Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Cats go wild while staying at home: First indication and behavioral assessment of potential European wildcat-hybrids living as companion animals","authors":"Péter Pongrácz ,&nbsp;Csenge Anna Lugosi ,&nbsp;Petra Anett Kovács ,&nbsp;József Lanszki","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106806","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106806","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Populations of the European wildcat (<em>Felis silvestris</em>) are threatened across the continent. Their widespread hybridization with domestic cats (<em>Felis catus</em>) represents a major threat. It is worrisome that some hybrids can basically function in the same ecological niche as wildcats do. However, hybrid cats may represent a genetic and morphological spectrum, and it is unknown whether introgression of wildcat genes could result in hybrids living unnoticed as companion animals. We hypothesized that in Hungary, where the wildcat has a slowly spreading population, their likely hybridization with rural domestic cats, resulted in hybrids living under human care. We interviewed cat owners about the morphology and behavior of their cats in a large-scale citizen-science survey. We objectively scored the cats’ apparent hybrid characteristics from the submitted photographs. Cats with the highest hybrid-category represented 18 % of the sample. Importantly, these cats were thought to be the least dependent on human caretaking (P = 0.020) and greeted other cats least often with their ‘tail-up’ (P = 0.018). Tabby-colored cats reportedly wandered farther from the house (P = 0.009) and guarded their food more fiercely (P = 0.003) than non-tabby cats. The wide spatial distribution of hybrid-looking cats indicates that the potential hybrids became an organic part of the Hungarian companion cat population. This is the first indication that wildcat hybrids may be spontaneously born in anthropogenic environment, and despite their markedly different behavior, they can successfully thrive as companions. These results may bear great importance when we consider the status and future of the threatened wildcats in densely inhabited areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106806"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of heat stress on feeding and drinking behavior of confined Texel sheep in a tropical environment","authors":"Josiel Ferreira ,&nbsp;Charleni Crisóstomo ,&nbsp;Natana Mendes Marques ,&nbsp;Rafael Franco Bernardi ,&nbsp;Letícia de Sousa Corrêa ,&nbsp;Lucas Ferreira Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Kamila de Sousa Otávio ,&nbsp;Adibe Luiz Abdalla ,&nbsp;Ricardo Lopes Dias da Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of heat stress on feeding and drinking behavior patterns of confined Texel sheep under tropical environmental conditions. Forty Texel ewes were monitored for 72 days in an experimental facility equipped with automated systems for individual feed and water intake recording. Meteorological variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, and temperature-humidity index (THI) were recorded daily. Behavioral parameters assessed included number and duration of visits to feeders and waterers, as well as effective intake. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explore patterns and discriminate behavior across THI categories. Results indicated that higher THI values, especially in the afternoon, significantly influenced water and feed intake patterns. Animals exposed to more stressful conditions showed increased water intake, more frequent visits to waterers, and shorter feeding events. These behavioral adaptations are consistent with thermoregulatory strategies aimed at reducing internal heat load and maintaining homeostasis. Despite the challenging conditions, no metabolic disorders or critical heat stress indicators were observed, likely due to environmental management that provided shade and protection from direct sunlight. Multivariate analyses effectively discriminated between thermal environments based on behavioral parameters, confirming that heat stress alters feeding and drinking behavior in confined sheep. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring animal behavior as an indicator of thermal comfort and underscore the need for adaptive management strategies in confinement systems to ensure animal welfare and maintain productivity in tropical regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106807"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A cat-friendly underwater treadmill: Case series and practical implications in reducing stress","authors":"Stefania Uccheddu,&nbsp;Laura Sinigoi,&nbsp;Tommaso Furlanello","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is an increasing number of studies on the effect of aquatic therapy in dogs, but we have very few data for the cat, not only because this is a new area in veterinary physical rehabilitation, but also because of the difficulties in managing the feline patient and its stress during the rehabilitation session. Cats are often precluded from water therapy due to the assumption of their innate aversion to water. Veterinary professionals should meticulously evaluate