Pub Date : 2025-09-11DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106818
Lane I. Montgomery , Sarah Krichbaum , Jordan G. Smith , Pamela Haney , Lucia Lazarowski
Maternal care is an important factor in the behavioral development of offspring, with long-lasting impacts demonstrated in several species including dogs. However, maternal care styles and corresponding effects on puppy development vary across populations. The current study aimed to 1) characterize maternal behaviors during a 3-week post-parturition period in detection dogs (n = 27 litters), 2) identify factors influencing maternal care, and 3) examine relationships between maternal care and offspring behavioral outcomes. Maternal behaviors decreased over the three-week observation period (ps < .001) but individual variability remained stable over time (ps < .001). All behaviors of interest were summarized by a principal component analysis into a Maternal Care score. There was a significant interaction of delivery type and parity (p = .002) on maternal care, and aspects of dam temperament as assessed by the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) predicted amount of maternal care (p = .0164). Lastly, amount of maternal care predicted offspring working outcomes, such that dams exhibiting lower levels of care produced puppies that were more likely to be selected for operational service in the future (p = .025). These results extend findings on the effects of maternal care to a detection dog population, which has important implications for improving detection dog breeding and training success.
{"title":"Effects of maternal care on detection dog behavioral outcomes","authors":"Lane I. Montgomery , Sarah Krichbaum , Jordan G. Smith , Pamela Haney , Lucia Lazarowski","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maternal care is an important factor in the behavioral development of offspring, with long-lasting impacts demonstrated in several species including dogs. However, maternal care styles and corresponding effects on puppy development vary across populations. The current study aimed to 1) characterize maternal behaviors during a 3-week post-parturition period in detection dogs (n = 27 litters), 2) identify factors influencing maternal care, and 3) examine relationships between maternal care and offspring behavioral outcomes. Maternal behaviors decreased over the three-week observation period (<em>p</em>s < .001) but individual variability remained stable over time (<em>p</em>s < .001). All behaviors of interest were summarized by a principal component analysis into a Maternal Care score. There was a significant interaction of delivery type and parity (<em>p</em> = .002) on maternal care, and aspects of dam temperament as assessed by the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) predicted amount of maternal care (<em>p</em> = .0164). Lastly, amount of maternal care predicted offspring working outcomes, such that dams exhibiting lower levels of care produced puppies that were more likely to be selected for operational service in the future (<em>p</em> = .025). These results extend findings on the effects of maternal care to a detection dog population, which has important implications for improving detection dog breeding and training success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106818"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105011","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 : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106814
Jessica Stamn , Shylo Johnson , Richard Buchholz
Understanding what factors influence an animal’s decision-making process on what to eat and where to go is fundamental to creating management strategies. One focus of a management strategy is mitigating negative consequences from unwanted wildlife foraging such as over-predation of endangered species by the common raccoon (Procyon lotor). Many environmental factors can generate a ‘landscape of fear’ whereby animals modify their behavior and distribution in response to variation in predation risk. Utilizing direct cues from predators to instill fear in foraging raccoons could be a way to deter this mesopredator from areas where species of conservation concern are located. To test whether scent cues instill fear behavior in raccoons, we repeatedly tested captive raccoons’ foraging decisions in a food associated Y-maze in response to commercially available urine from various predators (Coyote- Canis latrans; Wolf- Canis lupus; Puma- Puma concolor). Raccoons significantly entered the maze more quickly in response to all predator scents, with coyote scent decreasing latency greater than wolf and puma scent. However, time spent in the maze did not differ when predator scent was used, or in response to any single scent. Raccoons spent different proportions of time in the arm with the predator scent, spending less time in the arm with coyote scent compared to the puma and wolf scent. These results contrast with the hypothesis that urine from predators leads to fear induced behaviors in raccoons, such as avoidance of areas smelling of predator urine. While direct cues from predators might influence a raccoon’s landscape of fear, commercially available predator urine does not alter their foraging behavior in a way that suggests success as a management strategy for raccoon deterrence from target areas.
