Applied Animal Behaviour Science - Articles in Press

Play behaviour during early ontogeny in free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) - Corrected Proof

Sunil Kumar Pal — 2010-07-21

Abstract: Twenty-four free-ranging dog puppies belonging to six litters were observed from birth to 13 weeks of age to study the play behaviour in early ontogeny. Only a single annual breeding cycle with synchronized breeding season was recorded in this study. Mean litter size was 6.67 ranging from 5 to 8 with a male-biased sex ratio of 1.22:1. Social investigation was first observed with 3 weeks of age, and then subsequently developed other play behaviours (play-fighting, play-mounting, aggressive play, objects play and pseudo-sexual play). The litters were significantly different from each other in relation to the number of total play bouts (χ2=475.42, d.f.=5, P<0.005). The puppies within the litters as well as among the litters were significantly different from each other in relation to the frequency of play bouts. There was a positive correlation between the frequency of play bouts and the number of the puppies within the litters (r=9970, P<0.005). All the play behaviours showing weekly variations increased with the age of the puppies, but it suddenly decreased in weeks 9 or 10, and continued thereafter. Male puppies initiated playful interactions with a greater frequency than did female puppies. Except in the case of aggressive play, male puppies initiated play more often with female puppies and vice versa showing the evidence of inter-sexual play in free-ranging dogs. Intra-sexual dominance relationships among the littermates developed between 5 and 13 weeks of age.

Relevance of brain and behavioural lateralization to animal welfare - Corrected Proof

Lesley J. Rogers — 2010-07-21

Abstract: The left and right sides of the brain are specialised to process information in different ways and to control different categories of behaviour. Research on a range of species has shown that the left hemisphere controls well-established patterns of behaviour performed in non-stressful situations, whereas the right hemisphere responds to unexpected stimuli and controls escape and other emergency responses. The known functions of each hemisphere are summarised in this paper. Then it is hypothesised that stressed animals rely on predominant use of the right hemisphere, and that a bias to use the right or left hemisphere, respectively, may explain the behavioural differences between animals with a negative cognitive bias and those with a positive cognitive bias. In some species of primates it has been shown that the preferred limb used to pick up food when the animal is in a relaxed state reflects the dominant hemisphere and may be an accessible measure indicating susceptibility to stress and tendency towards positive versus negative cognitive bias. Hence, limb preference might be a useful measure of such tendencies in domesticated species. Some difficulties in determining a relevant measure of limb preference in non-primate species are mentioned, followed by the suggestion that eye preferences for viewing certain stimuli may be a useful measure in species with laterally placed eyes. Finally, effects of experience on the development of hemispheric dominance are discussed, leading to a suggestion that the welfare of domestic animals may be enhanced by ensuring development of left hemisphere dominance (e.g. by exposing chick embryos to light) and by shifting right to left hemisphere dominance in animals with negative cognitive bias.

Group housing of adult silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) vixens in autumn: Agonistic behaviour during the first days subsequent to mixing - Corrected Proof