stress indicators in cats in order to safeguard their welfare and enhance treatment outcomes, not only during physiotherapy sessions but starting from home. When cats are involved, stress signals should be carefully considered. For cats, leaving their familiar environment can be particularly stressful, and at the moment, cat-friendly guidelines allow the veterinary team to respond early to the first signs of discomfort and adjust the interaction accordingly. As a consequence, when cats are involved, stress signals should be carefully considered. We develop a protocol for (1) recognizing fear signals; (2) reducing stress during the rehabilitation program, particularly when water is involved. All 12 cats referred for the program underwent the preliminary sessions and progressed successfully. No cats were excluded from the underwater treadmill (UWTM) portion of the program after initial evaluation. There is no data in the veterinary literature on the role of stress monitoring in cats performing water rehabilitations, even though this could be the key to success. The UWTM was followed by all of the cats, regardless of their sex, sexual status, breed, or housing condition (outdoor/indoor). Stress-related behaviors were evaluated in 12 cats over three underwater treadmill sessions. GEE analysis showed a trend toward reduced odds of stress expression with successive sessions (OR = 0.58, <em>p</em> = 0.050), with no significant change in stress counts (RR = 0.91, <em>p</em> = 0.37). Age was not associated with stress measures. Cats preferring play as reinforcement showed markedly fewer stress signs than those preferring food (RR ≈ 0.19, <em>p</em> = 0.01). Early identification of stress allows the cat to start and follow the rehabilitation program without prior exclusion, assuring wellness and appropriate rehabilitation treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106803"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behavior and physiological responses to acoustic stimuli in Taurine and Zebuine cattle","authors":"Roberta Farias Silveira ,&nbsp;Vivian Fischer ,&nbsp;Ricardo Zambarda Vaz ,&nbsp;Adroaldo Zanella ,&nbsp;Willian Barros ,&nbsp;Isabella Dias Barbosa Silveira","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taurine and zebu cattle behave distinctly modulated by their genotype and previous experience. We hypothesized that the greater reactivity of Zebu compared with Taurine cattle during daily routine management practice is partially due to the faster perception of sounds. This study aimed to evaluate behavioral and physiological variables of taurines and zebuines before and after the exposure to six acoustic stimuli and a control (without acoustic stimulus). Thirty-nine cows, comprising 19 Aberdeen Angus, AA (<em>Bos taurus taurus</em>) and 20 Nellore (<em>Bos taurus indicus</em>) were enrolled in this study. Six acoustic stimuli were evaluated. The three sounds evaluated were calves mooing, dogs barking and handler commands (e.g. stimulating displacement of cattle), and the sound frequencies were low (65 Hz), intermediate (8 kHz) and high (20 kHz). At each acoustic stimulus, we considered the first behavioral reaction expressed by the animals and the behaviors were registered in an ethogram. Immediately before and after the acoustic stimuli test, we measured body temperature with a thermographic camera (IRT) at the right and left lacrimal caruncles, and at the muzzle as well we determined blood glucose concentration. Further, on other date, reactivity was evaluated using flight distance and behavior score and the interaural distance was measured. The study was conducted according to factorial considering genetic group and acoustic stimuli, and each cow was considered an experimental unit, totaling 39 cows (19 AA and 20 Nellore). AA and Nellore cows did not exhibit any of the behaviors linked to hearing in the absence of sound stimuli. All acoustic stimuli provoked behavior reactions in both groups, notably handler commands, dogs barking, low and high frequencies lead to increased frequency and odds ratio of presenting head movement, ears directed towards the sound source in Nellore compared with AA. Blood glucose concentration and IRT measured at the muzzle were similar for groups, while IRT at the both lacrimal caruncles increased after acoustic stimuli test only in Nellore group. The interaural distance was shorter in Nellore compared with AA cows. Nellore cows had greater values for behavior score and flight distance than AA cows. Compared with AA cows, Nellore cows are more reactive and exhibit higher frequency of behaviors related to sound perception (e.g., head movement, ears in alert position or directed towards the sound) probably linked to faster sound perception due to their shorter interaural distance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106801"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behavioral and systemic differences in Holstein cows with known severity of rumen acidosis during low and high-grain feeding","authors":"Rana Muhammad Atif ,&nbsp;Patrick Biber ,&nbsp;Thomas Hartinger ,&nbsp;Ezequias Castillo-Lopez ,&nbsp;Nicole Reisinger ,&nbsp;Qendrim Zebeli","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated behavioral and systemic