ABSTRACT
Animal environments are characterized according to problems suspected of being associated with environmental stress on the animals and the effectiveness of control measures. Most of the elements of animal environments can be measured but, interpreting the results in terms of animal well-being, facility operation, and production economics often remains a dilemma because of the interaction of environmental factors. In studying an animal facility in a temperate climate, for instance, seasonal periodicities must be accounted for to appreciate the facility's nature all year long. Time-averaging can obscure extremes of environmental factors that may trigger animal responses, hence it must be done only when warranted. Time lags between environmental occurrences and animal responses also must be recognized—taking them into account could improve the probability of defining a connection between animal and environment. In animal facilities it is sometimes tempting to sample the environment in an alleyway or some other place where the instruments will be relatively safe from animal damage.
