Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties
Farmed blue foxes (Vulpes lagopus) are traditionally housed on mesh floors where they are unable to perform certain species-specific behaviours, such as digging, which may compromise the animals' welfare. This study describes how a possibility to use in-cage sand floor affects welfare-related v...
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International Journal of Zoology
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 |
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fthindawi:oai:hindawi.com:10.1155/2009/563252 2023-05-15T18:42:58+02:00 Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties Leena Ahola Tarja Koistinen Jaakko Mononen 2009 https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 en eng International Journal of Zoology https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 Copyright © 2009 Leena Ahola et al. Research Article 2009 fthindawi https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 2019-05-26T01:35:32Z Farmed blue foxes (Vulpes lagopus) are traditionally housed on mesh floors where they are unable to perform certain species-specific behaviours, such as digging, which may compromise the animals' welfare. This study describes how a possibility to use in-cage sand floor affects welfare-related variables like growth of the claws, adrenal cortex function, and fur properties in juvenile blue foxes. The foxes (N=32) were housed in male-female sibling pairs in an outdoor fur animal shed in cage systems consisting of two traditional fox cages. For the eight male-female sibling pairs of the Control group, there was a mesh floor in both cages of each cage system, whereas for the eight pairs of the Sand group there was a mesh floor in one cage and a 30–40 cm deep earth floor in the other cage. The results show that sand floor is beneficial for the wearing of the claws of foxes. Furthermore, an early experience of sand floor may have positive effects on the foxes' fur development. The results, however, also suggest that there might appear welfare problems observed as disturbed claw growth and increased adrenal cortex activation if foxes that are once provided with clean and unfrozen sand floor are not allowed to enjoy this floor all the time. Article in Journal/Newspaper Vulpes lagopus Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Zoology 2009 1 6 |
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Open Polar |
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Hindawi Publishing Corporation |
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fthindawi |
language |
English |
description |
Farmed blue foxes (Vulpes lagopus) are traditionally housed on mesh floors where they are unable to perform certain species-specific behaviours, such as digging, which may compromise the animals' welfare. This study describes how a possibility to use in-cage sand floor affects welfare-related variables like growth of the claws, adrenal cortex function, and fur properties in juvenile blue foxes. The foxes (N=32) were housed in male-female sibling pairs in an outdoor fur animal shed in cage systems consisting of two traditional fox cages. For the eight male-female sibling pairs of the Control group, there was a mesh floor in both cages of each cage system, whereas for the eight pairs of the Sand group there was a mesh floor in one cage and a 30–40 cm deep earth floor in the other cage. The results show that sand floor is beneficial for the wearing of the claws of foxes. Furthermore, an early experience of sand floor may have positive effects on the foxes' fur development. The results, however, also suggest that there might appear welfare problems observed as disturbed claw growth and increased adrenal cortex activation if foxes that are once provided with clean and unfrozen sand floor are not allowed to enjoy this floor all the time. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Leena Ahola Tarja Koistinen Jaakko Mononen |
spellingShingle |
Leena Ahola Tarja Koistinen Jaakko Mononen Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
author_facet |
Leena Ahola Tarja Koistinen Jaakko Mononen |
author_sort |
Leena Ahola |
title |
Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
title_short |
Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
title_full |
Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
title_fullStr |
Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sand Floor for Farmed Blue Foxes: Effects on Claws, Adrenal Cortex Function, Growth and Fur Properties |
title_sort |
sand floor for farmed blue foxes: effects on claws, adrenal cortex function, growth and fur properties |
publisher |
International Journal of Zoology |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 |
genre |
Vulpes lagopus |
genre_facet |
Vulpes lagopus |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 |
op_rights |
Copyright © 2009 Leena Ahola et al. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/563252 |
container_title |
International Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
2009 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
6 |
_version_ |
1766232744903311360 |