Assessment of housing density, space allocation and social hierarchy of laboratory rats on behavioural measures of welfare.

Minimum space allowances for laboratory rats are legislated based on weight and stocking rates, with the understanding that increased housing density encourages crowding stress. However, there is little evidence for these recommendations, especially when considering positive welfare outcomes. This s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Timothy Hugh Barker, Rebecca Peta George, Gordon Stanley Howarth, Alexandra Louise Whittaker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5605050?pdf=render