Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870
Rodrigo Mendes Aguiar , Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo , Nicolas Châline
In Brazil, a lower economically developed country (LEDC) with a high proportion of endemic parrot species and strong cultural traditions in parrot keeping, wing clipping remains a widespread practice among caregivers of companion psittacines to limit flight and facilitate handling. Although often justified as a preventive measure, its welfare implications and the motivations guiding its use remain underexplored. This study evaluated the prevalence of wing clipping, caregivers’ perceptions of its effects on welfare, and the sources of information influencing this decision. Importantly, the findings are specific to the Brazilian context and may not be generalized to other countries, where parrot keeping traditions, husbandry practices, and cultural attitudes toward parrots can differ substantially. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between wing clipping and caregiver profiles. Most respondents reported having clipped their birds’ wings at some point, although current use was more evenly distributed. Caregivers who had been advised by veterinarians or breeders were significantly more likely to perform wing clipping compared to those who received information from friends or online sources. While a large proportion of participants acknowledged that flight restriction might compromise psittacine welfare by limiting the expression of natural behaviors, many still considered wing clipping necessary or harmless. Previous exposure to flight training was associated with a lower probability of wing clipping. Overall, the results indicate that caregiver decisions in Brazil are influenced by both traditional guidance and increasing awareness of welfare principles. The prominent role of veterinarians and breeders in shaping caregiver behavior highlights the need for updated, welfare-aligned guidance regarding psittacine management.
{"title":"Wing clipping does not make birds safer: Caregiver perceptions, practices, and associated risks in Brazil","authors":"Rodrigo Mendes Aguiar , Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo , Nicolas Châline","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Brazil, a lower economically developed country (LEDC) with a high proportion of endemic parrot species and strong cultural traditions in parrot keeping, wing clipping remains a widespread practice among caregivers of companion psittacines to limit flight and facilitate handling. Although often justified as a preventive measure, its welfare implications and the motivations guiding its use remain underexplored. This study evaluated the prevalence of wing clipping, caregivers’ perceptions of its effects on welfare, and the sources of information influencing this decision. Importantly, the findings are specific to the Brazilian context and may not be generalized to other countries, where parrot keeping traditions, husbandry practices, and cultural attitudes toward parrots can differ substantially. Generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze associations between wing clipping and caregiver profiles. Most respondents reported having clipped their birds’ wings at some point, although current use was more evenly distributed. Caregivers who had been advised by veterinarians or breeders were significantly more likely to perform wing clipping compared to those who received information from friends or online sources. While a large proportion of participants acknowledged that flight restriction might compromise psittacine welfare by limiting the expression of natural behaviors, many still considered wing clipping necessary or harmless. Previous exposure to flight training was associated with a lower probability of wing clipping. Overall, the results indicate that caregiver decisions in Brazil are influenced by both traditional guidance and increasing awareness of welfare principles. The prominent role of veterinarians and breeders in shaping caregiver behavior highlights the need for updated, welfare-aligned guidance regarding psittacine management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106870"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145577885","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106865
Ribas. J.C.R. , Grajales-Cedeño J.K , Ribeiro. W , Pertile G , Paranhos da Costa M.J.R
Efforts have been made to reduce tail docking in pigs and increase tail length. However, insufficient knowledge is available on the effect of short docking under tropical conditions. This study aimed to assess whether it is possible to raise pigs with only the final part of the tail docked under Brazilian commercial conditions using simple environmental enrichment strategies. A total of 880 pigs of the synthetic Pietran line were randomly assigned to two treatments: NEE = control, no environmental enrichment (n = 439), and WEE = with environmental enrichment (n = 441). All piglets had the final third of their tails docked on the second day of life. Branched chains and sisal ropes were used for environmental enrichment analysis. Behavioral, health, and performance indicators were recorded during the nursery and rearing/finishing phases of the experiment. A contingency plan was implemented when a tail biting outbreak occurred. A higher percentage of pigs preferred to interact with sisal ropes than with branched chains in both phases (p < 0.05). NEE pigs showed a tendency (p = 0.08) towards a higher occurrence of tail-biting during the nursery phase, leading to severe injuries. No WEE pigs exhibited severe injuries from tail biting. The contingency plan was implemented only in the NEE pens during both the nursery and rearing/finishing phases (19.05 % and 52.0 %, respectively). The selection rate of animals suitable for reproduction, final body weight, and average daily weight gain did not differ among the treatments (P > 0.05). We conclude that enriching the pen during the nursery and rearing/finishing phases has beneficial effects on the welfare of pigs raised under Brazilian commercial conditions with the final third of the tail removed.
