The possibility to explore different attachment styles in dogs is discussed Caregiving strategi... more The possibility to explore different attachment styles in dogs is discussed Caregiving strategies in humans should be identified and evaluated A dyadic approach to evaluate dog-human relationships is suggested A new framework for future studies of dog-human relationships is proposed
This study aimed to identify differences in stress measures in pigs (Sus scrofa) with different r... more This study aimed to identify differences in stress measures in pigs (Sus scrofa) with different roles during a tail-biting outbreak. Quartets (n = 16) of age- and gender-matched fattening pigs including a tail biter (TB; n = 16), a victim (V; n = 16), a control in the same pen (Ctb; n = 10), and one in a pen without tail biting (Cno; n = 14) were chosen by direct behavioural observation. Stress measures used were behaviour (dog-sitting, sniffing of pen-mates and aggression), thyroid hormone concentration, morphology of adrenal and thyroid glands and salivary cortisol concentration sampled at 0700, 1000, 1600 and 1900h. Category (TB, V, Ctb, Cno) effects were investigated using a mixed model with replicate as subject and category as repeated effect. Category had a significant effect on adrenal total (cortex + medulla) and cortical area, salivary cortisol at 1900h, serum triiodothyronine (T3) and the behaviours performing and receiving sniffing. Victims suffered from a triad of chroni...
Tail biting is a damaging behaviour that impacts the welfare and health of pigs. Early detection ... more Tail biting is a damaging behaviour that impacts the welfare and health of pigs. Early detection of precursor signs of tail biting provides the opportunity to take preventive measures, thus avoiding the occurrence of the tail biting event. This study aimed to build a machine-learning algorithm for real-time detection of upcoming tail biting outbreaks, using feeding behaviour data recorded by an electronic feeder. Prediction capacities of seven machine learning algorithms (Generalized Linear Model with Stepwise Feature Selection, random forest, Support Vector Machines with Radial Basis Function Kernel, Bayesian Generalized Linear Model, Neural network, K-nearest neighbour, and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis) were evaluated from daily feeding data collected from 65 pens originating from two herds of grower-finisher pigs (25-100kg), in which 27 tail biting events occurred. Data were divided into training and testing data in two different ways, either by randomly splitting ...
Early chick environment, such as provision of litter and perches, can be a predictor of laying he... more Early chick environment, such as provision of litter and perches, can be a predictor of laying hen welfare. Inadequate or nonpreferred litter and perch types could have similar negative effects as those seen when not providing these resources at an early stage, such as increased feather pecking and cannibalism in adult flocks. However, suitable litter and perch types for chicks are not well explored. In the present project, 6 different types of litter (crushed straw pellets, hemp shavings, peat, sand, straw, wood shavings) and 6 different types of perches (narrow or wide forms of rope, flat or round wood) were presented in a controlled way (3 at a time) to chicks in 6 pens. Usage was compared in 93 chicks of Lohmann Selected Leghorn Classic divided across the pens, during their first 3 wk after hatch. Different litter types were seen to be preferred for different behaviors. The majority of dustbathing bouts occurred in sand and peat. Chicks foraged more in wood shavings, hemp shavings, and sand than in peat and pellets (P , 0.05). Perch width and shape were found to affect both usage and perch balance, measured as the probability of successful or problematic landings. The wide rope was generally used more during the first week (P , 0.05) and was used more for sleeping or resting (P , 0.05) than the other wide perch types. Furthermore, birds were more likely to land on the wide rope or on flat perches successfully than they were to have a problematic landing (P , 0.05). That birds were more likely to be observed preening on flat perches than on the potentially shaky rope perches could further reflect a sense of security. Our results suggest that presenting several litter types could better fulfill chicks' behavioral needs and that flat perches or a wide rope (4.5-cm diameter) could be appropriate perch types for laying hen chicks and thereby promote early perch use and training.