{"title":"Commercially available olfactory cues from apex predators do not deter the raccoon (Procyon lotor), a problematic mesopredator","authors":"Jessica Stamn , Shylo Johnson , Richard Buchholz","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding what factors influence an animal’s decision-making process on what to eat and where to go is fundamental to creating management strategies. One focus of a management strategy is mitigating negative consequences from unwanted wildlife foraging such as over-predation of endangered species by the common raccoon (<em>Procyon lotor)</em>. Many environmental factors can generate a ‘landscape of fear’ whereby animals modify their behavior and distribution in response to variation in predation risk. Utilizing direct cues from predators to instill fear in foraging raccoons could be a way to deter this mesopredator from areas where species of conservation concern are located. To test whether scent cues instill fear behavior in raccoons, we repeatedly tested captive raccoons’ foraging decisions in a food associated Y-maze in response to commercially available urine from various predators (Coyote- <em>Canis latrans</em>; Wolf- <em>Canis lupus</em>; Puma- <em>Puma concolor</em>). Raccoons significantly entered the maze more quickly in response to all predator scents, with coyote scent decreasing latency greater than wolf and puma scent. However, time spent in the maze did not differ when predator scent was used, or in response to any single scent. Raccoons spent different proportions of time in the arm with the predator scent, spending less time in the arm with coyote scent compared to the puma and wolf scent. These results contrast with the hypothesis that urine from predators leads to fear induced behaviors in raccoons, such as avoidance of areas smelling of predator urine. While direct cues from predators might influence a raccoon’s landscape of fear, commercially available predator urine does not alter their foraging behavior in a way that suggests success as a management strategy for raccoon deterrence from target areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106814"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105022","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 : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106815
Catherine Kelly , Darren Marshall , Aiden Sydenham , Lachlan Marshall , Tatiana Proboste , Lana Harriott , Matthew Gentle
Feral pigs represent significant threats to the environments where they are introduced, both to the native flora and fauna, as well as agriculture and production systems as vectors of disease. Despite being subject to intermittent, intensive management efforts across much of their invaded range, how feral pigs respond spatially to control programs remains poorly understood. To examine behavioural responses to short-term aerial culling (current practice), feral pigs were fitted with GPS collars in southern Queensland, Australia at two sites with aerial culling and one nil-treatment site. Using continuous time movement models and recurse analysis, changes to feral pig home range size, location, overlap between individuals, and use of cover were compared between two consecutive months, pre- and post- aerial culling, or rainfall at the nil-treatment site. Significant disturbance did not have a consistent impact on feral pig spatial behaviour in terms of home range size, location, or home range overlap between individuals. Likewise, changes in daily activity and cover use by feral pigs were not consistent in response to aerial control. This was also reflected at the site with no aerial control, where feral pig spatial behaviour varied on a month-to-month basis and was inconsistent between the examined periods. Collectively, these results indicate that aerial culling did not represent a significant enough disturbance to induce changes in feral pig spatial behaviour, and highlights the plasticity and high spatiotemporal variability of feral pig habitat use on a month-to-month basis. The findings also support the use of aerial culling to manage pig populations, particularly during exotic disease incursions where dispersal of animals to uninfected areas must be avoided.
