Farmed mink often perform stereotypic behaviours which is considered to be a sign of reduced welfare. Previous studies have shown that enriched cages can reduce the frequency of performed Stereotypies. Most studies on mink in Sweden have been done on adults. The aim of this study was to investigate if larger enriched cages with two or four mink kits reduce Stereotypies in mink kits during their growth period in comparison to traditional cages. In the present study the behaviours of mink kits that were kept in four different treatments at a private mink farm were recorded. Traditional cages with two mink kits were used as a reference and the other treatments consisted of larger cages with shelves with two kits, larger cages with shelves and a plastic cylinder with two kits, and larger cages with shelves with four kits.

Most descriptions of stereotypic behaviours have in common that these repetitive behaviours only has been observed in captive animals and therefore it has been proposed that Stereotypies exist because we house animals in environments that are sub-optimal to them. Some scientists claim that performance of Stereotypies in itself decreases the animal's welfare due to costs in time, energy and health and a poorer quality of life. Other scientists assert that individuals performing Stereotypies may have a better welfare compared to the rest of the animals in the same environment, since these individuals have developed strategies to cope with stress. Studies have estimated the prevalence of abnormal behaviours in horses to 18-30 % of the population. Several studies on cribbing have revealed a prevalence of 4-5 %, although some results indicate that more than 10 % of the horse population performs this stereotypy.

At present indoor tethering of dairy cows is still common but is not predicted to take part of modern dairy production. When conducting scientific studies of cattle it is generally necessary to tether the animals to maintain a controlled environment. Studies confirm that tethering and confinements of cattle severely affects the development of Stereotypies in cattle. The feeding regime and feeding level have an immense affect on the stereotypi level in cattle. The aim of this experiment was to study dairy heifers that had never been tethered before the start of the experiment, to evaluate the affect of tethering on the development of Stereotypies and the impact of the feeding regime on the behavior of the animals. Sixteen dairy heifers were tethered in a tie stall and divided in two groups with different treatments. Heifers in treatment E were fed restrictedly with silage and treatment EH was fed with the same amount of silage but also straw ad libitum.

Animals in zoos live in more barren environments than their conspecifics in nature. In nature, elephants spend more than 75 % of the day foraging and have been observed lying down two hours during night. Stereotypies are common in many different species in zoos. Stereotypic behaviors may constitute up to 50 % of the daily activity budget of zoo elephants. Modern zoos try to reduce stereotypic behaviors by means of environmental enrichment.

Animals living in captivity are often subjected to various kinds of stress. Individuals within species can respond differently to the same stressor depending on differences in coping style and physiology. Active and passive coping is a common way to describe different coping styles in animals and it is likely that these strategies have a high heritability. Individuals with an active coping style are characterized by an urge of control and a higher level of aggression than individuals with passive coping style, who in general are more flexible and respond to stress by immobilisation to a greater extent. The aim of this bachelor?s thesis is to investigate the presence of different coping styles and personality types in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and horses (Equus ferus caballus) and to find fields of application for this information.

The standard housing of farmed mink provides little opportunities for them to behave naturally and abnormal behaviours such as stereotypic behaviour and tail biting may occur. To prevent abnormal behaviours animals in captivity are often provided with different kinds of enrichments. The aim of this study was to investigate what kind of enrichment farmed mink use when they have several kinds to choose from and to observe if abnormal behaviours can be decreased with a larger cage and a more multifaceted environment. Totally 20 silver blue, 10 months old female mink were kept in traditional cages (80x30x40 cm) for 7 days and in larger cages (195x80x40 cm) with several types of enrichments for 7 days. The enrichments were wire net- and wooden shelves, wire net- and plastic cylinders, water bath, plastic ropes, branches, straw and tennis balls. One-zero scan sampling on behaviour and choice of place were performed during 3 hours and 20 minutes prior to feeding during 7 days per treatment in April 2004.

By limiting our horse?s freedom of movement, we restrict their opportunity to forage, which is one of their most important needs. If their need of forage is not fulfilled it can lead to frustration, which might manifest itself in abnormal behaviour, like the oral Stereotypies for example crib-biting. It is a held belief that the horse swallows air while crib-biting, which they don?t, and that swallowed air causes colic, and the belief that other horses can copy the behaviour, leads to the use of many methods to prevent the behaviour.

