Behavior -- LA Flashcards
All small ruminant behaviors can be modified by what 3 ways?
- rearing - bottle vs in field
- training - feeding, repetition (pos reinforcement)
- flock or herd leaders - can intro new animals to modify flock behavior
T/F: When placing small ruminants in pins to be examined, its best to place them individually so they do not harm one another.
false – its actually best to place them with others so they can better relax. They become more stressed when they are alone.
In regard to herding, the __________ zone is described as losing control of the group, scattering across or out into the field.
escape
T/F: you need enough people to herd large animals, but sometimes just one person that the animals know is better than a few strangers
true – to many will cause chaos and escape rather than smooth herding.
Flight distance or zone is when animals …
move away in a controlled manner as a group when being approached
What is the alert distance for large animals?
animals will become aware of your presence and begin to group together
T/F: if one or two animals within the herd are nervous, they will cause panic within the group
true
(Goats or Sheep) are more individualistic animals that are curious and handled more often.
goats
which breeds of sheep do NOT demonstrate good herding behavior
hair breeds
barbados black belly
What behavior during herding enables you to pick out the sick animals from the group?
they separate themselves from the rest of the animals
What is the biggest downside to herding behavior?
they will stay as a group no matter what, so if they feel threatened and you are pushing them too much, they could go through fences together or even escape from pens to get back to the rest of the group.
How do small ruminant females in estrus behave?
vocalize, wag tail, urinate
they will breed through obstacles (fences, etc.)
How do small ruminant males behave in response to females in estrus?
flehman response
pawing
mounting
goats urinate on themselves
What is a behavior that sheep tend to do (that can be dangerous to the lamb) when they’ve just given birth?
they lick and paw at them to attempt to get them to stand, but this can be dangerous because its a little aggressive at times considering how small and unaware the babies are.
T/F: It is normal and expected for a newborn small ruminant to stand and stretch within 30-45 minutes after being born. If not, this signals to you that something is not right.
true
How can you tell if a small ruminant newborn has latched and is successfully nursing?
the tail will wiggle when nursing
What is the purpose of putting small ruminants in jugs post partum?
enhances bonding and keeps the mother-baby pair together (sometimes ewes will steal other ewe’s babies)
How long should a small ruminant with triplets be kept in jugs?
rule: 1 day + # of babies
so they would be kept in the jug for 4 days.
What is the difference in maternal behavior between goats and sheep?
sheep stay with their babies
goats leave and come back
Why do periparturient small ruminants isolate themselves from the herd?
to improve bonding
Maternal rejection can occur with small ruminants, what can farmers/owners do to prevent this?
select for mothering ability
Explain grafting orphan small ruminants
– when it should take place and what you would do to make it a successful graft
this requires fooling the dam soon after birth (12-24 hrs)
you can…
- place placental fluid or skins from dead newborns on/near her
- you can use salt, other distracting odors
- use restraint
what is the difference between sheep and goats in regard to feeding behavior? Similarities between the two?
sheep are grazers & avoid toxic plants
goats are browsers and may even select toxic plants, however will learn to avoid them if first ingestion turns out to be non-fatal
both will graze closer to manure piles than cattle
Which species hate clover – sheep or goat?
goats
Introducing new animals within a small ruminant herd is stressful and should be avoided when?
during certain times of the year such as late gestation and lambing as well as during the breeding season
What are the dominant behaviors of small ruminants?
butting – can cause serious head injury
riding subordinate males – can transmit dz (brucella)
What would be an appropriate building design for small ruminants to protect them the best?
lighted areas (chutes, etc.)
sheltered from wind and precipitation
protected areas from sunlight (to prevent sunburn)
T/F: goats seek shelter if it is raining so calf hutches are perfect for them.
true
What should the dimensions of fences and chutes be for small ruminants in order to have tighter animals for better handling?
fences – 38+ inches
chutes – <20 inches wide
T/F: too many shadows can make for more uncomfortable and more difficult handling of small ruminants?
true
T/F: small ruminant fleece only protects against cold weather, so we need to artificially protect them against heat by shaving biweekly
false
their fleece protects against heat and cold, but the heat protection is poor if humidity is high, so hyperthermia becomes a problem.
shelters can be a great addition to prevent overheating and sunburn
Which small ruminant breeds are more tolerant of heat?
nubian goats
pygmy goats
merino sheep
Boars are aggressive and almost always fight by slinging their head and slicing with their sharp tusks. What can you do to prevent this?
keep them separate from all others, unless they are raised together from birth.
Sows show aggression during what 2 time periods?