{"title":"Variable response to aerial culling demonstrates adaptability of feral pigs","authors":"Catherine Kelly , Darren Marshall , Aiden Sydenham , Lachlan Marshall , Tatiana Proboste , Lana Harriott , Matthew Gentle","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106815","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106815","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feral pigs represent significant threats to the environments where they are introduced, both to the native flora and fauna, as well as agriculture and production systems as vectors of disease. Despite being subject to intermittent, intensive management efforts across much of their invaded range, how feral pigs respond spatially to control programs remains poorly understood. To examine behavioural responses to short-term aerial culling (current practice), feral pigs were fitted with GPS collars in southern Queensland, Australia at two sites with aerial culling and one nil-treatment site. Using continuous time movement models and recurse analysis, changes to feral pig home range size, location, overlap between individuals, and use of cover were compared between two consecutive months, pre- and post- aerial culling, or rainfall at the nil-treatment site. Significant disturbance did not have a consistent impact on feral pig spatial behaviour in terms of home range size, location, or home range overlap between individuals. Likewise, changes in daily activity and cover use by feral pigs were not consistent in response to aerial control. This was also reflected at the site with no aerial control, where feral pig spatial behaviour varied on a month-to-month basis and was inconsistent between the examined periods. Collectively, these results indicate that aerial culling did not represent a significant enough disturbance to induce changes in feral pig spatial behaviour, and highlights the plasticity and high spatiotemporal variability of feral pig habitat use on a month-to-month basis. The findings also support the use of aerial culling to manage pig populations, particularly during exotic disease incursions where dispersal of animals to uninfected areas must be avoided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106815"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060257","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 investigates domestic cat management practices in New Zealand, focusing on attitudes toward free-roaming (e.g., unrestricted outdoor access) among cat owners and non-owners. Most owned cats in New Zealand have some form of outdoor access, a debated topic centered around wildlife conservation and cat safety. Understanding factors influencing owner views about free-roaming is crucial for policy development. We distributed an online questionnaire to New Zealand residents (n = 1846) assessing attitudes toward cat free-roaming, current management, and the factors that predict both. Cat owners (82.2 %) were more likely to indicate cats should be allowed to free-roam (P < 0.0001) and that free-roaming is necessary for cats to have a good life (P < 0.0001), compared to non-cat owners. Younger respondents were more likely to favour restricting outdoor access compared to older age groups (P < 0.05). Urban respondents favoured restricting outdoor access compared to suburban or rural-based respondents (P < 0.05). Among cat owners, those providing vertical space and/or scratching areas were less likely to support free-roaming (P < 0.05) compared to those not providing these items. Conversely, owners not providing litter boxes were more likely to support free-roaming (P < 0.05). Owners interacting more than once daily with their cat through play were less likely to believe that free-roaming was necessary and more likely to restrict outdoor access. These results identify specific owner characteristics and care practices associated with attitudes toward indoor and outdoor cat management; these insights can guide stakeholders developing cat welfare policies and educational programs.
{"title":"New Zealanders’ attitudes to outdoor access for owned domestic cats","authors":"Lauréline Guinnefollau , Hee Jin Chung , Carly Moody , Gosia Zobel , Natalie Waran , Renee Railton","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106817","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106817","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates domestic cat management practices in New Zealand, focusing on attitudes toward free-roaming (e.g., unrestricted outdoor access) among cat owners and non-owners. Most owned cats in New Zealand have some form of outdoor access, a debated topic centered around wildlife conservation and cat safety. Understanding factors influencing owner views about free-roaming is crucial for policy development. We distributed an online questionnaire to New Zealand residents (n = 1846) assessing attitudes toward cat free-roaming, current management, and the factors that predict both. Cat owners (82.2 %) were more likely to indicate cats should be allowed to free-roam (<em>P</em> < 0.0001) and that free-roaming is necessary for cats to have a good life (<em>P</em> < 0.0001), compared to non-cat owners. Younger respondents were more likely to favour restricting outdoor access compared to older age groups (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Urban respondents favoured restricting outdoor access compared to suburban or rural-based respondents (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Among cat owners, those providing vertical space and/or scratching areas were less likely to support free-roaming (<em>P</em> < 0.05) compared to those not providing these items. Conversely, owners not providing litter boxes were more likely to support free-roaming (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Owners interacting more than once daily with their cat through play were less likely to believe that free-roaming was necessary and more likely to restrict outdoor access. These results identify specific owner characteristics and care practices associated with attitudes toward indoor and outdoor cat management; these insights can guide stakeholders developing cat welfare policies and educational programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106817"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145060262","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 : 2025-09-06DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106816
Audrey Besegher , Nancy Rebout , Dalila Bovet , Sarah Jeannin , Thierry Bedossa , James A. Serpell , Sara Hoummady
This study aimed to evaluate the factorial structure of the French version of the C-BARQ by analyzing the behaviour of 246 dogs, based on responses from 248 participants, in order to confirm its potential applicability in France. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified 13 primary factors comprising 63 items, explaining 54.1 % of the total variance and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed a good fit with the original US model. The French version of the C-BARQ mirrors the core structure of other validated versions, confirming its cross-cultural robustness, while also highlighting certain specificities. The emergence of the combined factor "Stranger-directed aggression/fear" suggests that non-expert respondents may have difficulty distinguishing between these two dimensions. Two new factors—"Passerby-directed aggression " and "Compulsive-like behaviour"—emerged, likely reflecting the characteristics of the study sample and the inclusion of the full set of items. Other notable differences include the clustering of certain attachment-related items with those related to energy, forming a new factor labeled "Social excitability/energy," as well as the absence of the "Dog rivalry" factor due to insufficient responses. Overall, the results indicate that the French version of the C-BARQ is a valid tool for assessing canine behaviour. However, cultural, contextual, and demographic differences should be considered when interpreting the findings. This study paves the way for future research on the factors influencing perceptions of canine behaviour and on the adaptation of psychometric instruments across cultural contexts.