This study aimed to assess the suitability of using video images to study social facilitation of ... more This study aimed to assess the suitability of using video images to study social facilitation of feeding behaviour in domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus). A comparison was made between the chickens" responses to a real bird feeding in an adjacent cage (RB) and a video image of the same bird feeding, displayed on a television screen (VB). The amount of food consumed by the subject bird was significantly greater (P<0.05) during the RB treatment than when the stimulus cage was empty (RC). Likewise, the amount of food consumed was significantly greater (P< 0.05) when the video and sound of a bird feeding (VB) was presented than when the video image was of an empty cage (VC). The number of food pecks, although greater in the RB than in the RC treatment (P<0.001), was not significantly different between the VB and VC treatments (P< 0.07). Dividing each of the 30-rain trials into three consecutive 10-min intervals and repeating the analysis, suggested that this lack of overall difference may have been due to the initial novelty of the television screen or to a delay in recognizing and responding to the video image since, by the final 10-min interval, the number of pecks was greater in the VB than in the VC treatment (P< 0.05). It was concluded that video could be used to study social facilitation of feeding behaviour and, possibly also, of other behaviour patterns which occur less frequently or are not so easily elicited by prior deprivation. Video images may also provide an opportunity to identify the key stimuli in feeding behaviour that elicit the social facilitation, since the sequence of the behavioural components can be edited or the image experimentally manipulated independently of the behaviour of the subject bird.
Cattle handling is a dangerous activity on dairy farms, and cows are a major cause of injuries to... more Cattle handling is a dangerous activity on dairy farms, and cows are a major cause of injuries to livestock handlers. Even if dairy cows are generally tranquil and docile, when situations occur that they perceive or remember as aversive, they may become agitated and hazardous to handle. This study aimed to compare human-animal interactions, cow behavior, and handler safety when moving cows to daily milking and moving cows to more rarely occurring and possibly aversive hoof trimming. These processes were observed on 12 Swedish commercial dairy farms. The study included behavioral observations of handler and cows and cow heart rate recordings, as well as recording frequencies of situations and incidents related to an increased injury risk to the handler. At milking, cows were quite easily moved using few interactions. As expected, the cows showed no behavioral signs of stress, fear, or resistance and their heart rate only rose slightly from the baseline (i.e., the average heart rate during an undisturbed period before handling). Moving cows to hoof trimming involved more forceful and gentle interactions compared with moving cows to milking. Furthermore, the cows showed much higher frequencies of behaviors indicative of aversion and fear (e.g., freezing, balking, and resistance), as well as a higher increase in heart rate. The risk of injury to which handlers were exposed also increased when moving cows to hoof trimming rather than to routine milking. Some interactions (such as forceful tactile interactions with an object and pulling a neck strap or halter) appeared to be related to potentially dangerous incidents where the handler was being kicked, headbutted, or run over by a cow. In conclusion, moving cows to hoof trimming resulted in higher frequencies of behaviors indicating fear, more forceful interactions, and increased injury risks to the handler than moving cows to milking. Improving potentially stressful handling procedures (e.g., by better animal handling practices and preparation of cows to cope with such procedures) can increase handler safety, animal welfare, ease of handling, and efficiency.
Interest in the induction and measurement of positive affective states in non-human animals is in... more Interest in the induction and measurement of positive affective states in non-human animals is increasing. Here, we used a test of cognitive (judgement) bias, based on the finding that individuals experiencing different affective states judge ambiguous stimuli differently, to measure whether a positive low arousal affective state (e.g. 'satisfaction'/'contentment') could be induced in domestic dogs as a result of their experiencing a food-based rewarding event. In this rewarding event, subjects (1 year old female Beagles) had to search for small amounts of food randomly placed within a maze arena. Using a balanced withinsubjects design, the dogs (N = 12) received a cognitive bias test either without experiencing the rewarding event (the 'Neutral' treatment), or directly after experiencing the rewarding event (the 'Post-consumption' treatment). In the test, dogs were trained that one visual cue (e.g. dark grey card) predicted a positive event (food in a bowl) whilst a different cue (e.g. light grey card) predicted a relatively 'negative' event (empty bowl). We hypothesised that dogs tested after experiencing the rewarding event, and in a presumed post-consummatory positive affective state, would be more likely to judge visually ambiguous stimuli (intermediate grey cards) positively, compared to dogs in the 'Neutral' treatment. In contrast, we found that they took significantly longer to approach an intermediate ambiguous stimulus, suggesting that they were less likely to anticipate food (a negative judgement) compared to dogs in the 'Neutral' treatment group. Various explanations for the observed results are discussed, in particular how reward acquisition and consumption may influence positive affective state induction in animals.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, Jan 25, 2018
As farm animal welfare becomes an increasingly important component of contemporary global livesto... more As farm animal welfare becomes an increasingly important component of contemporary global livestock production, animal welfare science and animal welfare policy-making need to find new ways of entering global debates over food security and sustainability. In this paper, we explore the means by which both animal welfare science and policy should articulate with these emerging global debates. Having first established the important gains in animal welfare policy and the maturity of animal welfare science, we identify and explore the potential impact of these current debates and argue that they have the potential for profound change in our understanding of, and our response to, the welfare of animals. We conclude the paper with a number of possible recommendations for how a scientifically informed, sustainable animal welfare policy might flourish.
