Ethology past questions Flashcards
Stresses on dairy cows on an intensive farm
- Excess crowding
- Resting cows being trampled without notice
- Long periods standing on concrete
- Problems with high rank cows dominating water holes and feeding stations
- Heifers are bullied, especially if separated and reintroduced
- Stress related disease
Stresses related to animals kept in captivity
-Abiotic environmental stressors
- Presence or absence of critical sensory stimuli
- Sound
- Odors
- Light conditions
- Thermal and tactile experiences
- Substrate, effects of thermal stimuli
Stresses related to animals kept in captivity
-Confinement specific stressors
- Restricted movement
- Reduced retreat space
- Forced proximity to humans
List the five freedoms
- Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition.
- Freedom from discomfort
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease
- Freedom to express normal behaviour
- Freedom from fear and distress
Effects of early weaning in piglets
- early weaning is stressful for piglets
- removal from their mother
- sudden change of diet from milk to solid food
- sudden change of environment
- being mixed with piglets from other litters
- aggression for dominance because of mixing
Reasons for separation anxiety in dogs
This misbehaviour may be due to boredom, fear of abandonment, lack of attention or loneliness.
Ways to stop stereotypic behaviour in horses(Crib-biting)
Preventing is most important, by keeping them in pasture providing them with hay and social contact.
A collar can be used, however this causes skin trauma, increased stress level, and after its taken of they spend more time crib biting.
Instead, risk factors should be removed, environmental enrichment should be provided and behaviour therapy should be given.
Water trough for cows
Cows should not have to stick their head between bars to reach the water bowl.
Classic conditioning
Presentation of a neutral stimuli along with an effective stimuli, resulting in the animal linking the two.
Operant conditioning
Animal changes its behaviour to a situation based on its association with a stimulus.
Operant counter conditioning
Underexploited strategy in management of horse behaviour. Basically, putting a horse in an unpleasant whilst giving it treats so the fear-eliciting stimulus does not scare it. Eventually the horse gets used to it.
Advantageous of keeping animals in groups(in the wild)
- less likely to be eaten by a predator
- defence of vulnerable young
- detecting danger
- Effective food detection
- Sharing food
Reasons for cows to drink dirty water
Mineral deficiency in sulphur/Phosphorus
What is ethology
The science of animal behaviour
Horse blind spot
Directly in front and directly behind
Behaviour of chickens(when keeping them together)
- Stabilize peck order
- Do not revolve birds around groups
- If mixing two groups, take equal amount of each subgroup
- Putting a male among hens reduce the pecking level
3 welfare problems
-everyman
- Is the animal living a natural life?
- Is the animal fit and healthy?
- Is the animal happy?
3 welfare problems
-scientific
- Is the animal living in an environment consistent with that in which the species has evolved and to which it has adapted.
- Is the animal able to achieve normal growth and function, good health and to sustain fitness in an adult life?
- Is the animal experiencing a state of mental satisfaction, or at least freedom from mental distress?
Stereotypic behaviour in horses
-Locomotor stereotypes
- Weaving(4%)
- Box walking(2%)
Stereotypic behaviour in horses
-Oral stereotypes
- Wood chewing(18%)
- Crib biting(4%)
Tinbergs 4 questions
- What is the causation of the behaviour?
- e.g stimuli that stimulates or elicit the behaviour - What is the function of the behaviour?
- e.g how the behaviour adds to the animals reproductive success - How does the behaviour develop during ontogeny?
- the way a behaviour is modified by individual experiences - How does the behaviour develop during phylogeny?
- an evolutionary question, involves the comparison of other animals
Mutualistic behaviour
(+/+) the actor and the recipient of the behaviour both benefit
Selfish behaviour
(+/-) only the actor benefits, the recipient experience a cost
Altruistic behaviour
(-/+) the actor experience a cost, the recipient benefits
Where do goats like to lie?
Higher grounds
Phases of sleep
REM, nREM
What do cows spend most of their time at pasture doing?
Ruminating
Hierarchy and bonding between horses
Bond are demonstrated by reciprocal following, mutual grooming and standing together. Always alpha mare and alpha stallion, new members on bottom of the pack.
Polyandry
Defined as “the mating of one female with more than one male, while each male only mate with one female”
Exclusive polyandry is very rare and happens in about 1% of animal populations, most being shorebirds, like the sandpiper.
Whats does goats prefer to eat?
Goats prefer to eat leaves and shoots from trees and bushes.
Does the sow check the straw for piglets before laying down in fear of crushing them?
Yes
What can cause aggression in dogs
Anxiety, fear or phobia, lack of structure, lack of exposure to other dogs, territorial behaviour or traumatic experiences
Nesting behaviour
1-2 days before parturition sow seeks an isolated site for a nest(dry and protected)
- starts to gather material for bedding(sometimes chews the branches)
- nest is finished 2-4 hours before parturition
- only ungulates that build a nest