{"title":"Evaluation of the factorial structures of the canine behavioral assessment and research questionnaire (C-BARQ) in France","authors":"Audrey Besegher , Nancy Rebout , Dalila Bovet , Sarah Jeannin , Thierry Bedossa , James A. Serpell , Sara Hoummady","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the factorial structure of the French version of the C-BARQ by analyzing the behaviour of 246 dogs, based on responses from 248 participants, in order to confirm its potential applicability in France. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified 13 primary factors comprising 63 items, explaining 54.1 % of the total variance and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed a good fit with the original US model. The French version of the C-BARQ mirrors the core structure of other validated versions, confirming its cross-cultural robustness, while also highlighting certain specificities. The emergence of the combined factor \"Stranger-directed aggression/fear\" suggests that non-expert respondents may have difficulty distinguishing between these two dimensions. Two new factors—\"Passerby-directed aggression \" and \"Compulsive-like behaviour\"—emerged, likely reflecting the characteristics of the study sample and the inclusion of the full set of items. Other notable differences include the clustering of certain attachment-related items with those related to energy, forming a new factor labeled \"Social excitability/energy,\" as well as the absence of the \"Dog rivalry\" factor due to insufficient responses. Overall, the results indicate that the French version of the C-BARQ is a valid tool for assessing canine behaviour. However, cultural, contextual, and demographic differences should be considered when interpreting the findings. This study paves the way for future research on the factors influencing perceptions of canine behaviour and on the adaptation of psychometric instruments across cultural contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106816"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044258","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 : 2025-09-03DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106811
LeAnn Snow, Natalie Langenfeld-McCoy, Helber Dussan, Olivia Arndt, Nicholas Schoeneck, Sarah Thomas, Ragen T.S. McGowan
While interest in feline elimination behavior in litter boxes tends to focus on factors related to the pain-points of pet cat care, there have been recent efforts to develop “smart” devices to track litter box activity as a means to observe and assess cat health. The intelligence of these devices is limited, however, given the complexity of measuring cat behavior within the constraints of the litter box environment. Here, we describe the successful development of an intelligent device that has proved a means to systematically document feline elimination patterns across a large, representative sample. The device is equipped with load cell sensors within a platform that is placed unobtrusively under a cat’s existing litter box. The rigorously developed AI models relied on a supervised learning methodology rooted in a feature generation module, all of which was made possible by a robust truth dataset of hundreds of thousands of carefully labeled litter box events captured on camera. The AI engine of this new tool can confidently distinguish Cat from Human events as well as identify the type of Cat event that is occurring (i.e., urination, defecation, non-elimination), unique cats, and duration metrics, among other event features. The performance of all models meets or exceeds the 80 % confidence threshold indicating that this device is a reliable tool that can be leveraged for future research into additional aspects of feline elimination.
