Animals in Society: (Welfare Assessment & Stereotypical/ Abnormal Behaviours) Flashcards
Learning Outcomes
What is animal welfare?
- Good welfare
- Poor welfare
- Abnormal behaviour
- Assessing welfare
Define: What is poor welfare?
the prevention of display of normal behaviour
How can poor welfare be identified?
-
Research and knowledge needs to be available on species normal behaviour
* data has to come from conditions where the animal can allocate its time and energy exactly how it chooses.
List examples of what poor welfare may result from:
(5 answers)
- Frustration
- Absence of important stimuli
- Insufficient stimulation
- Overstimulation
- Too much unpredictability
Define: What is good welfare?
Associated with a wide range of normal behaviours being displayed
Assessing Welfare
A good assessment of welfare should measure both (1)__________ and (2)_________
- behaviour
- physiology
Assessing Welfare: Behavioural & Physiological (image)
Behavioural
- Startle reflex/ response
- Abscense of behaviour
- Occurance of abnormal behaviour
Physiological
- Heart rate
- Respiratory rate
- Body Temperature
- Hormones (e.g. glucocorticoids)
- Neurotransmitters (e.g. adrenalin)
*image
Welfare Assessment: General Principles
Animal welfare can be assessed by the use of indicators,
(i.e. of variables that can be measured objectively
Evidence of poor welfare is usually taken from the presence of other indicators,
therefore the absence of a particular behaviour may be simply a consequence of something else
e.g. lack of hormonal state or the animal may not want/need to display the (normal) behaviour.
True or False?
True
Welfare indicators are divided into two groups:
List them
- animal-based.
- environment-based
Group the animal-based indicators into four main categories.
- Indicators related to the behaviour of animals.
- Indicators related to the appearance of animals.
- Physiological indicators.
- Indicators obtained from the records of zoological institutions, such as the life expectancy of animals and the prevalence and incidence of diseases.
Define environment-based indicators
variables that are not measured in the animals but in their environment.
List 3 examples of environment-based indicators
- size and design of facilities where animals are kept.
- the quantity and quality of food they receive.
- the temperature at which they are exposed.
The occurrence of abnormal behaviour is often used to _____ welfare.
assess
Why perform abnormal behaviour? (1-3)
- Inability to perform a behaviour
- Under or over stimulation
- Abnormal behaviour as a coping mechanism
Name 2 types of abnormal behaviour
- Displacement behaviour
- Rebound behaviour
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
Displacement behaviour
- If (a)_______ by intense (b)_______ and then restricted.
- Appears to (a)_______ intensity of (b)________ feelings in animals.
- (a)________ displacement behaviours.
- (a)___________ aggression may occur in (b)__________ situations – directed to others or (c)__________.
- (a) aroused, (b) stimulus
- (a) reduce, (b) unpleasant
- (a) Human
- (a) Increased, (b) frustrating, (c) themselves
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
Why does displacement activity occur in animals?
Displacement activities occur when an animal experiences:
- (1)____ (2)________ for (3)___ or more (4)_________ behaviours, the resulting displacement activity is usually (5)________ to the competing (6)__________.
- Displacement activities may also occur when animals are (1)________ from performing a (2)______ behaviour they are (3)_______ motivated for.
- (1) high, (2) motivation, (3) two/2, (4) conflicting, (5) unrelated, (6) motivations
- (1) prevented, (2) single, (3) highly
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
Examples of displacement behaviour
- Birds, may peck at grass when uncertain whether to attack or flee from an opponent
- A human may scratch their head when they do not know which of two options to choose.
In the (a)__________ of animal welfare, displacement (b)________ are sometimes used as (c)________ that an animal is highly (d)_________ to perform a behaviour that the (e)___________ prevents.
Example:
when hungry hens are trained to eat from a particular food dispenser and then find the dispenser blocked, they often begin to pace and preen themselves vigorously.
- These actions have been interpreted as displacement activities, and similar pacing and preening can be used as evidence of frustration in other situations.
(a) assessment
(b) activities
(c) evidence
(d) motivated
(e) environment
1.) Inabilty to perform a behaviour
Rebound Behaviour
Definition:
When an animal is (a)________ from performing a particular (b)_____ designed to satisfy a particular behavioural (c)_____.
(a) prevented
(b) action
(c) need
1.) Inabilty to perform a behaviour
Rebound Behaviour: Characteristics and examples
Animals will usually (a)______ a (b)____ time to this (c)_____ when it becomes (d)_______ again.
- e.g. Animal deprived of food will eat more than usual when given access
(a) devote
(b) long
(c) action
(d) available
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
Rebound Behaviour: Characteristics and examples
Lying behaviour and activity can be used as (a)_______ (b)________ for (c)________ animals
Rebound behaviour suggests a build-up of motivation resulting from deprivation.
(a) welfare
(b) indictators
(c) domestic
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
Rebound Behaviour: Characteristics and examples
Rebound behaviour suggests a (a)____-__ of (b)________ resulting from (c)_________.
(a) build-up
(b) motivation
(c) deprivation
1.) Inability to perform a behaviour
An animal may display these abnormal behaviours if it has a lack of resources: (example: if deprived of important dietary compenents.)
- Eating or chewing random materials
- Pica when deficient in phosphorus
- Sows in stalls may chew bars
***Pica:
Symptoms of phosphorus deficiency include pica (an appetite for non-food substances), stunted growth, bones that fracture easily and infertility.
