Animal Behavior, Animal Welfare and the Environment Flashcards
There are many types of behaviors that are exhibited by animals, including aggression, reproductive behavior, grooming behavior, feeding, drinking, and elimination behaviors, behaviors to facilitate temperature homeostasis (cooling or heating), and communication
Animal Behavior
“I like pigs, Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
Winston Churchill
2 types of Animal Aggression
Interspecies
Intraspecies
involves a series of behaviors between different species such as a predator attacking its prey, or antipredatory behaviors.
Interspecies Aggression
aggression to protect against a predator
Antipredatory behaviors
dogs and llamas as watch animals to prevent predation of sheep, or dogs to protect their owners
Example with domestic Animals
(interspecies aggression)
is directed toward other members of the same species
Intraspecies aggression
Different aggressive behaviors
-Territoriality
-Social hierarchy
-Other aggressive behaviors include where another member of the same species is attacked and potentially killed or where there is forced mating.
This is where an animal, frequently the male, defends a territory against intruders. This may be a male defending a single female or a group, or “harem” of females such that the male genes are passed on, or both male and females defend an area to protect sources of feed for themselves and their offspring
Territoriality
is important in social species and group-housed livestock to maintain stability and reduce the chances of injury to members of the group
Social Hierarchy or Peck Order
can be maintained by the higher animals showing aggressive behaviors, whereas the subordinate shows submissive behavior.
Social hierarchy
can affect food intake if space at the feeder or feed bunk is limited because “lower status” animals may not get sufficient time to eat
Social hierarchy
Other aggressive encounters include
where another member of the same species is attacked and potentially killed or where there is forced mating
are affected by the presence and amount of the male hormone testosterone acting on the brain, with castrated males not exhibiting aggressive behavior. There is evidence that the neurotransmitter serotonin and its amino acid precursor tryptophan are involved in brain control of aggression
many aggressive behaviors
Examples of Intraspecies Aggression
-Aggression in Chickens
-Aggression and other behavioral problems in dogs
-cockfighting
-crowing
-forced copulation
-roughness during mating with females struggling
-decreases in courtship behavior
-feather pecking that can lead to cannibalism
Aggression in chickens
an activity taking advantage of the natural proclivity of roosters to fight
Cockfighting
first species in which researchers established the principle of pen orders, with the dominant animals showing a higher frequency of pecking toward subordinates.
Chickens
are more aggressive than game chickens or layer type white Leghorns or jungle fowl both toward other males and toward females
Broiler breeder males
can lead to the death of the victim and to cannibalism. this is why beak trimming is performed in the poultry industry.
Feather pecking
Dogs show marked territoriality with barking if a strange dog or person enters their territory. Among the behavioral responses is an increase in barking.
Aggression and Other Behavioral Problems in Dogs
exhibit more offensive territorial aggression than other females, with both more barking and a lower pitch of vocalization.
Spayed dogs (example: with both ovaries and uterus surgically removed)
there was a higher incidence than for___,____,___,& ____
Dalmatians, English springer spaniels, German Shepherd dogs, and mixed breeds
lower incidence with _____ and _____
labrador retrievers and golden retrievers