{"title":"Enhancing cat care: Unveiling the technology of intelligent litter box monitoring","authors":"LeAnn Snow, Natalie Langenfeld-McCoy, Helber Dussan, Olivia Arndt, Nicholas Schoeneck, Sarah Thomas, Ragen T.S. McGowan","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While interest in feline elimination behavior in litter boxes tends to focus on factors related to the pain-points of pet cat care, there have been recent efforts to develop “smart” devices to track litter box activity as a means to observe and assess cat health. The intelligence of these devices is limited, however, given the complexity of measuring cat behavior within the constraints of the litter box environment. Here, we describe the successful development of an intelligent device that has proved a means to systematically document feline elimination patterns across a large, representative sample. The device is equipped with load cell sensors within a platform that is placed unobtrusively under a cat’s existing litter box. The rigorously developed AI models relied on a supervised learning methodology rooted in a feature generation module, all of which was made possible by a robust truth dataset of hundreds of thousands of carefully labeled litter box events captured on camera. The AI engine of this new tool can confidently distinguish Cat from Human events as well as identify the type of Cat event that is occurring (i.e., urination, defecation, non-elimination), unique cats, and duration metrics, among other event features. The performance of all models meets or exceeds the 80 % confidence threshold indicating that this device is a reliable tool that can be leveraged for future research into additional aspects of feline elimination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106811"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019117","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 : 2025-09-02DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106810
Woohee Chung , Juho Lee , Jinhyeon Yun
Farrowing crates limit sows’ innate response to perform nest-building behaviour, which may compromise welfare and farrowing performance. This study evaluated novel roller and rooting-cone devices designed to stimulate nest-building in sows housed in crates with slatted floors. Twenty-two sows were assigned to Control (n = 8), Roller (n = 7), and Rooting-cone (n = 7) groups. Devices were installed in front of the feed troughs seven days before parturition to allow an adaptation period. Although not statistically significant, Roller sows exhibited numerically greater incidence of prepartum nest-building behaviour (P = 0.13), shorter farrowing durations (227.2 vs. 286.3 and 525.8 min, respectively, P = 0.18), and shorter intervals between last feeding and parturition (263.7 vs 507.9 and 626.3 min, respectively, P = 0.53) than Control and Rooting-cone groups. However, Roller sows exhibited more frequent postural changes during farrowing (P < 0.01). Prepartum rooting behaviour tended to be negatively correlated with farrowing duration (r = −0.41, P = 0.06) and the interval between the last feeding and parturition (r = -0.39, P = 0.07). These findings suggest that the roller may contribute to improved energy retention and smoother farrowing process by supporting prepartum feeding motivation, while no apparent effects were observed with the rooting-cone. Further consideration should be given to optimizing the roller’s material and placement to better allow arranging behaviour and ensure lying comfort within the crate, and these effects should be validated in larger populations.
产仔箱限制了母猪对筑巢行为的先天反应，这可能会损害母猪的福利和产仔性能。本研究评估了设计用于刺激母猪在板条地板箱中筑巢的新型滚轮和根锥装置。将22头母猪分为对照组（n = 8）、滚轮组（n = 7）和根锥组（n = 7）。分娩前7天在饲料槽前安装设备，以便有一段适应期。虽然没有统计学上的显著差异，但与对照组和根锥组相比，滚动母猪在准备阶段筑巢行为的发生率更高（P = 0.13），分娩持续时间更短（分别为227.2 vs 286.3和525.8 min, P = 0.18），最后一次进食和分娩间隔时间更短（分别为263.7 vs 507.9和626.3 min, P = 0.53）。然而，滚动母猪在分娩过程中表现出更频繁的姿势变化（P <； 0.01）。预备期生根行为与产仔时长（r = −0.41,P = 0.06）和末次取食至产仔间隔（r = -0.39,P = 0.07）呈负相关。这些结果表明，滚轮可能通过支持预备进食动机而有助于改善能量保留和更顺利的分娩过程，而根锥则没有明显的影响。应该进一步考虑优化滚轮的材料和位置，以更好地安排行为，确保在板条箱内躺得舒适，这些效果应该在更大的人群中得到验证。
