Assessment of equine temperament by a questionnaire survey to caretakers and evaluation of its reliability by simultaneous behaviour test.

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In this study, a questionnaire was given to the caretakers of 86 riding horses to assess their impressions of the horses’ temperaments. Based on the temperament scores three factors were named to describe the data: ‘anxiety’, ‘novelty seeking’ and ‘understanding’. The same horses were subjected to a balloon reactivity test. Each horse was placed in a novel arena where its reaction to two balloons that were suspended from the ceiling and rotated was recorded. The horse’s behaviour and heart rate were recorded for the 5-minute test period. When the results of the questionnaire and the results of the reactivity test were compared, it was found that the horses that were labelled as anxious by the caretakers also had higher heart rates and defecated more during the test. Horses that were assessed as having problems with ordinary care and/or training also had increased heart rate and defecation during the balloon test. The temperament determined based on the questionnaire was highly consistent with the results of the balloon reactivity test. Based on these results, it appears that the temperament of the horse could accurately be assessed using a questionnaire survey.

Recognition of people by dairy calves using colour of clothing.

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The objective of this study was to determine whether dairy calves can discriminate among people based on the colour of their clothing. For six days a week, a familiar rewarder, who always wore the same coloured clothing, fed, patted and spoke gently to the calves while they were in their individual pen. The calves were then tested in a Y-maze, and had to make a choice: if they went to the familiar person, they received a milk reward. The calves did not receive anything, when they did not make the correct choice. The calves were tested eight times. Four experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, the familiar rewarder was in one arm of the maze (which was randomized), but the other arm was empty. Eleven of the 14 calves tested successfully completed the test. In the second experiment, a new group of calves were tested to determine if they could successfully discriminate between the familiar rewarder (wearing same clothes as during the familiarization period) and a stranger (wearing different coloured clothes). All calves successfully completed this test. The third experiment tested whether calves could discriminate between the rewarder and non-rewarder when they were both wearing clothes of the same colour. None of the calves were successful during this test. In the fourth experiment, the rewarder and non-rewarder wore clothes of the same colour, but they were a different colour than what was worn during the familiarization period. Only one calf was successful. The results indicate that colour cues are used by young calves to distinguish between people. The Y-maze is a useful method to use when studying the discriminatory abilities of calves.

Differences in Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli, Isolated from East-European Swine Herds With or Without Prophylactic Use of Antibiotics

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The effects of previous grazing experience and ewe presence on the response to novel grass species by weaned lambs.

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The effects of grazing experience and presence of adult ewes on the response of lambs to introduction of a novel grass species was examined. Lambs had either been artificially reared indoors or were at pasture with their mothers until they were weaned at 3 months of age, at which time five dry, adult ewes joined them. Grazing occurred in sequence, beginning with one, two, three, and then four grass species in four 1-week periods. Grass species were perennial ryegrass, then timothy, then cocksfoot, and finally red fescue. The total time that lambs spent grazing and ruminating increased by grazing experience and somewhat by the presence of the adult ewes. Grazing experience, and to a lesser extent, the presence of adult ewes, also increased the pasture biting rate (number of bites per minute). There was a compounded effect of grazing experience and presence of adult ewes as well. The most preferred species of grass was timothy, followed by perennial ryegrass. The lambs spent the least amount of time grazing red fescue. The time spent grazing cocksfoot and red fescue was increased by grazing experience, but the presence of adult ewes did not increase the time that the lambs spent grazing novel species. The pasture biting rate was higher for grass species that lambs preferred to graze. Neither experience nor presence of adult ewes increased the biting rate on novel species in the period of their introduction. Although both grazing experience and presence of adult ewes increased the total amount of time spent grazing and the pasture biting rate, only grazing experience increased the acceptability of novel species.

An evaluation of response to novelty as a predictor of pecking tendency in laying hens.

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Selective breeding against feather pecking in laying hens depends on identification of individual birds with the lowest feather pecking activity. If certain behavioural traits are phenotypically and genetically associated with, or predictive of, feather pecking activity then tests for those traits may offer a quicker method of identifying suitable parent birds. In a previous study, pairs of pullets that pecked most frequently at a feather bundle also avoided a novel object in a separate test. In the present study, 319 Brown pullets were tested with a novel object at 7-9 weeks of age to determine whether response to novelty predicted either pecking at feather bundles presented in two different ways (loose or fixed) at both 11-13 and 25-27 weeks of age, or feather pecking in the home pen between 15 and 33 weeks of age. Response to novelty did not predict pecking at feather bundles. There were no associations between the amount of pecking directed towards different types of feather bundle, or between pecking at feather bundles and pecking at the feathers of live birds. Response to novelty also failed to predict tendency to feather peck, although recorded levels of feather pecking, especially severe feather pecking, were relatively low. However, when birds with a varied range of responses to a novel object were housed together, more of the birds feather pecked (P < 0.05), they feather pecked more consistently (P < 0.05) and showed more pecking at the environment in a test than birds with similar responses to novelty.

Milk feeding systems for dairy calves in groups: effects on feed intake, growth and health.

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The rearing of dairy calves in groups is rapidly replacing the once common practice of raising the calves individually. Some farms have chosen to raise the calves in small groups. Group housed calves are fed by bucket or a small container that may or may not have teats. In larger groups (25-30 calves) the easiest way to feed the calves in ad libitum from a container with a teat or from automatic feeders, as computerized feeding systems are becoming quite popular. There are some negative consequences associated with feeding the calves ad libitum. One problem is the decreased growth performance after weaning, as giving the calves ad libitum access to milk tend to decrease the amount of concentrate they eat, thus the conversion from a liquid to solid diet after weaning is much more difficult. Also when feeding the calves ad libitum there is an increase in the cost of feeding due to the higher amounts of milk consumption. Another problem associated with the group housing of calves is the increased chance of contacting an infectious agent, thus promoting infection in these calves. According to a survey of farms, respiratory disease in becoming an increasingly common problem in calves housed in groups, fed from a computerized feeding system. Little research has been conducted on the housing of calves in large groups, so there are many questions that are yet to be answered. Producers are wondering how to prevent larger calves from disturbing the smaller calves in the group when they are at the feeder. Another area in which more research needs to be conducted is at what age and by what method should the calves be introduced to the feeding system. Finally producers want to know how to detect if an animal is ill based on the feed intake records generated from a computerized feeding system. Thus, there is a need for more research to be done in this novel form of dairy calf management.