Det är vanligt att djur i fångenskap utvecklar stereotypa beteenden i form av till exempel krubbitning, cirkulering eller vävning. Dessa typer av beteenden är vanliga hos zoo-djur, försöksdjur och produktionsdjur men kan även ses hos sällskapsdjur. Stereotypier kan leda till problem både för djuret själv men även för ägaren. Många studier har genomförts där det fokuserats på vilken effekt miljön har, både på uppkomsten av beteendet men även på om omgivningen kan användas för att minska ett redan utvecklat stereotypt beteende. Denna litteraturstudie kommer ta upp dels miljöns påverkan, men också genetiska förutsättningar, välfärd och om avel mot ett stereotypt beteende är att rekommendera.

The mouse (Mus musculus) is the most commonly used mammal in biomedical research and can easily be restrained by both hand and by a device. Restraining animals causes stress that not only decreases the animal?s wellbeing, but may also influence the research results. The first aim of this study was to train mice to voluntarily stand still using positive reinforcement training. Another benefit of teaching a mouse to stand still is that you can avoid anaesthesia for some procedures.

Today?s feeding methods can determine the domestic pig?s abilities to fulfill basic behavioral needs, such as foraging, and the way in which pigs are feed is an important aspect. Feed does not only provide the energy and nutrients critical for survival, but feeding is also associated with a number of other factors contributing to well-being and reproduction. Today the feed for gestated sows is often composed by high energy and low dietary fiber grain products such as wheat. Three kg of this kind of feed can often be consumed by the sow within 20 minutes.

Horses respond individually to challenges, and the possibility to use these reactions to evaluate equine temperament with an objective instrument would have several advantages. Horse welfare could be improved by making it possible to find individuals best suited for a specific use, and understanding of the development of abnormal behaviours, such as Stereotypies, could be increased. Management routines and training could be adjusted tosuit each individual horse and it could facilitate the selection of individuals appropriate for breeding. There are also economic implications, as horse buyers consider temperament important and after evaluating temperament, money can be spent solely on specific horses with all the right qualities. During the last decade, many attempts have been made to measure different aspects of temperament in horses, and the first aim of this project was to look at these studies and see which methods were used and which temperamental characteristics they measured.

Lately the popularity to keep different species of dwarf hamsters has increased in Sweden. The requirements of the Swedish legislation to keep hamsters as pets are low which could be a reason for the increasing popularity. Hamsters are in nature generally nocturnal and can travel far distances to find food sources during their active part of the day. Their eyesight is poor, but is compensated by their well-developed hearing and olfaction. ?Run about balls? are made of plastic and the hamster is placed inside it where after the ball is placed on the floor and the hamster can then run protected outside the cage.

Enligt svensk lag måste alla katter vara minst 12 veckor vid försäljning. I bl.a. Storbritannien kan kattungar dock säljas vid 8 veckors ålder. Med utgångspunkt från detta har jag ställt upp de två frågeställningarna ?hur påverkas kattens beteende om avvänjningen från modern sker före 12 veckors ålder?, och ?vilka problem kan man som djurägare få med sin katt om den avvänjs för tidigt?. Med begreppet beteendeproblem menas beteenden som anses oacceptabla av djurägaren, som ?wool-sucking? eller överdriven vokalisering.

Weaning is a standard procedure at most studs, and the methods of weaning varies greatly. The method used at the stud in this particular study is supposed to decrease stress. The purpose of the study was to compare the behaviour of foals in group before and after stepwise removal of their mares. Standardbred foals with their mothers were kept in three different groups at pasture (12, 11 and 11 foals, respectively, mixed sexes). They had free access to silage and the foals were fed concentrate in a creep-feeding area. By the time the foals were 5 months old, the mares were stepwise removed from the pasture.

Den naturliga process där stoet avvänjer sitt föl strax innan hon ska föla igen ger den unga hästen möjlighet att gradvis ändra sitt val av föda och mogna till en självständig individ. Den tidigare och mer abrupta avvänjningen som ofta sker av domesticerade hästar är mycket stressande för fölet. Negativa effekter som kan ses är en ökad skaderisk, försämrat immunförsvar och utveckling av onormala beteenden som stereotypier. Eftersom hästägare och uppfödare vill ha friska och sunda hästar är det viktigt att börja med en god välfärd för fölet som kan ligga till grund för den framtida hästens välmående. Det finns i dagsläget studier som redovisar avvänjningsmetoder som orsakar fölet mer eller mindre stress.