{"title":"A novel approach for encouraging prepartum nest-building behaviour in crated sows: Its effects on farrowing characteristics","authors":"Woohee Chung , Juho Lee , Jinhyeon Yun","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Farrowing crates limit sows’ innate response to perform nest-building behaviour, which may compromise welfare and farrowing performance. This study evaluated novel roller and rooting-cone devices designed to stimulate nest-building in sows housed in crates with slatted floors. Twenty-two sows were assigned to Control (n = 8), Roller (n = 7), and Rooting-cone (n = 7) groups. Devices were installed in front of the feed troughs seven days before parturition to allow an adaptation period. Although not statistically significant, Roller sows exhibited numerically greater incidence of prepartum nest-building behaviour (<em>P</em> = 0.13), shorter farrowing durations (227.2 vs. 286.3 and 525.8 min, respectively, <em>P</em> = 0.18), and shorter intervals between last feeding and parturition (263.7 vs 507.9 and 626.3 min, respectively, <em>P</em> = 0.53) than Control and Rooting-cone groups. However, Roller sows exhibited more frequent postural changes during farrowing (<em>P</em> < 0.01). Prepartum rooting behaviour tended to be negatively correlated with farrowing duration (<em>r</em> = −0.41, <em>P</em> = 0.06) and the interval between the last feeding and parturition (<em>r</em> = -0.39, <em>P</em> = 0.07). These findings suggest that the roller may contribute to improved energy retention and smoother farrowing process by supporting prepartum feeding motivation, while no apparent effects were observed with the rooting-cone. Further consideration should be given to optimizing the roller’s material and placement to better allow arranging behaviour and ensure lying comfort within the crate, and these effects should be validated in larger populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106810"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019118","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 : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106809
Ayrton Fernandes de Oliveira Bessa , Maria Victória Henrique Genuíno , Giovanna Maria dos Santos Câmara , Roney Teixeira , Ana Luisa Paçó Bugner , Walsiara Estanislau Maffei , Andrea Roberto Bueno Ribeiro , Vanessa Aparecida Feijó Souza , Cintia Righetti Marcondes , Marcos Eli Buzanskas
The growing demand for improved animal welfare has increased interest in the genetic evaluation of temperament traits and related indicators, such as facial hair whorls, in beef cattle. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for temperament scores (movement, tension, breathing, vocalization, reactivity, and flight time) and facial hair whorl traits in the composite Canchim breed. Phenotypic data from 2145 animals born between 2013 and 2022 were provided by Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste (São Carlos, SP, Brazil), including 375 males and 1770 females. Temperament was assessed at four different ages, whereas hair whorls were recorded once. Fixed effects of sex, month-year at birth, order-period of entry of batch in the evaluation, lineage, and age at measurement were evaluated and considered in the contemporary groups when relevant. Hair whorls were classified according to their horizontal position (absent, left, middle, and right) and vertical location (absent, low, mid, and high), and additional traits such as number, height, and presence/absence of whorls were recorded. Genetic parameters were estimated using Bayesian threshold-linear animal models, with repeatability estimated for temperament traits. Heritability estimates for temperament traits ranged from 0.09 to 0.35, with repeatabilities from 0.16 to 0.55. For whorl traits, heritability estimates ranged from 0.18 to 0.57. These findings demonstrate that both temperament and hair whorl traits exhibit sufficient additive genetic variability. Genetic correlations among temperament traits ranged from −0.78 to 0.99, among whorl traits from 0.32 to 1.00, and between temperament and whorl traits from 0.49 to 0.87. It can highlight the existence of interesting genetic correlations between movement with the whorls in the left, middle, low, and mid positions, as well as with the whorl’s height (ranging from 0.72 to 0.87). Favorable genetic correlations were observed between reactivity with whorls in the left, middle, and low positions, as well as with the whorl's height and absence/presence of facial whorls. Facial hair whorls represent a practical and heritable indicator for the early selection of animals with favorable temperaments, offering an opportunity to optimize phenotyping and achieve indirect genetic gains, especially for movement and reactivity.