{"title":"Effects of environmental enrichment on the welfare of pigs raised under Brazilian commercial conditions with the final third of the tail docked","authors":"Ribas. J.C.R. , Grajales-Cedeño J.K , Ribeiro. W , Pertile G , Paranhos da Costa M.J.R","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efforts have been made to reduce tail docking in pigs and increase tail length. However, insufficient knowledge is available on the effect of short docking under tropical conditions. This study aimed to assess whether it is possible to raise pigs with only the final part of the tail docked under Brazilian commercial conditions using simple environmental enrichment strategies. A total of 880 pigs of the synthetic Pietran line were randomly assigned to two treatments: NEE = control, no environmental enrichment (n = 439), and WEE = with environmental enrichment (n = 441). All piglets had the final third of their tails docked on the second day of life. Branched chains and sisal ropes were used for environmental enrichment analysis. Behavioral, health, and performance indicators were recorded during the nursery and rearing/finishing phases of the experiment. A contingency plan was implemented when a tail biting outbreak occurred. A higher percentage of pigs preferred to interact with sisal ropes than with branched chains in both phases (p < 0.05). NEE pigs showed a tendency (p = 0.08) towards a higher occurrence of tail-biting during the nursery phase, leading to severe injuries. No WEE pigs exhibited severe injuries from tail biting. The contingency plan was implemented only in the NEE pens during both the nursery and rearing/finishing phases (19.05 % and 52.0 %, respectively). The selection rate of animals suitable for reproduction, final body weight, and average daily weight gain did not differ among the treatments (P > 0.05). We conclude that enriching the pen during the nursery and rearing/finishing phases has beneficial effects on the welfare of pigs raised under Brazilian commercial conditions with the final third of the tail removed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106865"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145486399","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874
Travis E. Stoakley , Sarah M. Chinn , David A. Keiter , Linda S. Lee , James C. Beasley
The ability to monitor and anticipate reproductive activity is essential to effectively control invasive wildlife species, especially for globally-distributed vertebrates like wild pigs (Sus scrofa) that incur immense management costs each year. While recent studies have made substantial progress in clarifying the temporal dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology, several aspects of the spatial dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology warrant additional attention. Specifically, the factors that influence selection of nesting sites (called farrowing sites for wild pigs) are understudied. While previous studies have characterized nest dimensions, composition, and associated plant species, the multi-scale vegetation community composition and environmental predictors of farrowing site selection are relatively uncharacterized. To better understand the spatial component of wild pig farrowing site resource selection, we assessed the fine- and broad-scale land cover and environmental predictors of farrowing sites for 24 mature female wild pigs at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, between May 2016 – February 2020. Wild pigs monitored in our study established farrowing sites in areas with diverse understory vegetation and were always near water. Compared to farrowing sites used in autumn-winter, sites used in spring-summer had greater light intensity but not greater canopy cover. Nests were predominantly located in upland pine stands or hardwood-dominated riparian areas, and selection was generally proportional to the land cover composition of the study area. Distance to water was the only statistically predictive broad-scale land cover covariate of farrowing site selection in our study. Fine-scale vegetation analyses outperformed broad-scale analyses for predicting farrowing site selection, which inherently hinder managers’ ability to use publicly-available satellite imagery to readily identify areas where parturition is most likely to occur. Therefore, knowledge of fine-scale vegetation composition of an area can improve managers’ ability to discover active or recently used farrowing sites—signals of reproductive activity that are essential for managers to monitor during intensive management or eradication programs. Overall, understanding the spatial patterns of reproduction is important for managing and eradicating target invasive species, and the ability to monitor and anticipate where reproduction occurs around peak reproductive periods can guide management efforts.
