Environmental enrichment is also covered in a separate section of the website.
How long should animals be acclimatised before an experiment?
Although this must be decided on a case-by-case basis, there is some guidance available.
- The original version of the Council of Europe's convention ETS 123 included a table with general guidelines in its Appendix A (Table 2, page 26). This Table was, however, omitted from the revised version which came into effect in 2007.
- The Refinement Wiki contains a page on this subject, with responses from several laboratory animal facilities.
- Arts (2016): Transportation in Laboratory Rats: Effects of a Black Box.
- Arts et al. (2014) Sex differences in physiological acclimatization after transfer in Wistar rats. Animals 4, 693-711
- Arts et al. (2014) Effects of transfer from breeding to research facility on the welfare of rats. Animals 4, 712-728
- Arts et al. (2012) The impact of transportation on physiological and behavioural parameters in Wistar rats - implications for acclimatization periods. ILAR Journal 53(1), E82-E98
- Bundgard et al. (2012) Acclimatization of Mice to Different Cage Types and Social Groupings with Respect to Fecal Secretion of IgA and Corticosterone Metabolites
- Hoorn et al. (2011): High Tail-Cuff Blood Pressure in Mice 1 Week After Shipping: The Need For Longer Acclimation
- Capdevila et al. (2007): Acclimatization of rats after ground transportation to a new animal facility
- Obernier & Baldwin (2006): Establishing an appropriate period of acclimatization following transportation of laboratory animals
- Playpen access improves rat welfare
- Hohlbaum et al. (2020): Social enrichment by separated pair housing of male C57BL/6JRj mice
- Tallent et al. (2018): Partial cage division significantly reduces aggressive behavior in male laboratory mice
- Mertens et al. (2020): Effect of a partial cage dividing enrichment on aggression-associated parameters in group-housed male C57BL/6NCrl mice
- Ratuski & Weary (2022): Environmental Enrichment for Rats and Mice Housed in Laboratories: A Metareview
- Gaskill & Pritchett-Corning (2015): Effect of Cage Space on Behavior and Reproduction in Crl:CD(SD) and BN/Crl Laboratory Rats
- Bradbury & Clutton (2016): Review of Practices Reported for Preoperative Food and Water Restriction of Laboratory Pigs (Sus scrofa)
Other resources