{"title":"Genetic parameters for temperament and facial hair whorl traits in Canchim cattle","authors":"Ayrton Fernandes de Oliveira Bessa , Maria Victória Henrique Genuíno , Giovanna Maria dos Santos Câmara , Roney Teixeira , Ana Luisa Paçó Bugner , Walsiara Estanislau Maffei , Andrea Roberto Bueno Ribeiro , Vanessa Aparecida Feijó Souza , Cintia Righetti Marcondes , Marcos Eli Buzanskas","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106809","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106809","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for improved animal welfare has increased interest in the genetic evaluation of temperament traits and related indicators, such as facial hair whorls, in beef cattle. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for temperament scores (movement, tension, breathing, vocalization, reactivity, and flight time) and facial hair whorl traits in the composite Canchim breed. Phenotypic data from 2145 animals born between 2013 and 2022 were provided by Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste (São Carlos, SP, Brazil), including 375 males and 1770 females. Temperament was assessed at four different ages, whereas hair whorls were recorded once. Fixed effects of sex, month-year at birth, order-period of entry of batch in the evaluation, lineage, and age at measurement were evaluated and considered in the contemporary groups when relevant. Hair whorls were classified according to their horizontal position (absent, left, middle, and right) and vertical location (absent, low, mid, and high), and additional traits such as number, height, and presence/absence of whorls were recorded. Genetic parameters were estimated using Bayesian threshold-linear animal models, with repeatability estimated for temperament traits. Heritability estimates for temperament traits ranged from 0.09 to 0.35, with repeatabilities from 0.16 to 0.55. For whorl traits, heritability estimates ranged from 0.18 to 0.57. These findings demonstrate that both temperament and hair whorl traits exhibit sufficient additive genetic variability. Genetic correlations among temperament traits ranged from −0.78 to 0.99, among whorl traits from 0.32 to 1.00, and between temperament and whorl traits from 0.49 to 0.87. It can highlight the existence of interesting genetic correlations between movement with the whorls in the left, middle, low, and mid positions, as well as with the whorl’s height (ranging from 0.72 to 0.87). Favorable genetic correlations were observed between reactivity with whorls in the left, middle, and low positions, as well as with the whorl's height and absence/presence of facial whorls. Facial hair whorls represent a practical and heritable indicator for the early selection of animals with favorable temperaments, offering an opportunity to optimize phenotyping and achieve indirect genetic gains, especially for movement and reactivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106809"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925052","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 : 2025-08-31DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106808
Gretchen L. Peckler, Sarah J.J. Adcock
Subclinical mastitis, the asymptomatic inflammation of the udder, is an important economic and animal welfare concern in meat-producing flocks, causing reduced milk yield and poorer lamb growth and survival. Cases often remain undetected until more severe stages, highlighting the need to investigate early detection methods, such as automated behavioral monitoring. Our objective was to use a real-time location system to determine whether subclinical mastitis affected ewe and lamb movement patterns. From 2–6 weeks postpartum, we collected duplicate milk samples weekly from each udder half of 24 ewes (15 Polypay, 3 Hampshire, and 6 Targhee) for bacterial speciation. Ewes were considered infected in a given week if milk samples from at least one udder half contained ≥ 100 CFU/mL at both the start of that week and the following week's sampling. Each ewe and her lamb(s) wore neck-mounted sensors that recorded x, y coordinates every 0.1 s via ultrawideband technology while housed in a group pen. We used linear mixed models to assess the effects of the ewe’s weekly infection status (healthy vs. infected) and weeks since lambing (2−6) on four behavioral outcomes: ewe-lamb distance, ewe-feed bunk distance, ewe distance traveled, and lamb distance traveled. The number of lambs reared (single vs. multiple) was included as a covariate and dam ID was specified as a random effect. Lambs traveled more during weeks when their dam was infected, possibly reflecting increased hunger due to insufficient maternal milk supply. No significant effects of infection status were observed for the other behavioral outcomes. Ewe–lamb and ewe–feed bunk distances were shortest, and lamb movement was greatest, in week 2 compared to later weeks – patterns that likely reflect the lamb’s greater nutritional dependence on the dam and increased play behavior early in life. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that real-time tracking of lamb behavior may help identify early cases of subclinical mastitis in the dam. They also highlight the potential welfare impacts of subclinical mastitis on lambs, underscoring the importance of early detection and management.