... laying hens. In: R. Zayan, Editor, Social Space for Domestic Animal, Martinus Nijhoff, Cary, ... more ... laying hens. In: R. Zayan, Editor, Social Space for Domestic Animal, Martinus Nijhoff, Cary, NC (1985), pp. 71–84. N ... Scopus (18). JR Krebs and NB Davies, An Introduction To Behavioral Ecology, Blackwell Scientific, London (1981). H ...
Cognitive processes are often biased by emotions. In humans, affective disorders are accompanied ... more Cognitive processes are often biased by emotions. In humans, affective disorders are accompanied by pessimistic judgement, while optimistic judgement is linked to emotional stability. Similar to humans, animals tend to interpret ambiguous stimuli negatively after experiencing stressful events, although the long-lasting impact on judgement bias has rarely been investigated. We measure judgement bias in female chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) after exposure to cold stress, and before and after exposure to additional unpredictable stressors. Additionally, we explore if brain monoamines can explain differences in judgement bias. Chicks exposed to cold stress did not differ in judgement bias compared to controls, but showed sensitivity to additional stressors by having higher motivation for social reinstatement. Environmental complexity reduced stress-induced negative judgement bias, by maintaining an optimistic bias in individuals housed in complex conditions even after stress exposure. Moreover, judgement bias was related to dopamine turnover rate in mesencephalon, with higher activity in individuals that had a more optimistic response. These results demonstrate that environmental complexity can buffer against negative effects of additive stress and that dopamine relates to judgement bias in chicks. These results reveal that both internal and external factors can mediate emotionally biased judgement in animals, thus showing similarities to findings in humans.
Little is known about the cat's (Felis silvestris catus) need for human contact, although it ... more Little is known about the cat's (Felis silvestris catus) need for human contact, although it is generally believed that cats are more independent pets than e.g. dogs. In this study, we investigated the effect of time left alone at home on cat behaviour (e.g. social and distress-related) before, during and after separation from their owner. Fourteen privately owned cats (single-housed) were each subjected to two treatments: the cat was left alone in their home environment for 30 min (T0.5) and for 4 h (T4). There were no differences between treatments in the behaviour of the cat (or owner) before owner departure, nor during the first 5 min of separation. During separation, cats were lying down resting proportionally less (T = 22.5, P = 0.02) in T0.5 (0.27±0.1 (mean±SE)) compared to in T4 (0.58±0.08), probably due to a similar duration of higher activity early in the separation phase in both treatments. Comparisons of the time interval (min 20-25) in both treatments indicated no d...
The aim of this study was to investigate if an owner's adult attachment style (AAS) influence... more The aim of this study was to investigate if an owner's adult attachment style (AAS) influences how their dog interacts and obtains support from them during challenging events. A person's AAS describes how they perceive their relationship to other people, but it may also reflect their caregiving behavior, and so their behavior toward the dog. We measured the AAS of 51 female Golden retriever owners, using the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and observed the reactions of the dog-owner dyads in response to different challenging situations [visual surprise, auditory stressor and social stressors like a person approaching dressed as ghost or in coat, hat and sunglasses]. In addition, the dog was left alone in a novel environment for 3 min. Interactions between the dog and owner were observed both before and after separation. Spearman rank correlation tests were made (between owner AAS and dog behavior) and where correlations were found, Mann-Whitney -tests were made o...
