- a Institute for Translational Vaccinology (Intravacc), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- b Department of Animals in Science & Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
- c Division of Zoological Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 108, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
Highlights
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- Ferrets’ motivation for six enrichment types was tested in a consumer demand study.
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- Ferrets pushed to their maximum push capacity for sleeping enrichment.
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- Motivation was also high for water bowls, social contact, foraging toys and tunnels.
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- High inter-individual variation was present in motivation for access to tunnels.
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- Within the categories, ferrets preferred a hammock, large bowl, flexible tunnel and ball with bell.
Abstract
Knowledge
of species-specific motivation and preferences for enrichment options
is necessary to put in place an appropriate enrichment plan. This
knowledge is currently lacking for ferrets. Therefore, seven female
ferrets were consecutively housed in a seven-chamber closed economy
consumer demand set-up consisting of a corridor that was connected to
six enrichment chambers (EC) and an empty control chamber (CC) via
weighted doors. In each EC, enrichments from the categories tunnels,
balls, water bowls, foraging, sleeping and social enrichment were placed
in random order. Motivation to reach EC was measured by daily
increasing the doors’ weight until the ferret no longer entered EC (the
maximum price paid, MPP). Preferences within a category were evaluated
by comparing interaction times with the enrichments. Ferrets pushed the
highest weights for sleeping enrichment (MPP 1450 ± 120 g). MPPs for
water bowls (1075 ± 153 g), social enrichment (995 ± 267 g), foraging
enrichment (950 ± 228 g) and tunnels (940 ± 393 g) were also
significantly higher than for CC. Compared to other enrichments,
inter-individual variation in motivation for access to tunnels was very
high. Ferrets preferred the hammock (9.2 ± 5.9 h) over the Savic Cocoon® (0.6 ± 0.8 h; P = 0.011) within the category sleeping enrichment; the large (5.8 ± 1.7 min) over the small water bowl (3.1 ± 0.8 min; P = 0.014) within the category water bowls; the flexible (6.1 ± 2.6 min) over the rigid tunnel (0.3 ± 0.2; P < 0.001) within the category tunnels; and the ferret ball (0.9 ± 0.5 min) over the golf ball (0.3 ± 0.3 min, P < 0.001)
within the category balls. Within the category foraging enrichment, no
preference for one over the other item was found (P = 0.144).
Results of this study show that a hammock, conspecifics, foraging
enrichment and a large water bowl are preferred enrichment options for
ferrets.
Keywords
- Animal welfare;
- Behavioural priorities;
- Consumer demand;
- Enrichment;
- Ferret;
- Maximum price paid
© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