Individual differences in behaviour and in adrenocortical activity in beef-suckler cows.

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A stable herd of beef-suckler cows was studied to learn more about individual behavioural strategies. Furthermore, these strategies were studied in relation to basic activities, adrenocortical activity, and degree of consistency during social competition. For three months, the social interactions of 19 beef-suckler cows were recorded. The cows were classified as either agonistic dominant (AD), non-agonistic (NA), or agonistic challenging (AC). Lying, standing, feeding and walking (basic activities) and the concentration of faecal cortisol metabolites were compared between groups. Increased social competition was created by reducing the number of feeding places, such that consistency in social strategies could be evaluated. In undisturbed social situations, the most agonistic interactions were initiated by AD animals. Social licking was received the most, and performed the least by AC animals. Agonistic interactions were initiated the least by NA animals, but they performed more social licking than AC animals and the most head play. The dominance values were highest for AD animals, but did not differ between NA and AC animals. The highest frequency of walking, standing, feeding and drinking and the lowest frequency of lying was recorded for AC animals. NA animals had higher concentrations of faecal cortisol metabolites than AC animals. The social competition test confirmed the social strategies that were initially identified. The authors concluded that the identified social strategies were consistent in situations of low and high social competition. The three strategies differed in social behaviour, basic activities, and adrenocorticol activity. The NA and AC animals both have a low ranking status, but use different coping strategies to deal with being subordinate.

The effect of a gradual separation from the mother on later behavioural, immune an dendocrine alterations in artificially reared lambs.

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Lambs were assigned to one of four treatment groups: DS (control dam-suckled), GRAD (gradually separated from their dams to reduced the time spent with the mother over ten days), SUB (abruptly removed from the dam 24 to 30 hours post-partum and provided with a milk substitute), and EM (abruptly removed from the dam 24 to 30 hours post-partum and subjected to a gradual transition from ewe milk to milk substitute over ten days) in order to compare lamb welfare and weight gains. The lambs’ behavioral response to isolation and to an inanimate stimulus (a hobby-horse) was measured at 12 and 32 days of age. Blood samples were collected immediately before, 10 minutes after, and 60 minutes after the isolation test to evaluate cortisol concentrations. The weight gain of the lambs was recorded weekly, and cell-mediated immune response and antibody titers were also determined at set points. The GRAD lambs performed less frequent climbing attempts than the DS lambs when isolated in a novel environment. After introduction of the hobby-horse, GRAD labs took longer to move than the DS, SUB, and EM lambs, and they had quicker movements than the DS lambs. A higher cortisol release was exhibited from the GRAD lambs. They also showed a lower cell-mediated immune response than the other three groups. The GRAD lambs had lower antibody titers than the EM and SUB lambs. A lower growth rate was exhibited among the GRAD lambs than among the other treatment groups. The results of the study indicate that gradual separation of a lamb from its mother negatively affects behavioral, immune, and endocrine responses of artificially reared lambs.

Influence of dietary ß-glucan on growth performance, lymphocyte proliferation, specific immune response and haptoglobin plasma concentrations in pigs

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Immunomodulatory feed additives might offer alternatives to anti-microbial growth
promoters in swine production. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of
b-1,3 ⁄ 1,6 glucans, i.e. of specific yeast cell wall components, on immune function and
growth performance in pigs. After weaning at 4 weeks of age, 75 piglets were allocated to 3
different groups for 4 weeks, the diet was supplemented with 0, 0.015 or 0.03% of
b-glucan, respectively. All animals were vaccinated against porcine reproductive and
respiratory syndrome (PRRS). After 4 weeks, average daily gains (ADG) of b-glucan
treated pigs were not different from the controls. Feed intake was tendentiously (p < 0.1) increased at 0.03% b-glucan, without alteration of feed efficiency. Serum haptoglobin concentrations at the end of the 4 week treatment were increased in all groups when compared to the initial levels (p < 0.001), without differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Haptoglobin levels were inversely related to ADG. Lymphocyte proliferation
indices were not different in control and treatment groups. Specific vaccination responses,
as quantified by the PRRS antibody titres occurred in all animals, but no relation with
b-glucan feeding was observed. Our results indicate marginal benefits of b-glucan
supplements for growth performance and no effect on the immune parameters tested. The
observed trend towards increased feed intake needs further elucidation.

Coping characteristics and performance in fattening pigs.

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A backtest was used to measure coping characteristics at three days of age. Pigs were placed on their backs and the degree of resistance was scored. Pigs either remained in their original litter or were cross-fostered based on backtest scores. Cross-fostering resulted in pens with either all active (high resistance), all reactive (low resistance), or a mixture (high, intermediate and low resistance). At nine weeks the pigs were moved and mixed into the fattening unit (the treatment groups were maintained). The backtest was repeated at 10 and 17 weeks of age. Cross-fostering changed the initial backtest results, such that each group had approximately the same mean backtest results. As a result, there was no relationship found between initial backtest scores and performance on a pen level. However, there was a relationship found between these parameters at an individual level. There was a tendency for active animals to grow faster and have leaner carcasses.