{"title":"Using a real-time location system to detect behavioral changes in ewes with subclinical mastitis and their lambs","authors":"Gretchen L. Peckler, Sarah J.J. Adcock","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Subclinical mastitis, the asymptomatic inflammation of the udder, is an important economic and animal welfare concern in meat-producing flocks, causing reduced milk yield and poorer lamb growth and survival. Cases often remain undetected until more severe stages, highlighting the need to investigate early detection methods, such as automated behavioral monitoring. Our objective was to use a real-time location system to determine whether subclinical mastitis affected ewe and lamb movement patterns. From 2–6 weeks postpartum, we collected duplicate milk samples weekly from each udder half of 24 ewes (15 Polypay, 3 Hampshire, and 6 Targhee) for bacterial speciation. Ewes were considered infected in a given week if milk samples from at least one udder half contained ≥ 100 CFU/mL at both the start of that week and the following week's sampling. Each ewe and her lamb(s) wore neck-mounted sensors that recorded <em>x, y</em> coordinates every 0.1 s via ultrawideband technology while housed in a group pen. We used linear mixed models to assess the effects of the ewe’s weekly infection status (healthy vs. infected) and weeks since lambing (2−6) on four behavioral outcomes: ewe-lamb distance, ewe-feed bunk distance, ewe distance traveled, and lamb distance traveled. The number of lambs reared (single vs. multiple) was included as a covariate and dam ID was specified as a random effect. Lambs traveled more during weeks when their dam was infected, possibly reflecting increased hunger due to insufficient maternal milk supply. No significant effects of infection status were observed for the other behavioral outcomes. Ewe–lamb and ewe–feed bunk distances were shortest, and lamb movement was greatest, in week 2 compared to later weeks – patterns that likely reflect the lamb’s greater nutritional dependence on the dam and increased play behavior early in life. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that real-time tracking of lamb behavior may help identify early cases of subclinical mastitis in the dam. They also highlight the potential welfare impacts of subclinical mastitis on lambs, underscoring the importance of early detection and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106808"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026584","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 : 2025-08-30DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106804
Eduardo J. Fernandez , James Edward Brereton , Jono Tuke
Selecting an appropriate statistical test can be challenging for animal scientists. This is particularly true for those who study animals in applied animal settings, where a small number of subjects studied (i.e., small-N) is commonplace. Small-N studies regularly coincide with additional problems, such as non-normally distributed data and repeated measures, making many of the standard independent samples-based inferential statistics less appropriate. Some researchers may persist in using these tests irrespective of assumption violations, and in doing so they risk a Type 1 (false positive) error, potentially leading to erroneous conclusions about their data. Other, lesser considered challenges such as a lack of homogeneity of variance between conditions and time-dependency, are also commonly encountered in small-N studies. If not considered, these challenges could result in extra noise in a dataset that could reduce reliability of results. Fortunately, alternative tests are available that can account for these issues, including issues of non-independence, such as paired data and time-dependency. This guide provides simulated data to generate scenarios that reflect actual problems that emerge in small-N research. Using these generated datasets, a series of tests are used to demonstrate how they can overcome some of the statistical noise encountered. Our goal is to provide researchers with an outline of assumptions and appropriate tests to help them overcome commonly faced challenges for small-N studies.
{"title":"Learning your individual inferences: A guide for overcoming statistical challenges in small-N studies","authors":"Eduardo J. Fernandez , James Edward Brereton , Jono Tuke","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Selecting an appropriate statistical test can be challenging for animal scientists. This is particularly true for those who study animals in applied animal settings, where a small number of subjects studied (i.e., small-N) is commonplace. Small-N studies regularly coincide with additional problems, such as non-normally distributed data and repeated measures, making many of the standard independent samples-based inferential statistics less appropriate. Some researchers may persist in using these tests irrespective of assumption violations, and in doing so they risk a Type 1 (false positive) error, potentially leading to erroneous conclusions about their data. Other, lesser considered challenges such as a lack of homogeneity of variance between conditions and time-dependency, are also commonly encountered in small-N studies. If not considered, these challenges could result in extra noise in a dataset that could reduce reliability of results. Fortunately, alternative tests are available that can account for these issues, including issues of non-independence, such as paired data and time-dependency. This guide provides simulated data to generate scenarios that reflect actual problems that emerge in small-N research. Using these generated datasets, a series of tests are used to demonstrate how they can overcome some of the statistical noise encountered. Our goal is to provide researchers with an outline of assumptions and appropriate tests to help them overcome commonly faced challenges for small-N studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106804"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988590","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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