{"title":"Multi-scale predictors of farrowing site selection of wild pigs (Sus scrofa)","authors":"Travis E. Stoakley , Sarah M. Chinn , David A. Keiter , Linda S. Lee , James C. Beasley","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ability to monitor and anticipate reproductive activity is essential to effectively control invasive wildlife species, especially for globally-distributed vertebrates like wild pigs (<em>Sus scrofa</em>) that incur immense management costs each year. While recent studies have made substantial progress in clarifying the temporal dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology, several aspects of the spatial dynamics of wild pig reproductive ecology warrant additional attention. Specifically, the factors that influence selection of nesting sites (called farrowing sites for wild pigs) are understudied. While previous studies have characterized nest dimensions, composition, and associated plant species, the multi-scale vegetation community composition and environmental predictors of farrowing site selection are relatively uncharacterized. To better understand the spatial component of wild pig farrowing site resource selection, we assessed the fine- and broad-scale land cover and environmental predictors of farrowing sites for 24 mature female wild pigs at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA, between May 2016 – February 2020. Wild pigs monitored in our study established farrowing sites in areas with diverse understory vegetation and were always near water. Compared to farrowing sites used in autumn-winter, sites used in spring-summer had greater light intensity but not greater canopy cover. Nests were predominantly located in upland pine stands or hardwood-dominated riparian areas, and selection was generally proportional to the land cover composition of the study area. Distance to water was the only statistically predictive broad-scale land cover covariate of farrowing site selection in our study. Fine-scale vegetation analyses outperformed broad-scale analyses for predicting farrowing site selection, which inherently hinder managers’ ability to use publicly-available satellite imagery to readily identify areas where parturition is most likely to occur. Therefore, knowledge of fine-scale vegetation composition of an area can improve managers’ ability to discover active or recently used farrowing sites—signals of reproductive activity that are essential for managers to monitor during intensive management or eradication programs. Overall, understanding the spatial patterns of reproduction is important for managing and eradicating target invasive species, and the ability to monitor and anticipate where reproduction occurs around peak reproductive periods can guide management efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690427","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}
<div><div>Activity sensors provide an objective means to track movement and allow for automatic recognition of behavioural patterns. This study validates the use of sensor-based analysis for assessing daily patterns and behavioural differences related to housing system, age, and season at the onset of preparation for licensing of young warmblood stallions. Warmblood stallions (<em>n</em> = 29), aged 2 years (born between March and June), were categorised based on their housing system: indoor group housing (T1-group: <em>n</em> = 9) or individual stables (<em>n</em> = 20). The individually stabled horses were further divided by month at the onset of preparation for licensing (T1-Ind: June (<em>n</em> = 10) vs. T2-Ind: October (<em>n</em> = 10)), resulting in three cohorts of comparable size. Each stallion wore an activity sensor on a collar for 24 coherent hours per week during the first three months of the preparation period (T1: June-August; T2: October-December). Behavioural analysis was conducted using a deep neural network trained to classify distinct individual activities, including eating, resting and active behaviours. The time budgets of these activities per horse were compared between the cohorts. All the horses in the study displayed appropriate time budgets for each behavioural category, spending approximately 50 % of the day eating, followed by 30–38 % resting and 14–18 % being active, which is consistent with typical species patterns. Group-housed stallions presented more active behaviour within the indoor housing system (χ² (4) = 17.1, <em>P</em> < 0.01), likely due to greater space and social interactions. Stallions in group housing also displayed stronger correlations with synchronous eating (χ² (2) = 77.5, <em>P</em> < 0.001), resting (χ² (2) = 68.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and active (χ² (2) = 63.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours, reflecting improved social cohesion. In contrast, individually stabled horses were more active in the paddock (χ² (4) = 44.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and covered greater distances, possibly compensating for reduced movement opportunities and limited social contact in the stable. Stallions trained in summer (T1) expressed more eating (χ² (4) = 25.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001) and less resting (χ² (4) = 28.7, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours compared to winter (T2), likely due to seasonal factors such as daylight duration. In conclusion, housing systems had subtle effects on the expression of activity time budgets. Group housing was associated with greater behavioural synchrony and increased voluntary movement. A shorter daylight duration led to reduced eating and increased resting behaviour. Limitations of this study include the absence of recorded social behaviours, and a fourth cohort of group-housed stallions entering the preparation period in October. Sensor-based activity monitoring has proven to be an effective method for objectively quantifying behavioural time budgets, providing a valuable
