Effects of space allowance and earthen floor on welfare-related physiological and behavioural responses in male blue foxes

Welfare-related physiological and behavioural responses were studied in far m-bred male blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Three different-sized cages (80-cm Long [CL80], 120-cm long [CL120], and 240-cm long [CL240], each 105-cm wid e x 70-cm high) with wire-mesh floors and one enlarged cage (CL230E) with b oth wire-mesh floor (240-cm long x 105-cm wide x 70-cm high) and earthen fl oor (80-cm lung x 105-cm wide x 70-cm high) were compared. N = 30 males for each group. The: experiments lasted from weaning in July to pelting in Dec ember. Statistical analyses were based on the models accounting fur litter as a block effect. Breaking strength of tibia was highest for foxes having access to both wire-mesh and ground floors (CL240E). Stress-induced hyperth ermia was evident during capture and immobilisation. The highest rectal tem perature (mean +/- SEM) was found in CL240E (capture: 39.6 +/- 0.09 degrees C, restraint:40.0 +/- 0.09 degrees C) and the lowest in CL80 (capture: 39. 1 +/- 0.09 degrees C, restraint: 39.7 +/- 0.09 degrees C). Likewise, captur e time (median; interquartile range) in the home cage was highest in CL240E (29; 18 to 44) and lowest in CL80 (12; 9 to 14). During capture, foxes ten ded to withdraw to the farthest site within the cage. CL240E foxes typicall y showed the most fear towards human. The most confident animals were found in CL80. The cor tisol:creatinine ratio (median: interquartile range) obta ined from circadian urine did not reveal statistically significant differen ces among CL80 (3.5; 2.6 to 4.1), CL120 (2.3; 1.5 to 3.8) and CL240 (2.3, 1 .5 to 3.7). The earthen flooring complicated the urine sampling and conclus ions for CL240E (1.7; 1.2 to 2.2). CL240E foxes were the most active and ex plorative on both wire-mesh- and ground-floored open-field arenas. Altogeth er, 53% of furs from CL240E were classified as very dirty. Dirtiness of fur s in other test groups was slight. In conclusion, the present results did n ot reveal an unambiguous superiority of any of the studied cage options for well-being of farmed blue foxes, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.