ANIMAL WELFARE (Sexual Behaviour) Flashcards
Sexual behaviour development:
-technically ONLY after puberty, but developed during infancy
>play behaviour
>social learning
-controlled by hormonal cycles
Females (hormonal cycles):
-FSH, estrogen, LH, progesterone: fertile only a specific period (estrus)
-receptivity needs to be signaled!
Males (hormonal cycles):
-testosterone
-always receptive
Factors affecting sexual behaviours:
- Nutrition
- Hormones
- Health (eyes, nose, legs, and hooves)
- Social
- Experience
- Environment
- Stockmanship
Nutrition:
-too fat or too thin
-fitness/survival
*reproduction is luxury
Hormones:
-abnormal profiles
-presence of males (cats, rabbits)
-ovarian cysts
Social:
- Dominance/territory/females-to-male ration
- Group size: learning experiences
Experience:
-age, quantity, and quality of previous experiences
-serving capacity, bull libido, breeding soundness examinations
Environment:
- Seasonality
- Facilities
- Temperature
Seasonality:
-AI has eliminated seasonality with dairy cows and swine
-horse, goats and sheep: hard to induce cycle during seasonal anestrus
>anestrus: longer days (summer solstice)
Facilities:
-field vs. pens
-flooring (ex. injuries)
-space (more space=better)
Stockmanship:
-chronic stress inhibits reproduction
Ex. will be more focused on stress stimuli vs. engaging in reproduction behaviours
Males 3 distinct phases:
- Proceptive behaviours
- Acceptive behaviours
- Refractory period
*all these are part of LIBIDO evaluation for breeding individuals
Proceptive behaviours (male):
-looking for an individual to engage in sexual activity
-increases fertility and sperm count
Proceptive behaviours 3 ‘actions’ (male):
- Detection
- Courtship
- Verification
Detection (proceptive, male)
-Flehman sign: pheromones
-investigate genital region, smelling
Courtship (proceptive, male):
-physical contact (kicks, headbutts, biting)
-vocalizations
-urination
-salivation
Verification (proceptive, male)
-mounting attempts
Acceptive behaviour (male):
-mating/coital behaviour (service)
>mounting and clasping
-intercourse & ejaculation
Intercourse & ejaculation length:
-ruminants: 1-3s
-stallion: 20-60s
-boar & dog: 5-30min (50min)
*shorter for the large animals as the females need to be able to hold their weight
Male refractory period:
-a period immediately following ejaculation during which the male is unresponsive to further stimulation
-absolute and relative
*important measurement for male selection
Absolute refractory period (male):
-right after intercourse
Relative refractory period (male):
-after a few minutes, during which Coolidge effect
>by changing the sexual stimuli (ex.female), the male exhibits a renewed sexual interest and can engage in again in sexual activities
Refractor period sheep, example:
-when the same female, the refractory period increased more each time (2 mins, 4 mins, etc..)
-when different females, the refractory period is relative (less than a minute each time)
Females two distinct phases:
- Proceptive behaviours
- Acceptive behaviours
Female proceptive behaviours:
-showing receptivity and invitation
1. Pheromones urine)
2. Increase physical activity (walking, sniffing, flehmen, head-butting, chasing, mounting, chin-resting)
3. Postural changes (lordosis):
>horses: winking, tail raising, squatting and urinated
4. Decreased intake (milk yield)
5. Vocalizations
Female acceptive behaviours:
-willingness to accept courtship and copulatory attempts
-immobility: MOST RELEVANT SIGN of receptivity (in all species)
-sign of standing heat: AI/bull protocol
Heat detection:
-important for AI programs (except when estrus synchronization)
1. Visual
2. Activity Monitors
3. Teasers
Visual heat detection:
-trained personnel to check behaviours/secretions
-2x (60-80%) & 3x (80-90%)
Activity monitors (heat detection):
-accelerometers
-podometers
Teasers (heat detection):
-marker, chin-ball
-vasectomized; apron (intercourse isn’t possible)
-androgenized females (cattle)
