Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour
Pens for farmed mink (Neogale vison) commonly include separate nesting areas to provide privacy and warmth in the perinatal period. However, standard bedding materials may not be sufficient to allow intrinsically motivated nest-building behaviours in dams. Further, these materials may not produce op...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Animal Welfare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S096272862400071X/type/journal_article |
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| author | Gabrielle B Clark María Díez-León Rebecca K Meagher |
| author_facet | Gabrielle B Clark María Díez-León Rebecca K Meagher |
| author_sort | Gabrielle B Clark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pens for farmed mink (Neogale vison) commonly include separate nesting areas to provide privacy and warmth in the perinatal period. However, standard bedding materials may not be sufficient to allow intrinsically motivated nest-building behaviours in dams. Further, these materials may not produce optimal nest structures for the rearing of kits. In the present study, we provided extra, relatively high-quality nest-building materials and a chewable sisal rope enrichment for mink dams in the perinatal period (a group enriched at whelping; EW). The effects of these enrichments on various measures of welfare and maternal behaviour were compared to those of mink dams in standard housing (SH) and mink dams whose kits were enriched later in development (EK). EW dams performed less stereotypic behaviour and built higher quality nests than dams of other housing conditions, although dams’ basal faecal cortisol metabolite levels (FCM) were not affected. The stress responsiveness of these dams’ offspring was later assessed by sampling FCM before and after a handling event, however, this event did not appear to induce a measurable stress response and thus no conclusions could be drawn regarding effects of perinatal enrichment on HPA-axis development. Overall, provision of higher quality nest-building materials and a chewable rope enrichment benefited dam stereotypic behaviour and nest building in the perinatal period. We present suggestions for future studies to further investigate whether perinatal enrichment can impact maternal care and offspring HPA-axis development in mink. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ee59c78481ee4333a4197839e173851c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| series | Animal Welfare |
| spelling | doaj-art-ee59c78481ee4333a4197839e173851c2025-01-16T21:53:25ZengCambridge University PressAnimal Welfare0962-72862054-15382025-01-013410.1017/awf.2024.71Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviourGabrielle B Clark0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1930-7286María Díez-León1Rebecca K Meagher2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6576-8155Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Truro, Nova Scotia, CanadaRoyal Veterinary College University of London, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, London, UKDalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Truro, Nova Scotia, CanadaPens for farmed mink (Neogale vison) commonly include separate nesting areas to provide privacy and warmth in the perinatal period. However, standard bedding materials may not be sufficient to allow intrinsically motivated nest-building behaviours in dams. Further, these materials may not produce optimal nest structures for the rearing of kits. In the present study, we provided extra, relatively high-quality nest-building materials and a chewable sisal rope enrichment for mink dams in the perinatal period (a group enriched at whelping; EW). The effects of these enrichments on various measures of welfare and maternal behaviour were compared to those of mink dams in standard housing (SH) and mink dams whose kits were enriched later in development (EK). EW dams performed less stereotypic behaviour and built higher quality nests than dams of other housing conditions, although dams’ basal faecal cortisol metabolite levels (FCM) were not affected. The stress responsiveness of these dams’ offspring was later assessed by sampling FCM before and after a handling event, however, this event did not appear to induce a measurable stress response and thus no conclusions could be drawn regarding effects of perinatal enrichment on HPA-axis development. Overall, provision of higher quality nest-building materials and a chewable rope enrichment benefited dam stereotypic behaviour and nest building in the perinatal period. We present suggestions for future studies to further investigate whether perinatal enrichment can impact maternal care and offspring HPA-axis development in mink.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S096272862400071X/type/journal_articleabnormal behaviourAmerican minkanimal welfareearly-life environmentenvironmental enrichmentmaternal care |
| spellingShingle | Gabrielle B Clark María Díez-León Rebecca K Meagher Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour Animal Welfare abnormal behaviour American mink animal welfare early-life environment environmental enrichment maternal care |
| title | Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| title_full | Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| title_fullStr | Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| title_short | Early-life enrichment in American mink (Neogale vison): Enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| title_sort | early life enrichment in american mink neogale vison enrichment of the perinatal environment improves maternal nest building and reduces stereotypic behaviour |
| topic | abnormal behaviour American mink animal welfare early-life environment environmental enrichment maternal care |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S096272862400071X/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gabriellebclark earlylifeenrichmentinamericanminkneogalevisonenrichmentoftheperinatalenvironmentimprovesmaternalnestbuildingandreducesstereotypicbehaviour AT mariadiezleon earlylifeenrichmentinamericanminkneogalevisonenrichmentoftheperinatalenvironmentimprovesmaternalnestbuildingandreducesstereotypicbehaviour AT rebeccakmeagher earlylifeenrichmentinamericanminkneogalevisonenrichmentoftheperinatalenvironmentimprovesmaternalnestbuildingandreducesstereotypicbehaviour |