- when they have piglets (they are very protective)
- post-weaning when reintroduced (they bite udder and vulva and root eachother)
Pigs fight by biting which locations of other pigs?
ears, shoulder, face
Why is it important that we provide pigs with enough area for retreat?
pig fighting will continue until the dominant pig is satisfied and the loser retreats. Eye contact is important for fighting, if one pig puts its head in a dark corner/hole, the fighting will stop.
Why are hogs with floppy ears more skittish and agitated?
their vision is blocked by their ears.
Why will pigs bite if you stand over them and pet them?
they have short necks and cannot look up, therefore they cannot see what is grabbing/touching them.
Why do pigs housed alone eat less?
when one pig eats, the rest of the group tends to eat. So if a pig is housed alone, they will not have that group influence and thus will eat less and gain less.
All pigs nurse every _________.
55 minutes
which species has rooting behavior and scoops up their food, throws it into back of their mouth, chews, then swallows?
pigs
Pigs are actually clean animals. How/where do they urinate and defecate?
they urinate and defecate in a corner of a pen away from their sleeping area.
Pigs are curious animals. If you approach a pen full of pigs, what will their response be?
they will alarm with a “woof” and scatter a short distance. If you dont move, then they will regroup and investigate you by smelling, nudging, and nibbling you.
What could tail biting in pigs indicate (3 things)?
high ammonia levels
changes in barometric pressure
low fiber diets
cannabalism in swine usually occurs with which animal – sow, gilt, or boar?
gilts (primiparous), and may be inherited.
If you have pigs that are stimulus-deprived, what might their behavior look like and what should you do to correct this?
rubbing
mouthing
head weaving
you should provide toys! they like bowling balls, chains, and tires
Pot bellied pet pigs can become aggressive for what reasons?
- estrous cycle
- defending the family (yes, even the human family)
coitus in pigs lasts for __________.
3-12 minutes
Sows come into heat ____ days post weaning
4-7
Describe the preceptive phase of the pigs cycle for both the sow and the boar
sow:
- hyperemia and edema of vulva
- restless and aggressive
- seek boar, less avoidant of him
- nudge and rub against boars body
boar:
- push and lift sow with his snout
- chomp and foam at the mouth, grind teeth, grunt
describe the receptive phase of the sows cycle
immobility, rigidness, and mounting
Sows are placed in farrowing crates ______ days prior to farrowing
5-7
T/F: sows pay little attention to piglets as they are born
true
T/F: sows have a critical period for bonding shortly after they farrow, so its important they be placed together separately shortly post partum to bond.
false – they do not have a critical period. they can recognize their piglets based on the nest.
Describe the process of teat seeking in piglets after they are born
piglets locate a teat within 3 minutes of being born and this is the teat they will continue to nurse from (permanent teat order). They nurse within 25-25 minutes after birth.
T/F: piglets nurse 20-30 times a day but 25-30% of these nursings will not have milk ejection
true
Why can noisy environments disrupt nursing patterns in pigs?
because nursing sequence involves extensive auditory stimulus (grunting of sow)
T/F: piglets suckling from posterior teats grow faster
false — anterior
nursing, standing, body positions (during resting, intense weather, grazing), and seeking shelter are all (innate or learned) behaviors of the bovine species.
innate
Name learned behaviors of bovine
- knowing the location of water, feed, mineral
- milking procedures
- electric fences, response to humans/facilities
Cattle are (fight or flight) and herd animals
flight
Explain the difference between the fight zones of dairy cows and beef cows?
dairy cows are handled more frequently than beef cows that just stay in pasture away from humans. Dairy cows flight zone is about 5 feet, whereas range cattle are up to 90 feet
Describe the appearance of the pupil of the cow
horizontal split pupil
Both eyes of the cow allow for narrow binocular vision directly in front of the cow and allows for good depth perception. Each eye itself has panoramic vision all the way to the back of their hip. Where can a cow not see?
directly behind them and they also have limited vertical vision.