2.) Under or Over stimulation
The (a)______ of (b)________ required is dependent on the (c)_________ and (d)_______.
(a) level
(b) stimulation
(c) individual
(d) species
2.) Under or Over stimulation
Incorrect levels of stimulation in captivity may present in:
- Stereotypic behaviours
- Learned helplessness
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Stereotypic behaviours
Stereotypical Behaviour: Definition and Classification
Stereotypies are defined in two ways:
- Repetitive, invariant behaviour without apparent immediate function.
- Repetitive behaviours caused by the animal’s repeated attempts to adapt to its environment or by a dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS).
Additional Reading:
- Both definitions agree that stereotypies are repetitive behaviours. The second definition, however, includes behaviours that despite being repetitive are not always performed in exactly the same way.
- Moreover, it does not assume that stereotypies lack a functional role; this is particularly relevant because it has been suggested that some stereotypies could facilitate the adaptation of animals to an unsuitable environment.
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Stereotypic behaviours
Simple definition:
Prolonged, obsessive performance of apparently purposeless activity
Stereotypic behaviour is not seen in animals in the _(_1)____ and is understood to be (2)_______ and is therefore a (3)______ factor in conservation (4)______ breeding.
- wild
- abnormal
- negative
- captive
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Stereotypic behaviours
List examples of stereotypical behaviours
(10 possible answers)
Examples of stereotypical behaviors include:
- COPROPHILIA & COPROPHAGIA (playing with or eating faeces)
- vomiting and regurgitating (form of bulimia)
- pacing & circling (locomotory sterotypie)
- head bobbing, weaving & swaying
- rocking
- neck twisiting
- swimming in circles
- excessive sleeping
- self-mutilation (including feather picking and excessive grooming)
- mouthing cage bars/ biting bars (oral sterotypie)
Source: (STEREOTYPIC BEHAVIOUR: ZOOCHOSIS (bornfree.org.uk)
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Stereotypic behaviours
Stereotypic behaviours could relate to previous welfare state.
True or False?
True
If there is no current welfare issue, these behaviours should however gradually disappear - (but could be a result of habitat or addiction)
True or False?
True
What does the term Zoochosis describe?
*Fun Fact: In 1992, Bill Travers MBE, (Co-Founder of Born Free), first coined the term.
the term zoochosis is used to describe obsessive, repetitive behaviour, and described zoo animals behaving abnormally as zoochotic.
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Learned Helplessness
Learned Helplessness presents as a (a)____ of (b)_______________ to stimuli.
(a) loss
(b) responsiveness
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Learned Helplessness
Learned helplessness is (a)______ and not (b)________.
(a) unnatural
(b) beneficial
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Learned Helplessness
Learned Helplessness occurs after (a)_________ period of time being denied the (b)_________ to perform (c)________ actions - designed to achieve (d)_______ (ex. food)
(a) prolonged
(b) opportunity
(c) constructive
(d) pleasure
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Learned Helplessness
Learned helplessness can be seen in companion animals with loss of companion and zoo/ farm animals.
True or False?
True
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Learned Helplessness
Animals experiencing learned helplessness may be using endogenous opioids as a coping mechanism.
The endogenous opioid system (EOS) plays a vital role in regulating myriad physiologic functions like:
- pain relief (analgesia),
- euphoria induction
- stress resilience
- cardiovascular protection
- food intake control (etc)
2.) Under or Over stimulation: Lack of Social or Sexual Partners
Social
- Calves housed individually, show more self-licking and repetitive tongue rolling, than those in social housing
Sexual
- Abnormal sexual behaviour
- Rejection of young or poor parental care
3.) Abnormal behaviour as a coping mechanism
The prescence of abnormal behaviour may be _________ in some scenarios.
- stereotyped behaviour may have a calming effect from simple repetition = self-enrichment)
Examples:
HIGH ACIDITY IN STOMACH —-> CRIB-BITING —-> INCREASES SALIVA FLOW —-> REDUCES ACIDITY
CHAIN-PULLING IN SOWS —-> REDUCES CORTISOL LEVELS —-> RELEASES ENDORPHINS
3.) Abnormal behaviour as a coping mechanism
If an animal is using behaviour as a (a)______ mechanism then treating a (b)_________ problem, without solving the (c)____ of the problem, may result in even more compromised (d)_______.
(a) coping
(b) behavioural
(c) root
(d) welfare)
Companion Animals: Behaviour
Behaviour problems in pets can be (a)_______. Some animals may have a (b)________ disposition to behavioural problems.
(a) subjective
(b) genetic
Companion Animals: Behaviour
True or False?
companion animals require a slightly different approach/ method addressing and identifying their behaviours.
True
Companion Animals: Behaviour
True or False?
Most behavioural problems in companion animals are normal from an animals point of view.
True
Companion Animals: Behaviour
True or False?
In the home we (humans) often prevent pets from carrying out their normal behaviours.
True
Companion Animals: Behaviour
Example of abnormal behaviour encouraged/ designed by humans:
- dogs have been bred in a way that encourages them to behave as puppies long into adulthood
Companion Animals: Behaviour
How do we identify a behavioural problem?
(1) Correct _________ and (2)_____ of problem needs to be identified before problem can be attempted to be further prevented or rectified.
(1) diagnosis
(2) root
