Operant studies to determine the strength of preference in laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting materials

• Published in: Laboratory animals (London) Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 36 - 41
• Main Authors: Manser, C E, Broom, D M, Overend, P, Morris, T H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.1998
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Laboratory - psychology; Choice Behavior - physiology; Conditioning, Operant - physiology; Housing, Animal; Lighting; Male; Nesting Behavior; Plastics; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley - psychology; Videotape Recording; OPERANT STUDIES; NEST-BOXES; LABORATORY RATS; PREFERENCES; SHELTERS; NESTING MATERIAL; STRENGTH OF PREFERENCE
• DOI: 10.1258/002367798780559473
• ISSN: 0023-6772

Previous work has shown that laboratory rats preferred to use nest-boxes and nesting materials rather than empty parts of the cage. In preference tests, they chose opaque or semi-opaque nest-boxes and long strips of soft paper nesting material. Choice tests to demonstrate a preference between nest-boxes and nesting material were not possible because nesting materials were carried into the nest-boxes. Furthermore, preference tests did not show how important these items were to the animals. Accordingly, operant tests were conducted, in which the rats had to lift a weighted door in order to gain access to an empty cage, or one containing a nest-box, nesting material or both items. By progressively increasing the weight of the door in subsequent trials, it was shown that the rats would carry out more work to reach a nest-box, with or without nesting material, than to reach an empty cage.