The possibility to explore different attachment styles in dogs is discussed Caregiving strategi... more The possibility to explore different attachment styles in dogs is discussed Caregiving strategies in humans should be identified and evaluated A dyadic approach to evaluate dog-human relationships is suggested A new framework for future studies of dog-human relationships is proposed
This study aimed to identify differences in stress measures in pigs (Sus scrofa) with different r... more This study aimed to identify differences in stress measures in pigs (Sus scrofa) with different roles during a tail-biting outbreak. Quartets (n = 16) of age- and gender-matched fattening pigs including a tail biter (TB; n = 16), a victim (V; n = 16), a control in the same pen (Ctb; n = 10), and one in a pen without tail biting (Cno; n = 14) were chosen by direct behavioural observation. Stress measures used were behaviour (dog-sitting, sniffing of pen-mates and aggression), thyroid hormone concentration, morphology of adrenal and thyroid glands and salivary cortisol concentration sampled at 0700, 1000, 1600 and 1900h. Category (TB, V, Ctb, Cno) effects were investigated using a mixed model with replicate as subject and category as repeated effect. Category had a significant effect on adrenal total (cortex + medulla) and cortical area, salivary cortisol at 1900h, serum triiodothyronine (T3) and the behaviours performing and receiving sniffing. Victims suffered from a triad of chroni...
Tail biting is a damaging behaviour that impacts the welfare and health of pigs. Early detection ... more Tail biting is a damaging behaviour that impacts the welfare and health of pigs. Early detection of precursor signs of tail biting provides the opportunity to take preventive measures, thus avoiding the occurrence of the tail biting event. This study aimed to build a machine-learning algorithm for real-time detection of upcoming tail biting outbreaks, using feeding behaviour data recorded by an electronic feeder. Prediction capacities of seven machine learning algorithms (Generalized Linear Model with Stepwise Feature Selection, random forest, Support Vector Machines with Radial Basis Function Kernel, Bayesian Generalized Linear Model, Neural network, K-nearest neighbour, and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis) were evaluated from daily feeding data collected from 65 pens originating from two herds of grower-finisher pigs (25-100kg), in which 27 tail biting events occurred. Data were divided into training and testing data in two different ways, either by randomly splitting ...
Early chick environment, such as provision of litter and perches, can be a predictor of laying he... more Early chick environment, such as provision of litter and perches, can be a predictor of laying hen welfare. Inadequate or nonpreferred litter and perch types could have similar negative effects as those seen when not providing these resources at an early stage, such as increased feather pecking and cannibalism in adult flocks. However, suitable litter and perch types for chicks are not well explored. In the present project, 6 different types of litter (crushed straw pellets, hemp shavings, peat, sand, straw, wood shavings) and 6 different types of perches (narrow or wide forms of rope, flat or round wood) were presented in a controlled way (3 at a time) to chicks in 6 pens. Usage was compared in 93 chicks of Lohmann Selected Leghorn Classic divided across the pens, during their first 3 wk after hatch. Different litter types were seen to be preferred for different behaviors. The majority of dustbathing bouts occurred in sand and peat. Chicks foraged more in wood shavings, hemp shavings, and sand than in peat and pellets (P , 0.05). Perch width and shape were found to affect both usage and perch balance, measured as the probability of successful or problematic landings. The wide rope was generally used more during the first week (P , 0.05) and was used more for sleeping or resting (P , 0.05) than the other wide perch types. Furthermore, birds were more likely to land on the wide rope or on flat perches successfully than they were to have a problematic landing (P , 0.05). That birds were more likely to be observed preening on flat perches than on the potentially shaky rope perches could further reflect a sense of security. Our results suggest that presenting several litter types could better fulfill chicks' behavioral needs and that flat perches or a wide rope (4.5-cm diameter) could be appropriate perch types for laying hen chicks and thereby promote early perch use and training.
