Can't stop, won't stop: is stereotypy a reliable animal welfare indicator?

Abstract We estimate that stereotypies are currently displayed by over 85 million farm, laboratory and zoo animals worldwide. This paper investigates their reliability as welfare indicators, by surveying studies relating stereotypy to other welfare measures and by analysing the mechanisms underlying this behaviour. Where data exist, most (approximately 68%) situations that cause/increase stereotypies also decrease welfare. Stereotypy-eliciting situations are thus likely to be poor for welfare, although exceptions exist. Within such an environment, however, most (approximately 60%) accounts link individual stereotypy performance with improved welfare (cf approximately 20% linking it with reduced welfare). Thus,…

• UF
  Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
• DF
  Directorate for Biological Sciences
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council