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Group housing. --- Group. --- Housing. --- Laboratory animals. --- Laboratory rabbit. --- Laboratory. --- Need. --- Needs. --- Physical. --- Rabbit. --- Social.

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In view of recent concerns regarding the current method of housing laboratory rabbits in the UK, the 24 h behaviour of 18 New Zealand White rabbits kept individually in standard laboratory cages (49 cm × 61 cm × 48 cm) was observed. In 24 h each rabbit was observed 288 times for 10 s and behaviour(s) was recorded using an ethogram. Results were analysed by calculating the percentage frequency of each behaviour for individual rabbits, adding these values together, and dividing by 18 to give a mean and standard error for the whole group. The most common behaviours were lie alert (23%), doze (20%), groom (10%), sleep (9%) and eat (8%). Overall, 56% of the rabbits' time was spent inactive. The level of mobility (1.2%) reflected their inability to hop normally and, in addition, they were unable to sit up, rear fully or stretch out because of spatial restriction. All rabbits showed stereotyped activities (11%) such as repetitive hair-chewing (4%), bar-chewing, head-swaying and pawing which indicated psychological problems, particularly in rabbits that were innately more active. Stereotypies and body maintenance activities were also performed at the expense of behavioural diversity. Male rabbits were significantly more likely to chin mark, while females showed a significantly higher level of hair-chewing and licking which could indicate social deprivation. In addition, this study introduces the cyclical pattern of activities throughout the day and night showing that rabbits are nocturnal. It also introduces the extent of boredom behaviours and cage frustration (stereotypies) over 24 h, providing a baseline for further research into improving the welfare of laboratory rabbits.

Activity. --- Bar chewing. --- Behaviour. --- Cage. --- Deprivation. --- Diversity. --- Ethogram. --- Female. --- Females. --- Frequency. --- Frustration. --- Group. --- Housing. --- Kept. --- Laboratory cages. --- Laboratory rabbit. --- Laboratory. --- Level. --- Maintenance. --- Male. --- Method. --- Pattern. --- Pawing. --- Rabbit. --- Rabbits. --- Research. --- Restriction. --- Sleep. --- Social deprivation. --- Social. --- Spatial. --- Stereotypies. --- Stereotypy. --- Time. --- Welfare.

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Ninety, 30-day-old rabbits were housed in identical cages in groups of six, seven, eight and nine animals, corresponding to stocking densities of 15.3, 17.8, 20.4 and 23 rabbits m(-2). Behaviour was recorded by video camera at 6 and 10 weeks of age, during 24 h observations consisting of 96 sequences of 1 min every 15 min. At 6 weeks of age, animals spent 60% of their time at rest, 15% in feeding activities and 25% in other activities without marked influence of group size or stocking densities. At 10 weeks of age, a slight but significant increase of resting and a reduction of overall activities was observed in rabbits housed at the highest density. Comfort behaviour (self-directed activities) was dominant (18-20% of activities other than maintenance); other consistent activities were investigatory, social and locomotory behaviours. Sexual and stereotypic behaviours were not observed in these animals slaughtered at 10 weeks of age. At 6 weeks of age the distribution of activities was independent of stocking density or group size. At 10 weeks of age, a slight but significant reduction of social interactions was observed above six rabbits per cage or 15.3 rabbits m(-2), while comfort and investigatory behaviours tended to increase. Although the experimental design did not allow dissociation of the respective effect of group size and stocking density, results suggest that six rabbits per cage, corresponding to a stocking density of 15-16 animals m(-2) (i.e. 40 kg m(-2) at 10 weeks of age) could be an acceptable threshold as far as behaviour is concerned in rabbits kept under intensive conditions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V

Activity. --- Age. --- Animal. --- Animals. --- Behaviour. --- Cage. --- Density. --- Design. --- Feeding. --- Group size. --- Group. --- Increase. --- Interaction. --- Interactions. --- Kept. --- Laboratory rabbit. --- Maintenance. --- Observation. --- Rabbit,stocking density,group size,housing. --- Rabbit. --- Rabbits. --- Reduction. --- Sequence. --- Sexual. --- Size. --- Social interaction. --- Social interactions. --- Social-interaction. --- Social. --- Stereotypic behaviour. --- Stereotypic. --- Time. --- Video.