Anne Lene Hovland, Anne Kathrine Akre, Morten Bakken — 2010-07-21

Abstract: Due to farmed foxes’ (Vulpes vulpes) social flexibility and possible motivation for intraspecific contact, group housing may act as an alternative housing procedure. Because initial social contact between silver foxes usually involves agonistic displays as a part of foxes’ social dominance assessments and owing to their territorial motivation, the incidence of serious aggression may put foxes’ welfare at risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of housing adult silver fox vixens in triplets of various age compositions on their agonistic behaviour, body weight gain and bite injury level following the first hours and days after mixing in triplets. Ninety 1.5 and 2.5-year old vixens were housed in triplets consisting of four different age compositions (N=3×6×4=72) and in one singly housed control group (N=18) in September. Group 112 consisted of two 1.5-year olds and one 2.5-year old; Group 221 of two 2.5-year olds and one 1.5-year old; Group 111 of 1.5-year olds and Group 222 of 2.5-year olds. The triplets were housed in standard wire mesh cages connected with openings and with access to top nest boxes. The foxes’ behaviour was recorded continuously the three first hours after mixing, 1h day 2 (26th hour) and 1h day 3 (50th hour) after mixing. One and two weeks following mixing, the number and severity of bite injuries were assessed. There was no overall difference between groups in observed agonistic behaviours. In all experimental groups aggression was most frequent the first hour (chasing=7.7±1.2; physical aggressive signals=2.3±0.32; fights=2.0±0.23). Overall, number of aggressive interactions was reduced with time (P<0.001). Scabs and/or bite injuries were recorded in 58.3% of the animals the first week and in 42% the second week. Social grooming and play was only observed at very few occasions. About 35% of the animals, except for controls, lost weight the first week. Vixens with injuries gained less weight compared to unharmed animals (P=0.03). A negative correlation between weight asymmetry and number of fights was found (r=−0.57, P<0.01). Although a clear effect of age composition was not found the triplets consisting of 2-year olds might have experienced less negative consequences of group housing because of absence of serious wounds. Due to the frequency and intensity of aggression and the fact that several vixens lost weight during the first week it is most likely that adult silver fox vixens experience the initial phase of social housing as stressful.

Horses use procedural learning rather than conceptual learning to solve matching to sample - Corrected Proof

Vivian Gabor, Martina Gerken — 2010-07-20

Abstract: Research into higher cognitive abilities of the horse may be limited by developing the adequate experimental design. In this study four pony mares between 8 and 19 years old were included. Three of them reached the criterion to be tested in a new design of matching to sample using a black circle and a cross as visual cues attached to an apparatus. The attention was directed to the question of whether the animals are able to concept formation in a given time period or if their decisions depend on other cues or strategies. After familiarization to the testing area and the test procedure, the animals were given 27 sessions of 20 trials each during 14 weeks. While there was no preference for one of the stimuli used, horses showed a significant left sidedness. None of the mares reached the learning criterion of 80% correct answers in one session. However, the ponies showed procedural learning based on correction runs that were given between incorrect decisions, by then selecting the correct stimulus on the other side of the apparatus. This learning type arose in three individuals in session four, six and eleven, respectively. It is concluded that discrimination tasks may be biased by the involvement of unexpected learning strategies, which complicates the interpretation of such tests and may even mask possible conceptualization capabilities.

Relationships between behaviour and health in working horses, donkeys, and mules in developing countries - Corrected Proof

Charlotte C. Burn, Tania L. Dennison, Helen R. Whay — 2010-07-20

Abstract: Recent studies raise serious welfare concerns regarding the estimated 93.6 million horses, donkeys and mules in developing countries. Most equids are used for work in poor communities, and are commonly afflicted with wounds, poor body condition, respiratory diseases, parasites, dental problems, and lameness. Non-physical welfare problems, such as fear of humans, are also of concern. Interventions to improve working equine welfare aim to prioritise the conditions that cause the most severe impositions on the animals’ subjectively experienced welfare, but data identifying which conditions these may be, are lacking. Here we describe a stage in the validation of behavioural welfare indicators that form part of a working equine welfare assessment protocol. Over 4 years, behavioural and physical data were collected from 5481 donkeys, 4504 horses, and 858 mules across nine developing countries. Behaviours included the animals’ general alertness, and their responses to four human-interaction tests, using the unfamiliar observer as the human stimulus. Avoidance behaviours correlated significantly with each other across the human-interaction tests, with 21% of animals avoiding the observer, but they showed no associations with likely anthropogenic injuries. Over 13% of equids appeared ‘apathetic’: lethargic rather than alert. Measures of unresponsiveness correlated with each other across the five tests, and were associated with poor body condition, abnormal mucous membrane colour, faecal soiling, eye abnormalities, more severe wounds, and older age, depending on the equine species. This suggests that working equids in poor physical health show an unresponsive behavioural profile, consistent with sickness behaviour, exhaustion, chronic pain, or depression-like states.

