Physiological and behavioural responses in blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) : comparisons between space quantity and floor material

Abstract

Welfare-related physiological and behavioural responses were studied in farmbred blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Comparisons in space quantity were made between two different-sized shed cages (50 cm long (W50) and 120 cm long (W120); each 105 cm wide ✕ 70 cm high) and for one out-of-shed pen (5 m long ✕ 3 m wide ✕ 1·8 m high; W500). Each option had a wire-mesh floor. Furthermore, we tested how floor material affects responses by comparing the W500 foxes in wire-mesh floor pens with foxes housed in earthen floor pens (E500: 5 m long ✕ 3 m wide ✕ 1·8 m high). Each test group comprised 20 juvenile males maintained in pairs. The experiments lasted from weaning in July to pelting in December. Final body weights of the W500 foxes were significantly lower than those of the W50 or W120 foxes. Claw length of back foot was longer for E500 than for W500 foxes. Posture of front feet was the most folded for W50 and the least folded for E500 foxes. Breaking strength of tibia was highest for foxes housed on the earthen floor (E500). Gastrocnemius muscle succinate dehydrogenase activity tended to decrease and the number of leucocytes tended to increase with cage size. Alanine-aminotransferase and aspartate-amino transferase activities were significantly higher in foxes housed in shed cages (W50, W120) than in enclosures (W500, E500). Creatine-kinase activity tended to decline with increasing cage size. Highest and lowest open field activity was found for E500 and W50 foxes in both wire-mesh and earthen floor test arenas. Some differences were found in body weight-related organ sizes between groups. Heart weight was significantly higher in W500 than in W50 or W120 foxes. Brain weight was significantly lower in W50 than in W500 foxes. Liver weight increased with increasing cage size. Capture time was significantly lower for W50 and W120 foxes than for W500 or E500 foxes. Cortisol levels after capture were significantly higher in foxes from enclosures (W500, E500) than in those from shed cages (W50, W120), but after ACTH stimulation the levels were similar in each group. Rectal temperatures after restraint were highest in foxes from W500. Fur properties of W500 and E500 foxes were poorer than those of W50 or W120 foxes.

Wooden blocks and straw as environmental enrichments for juvenile blue foxes ( Alopex lagopus )

“…The higher incidence of hyperaemia found in the block and straw animals is thus another potential explanation for differences in body growth. Impaired growth may also affect skin and body length (Korhonen et al 2001). Skin length was found to be shortest in BL 7 animals, which can be assumed to be a result of the lowest final body weight in this group.…”

“…If the fox did not start eating within 30 s, it was considered fearful (Rekilä et al 1997;Korhonen et al 2001). Before the test, feed was withheld from the animals for 24 h.…”

The genetics of body condition and leg weakness in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus)

“…The corresponding phenotypic correlations were negative, indicating that large size, fatness and fast growth rate to some extent impair the fox's ability to move about in the cage. In a study by Korhonen et al (2001), foxes on an earthen floor enclosure received higher scores for LEG than foxes in traditional wire-mesh cages. The authors concluded that the higher MOVE in pen conditions had a positive impact on LEG through lower BW.…”

Optimal behaviour sampling and autocorrelation curve: modelling data of farmed foxes

“…Several physiological, behavioural, and production-related variables have been used to measure wellbeing and its opposite pole, stress (Barnett and Hemsworth 1990;Pedersen 1996;Korhonen et al 2001a). The data collection methods employed in behavioural investigations are based on either video recordings or visual observations.…”

“…It does not, however, measure the duration or frequency of the behaviour or the transaction times between different behaviour patterns (Altmann 1974). Numbers of different behaviours can be identified in video recordings (Hansen and Berthelsen 2000;Korhonen et al 2001a). Analysis of video recordings is therefore laborious, especially when the sampling interval is short.…”