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that the development and expression of backflipping in young roof rats may be triggered by weaning and maintained by a heightened state of arousal in a relatively impoverished environment with limited opportunities for perceptual and locomotor stimulation.

In recent years, a possible defect in vitamin A metabolism in recessive white canaries (Serinus canaria,) has been repeatedly discussed. It has widely been accepted that a reduced absorption of carotenoids from the small intestine results in an insufficient synthesis of vitamin A. Moreover, the uptake of vitamin A from the lower intestine has also been discussed.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the utilization of ß-carotene and vitamin A by recessive white canaries (in comparison to coloured ones) as well as to quantify the accretion of vitamin A in the liver and vitamin A levels in plasma and fat tissues of canaries fed different doses of ß-carotene (≍ 6000iu vitamin A kg−1 diet) vs vitamin A (6000 or 18 000iu kg−1 diet).

The results were as follows:

• i) coloured canaries supplied exclusively with ß-carotene maintained normal vitamin A levels in the liver. These data indicated that conversion rates of ß-carotene to vitamin A (as established for poultry) were appropriate;

• ii) recessive white canaries were totally unable to utilize ß-carotene (based on vitamin A levels in blood, liver and fat);

• iii) in comparison to coloured canaries, their efficiency in utilizing retinol was significantly lower. They needed three times the vitamin A intake of coloured canaries to achieve the same vitamin A levels in the liver;

• iv) plasma vitamin A levels in coloured canaries did not reflect the vitamin A supply, but this blood level could be used to determine vitamin A status in recessive white birds.

Recommendations of vitamin A supplements for recessive white canaries should be given based on these data.

Pigs undergoing an alarming experience may produce olfactory stimuli (pheromones) in their urine, which may have consequences for the welfare of other pigs exposed to these stimuli. Twelve young adult female pigs (gilts) were restrained for 30min in feeding stalls (a potentially alarming experience) and any urine produced was collected. Six gilts had previously experienced the procedure (experienced gilts), and six gilts had not (inexperienced gilts). The gilts’ behaviour was recorded over the 30min period. The inexperienced gilts exhibited significantly more escape behaviour (P < 0.001) and less exploratory behaviour (p < 0.05) than those which had prior experience of restraint.

Twelve weaner pigs (30 days old) were subsequently individually exposed to the urine from inexperienced gilts, the urine from experienced gilts and a water control in an open field test. The ambulation score in the open field test was significantly higher (P < 0.01) when weaners were exposed to the urine from inexperienced gilts compared to the other two treatments. The weaners were then presented with a feeder containing feed sprayed with the treatment samples. The weaners took significantly longer to approach the feeder sprayed with the urine from the inexperienced gilts (P < 0.05) and performed significantly more eating bouts (P < 0.05) that were significantly shorter compared with the water control (P < 0.05). Total number of vocalizations (P < 0.01) and grunts (P < 0.05) were significantly greater in those pigs exposed to the inexperienced gilts’ urine. These results indicate that urinary alarm pheromones were produced by the inexperienced gilts during restraint in the feeding stall and that these pheromones significantly modified the behaviour of weaner pigs subsequently exposed to them. Exposure to such pheromones is likely to adversely affect the welfare of pigs.

The barren housing conditions of farmed blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) provide few stimuli to motivate exploration and interaction with the physical environment. In the present study, wooden blocks (30x7 cm [lxdia]) were employed to clarify how such inanimate objects might serve to enrich the barren wire-mesh cages. Two separate experiments were carried out. In experiment 1, behavioural reactions of eight male blue foxes to wooden blocks were videotaped between January and May. In experiment 2, 16 male blue foxes were housed singly in cages with wooden blocks and 16 without between January and June. Pencil, confrontation, feeding and open field tests were carried out. Furthermore, 50 female blue foxes were kept singly in cages with wooden blocks and 49 without from January to July. Both groups were bred and the whelping result was recorded. In-cage behavioural tests were performed three times. Results showed that interactions with the wooden blocks were frequent, averaging 77 interactions fox’1 day1. Interactions with blocks decreased slightly with time. Blocks were mainly used for carrying, chewing, poking and sniffing. In the confrontation test, male foxes housed without blocks were more passive than those with blocks. No differences were found between the groups in the pencil, feeding or open field tests. Whelping success tended to be better for vixens housed with than without blocks. It can be concluded that wooden blocks have enrichment value by providing more choices for foxes in a barren cage and stimulating more variable behaviour.