Effect of crate height during short-term confinement on the welfare and behaviour of turkeys - Corrected Proof

2010-07-12

Abstract: During transport from the farm to the slaughter house birds are often confined in crates with limited space. In this study we investigated how the confinement of male turkeys in crates of 40, 55 or 90cm height for 6h, affected the turkeys welfare. We used both behavioural observations and physiological measures and the study was carried out under experimental conditions.Thirty-six turkeys were placed singly in stationary crates for 6h and during this time their behaviour was observed. The confinement for each bird was carried out twice on two separate occasions with around 1 week between confinements. The mean (±SE) weight of the birds in the first confinement period was 15.9±0.2kg and on the second occasion 17.3±0.2kg. Blood-samples were taken after the behaviour observations were finished and analyses of activities of creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and lactate were carried out. The heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (H:L) was also determined.The behaviour observations revealed that birds in the 40cm crates did not perform any standing (standing with straight legs), whereas birds in 55 and 90cm crates spent 35.4±4.3 and 42.2±5.8% of the time, respectively, in this position. Conversely, birds in the 40cm crates spent significantly more time in a low standing position (standing with the legs bent) than birds in the 55 and 90cm crates. More stepping, turning and preening was performed in the 55 and 90cm compared to the 40cm crates, whereas more rising attempts were made in the 40cm crates. Crate height had no effect on the activity of ASAT or CK activity or H:L ratio. There was a significant effect of crate height on the lactate with birds in the 55cm crates having significantly lower lactate concentrations than birds in 40cm crates, but there was no significant difference in lactate concentration between 55 and 90cm or between the 40 and 90cm crates. This may indicate that there was a difference between treatments on the anaerobic activity, although the effect of sampling procedure cannot be completely excluded.Thus the degree of confinement in the crates had little influence on the physiological measures taken, although there was a large effect on the birds’ behaviour. The 40cm crates decreased the birds possibility to move and change their positions, whereas the 55cm crates allowed the birds to stand up and move around almost as much as if kept in free height, even if they were not able to stretch their necks while standing.

Competition for water at feeding time—The effect of increasing number of individuals per water dispenser - Corrected Proof

Rebecca Ehrlenbruch, Trude Pollen, Inger Lise Andersen, Knut Egil Bøe — 2010-07-05

Abstract: The aim of this study was to study the competition for water at feeding time by increasing number of individuals per nipple drinker (7.5, 15 or 30 goats per nipple) with regard to physical displacements from the nipple drinker, queuing, drinking time, drinking frequency and time per drinking bout. A group of 30 dry and pregnant dairy goats were exposed to three treatments; treatment 1: 7.5 individuals/nipple (5 days), treatment 2: 15 individuals/nipple (5 days) and treatment 3: 30 individuals/nipple (5 days). All goats were video recorded on the last day of each treatment period to observe physical displacement from the nipple drinker, time spent in queue, drinking time and drinking frequency. The goats’ behaviour was significantly affected by the number of individuals per nipple drinker. Number of physical displacements from the nipple drinker was significantly higher with 30 goats/nipple compared to 7.5 and 15 goats/nipple (P<0.01), and queuing only occurred in the treatment with 30 goats/nipple (P<0.0001). Increasing the number of individuals per nipple over 7.5 goats/nipple decreased total drinking time (P<0.0001) and drinking frequency (P<0.001). The goats drank significantly faster per drinking bout with 15 and 30 goats/nipple than 7.5 goats/nipple (P<0.05). Age had a significant effect on the goats’ behaviour; where the oldest goats were displacing others more often from the water dispenser (P<0.05) and spent less time in queue (P<0.05). The oldest goats had lower total drinking time (P<0.05) and time per drinking bout (P<0.05) compared to younger goats. Age had no effect on the goats’ drinking frequency. In conclusion, increasing the number of individuals over 15 goats per nipple drinker increased the competition for water at feeding time. Queuing only occurred with one nipple per 30 goats and this treatment also had the highest number of physical displacements whereas total drinking time, drinking frequency and time per drinking bout decreased when having more than 7.5 goats per nipple drinker.