{"title":"Sensor-based analysis of behaviour time budgets in young warmblood stallions entering initial preparation for licensing","authors":"Fabienne Eichler , Lara Klitzing , Saskia Strutzke , Franziska Pilger , Laura Kroschel , Christa Thöne-Reineke , Gundula Hoffmann , Katharina Kirsch","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Activity sensors provide an objective means to track movement and allow for automatic recognition of behavioural patterns. This study validates the use of sensor-based analysis for assessing daily patterns and behavioural differences related to housing system, age, and season at the onset of preparation for licensing of young warmblood stallions. Warmblood stallions (<em>n</em> = 29), aged 2 years (born between March and June), were categorised based on their housing system: indoor group housing (T1-group: <em>n</em> = 9) or individual stables (<em>n</em> = 20). The individually stabled horses were further divided by month at the onset of preparation for licensing (T1-Ind: June (<em>n</em> = 10) vs. T2-Ind: October (<em>n</em> = 10)), resulting in three cohorts of comparable size. Each stallion wore an activity sensor on a collar for 24 coherent hours per week during the first three months of the preparation period (T1: June-August; T2: October-December). Behavioural analysis was conducted using a deep neural network trained to classify distinct individual activities, including eating, resting and active behaviours. The time budgets of these activities per horse were compared between the cohorts. All the horses in the study displayed appropriate time budgets for each behavioural category, spending approximately 50 % of the day eating, followed by 30–38 % resting and 14–18 % being active, which is consistent with typical species patterns. Group-housed stallions presented more active behaviour within the indoor housing system (χ² (4) = 17.1, <em>P</em> < 0.01), likely due to greater space and social interactions. Stallions in group housing also displayed stronger correlations with synchronous eating (χ² (2) = 77.5, <em>P</em> < 0.001), resting (χ² (2) = 68.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and active (χ² (2) = 63.8, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours, reflecting improved social cohesion. In contrast, individually stabled horses were more active in the paddock (χ² (4) = 44.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001), and covered greater distances, possibly compensating for reduced movement opportunities and limited social contact in the stable. Stallions trained in summer (T1) expressed more eating (χ² (4) = 25.6, <em>P</em> < 0.001) and less resting (χ² (4) = 28.7, <em>P</em> < 0.001) behaviours compared to winter (T2), likely due to seasonal factors such as daylight duration. In conclusion, housing systems had subtle effects on the expression of activity time budgets. Group housing was associated with greater behavioural synchrony and increased voluntary movement. A shorter daylight duration led to reduced eating and increased resting behaviour. Limitations of this study include the absence of recorded social behaviours, and a fourth cohort of group-housed stallions entering the preparation period in October. Sensor-based activity monitoring has proven to be an effective method for objectively quantifying behavioural time budgets, providing a valuable","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106873"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145621648","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}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875
Francisco Ceacero , Maxime Bruneau , Martina Komárková , Radim Kotrba
Understanding the mechanisms underlying social hierarchy formation in ungulates is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of group living and intraspecific interactions. While absolute cues are used in every study, relative ones are frequently neglected. We investigated the role of absolute and relative morphometric traits as cues for assessing social rank in common elands (Tragelaphus oryx), a gregarious ungulate species with complex fission-fusion social structures. Through detailed observations and image analysis of 17 adult females and 22 males in two captive herds, we examined the relationships between absolute and relative morphometric traits (horn, body, and dewlap size) and social rank. Initial analyses showed that most absolute variables correlate with social rank in females, while just a few relative ones weakly correlated with rank. On the contrary, only dewlap-related variables, both absolute and relative, correlated with rank in males. This result is probably connected to the different functions of horns and dewlap for each gender. After deeper modelling, age emerged as a significant predictor of social rank, with older individuals occupying higher positions within the social hierarchy, being the main determinant of rank in females (no absolute or relative influence of body, horns or dewlap morphometrics), while the relative size of the dewlap was confirmed as a main determinant of rank in males. These results suggest that individuals may rely more on cues related to dewlap size, which may offer more easily discernible signals of dominance compared to absolute morphometric traits such as horn length or body size. Our study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing social hierarchy formation in social ungulates and highlights the importance of considering both absolute and relative morphometric traits in understanding dominance signalling mechanisms.