differences in second-lactation Holstein cows with known susceptibility to subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) when transitioned from a low to high-grain diet. Eighteen cows (9 SARA-susceptible, 9 SARA-resistant; 646 ± 59 kg body weight) were used in a longitudinal experimental design, with two experimental runs. In each run, the cows were first fed a 40 % concentrate diet for 2 weeks followed by a 65 % concentrate diet for 4 weeks. Behavioral parameters (chewing, lying, eating, ruminating, feed sorting), salivary characteristics, milk production, and blood metabolites were evaluated. SARA-resistant cows exhibited greater rumination activity (rumination time, chews per bolus, chews per minute; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), higher body weight (<em>P</em> = 0.04), and elevated serum total protein (<em>P</em> = 0.01), despite no differences in ruminal pH indices. The dietary shift to high-grain significantly affected most behavioral, production, and physiological parameters (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), including increased sorting for physically effective fiber (peNDF), eating rate, meal frequency, milk yield, milk protein, blood glucose, and salivary osmolality, alongside reductions in rumination time, eating duration, milk fat, and blood lipid metabolites. Significant SARA type × diet interactions were observed in rumination indices, eating behavior (visit size, number of meals), blood glucose, and non-esterified fatty acids concentrations, with SARA-resistant cows showing improved metabolic adaptation during the high-grain phase. In conclusion, cows previously identified as SARA-resistant demonstrated enhanced behavioral and metabolic resilience to high-grain diets, suggesting that prior SARA status may influence adaptation strategies during dietary transitions. Additional research is suggested to evaluate prolonged impact of high-grain diets on behavioral and production parameters across different SARA phenotypes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106800"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144918053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking foraging behaviour of free-ranging, lactating beef cows with diet quality and weight gain in semi-arid rangeland","authors":"David J. Augustine ,&nbsp;Monte J. Reed ,&nbsp;Sean P. Kearney ,&nbsp;Lauren M. Porensky ,&nbsp;J. Derek Scasta ,&nbsp;David W. Pellatz ,&nbsp;Justin D. Derner","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monitoring free-ranging livestock foraging behaviour and health with on-animal sensors has emerged as a potential means to enhance adaptive management for ranching operations. We evaluated the use of GPS collars collecting animal locations at 5-min intervals and estimating activity (grazing, walking, or stationary) via a 3-axis accelerometer to quantify foraging behaviour of lactating <em>Bos taurus</em> beef cows with calves on a ∼7600 ha working ranch in a sagebrush grassland ecotone in northeast Wyoming. We used this sensor data to quantify five metrics of foraging behaviour at a daily time step including (1) mean velocity while grazing (VG), (2) mean grazing bout duration (GBD), (3) mean turn angle while grazing (TAG), (4) total daily grazing time (TTG) and (5) total daily travel distance (TD), and related these metrics to measurements of cattle diet quality, weight gain, and stock density. While foraging behaviour metrics varied among individual cows, we found that daily estimates of VG, GBD, TAG and TD were all significantly related to stock density and variation in remotely-sensed estimates of dietary crude protein content. Over longer time periods of weeks to months, cattle diet quality and weight gain were significantly related to VG (positive correlation; R² = 0.42 – 0.87), and GBD (negative correlation; R² = 0.58 – 0.78). These findings indicate that ranchers have the ability to influence diet quality and animal performance via (1) the rotation of herds among pastures of varying composition and quality, and (2) changes in herd size relative to pasture size (i.e., animal density). Furthermore, our results indicate there is substantial potential utility for near-real-time monitoring of foraging behaviour as an indicator of animal performance via the combination of GPS tracking, accelerometer data, and a method to wirelessly transmit data to the internet. However, operationalizing such a system will likely depend on continuing improvements in sensor durability and data management efficiency, and reductions in sensor and data transmission costs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106802"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of automated short-term incomplete milking during peak to mid lactation on udder firmness, heart-rate variability, and behavior recordings in dairy cows","authors":"Robin Joest ,&nbsp;Jenny Stracke ,&nbsp;Ute Müller","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Incomplete Milking can strategically be used to induce short-term milk yield reduction, benefiting dairy cows’ metabolism without affecting long-term productivity. However, while intermitted milking has been associated with elevated udder pressure and discomfort in dairy cows, incomplete