This study aimed to assess the suitability of using video images to study social facilitation of ... more This study aimed to assess the suitability of using video images to study social facilitation of feeding behaviour in domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus). A comparison was made between the chickens" responses to a real bird feeding in an adjacent cage (RB) and a video image of the same bird feeding, displayed on a television screen (VB). The amount of food consumed by the subject bird was significantly greater (P<0.05) during the RB treatment than when the stimulus cage was empty (RC). Likewise, the amount of food consumed was significantly greater (P< 0.05) when the video and sound of a bird feeding (VB) was presented than when the video image was of an empty cage (VC). The number of food pecks, although greater in the RB than in the RC treatment (P<0.001), was not significantly different between the VB and VC treatments (P< 0.07). Dividing each of the 30-rain trials into three consecutive 10-min intervals and repeating the analysis, suggested that this lack of overall difference may have been due to the initial novelty of the television screen or to a delay in recognizing and responding to the video image since, by the final 10-min interval, the number of pecks was greater in the VB than in the VC treatment (P< 0.05). It was concluded that video could be used to study social facilitation of feeding behaviour and, possibly also, of other behaviour patterns which occur less frequently or are not so easily elicited by prior deprivation. Video images may also provide an opportunity to identify the key stimuli in feeding behaviour that elicit the social facilitation, since the sequence of the behavioural components can be edited or the image experimentally manipulated independently of the behaviour of the subject bird.
Cattle handling is a dangerous activity on dairy farms, and cows are a major cause of injuries to... more Cattle handling is a dangerous activity on dairy farms, and cows are a major cause of injuries to livestock handlers. Even if dairy cows are generally tranquil and docile, when situations occur that they perceive or remember as aversive, they may become agitated and hazardous to handle. This study aimed to compare human-animal interactions, cow behavior, and handler safety when moving cows to daily milking and moving cows to more rarely occurring and possibly aversive hoof trimming. These processes were observed on 12 Swedish commercial dairy farms. The study included behavioral observations of handler and cows and cow heart rate recordings, as well as recording frequencies of situations and incidents related to an increased injury risk to the handler. At milking, cows were quite easily moved using few interactions. As expected, the cows showed no behavioral signs of stress, fear, or resistance and their heart rate only rose slightly from the baseline (i.e., the average heart rate during an undisturbed period before handling). Moving cows to hoof trimming involved more forceful and gentle interactions compared with moving cows to milking. Furthermore, the cows showed much higher frequencies of behaviors indicative of aversion and fear (e.g., freezing, balking, and resistance), as well as a higher increase in heart rate. The risk of injury to which handlers were exposed also increased when moving cows to hoof trimming rather than to routine milking. Some interactions (such as forceful tactile interactions with an object and pulling a neck strap or halter) appeared to be related to potentially dangerous incidents where the handler was being kicked, headbutted, or run over by a cow. In conclusion, moving cows to hoof trimming resulted in higher frequencies of behaviors indicating fear, more forceful interactions, and increased injury risks to the handler than moving cows to milking. Improving potentially stressful handling procedures (e.g., by better animal handling practices and preparation of cows to cope with such procedures) can increase handler safety, animal welfare, ease of handling, and efficiency.
Interest in the induction and measurement of positive affective states in non-human animals is in... more Interest in the induction and measurement of positive affective states in non-human animals is increasing. Here, we used a test of cognitive (judgement) bias, based on the finding that individuals experiencing different affective states judge ambiguous stimuli differently, to measure whether a positive low arousal affective state (e.g. 'satisfaction'/'contentment') could be induced in domestic dogs as a result of their experiencing a food-based rewarding event. In this rewarding event, subjects (1 year old female Beagles) had to search for small amounts of food randomly placed within a maze arena. Using a balanced withinsubjects design, the dogs (N = 12) received a cognitive bias test either without experiencing the rewarding event (the 'Neutral' treatment), or directly after experiencing the rewarding event (the 'Post-consumption' treatment). In the test, dogs were trained that one visual cue (e.g. dark grey card) predicted a positive event (food in a bowl) whilst a different cue (e.g. light grey card) predicted a relatively 'negative' event (empty bowl). We hypothesised that dogs tested after experiencing the rewarding event, and in a presumed post-consummatory positive affective state, would be more likely to judge visually ambiguous stimuli (intermediate grey cards) positively, compared to dogs in the 'Neutral' treatment. In contrast, we found that they took significantly longer to approach an intermediate ambiguous stimulus, suggesting that they were less likely to anticipate food (a negative judgement) compared to dogs in the 'Neutral' treatment group. Various explanations for the observed results are discussed, in particular how reward acquisition and consumption may influence positive affective state induction in animals.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, Jan 25, 2018
As farm animal welfare becomes an increasingly important component of contemporary global livesto... more As farm animal welfare becomes an increasingly important component of contemporary global livestock production, animal welfare science and animal welfare policy-making need to find new ways of entering global debates over food security and sustainability. In this paper, we explore the means by which both animal welfare science and policy should articulate with these emerging global debates. Having first established the important gains in animal welfare policy and the maturity of animal welfare science, we identify and explore the potential impact of these current debates and argue that they have the potential for profound change in our understanding of, and our response to, the welfare of animals. We conclude the paper with a number of possible recommendations for how a scientifically informed, sustainable animal welfare policy might flourish.