{"title":"Absolute vs. relative morphometric traits as indicators of social rank in common elands","authors":"Francisco Ceacero , Maxime Bruneau , Martina Komárková , Radim Kotrba","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the mechanisms underlying social hierarchy formation in ungulates is crucial for elucidating the dynamics of group living and intraspecific interactions. While absolute cues are used in every study, relative ones are frequently neglected. We investigated the role of absolute and relative morphometric traits as cues for assessing social rank in common elands (<em>Tragelaphus oryx</em>), a gregarious ungulate species with complex fission-fusion social structures. Through detailed observations and image analysis of 17 adult females and 22 males in two captive herds, we examined the relationships between absolute and relative morphometric traits (horn, body, and dewlap size) and social rank. Initial analyses showed that most absolute variables correlate with social rank in females, while just a few relative ones weakly correlated with rank. On the contrary, only dewlap-related variables, both absolute and relative, correlated with rank in males. This result is probably connected to the different functions of horns and dewlap for each gender. After deeper modelling, age emerged as a significant predictor of social rank, with older individuals occupying higher positions within the social hierarchy, being the main determinant of rank in females (no absolute or relative influence of body, horns or dewlap morphometrics), while the relative size of the dewlap was confirmed as a main determinant of rank in males. These results suggest that individuals may rely more on cues related to dewlap size, which may offer more easily discernible signals of dominance compared to absolute morphometric traits such as horn length or body size. Our study provides valuable insights into the factors influencing social hierarchy formation in social ungulates and highlights the importance of considering both absolute and relative morphometric traits in understanding dominance signalling mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"294 ","pages":"Article 106875"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690426","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}
引用次数: 0
IF 2 2区 农林科学Q1 AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106813
Laize Guedes do Carmo , Matheus Borges de Carvalho , Pedro Vicente Michelotto , Ruan Rolnei Daros
Personality traits may be linked to the development of abnormal behaviours in horses. However, abnormal behaviour could represent an attempt to adapt to the environment to improve the horses' emotional state. This study aimed to investigate whether personality traits can predict the expression of acute abnormal behaviours in horses stabled for a short period and whether the emotional state is influenced by the occurrence of these abnormal behavioural responses or by personality traits. To this end, fifteen mixed breed adult mares, housed outdoors, underwent three validated equine personality tests (open field test, novel object test, and startle test) and a new behavioural test aimed to assess neuroticism in horses. Subsequently, the mares were housed in individual stalls for three consecutive days and were filmed using continuous focal sampling to monitor acute abnormal behavioural responses. At the end of the third day, three additional tests were conducted to assess the emotional state of the mares in the stalls: memory bias test, judgement bias test, and attention test. The results showed that the mares exhibited box walking behaviour but no other abnormal behaviour when housed for three days in an individual box stall. Box walking events were counted and ranked according to the frequency observed in each mare. The median of these values was used to separate the mares into two groups categorized as with and without abnormal behaviour. Principal component analyses were performed to extract the main personality traits from each test; however, there was no association between the extract traits and the groups with and without abnormal behaviour. Additionally, no association was found between box walking frequency and the responses in the memory, judgement, and attention tests. When testing the association of personality traits with cognitive tests, neuroticism showed an association with the memory test, the insecurity trait (novel object test) was negatively associated with the judgement bias test, and the duration of the first alert event (startle test) and neuroticism were associated with the attention test. This study identified box walking within the first three days of housing; however, it was not possible to associate this behaviour with personality traits or cognitive test responses. Nevertheless, certain personality traits, including neuroticism, may be associated with horses' cognitive responses over a short period of individual housing.