milking´s welfare effects remain less well studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of automated short-term incomplete milking on udder filling and udder firmness, as well as on the welfare of dairy cows, by assessing heart rate variability (HRV) and behavior recordings. Udder healthy, multiparous dairy cows in peak- to mid-lactation were randomly assigned to the complete milking treatment (COMP; n = 23, 95 ± 49 days in milk, lactation number 3.0 ± 1.3 (mean ± SD)) or the incomplete milking treatment (INCL; n = 23, 93 ± 46 days in milk, lactation number 2.6 ± 0.8 (mean ± SD)). The incomplete milking consisted of two phases: In the 1st phase, milk withdrawal was gradually reduced by 9 %/day over 5.5 days, resulting in app. 40 % reduction and was followed by 3 complete milkings. Subsequently, in the 2nd phase, the 40 % reduction was maintained consistently for further 5.5 days. Milk yield did not differ between treatments before incomplete milking (COMP: 39.1 ± 1.42 kg/day; INCL: 40.2 ± 1.66 kg/day (mean ± SEM) and a 43 % reduced milk withdrawal was effectively achieved at the end of the 1st phase and throughout the 2nd phase. In INCL cows, udder filling increased, and udder firmness before milking was elevated on average by 18 % during the 1st and by 22 % during the 2nd phase, compared to COMP cows. After milking, udder firmness was on average 33 % higher in INCL cows throughout both phases. Udder health was not affected by incomplete milking and it had no effect on HRV indices, which remained consistent between groups and over time (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). No defense behavior was observed in the milking parlor, and behavior recordings in the barn showed no differences between treatments. This study demonstrates that, even though automated short-term incomplete milking resulted in increased udder filling and firmness – suggesting elevated residual milk and internal udder pressure –, incomplete milking does not indicate adverse effects on the welfare of dairy cows based on the indicators evaluated in this study. These findings support incomplete milking as a viable management strategy for dairy cows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106798"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grief-like distress responses in horses after the death of a conspecific","authors":"Claire Ricci-Bonot ,&nbsp;Emily Wilson ,&nbsp;Stefania Uccheddu ,&nbsp;Daniel Simon Mills","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a social species, it would be anticipated that horses may display altered behaviours toward dying or dead conspecifics. However, there is remarkably little literature on this subject. The aim of this study was to identify behavioural changes in horses who have experienced the loss of a companion equid. An online survey was used to collect data on the housing and management of the equids, information on the surviving and deceased equid (including relationship), the passing of the deceased equid, and the type and duration of immediate and sustained behavioural changes in the surviving horse. The survey was completed for 325 surviving horses. Horse owners reported multiple changes in behaviour in the surviving horse within 24 h of the companion’s death; most often related to arousal (88.96 %), behaviour directed towards other equids (77.67 %) and people (77.64 %), alertness to stimuli (72.92 %) and vocalisation (68.63 %). Multiple logistic regression models indicate that horses who had shared an affectionate relationship, rather than simply tolerated each other, were more likely to change their excitement to interact with others or at feeding time (parental-dependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.006; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.023) and behaviour towards humans (parental-dependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.026; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.029). These behavioural changes often persisted for 6 months after the death of their companion. Horses who had witnessed the death of their companion were more likely to show alterations in time spent sleeping (p = 0.028) and feeding (p = 0.030) within 24 h of death, compared to before companion death. These surviving horses were also more likely to have a change in excitement towards interacting with others and/or around feeding time (p = 0.004) and vigilance (p = 0.016). Whether or not the surviving horse had spent time with the dead body did not affect its behaviour in the first 24 h of loss. However, within 6 months after the death of the companion, horses who could spend time with the body had no change in vocalisation (p = 0.005) and excitement to interact with others and/or to feed time (p = 0.022). Conversely, horses who could not spend time with the body were more likely to show a change in arousal (p = 0.038) and vigilance (p = 0.033). These findings indicate that horses may express grief-related behaviours, but further independent empirical evidence is required. The death of a companion can have negative consequences for the survivor’s welfare. This study may help owners manage emotional welfare better during this difficult time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dairy cow