Articles tagged with 'Behavioural needs'
What should I feed my rabbits?
Rabbits are herbivores (they eat plant material). In the wild, they eat predominantly grass, grazing for up to 6-8 hours a day. Their whole digestive tract from their teeth right down to the end of their gastrointestinal tract is adapted to this diet and eating pattern.
How should I house my bird?
Birds are highly intelligent animals who require regular exercise and mental stimulation. It’s important to ensure these needs will be met when choosing how to house your pet birds.
How do I litter train my ferret?
Cleaning up after ferrets who have been to the toilet is not necessarily one of the most fun things about owning them – but it’s very important!
How should I exercise my puppy?
Providing puppies with the opportunity to exercise is a very important aspect of their care. Apart from providing various health benefits, exercising also provides a good opportunity for your puppy to socialise with other friendly puppies, dogs and people too, which is vital for their behavioural development.
What do I need to know about tethering birds?
Tethering involves tying an animal to an anchor point for a prolonged period as a means of confinement. Due to the risks of tethering, it is not suitable as a means of long-term confinement.
What are the welfare concerns for breeder birds in the meat chicken industry?
Breeder birds in the meat chicken industry lay the eggs that will hatch into chickens grown for meat. There are currently two main commercial meat chicken breeds in Australia, both of which have been selectively bred to grow to large sizes quickly.
My rabbit keeps biting me, what should I do?
Rabbits are timid, gentle, curious, and affectionate if given the opportunity. However, they lack the ability to communicate directly with people and this can lead to miscommunication between rabbits and people. The use of body language (e. g.
How much space does a meat chicken need?
All animals need enough space to carry out their normal behaviours, and to be physically healthy. When it comes to meat chickens, it’s important that birds have enough room to exercise, explore, peck, dust bathe, forage, and rest.
Why is access to water important for the welfare of farmed ducks?
Ducks are waterfowl and therefore adapted to spend a large extent of their life in the water. When ducks are provided access to water they use it to perform a variety of highly motivated water-related bathing behaviours such as sieving, dabbling, preening and head dipping.
Why is environmental enrichment important for pig welfare?
Providing environmental enrichment may be an effective strategy to improve animal welfare by enabling positive affective (emotional) states and improving biological functioning, particularly where animals are confined indoors.