... laying hens. In: R. Zayan, Editor, Social Space for Domestic Animal, Martinus Nijhoff, Cary, ... more ... laying hens. In: R. Zayan, Editor, Social Space for Domestic Animal, Martinus Nijhoff, Cary, NC (1985), pp. 71–84. N ... Scopus (18). JR Krebs and NB Davies, An Introduction To Behavioral Ecology, Blackwell Scientific, London (1981). H ...
Cognitive processes are often biased by emotions. In humans, affective disorders are accompanied ... more Cognitive processes are often biased by emotions. In humans, affective disorders are accompanied by pessimistic judgement, while optimistic judgement is linked to emotional stability. Similar to humans, animals tend to interpret ambiguous stimuli negatively after experiencing stressful events, although the long-lasting impact on judgement bias has rarely been investigated. We measure judgement bias in female chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) after exposure to cold stress, and before and after exposure to additional unpredictable stressors. Additionally, we explore if brain monoamines can explain differences in judgement bias. Chicks exposed to cold stress did not differ in judgement bias compared to controls, but showed sensitivity to additional stressors by having higher motivation for social reinstatement. Environmental complexity reduced stress-induced negative judgement bias, by maintaining an optimistic bias in individuals housed in complex conditions even after stress exposure. Moreover, judgement bias was related to dopamine turnover rate in mesencephalon, with higher activity in individuals that had a more optimistic response. These results demonstrate that environmental complexity can buffer against negative effects of additive stress and that dopamine relates to judgement bias in chicks. These results reveal that both internal and external factors can mediate emotionally biased judgement in animals, thus showing similarities to findings in humans.
Little is known about the cat's (Felis silvestris catus) need for human contact, although it ... more Little is known about the cat's (Felis silvestris catus) need for human contact, although it is generally believed that cats are more independent pets than e.g. dogs. In this study, we investigated the effect of time left alone at home on cat behaviour (e.g. social and distress-related) before, during and after separation from their owner. Fourteen privately owned cats (single-housed) were each subjected to two treatments: the cat was left alone in their home environment for 30 min (T0.5) and for 4 h (T4). There were no differences between treatments in the behaviour of the cat (or owner) before owner departure, nor during the first 5 min of separation. During separation, cats were lying down resting proportionally less (T = 22.5, P = 0.02) in T0.5 (0.27±0.1 (mean±SE)) compared to in T4 (0.58±0.08), probably due to a similar duration of higher activity early in the separation phase in both treatments. Comparisons of the time interval (min 20-25) in both treatments indicated no d...
The aim of this study was to investigate if an owner's adult attachment style (AAS) influence... more The aim of this study was to investigate if an owner's adult attachment style (AAS) influences how their dog interacts and obtains support from them during challenging events. A person's AAS describes how they perceive their relationship to other people, but it may also reflect their caregiving behavior, and so their behavior toward the dog. We measured the AAS of 51 female Golden retriever owners, using the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and observed the reactions of the dog-owner dyads in response to different challenging situations [visual surprise, auditory stressor and social stressors like a person approaching dressed as ghost or in coat, hat and sunglasses]. In addition, the dog was left alone in a novel environment for 3 min. Interactions between the dog and owner were observed both before and after separation. Spearman rank correlation tests were made (between owner AAS and dog behavior) and where correlations were found, Mann-Whitney -tests were made o...
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