personality: Associations with home pen behavior and performance","authors":"P. Hasenpusch ,&nbsp;T. Wilder ,&nbsp;A. Seidel ,&nbsp;K. Dannen ,&nbsp;G. Thaller","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Personality traits cause inter-individual variation in behavior and therefore represent an important factor of dairy cow health and wellbeing. As personality traits are usually assessed by conducting behavioral tests in an experimental arena, the question remains, how personality traits may differ in home pen behavior. Furthermore, it remains unclear, to what extent personality traits, home pen behavior and performance of dairy cows are associated. In this context, we recorded the milk yield, milk contents and feeding behavior of 271 cows for 14 days prior to conducting a novel object test, followed by a forced human approach test. For the same period the lying and walking behavior of a subset (36 cows) was additionally tracked via a real time location system. Using linear models, we estimated the association of traits inferred from test measurements with home pen behavior and production characteristics. These models included the cows exploration, boldness, sociability and trust in humans score as well as pairwise interactions between them. Two parameters describing home pen behavior were affected by interactions of personality traits. Within the group of less bold cows, the level of exploration was positively associated with the number of lying bouts per day. Furthermore, within the group of less explorative cows, the less bold cows had a higher variance in their walking bout duration than bold cows. Among production characteristics, feed intake was affected by different levels of exploration, sociability and trust. The effects depended on the expression of interacting traits such as boldness, sociability and trust. Most of these interactions also influenced milk yield and milk contents. This influence may be attributed to changes in the feeding behavior, which, in turn, is influenced by personality. However, milk yield and milk constitution were also influenced by boldness, when cows were additionally characterized as less sociable. Thereby the results indicates that personality and production may be related by other mechanisms. Regarding these findings, we suggest further research focusing on particular associations to determine causal relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Creep heating in outdoor farrowing huts may increase piglet welfare without impacting survival and growth","authors":"Jens Malmkvist ,&nbsp;Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager ,&nbsp;Lene Juul Pedersen","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Newborn piglets are prone to hypothermia, and higher mortalities are suggested in outdoor farrowing huts. Therefore, we investigated whether creep heating during the first 7 days after parturition improves piglet survival and welfare. Data (location, behaviour, weight, mortality) were collected from birth to weaning at 7 weeks from 88 litters across seasons. Each hut contained four pens, half with a heated (HEAT) piglet creep area and half of these had a metal bar (‘pendulum’) to support the sow's lying-down movement. The position of the sow at birth influenced the first piglet entry to the creep (rump facing creep: median 87 min vs snout facing creep: 191 min after the birth of the first piglet; P = 0.037). During the first day of life (D0), creep usage was low (2.6 ± 0.65 % of observations) regardless of heating (P = 0.20) and season (P = 0.38; spring: 1.5 %, summer: 2.7 %, autumn: 1.8 %, winter: 3.1 %). Most piglets on D0 were at the udder (71.5 ± 1.83 %) or in the pen, away from the sow (25.9 ± 1.87 %). Creep usage increased after D0, with more piglets inside if heated (D2, HEAT: 28.0 ± 3.16 % vs not: 6.8 ± 1.85 %; P &lt; 0.001), at the expense of being in the pen without sow contact (HEAT: 16.6 ± 2.76 % vs unheated: 32.5 ± 3.06 %; P &lt; 0.001). HEAT did not influence piglets in udder contact (e.g. on D2, P = 0.21). We found no effect of HEAT on piglet survival (P = 0.54) and growth (P = 0.35) based on weighing individuals D1, D21, and D49. From D1 to weaning, 16.2 % of liveborn piglets died. The risk of piglet dying tended to higher in piglets being fostered by another sow (in contrast to their biological mother; P = 0.085) and higher for males (Hazard ratio vs females: 1.4; P = 0.004). Piglet Average Daily Gain (ADG) decreased with increasing litter size at weaning (P &lt; 0.001) and was positively associated with the parity of the sow (P = 0.042). Season influenced the piglet ADG (P &lt; 0.001), being higher during spring (g/day: 321 ± 12^a) and autumn (338 ± 12 ^a) than summer (272 ± 11^b; winter: 297 ± 14^ab). Piglets fostered by another sow had lower ADG (283 ± 13 vs native piglets of the litter: 331 ± 5 g/day; P &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, heating resulted in more piglets using of the creep early in life on postnatal day 2, especially in cold weather (mean outdoor temperature effect; P = 0.030), indicating a need for more thermal zones inside the hut. These results suggest that additional hut features like heating may increase piglet welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}