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Nordlund, Angelica, 2004. Does the design of the shelter influence the levels of behavioural stress and aggression in group-housed male guinea pigs?. SLU, Dept. of Animal Environment and Health, Skara. Skara: SLU, Dept. of Animal Environment and Health

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Abstract

For animals, such as the guinea pig, which are obtained from breeders, it is of legal as well as of scientific concern that the animals have an acclimatization period just after arriving at their new animal facility. During this period, the guinea pigs have a chance to decrease the levels of stress, caused by the process of moving. This study aims to imporove the housing conditions of guinea pigs during the acclimatization period by evaluating if the design of shelter for hiding affects the guinea pigs' levels of behavioural stress and aggression. The present study was done at AstraZeneca R&D in Mölndal, where guinea pigs are used as an animal model in the process of developing new drugs. In the experiment 104 male guinea pigs of the Duncan Hartley strain were used, livin in groups of four. Two different shelter designs were used: one type with one entrance and one compartment callec "box for group hiding", BGH, and the second type with four entrances and four compartments called "grage for single hiding", GSH. Behavioural data was collected by video recorded and direct observations during the 1th, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th day after arrival. Each day of direct observations was divided into three periods of observation, during which frequencies of 17 different behaviours were recorded. All individuals were observed for a total of about one hour. Data from video recorded observations were collected during two 3 hour periods. Data was tested using the Mann-Whitney U test, the Variance Analysis test and the Simple Linear Regression.

Results showed that males living in cages with BGH ate (p<0.01), drank (p<0.005) and rested on the floor (p<0.000) more often than those in cages with GSH. Instead the animals in cages with the garage were more often situated inside the shelter (p<0.000). It was also shown that males living in cages with GSH not only established their hierarchy in a faster manner, but also with one third less interactions, compared to the cages with BGH. By doing so the garage is thought to have decreased the levels of aggression considerably.

The conclusion from this study was that the males in cages with the garage were considered to have decreased the levels of behavioural stress and aggression to a larger degree than males in cages with the box. This was accomplished by avoiding needlessly high levels of social interactions, and still establish their hierarchy in a more effective manner.

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För djur, som marsvinet, vilka anskaffas hos uppfödare, finns det ett vetenskapligt intresse såväl som ett lagligt krav på att djur får en acklimatiseringsperiod just efter ankomst till den nya djurenheten. Under den här perioden har marsvinet en chans att minska stressnivåerna som orsakats av flyttningsprocessen. Den här studien syftar att förbättra inhysningen för marsvin under acklimatiseringsperioden genom att utvärdera om designen av gömstället i marsvinens burar påverkar marsvinets beteendemässiga stress och aggressionsnivåer. Studien gjordes på AstraZeneca R&D i Mölndal, där marsvin används som modell vid forskningen efter nya mediciner.
I experimentet användes 104 marsvinshanar av Duncan-Hartley stammen, grupperade med fyra hanar i varje bur. Två designtyper av gömstället användes: en typ med en öppning och ett hålrum kallad "box för gruppgömme" (box for group hiding), BGH, och en annan typ med fyra öppningar och fyra hålrum kallad "garage för singelgömme" (garage for single hiding), GSH. Beteendedata samlades in via filmade såväl som direkta observationer, under första, andra, tredje, sjätte och sjunde dagen efter ankomst. Varje observationsdag var uppdelad i tre perioder, en på förmiddagen och två på eftermiddagen. Under varje observationsperiod samlades frekvenser för olika beteenden in. Alla individer observerades under ungefär en timme totalt. Data från de filmade observationerna samlades in under två stycken tre timmars perioder. Den insamlade datan analyserades med hjälp av Mann-Whitney U test, variansanalys test och enkel linjär regression.
Resultaten visade att hanar i burar med BGH åt (p <0.01), drack (p <0.005) och vilade på golvet (p <0.000) oftare än vad hanarna gjorde i burar med GSH. Istället befanns sig djuren i burar med garaget oftare inne i gömstället (p <0.000). Det visade sig även att hanarna i burarna med GSH inte bara etablerade deras hierarki på ett snabbare sätt utan dessutom med en tredjedel mindre sociala interaktioner, jämfört med hanar i burar med BGH. Därigenom antas aggressionsnivåerna hos hanar i burar med garage ha minskat.
Slutsatsen från den här studien var att hanarna i burarna med garaget anses ha minskat de beteendemässiga stress- och aggressionsnivåerna i större utsträckning än vad hanarna i burarna med boxen gjorde. Det var åstadkommet genom att hanarna kunde undvika onödigt höga nivåer av sociala interaktioner, men ändå etablera deras hierarki på ett mer effektivt sätt.

Main title:Does the design of the shelter influence the levels of behavioural stress and aggression in group-housed male guinea pigs?
Authors:Nordlund, Angelica
Supervisor:Lidfors, Lena
Examiner:UNSPECIFIED
Series:Studentarbete / Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för husdjurens miljö och hälsa
Volume/Sequential designation:27
Year of Publication:2004
Level and depth descriptor:Other
Student's programme affiliation:Other
Supervising department:(VH) > Dept. of Animal Environment and Health
Keywords:Guinea pig, shelter, behaviour, stress, aggression
URN:NBN:urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-6868
Permanent URL:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-6868
Subject. Use of subject categories until 2023-04-30.:?? 7032 ??
Animal ecology
Language:English
Deposited On:11 Sep 2017 14:47
Metadata Last Modified:15 Sep 2017 07:12

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