{"title":"Assessment of the interrelationship between personality traits, emotional states and abnormal behaviour in horses","authors":"Laize Guedes do Carmo , Matheus Borges de Carvalho , Pedro Vicente Michelotto , Ruan Rolnei Daros","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Personality traits may be linked to the development of abnormal behaviours in horses. However, abnormal behaviour could represent an attempt to adapt to the environment to improve the horses' emotional state. This study aimed to investigate whether personality traits can predict the expression of acute abnormal behaviours in horses stabled for a short period and whether the emotional state is influenced by the occurrence of these abnormal behavioural responses or by personality traits. To this end, fifteen mixed breed adult mares, housed outdoors, underwent three validated equine personality tests (open field test, novel object test, and startle test) and a new behavioural test aimed to assess neuroticism in horses. Subsequently, the mares were housed in individual stalls for three consecutive days and were filmed using continuous focal sampling to monitor acute abnormal behavioural responses. At the end of the third day, three additional tests were conducted to assess the emotional state of the mares in the stalls: memory bias test, judgement bias test, and attention test. The results showed that the mares exhibited box walking behaviour but no other abnormal behaviour when housed for three days in an individual box stall. Box walking events were counted and ranked according to the frequency observed in each mare. The median of these values was used to separate the mares into two groups categorized as with and without abnormal behaviour. Principal component analyses were performed to extract the main personality traits from each test; however, there was no association between the extract traits and the groups with and without abnormal behaviour. Additionally, no association was found between box walking frequency and the responses in the memory, judgement, and attention tests. When testing the association of personality traits with cognitive tests, neuroticism showed an association with the memory test, the insecurity trait (novel object test) was negatively associated with the judgement bias test, and the duration of the first alert event (startle test) and neuroticism were associated with the attention test. This study identified box walking within the first three days of housing; however, it was not possible to associate this behaviour with personality traits or cognitive test responses. Nevertheless, certain personality traits, including neuroticism, may be associated with horses' cognitive responses over a short period of individual housing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106813"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690735","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-22DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106842
Kris Descovich, Ruan Daros, Andreia de Paula Vieira, Thiago Bernardino, Peta Taylor
{"title":"Animals and society: Striking the right balance through ethology. Preface for the special issue of the 57th congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology","authors":"Kris Descovich, Ruan Daros, Andreia de Paula Vieira, Thiago Bernardino, Peta Taylor","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106842","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106842","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106842"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690736","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}
In-home palatability testing of cat foods has the benefit of producing outcomes that are highly representative for the target pet population. Here, we determined the minimal in-home cat food palatability study duration and sample size. Privately-owned cats participated in either a one-bowl acceptance test (14 female,18 male; 6.2 ± 4.6 yr; 4.5 ± 1.3 kg) or two-bowl preference test (13 female, 17 male; 5.9 ± 3.3 yr; 4.3 ± 1.1 kg) where they were provided two complete extruded dry foods. The two foods provided were formulated to contain either a high (food HHP and HLP) or low contrast (food LHP and LLP) in palatability. The one-bowl test was done in a cross-over design. Feeding periods for both tests were 10 days and food leftovers were weighed daily to assess test food intake. Food intake percentages (one-bowl) and ratios (two-bowl) were analyzed across days using repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc Tukey tests. Bootstrap sampling was used to assess the impact of increasing the number of test days and sample size on the precision of the food intake estimates. There were no significant differences across days in one-bowl food intakes nor two-bowl intake ratios regardless of foods indicating that one test day suffices. More test days did reduce variation in the food intake measurements, thus increasing precision, but decreased test accuracy as cats with low food intake became missing values when dropping out of the study population. Increases in sample size increased precision, and the required number of cats for reliable outcomes varied between foods, food intake measurements and chosen margin of error. When implementing a margin of error of 10 %, sample sizes would range from 12 to 43 cats in one-bowl trials, depending on the food in the acceptance test, and 17–23 cats in two-bowl trials, depending on the contrast in palatability between the foods in the preference test. The development of protocols for in-home palatability testing of cat foods may progress further by identifying and controlling sources of variation in the cats’ food intakes as a means to increase the precision of measurements.