In this paper we describe the existence and consequences of subspecific and individual variation in the genetic make-up of house mice. The purpose is to illustrate forms of variation that are often neglected in discussions about animal care and experimental design. Towards this end, different inbred mouse strains as well as genetically selected mouse lines are compared in relation to their ecological origin. Firstly, the behaviour of BALB/c, C57BL/6J and CBA mice is described in relation to different habitats. Furthermore, their aggression is compared, as measured by two paradigms. It appears that some inbred lines (eg BALB/c and C57BL/6J) clearly show behaviour that reflects the functional adaptation to the natural habitats in which their ancestors lived. Other strains (eg CBA) show a lack of such behavioural adaptation and their phenotypes appear to be very unstable over time. Secondly, two fundamentally different characters, both present in populations of wild house mice and under genetic control, are described: on the one hand, active copers are characterized by aggressive behaviour; on the other hand, passive copers are reluctant to attack. The active, aggressive animals (manipulators) are well adapted to an invariant environment like their own territory, whereas the passive, non-aggressive copers (adjustors) are well adapted to a changing environment, eg when roaming. We discuss to what extent these coping styles are present in laboratory strains of mice. The major conclusion with regard to both phenomena is that individual and subspecific variation may have significant implications for experimental design and the welfare of the experimental animals.

In July 1983, the Members of the European Parliament who took part in the inaugural meeting of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals requested that, to help them in their considerations, an analysis should be undertaken of major areas of concern for animal welfare in Europe. This task was taken on by the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, which published the first such analysis in 1984. This review has been revised regularly and the sixth edition was published in July 1999.

On 22 October 1999, at its 54th Annual Conference, the World Zoo Organization (WZO; previously the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens) ratified a draft code of ethics.

On 1 January 2000, New Zealand's new animal welfare legislation - the Animal Welfare Act 1999 - came into force. The Act itself, with its accompanying schedules, is 121 pages of, to the non-legal eye, somewhat dense and demanding text. Fortunately, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has published a useful accompanying guide (see below for details) which helps to introduce the Act and explain its rationale, scope and layout. The Act, so the guide tells us, ‘is a clear statement to New Zealanders and the rest of the world that animals in New Zealand have a right to expect proper and sufficient care’.

Trap, neuter and return (TNR) is widely recognized as the most humane method of controlling and managing feral cat populations. This training video, made by the US non-profit organization Alley Cat Allies, details the rationale behind TNR and shows a TNR programme being implemented. Most of the points the video seeks to make are put very clearly, and reinforced by on-screen text and relevant footage. The video is primarily aimed at those seeking advice on how to set up and run a TNR programme, and details best practice in a step-by-step manner. Whilst some may have minor quibbles with aspects of the video, eg the promotion of remote box traps over the more selective (but time consuming) manually triggered trap, most would agree that it gives sound and sensible advice. One noticeable omission is that the video comes without supporting notes: however, this information can easily be accessed by anyone able to visit the Alley Cat Allies website (http://www.alleycat.org), which contains factual information on all aspects of feral cat management, including rabies control, zoonotic diseases, prédation, and guidelines for veterinarians.

The Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland is the umbrella organization for zoos in the British Isles and almost all of the larger zoos are members. The Federation helps to define and set standards for its member zoos, and membership of the organization carries certain obligations. The most recent of the Federation's policy documents sets out obligations and recommendations for its membership regarding animal transactions. These are set out under the headings Animal Acquisitions, Disposal of Surplus Animals and Use of Animal Dealers in Animal Transactions. The booklet includes five appendices and these cover: minimizing the production of surplus animals; useful references; guidelines for EEP coordinators (persons managing species breeding programmes in Europe); the current European Association of Zoos and Aquaria recommended code of practice on screening for infectious diseases when animals are moved between zoos; and a pro forma that must be used to record all pertinent information when animals are transferred between collections.