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- Anderson, Claes, et al.
(author)
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Behavioural expression of positive anticipation for food or opportunity to play in lambs
- 2015
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In: Behavioural Processes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0376-6357 .- 1872-8308. ; 113, s. 152-158
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anticipatory behaviours may serve a useful tool in studying positive emotional states in animals. This study aimed to investigate if lambs express anticipatory behaviours for opportunities to play or a food reward and if these behaviours would differ depending on the anticipated event. Forty-two male lambs were allocated into three treatment groups (control, play, food). Play and food lambs were conditioned to anticipate play or food in a holding pen for three minutes prior to accessing a reward arena containing toy objects or concentrate, respectively. Control lambs returned to their home pen following three minutes in the holding pen. Compared to the control lambs, both play and food lambs differed in several behaviours frequencies and durations, e.g. by an increased frequency of behavioural transitions and duration of walking. Following these observations, food lambs received the toy objects when entering the reward arena. The subsequent session in the holding pen resulted in a decrease in number of behavioural transitions, time spent walking and an increase in time standing still. In conclusion, anticipating a positive event resulted in differences in behaviour compared to a control group, and these behaviours are affected when the anticipated event does not fit with the lambs' expectations. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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- Berg, Lotta, et al.
(author)
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Killing of spent laying hens using CO2 in poultry barns
- 2014
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In: Animal Welfare. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0962-7286 .- 2054-1538. ; 23, s. 445-457
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Sweden, laying hens are killed using the following methods: i) traditional slaughter; ii) on-farm with CO2 in a mobile container combined with a grinder; or iii) with CO2 inside the barn. The number of hens killed using the latter method has increased. During these killings a veterinarian is required to be present and report to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Data were registered during four commercial killings and extracted from all official veterinary reports at CO2 whole-house killings in 2008-2010. On-farm monitoring showed that temperature decreased greatly and with high variability. The time until birds became unconscious after coming into contact with the gas, based on time until loss of balance, was 3-5 min. Veterinary reports show that 1.5 million laying hens were killed, in 150 separate instances. The most common non-compliance with legislation was failure to notify the regional animal welfare authorities prior to the killings. Six out of 150 killings were defined as animal welfare failures, eg delivery of insufficient CO2 or failure to seal buildings to achieve adequate gas concentration. Eleven were either potentially or completely unacceptable from the perspective of animal welfare. We conclude that, on the whole, the CO2 whole-house gas killing of spent hens was carried out in accordance with the appropriate legislation. Death was achieved reliably. However, there remain several risks to animal welfare and increased knowledge would appear vital in order to limit mistakes related to miscalculations of house volume, improper sealing or premature ventilation turn-off.
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| 5. |
- Berg, Lotta, et al.
(author)
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Optimal stocking density for broilers – optimal for whom?
- 2012
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In: World's Poultry Science Journal. - 0043-9339. ; 68, s. 1-6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Stocking density is not the sole crucial factor for broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare; management and environmental factors are certainly also very important. When talking about optimal stocking density it is vital to realize that the birds have no choice in this, as in practice economical factors play the most important role in the producer's decision making process. We must acknowledge that from the producer's perspective the ethical reasoning behind these choices are based on a view that animals may be used by humans for our purposes as long as they are properly cared for, i.e. fed, given water and are kept in good health. For the general public, good animal welfare for may be defined as ‘animals kept happy and healthy'. Ethical decisions are complex and ethical arguments may weigh differently for different stakeholders, leading them to very different conclusions regarding optimal stocking density and broiler welfare.
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| 9. |
- Egenvall, Agneta, et al.
(author)
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Rein Tension During Transitions
- 2016
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In: Equine Veterinary Journal. - : Wiley. - 0425-1644 .- 2042-3306. ; 48, s. 26-26
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)
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| 10. |
- Eisersiö, Marie, et al.
(author)
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A rein tension signal can be reduced by half in a single training session
- 2021
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In: Applied Animal Behaviour Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1591 .- 1872-9045. ; 243
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rein tension signals are, in essence, pressures applied on the horse's mouth or nose, via the bit/noseband, by a rider or trainer. These pressures may feel uncomfortable or even painful to the horse and therefore it is important to reduce rein tension magnitude to a minimum. The aim of this study was to investigate the magnitude of a rein tension signal for backing up, using negative reinforcement. We wanted to assess how much the magnitude of rein tension could be reduced over eight trials and if the learning process would differ depending on headstall (bridle/halter). Twenty Warmblood horses were trained to step back from a rein tension signal with the handler standing next to the horse, holding the hands above the horse's withers. As soon as the horses stepped back, rein tension was released. The horses were either trained with a bridle first (first treatment, eight trials) and then with a halter (second treatment, eight trials), or vice versa in a cross-over design. All horses wore a rein tension meter and behavior was recorded from video. The sum of left and right maximum rein tension from onset of the rein tension signal to onset of backing (signaling rein tension) was determined for each trial. Mixed linear and logistic regression models were used for the data analysis. In both treatments, signaling rein tension was significantly lower in trial 7-8 than the first trial (p < 0.02). Likewise, signaling rein tension was significantly lower (p < 0.01), and the horses responded significantly faster, (p < 0.001) in the second treatment compared to the first, regardless of headstall. The maximum rein tension was reduced from 35 N to 17 N for bridle (sum of left and right rein) and from 25 N to 15 N for halter in the first eight trials. Rein tension was then further reduced to 10 N for both bridle and halter over the eight additional trials in the second treatment, i.e. to approximately 5 N in each rein. There was no significant difference in learning performance depending on headstall, but the bitted bridle was associated with significantly more head/neck/mouth behaviors. These results suggest that it is possible to reduce maximum rein tension by half in just eight trials. The findings demonstrate how quickly the horse can be taught to respond to progressively lower magnitudes of rein tension through the correct application of negative reinforcement, suggesting possibilities for substantial improvement of equine welfare during training.
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