{"title":"Determining key protocol requirements for in-home cat food palatability testing","authors":"Evelien Bos , Wouter H. Hendriks , Bonne Beerda , Guido Bosch","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106843","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106843","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In-home palatability testing of cat foods has the benefit of producing outcomes that are highly representative for the target pet population. Here, we determined the minimal in-home cat food palatability study duration and sample size. Privately-owned cats participated in either a one-bowl acceptance test (14 female,18 male; 6.2 ± 4.6 yr; 4.5 ± 1.3 kg) or two-bowl preference test (13 female, 17 male; 5.9 ± 3.3 yr; 4.3 ± 1.1 kg) where they were provided two complete extruded dry foods. The two foods provided were formulated to contain either a high (food H<sub>HP</sub> and H<sub>LP</sub>) or low contrast (food L<sub>HP</sub> and L<sub>LP</sub>) in palatability. The one-bowl test was done in a cross-over design. Feeding periods for both tests were 10 days and food leftovers were weighed daily to assess test food intake. Food intake percentages (one-bowl) and ratios (two-bowl) were analyzed across days using repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc Tukey tests. Bootstrap sampling was used to assess the impact of increasing the number of test days and sample size on the precision of the food intake estimates. There were no significant differences across days in one-bowl food intakes nor two-bowl intake ratios regardless of foods indicating that one test day suffices. More test days did reduce variation in the food intake measurements, thus increasing precision, but decreased test accuracy as cats with low food intake became missing values when dropping out of the study population. Increases in sample size increased precision, and the required number of cats for reliable outcomes varied between foods, food intake measurements and chosen margin of error. When implementing a margin of error of 10 %, sample sizes would range from 12 to 43 cats in one-bowl trials, depending on the food in the acceptance test, and 17–23 cats in two-bowl trials, depending on the contrast in palatability between the foods in the preference test. The development of protocols for in-home palatability testing of cat foods may progress further by identifying and controlling sources of variation in the cats’ food intakes as a means to increase the precision of measurements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106843"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145425514","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}
This study examined elimination behaviors in neutered domestic cats (Felis catus L., 1758), with a focus on burying effort, olfactory inspection, and spatial patterns of feces and urine deposition. Sixty adult cats (26 males, 34 females), housed in a semi-natural shelter, were observed over 299 h throughout one year. Behavioral data were collected using the event sampling method, quantifying forelimb movements and the duration of burying both before and after excreta deposition. Cats consistently invested more behavioral effort in burying feces than urine (p < 0.0001), with females showing greater post-defecation investment than males (e.g., movements: females = 25.95; males = 15.30; p = 0.0041). Feces were predominantly deposited in peripheral zones, away from resting and feeding areas, whereas urine showed a more homogeneous spatial distribution (χ² > 48, p < 0.0001). Olfactory inspection occurred significantly more often following defecation than urination in both sexes (χ² > 261, p < 0.0001). These findings support the hypothesis that feces play a distinct communicative role and that excreta management is shaped by context-sensitive behavioral adjustments. The results contribute to the understanding of the ecological and social underpinnings of elimination behaviors in domestic cats, with potential applications for ethology, animal welfare, and scent-marking research.
{"title":"Burying and smelling – A comparative analysis of fecal and urinary elimination behaviors in neutered adult cats","authors":"Elisa Kefalás Trocon , Giovanne Ambrosio Ferreira , Gelson Genaro","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examined elimination behaviors in neutered domestic cats (<em>Felis catus</em> L., 1758), with a focus on burying effort, olfactory inspection, and spatial patterns of feces and urine deposition. Sixty adult cats (26 males, 34 females), housed in a semi-natural shelter, were observed over 299 h throughout one year. Behavioral data were collected using the event sampling method, quantifying forelimb movements and the duration of burying both before and after excreta deposition. Cats consistently invested more behavioral effort in burying feces than urine (p < 0.0001), with females showing greater post-defecation investment than males (e.g., movements: females = 25.95; males = 15.30; p = 0.0041). Feces were predominantly deposited in peripheral zones, away from resting and feeding areas, whereas urine showed a more homogeneous spatial distribution (χ² > 48, p < 0.0001). Olfactory inspection occurred significantly more often following defecation than urination in both sexes (χ² > 261, p < 0.0001). These findings support the hypothesis that feces play a distinct communicative role and that excreta management is shaped by context-sensitive behavioral adjustments. The results contribute to the understanding of the ecological and social underpinnings of elimination behaviors in domestic cats, with potential applications for ethology, animal welfare, and scent-marking research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106859"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145425515","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}
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