T/F: cows smell better than humans and dogs and can detect odors up to 1 mile away
false – better than humans, not dogs
What is the vomeronasal organ responsible for in cows?
detecting pheromones (in urine)
Do cows communicate via noises?
yes
but they do not like high-pitched or sudden loud noises (alarm calls)
T/F: cows have more taste buds and better hearing than humans
true
Cattle have ________ for temperature sensing. -9 degrees F is the low critical for adult cattle and 77 F is when they begin to decrease their intake to lower the heat produced by the metabolism of food.
skin receptors
If cattle dont have fingertips, how do they explore their environment?
mouth and tongue
Around how many hours per day do cattle spend grazing? and ruminating?
graze for 8-9 hours (110 minutes at a time)
ruminate for 6-10 hours (45 minutes at a time)
In feedlots, how do cattle eat?
diurnal patterns with total eating time of 5 hours (this is reduced due to roughage being reduced)
eat 10-14 times, mostly (75%) in the light
How big (small or large) should the feed trough be for cattle in order to increase rate of consumption?
small – big enough for all heads to fit, but reduced space increases consumption rate
What is the average time a dairy cow spends eating? chewing cud?
eating – 4.5 hours
chewing cud – 7.5 hours
how do cattle drink water?
siphon
which cattle drink more water – range grazers or feedlot steers?
feedlot steers (drink 33L in the summer, whereas range grazers only drink 25L)
T/F: pregnancy doubles intake of water in cattle
true
how much water does a dairy cow drink per day and why?
111-185 L per day because of the massive amounts of milk they make
describe walking vs trotting in cattle
walking – 4 step beat (LF, RH, RF, LH)
trotting – 2 step beat (LF/RH, RF/LH)
How do cattle lay down? How do they stand up?
lay down – front (head and legs) down first, then back end
stand up – swing head forward, lift back end, then front end
T/F: in the presence of a bull, cows will exhibit reduced estrus behavior between themselves
true
Estrus in cattle looks like …
standing to be mounted
What is birthing behavior like for cows?
anorexia for 1 day and restless, then leave the herd to calve (unless they are a heifer)
describe the time frame in which a calf should do the following:
stand
nurse
stand – within 1 hr
nurse – within 1.5-2 hr
How many times per day does a calf suckle and for how long?
5-8x/day at first, then 3-5x/day as they age
suckle for 10-15 minutes
what is the purpose of a cow licking a calf?
stimulates calf – breath, circulate, move, urinate, defecate
allows dam to recognize calf odors
What are 3 things that interfere with typical maternal behavior in cattle?
- being a heifer
- c-section
- dystocia
When does grazing begin for calves?
8 weeks old (14 bites/minute)
then by 18 weeks old 50 bites/minute
Cattle are natural herd animals and have various social behaviors. When in groups, they have subgroups that are led by …
boss cows and boss bulls
Do heirarchal relationships change within a herd of cattle over time?
they are relatively stable but 25% change over time (new animals added)
What determines the social status of each bovine within a herd?
- physical attributes (weight, size, age)
- familial relations
- genetics, hormones
- group-reared = more dominant than individual reared
Describe aggressive behaviors in cattle
lowering of head, pawing ground, head to head
Cattle work best in groups of <100. If there are more, aggression can arise due to what 3 factors
- limited housing
- limited space
- limited food/water availability
Cattle work best in groups of <100. If there are more, aggression can arise due to what 3 factors
- limited housing
- limited space
- limited food/water availability
How can we reduce intra-herd aggression in cattle?
- remove horns
- castrate bulls
- avoid mixing groups immediately before shipping
- provide adequate feed and watering space
- place in similar groups (size, age)
T/F: Cattle are not bothered to lie close to or in manure, but will avoid grazing around it.
true
How many times per day do cattle urinate and defecate?
urinate – 9x/day
defecate – 12-18x/day
What is the purpose of allo-grooming in cattle?
- get salt as a reward
- promote social relationships
- reduce tension and aggression
The temperament scale rates cattle from 1 (calm) to 6 (killers) based upon what 4 things?
- activity within the chute during processing
- speed of exit from chute
- behavior in pen
- aggressive behaviors exhibited.
Morbidity is highest in feedlot cattle who score what on the temperament scale?
What about mortality rates?
morbidity: 1-2 (calm)
mortality: 5-6 (killer)
What effect does aggression and excitability in calves have on meat?
less tender, less marbling, dark cutter, less efficient feed conversion, lower feedlot ADG
What is the significance of a cow being a “dark cutter”?
stress depletes energy stores in the muscle and makes the muscle dark, firm, and dry
this results in decreased carcass price because consumers think it is old meat
What would cause decreased eating, drinking, ruminating, ambulating, reproduction, maternal care, and grooming in cattle?
(3 things)
stress, pain, and/or illness
How do cattle differ from horses when grazing?
they only bite and take 1 cm, whereas horses bite and take the dirt too.
Which cows are more designed for the heat – bos indicus or bos taurus?
bos indicus
Which cows are more designed for the heat – bos indicus or bos taurus?
bos indicus
