Physiology of Farm Animal Behaviours

WHAT IS BEHAVIOUR ?
Behaviour may be defined as the respond given from animals
to internal and external stimuli .
(Passille et al.1996 )
Behaviour is a significant indicator of health of animals.
Understanding behaviour is the key to good
management.
(D.M.Boom and A.F.Fraser)
Animals are closely associated with development of
human civilization.
The primitive nomadic men lived exclusively on the
meat of wild animals.
 Later as civilization progressed they started cultivation
and mastered the art to tame some animals like cow,
sheep and goat etc.
 These animals were domesticated in course of time for
milk, meat, wool etc. they exhibited some behavioral
characteristics that favored domestication.
 A systematic study and recording of farm animal
behavior is indeed a new field.
 The term ethology is commonly used for observation
and a detail description of farm animal behavior with a
specific objective to find out how biological
mechanism function.
 A comprehensive study on behavior of farm animals
under diverse conditions, is now considered to be very
relevant to increase their reproductive and productive
efficiency.
 A veterinarian practicing medicine has to depend greatly on the
behavior of animals for the diagnosis and treatment.
The observations and recording of farm animal behavior:
 The observations and recordings of farm animal behavior are very
difficult since very presence of the observer may alter the behavioral
pattern altogether.
 The behavioral study under field condition and semi natural
environment is suitable and provides useful informations.
The different aids that are used for observations and recording of
behavior include, binocular, telescope, telephoto system, parabolic
reflector, microphones, pedometer etc.
Classification and description of farm animal behavior

Social behaviour
Agonistic behaviour
Ingestive behaviour
Body Care behaviour
Thermoregulatory behaviour
Organized segment of behaviour
having a special function .
 Develop through play and social
contact with other animals
 Under the influence of
environmental stimulation and
genetic factors
 Varies with sexes, breed, strain ,
individual , climate
The gross behavior of farm animals have been classified
under the following heads:
1.Ingestive or feeding behavior
2.Thermoregulating behavior
3.Communicating behavior
4.Sexual behavior in male and female
5.Agonistic behavior
6.Care giving behavior and care soliciting behavior
7.Emotional behavior
8.Eliminative behavior.
Feeding behavior
• It is the behavioral expression of the animal during
feeding.
• There is much interspecies variation of the behavioral
pattern during feed intake.
• An animal under stall fed condition may exhibit some kind
of behavior which may differ to a great extent than in
animals under range condition.
• In animal the lateral and median hypothalamus in the
brain are known as appetite centre.
 These hypothalamic centres are constantly fed with informations
from different level of the body.
 The glucostatic, lypostatic and thermostatic theories of feed
intake state that circulating level of blood glucose, lipid
components and thermal environment around the animal
constantly influence hypothalamic centres.
 In addition to this peripheral receptors mainly pressure and
chemoreceptors distributed on the mucous membrane of GIT
transmit sensory impulse about the degree of fill of the GIT and
nature of chemical constituents in the feed materials under the
process of digestion.
  The higher centers on receipt of these complex series of
information decide the dictate feed intake through neural
(efferent) path ways.
 Once the animal gets access to the food the rate of ingestion will
limit the quantity of intake.
 The rate of ingestion depends upon
1.Oral mechanism
2.Physical nature of the food
3.Availability of water
4.Aroma
5.Taste of food and
6.Extent of interference
  The term foraging is used when animals under
range conditions search for food sources by
themselves.
 The grazing behavior under range condition is
influenced by season, grazing time and availability
of suitable patch of herbage.
The cattle under control feeding system modify the
feeding behavior depending upon the quality of feed
available, volume of feed and relative amount of
roughage and concentrate in the feed.
 Under range condition cattle consume more shortly
prior to sunrise, in mid- morning, early afternoon
and near dusk.
 During 24 hours period cattle spent 4-14 hours
period in grazing.
 During 24 hours period cattle ruminate about 15-20
times but duration of each period differs
considerably depending upon the type of diet.
Group grazing of cattle
Feeding behavior in sheep
 The general feature is almost similar to cattle.
 Grazing activity takes place during day time.
 The most intensive grazing is observed in early morning
and in latter afternoon.
 In 24 hours period the grazing time is about 10 hours and
rumination from 8 to 10 hours.
 These animals have well developed sense of smell, taste
and power of visual recognition of food.
 On an average a sheep consume food about 2-5 % of
Animal fed in stalls spend very little time feeding compared with
free ranging animals of same species .But they eat many meals
of short duration. [ Vasilatos and Wangsness (1980)]

GRAZING IN SHEEP BROWSING IN GOAT

Feeding behavior of pigs:
The rooting is salient ingestive behavior in pigs.
The snout is highly developed sense organ and olfaction
plays a part in feeding behavior in pigs.
Pigs fed in group are found to consume more than when
fed individually.
Pig increases water intake when supply of feed is
restricted.
ROOTING IN PIG
 Thermoregulatory behavior:
Thermoregulatory behavior of farm animal is under the
control of hypothalamic centre and other parts of the
brain.
The peripheral thermal (both hot and cold) receptors
constantly conveys information about the environment
around through the lateral spinothalamic tract to the
thalamus and then to the hypothalamus.
The temperature of the blood bathing the
hypothalamic cell also conveys information.
CATTLE SHELTERING FROM SUNSHINE
WALLOWING OF PIGS
  The animals maintain homeo-thermy mainly through
activation of autonomic nervous system.
 During condition of increased ambient temperature
animal dissipate more heat from the body, by way of
conduction, convection and evaporation of body water,
reduce feed intake, and metabolic activity.
 The animals in hot summer months seek shed to
minimize heat load in the body.
 During cold animals try utmost to conserve heat by
minimizing heat loss by way of conduction, convection and
evaporation.
Animal increase feed intake and accelerate
metabolic activity to generate more heat and
thereby try to maintain homeothermy.
The conservation of heat in newborns creates some
problem due to immature neural mechanism.
The new born animals huddle against each other
close to their mother to reduce body surface area.
 This behavior leads to social attachment.
Communicating behavior
 The visual , auditory and chemical cues
transmit information between animals and are
considered to be special communicating
system.
 Dog in particular takes the help of smell as best
way of communication.
 Olfaction is special type of chemical
communication.
Pheromones
It is a type of chemical that helps in the communication
system.
Pheromones are mostly involved in sexual behavior.
The attraction of male dog to estrus bitch is most
common observation.
The attraction of mother to offspring is said to be
mediated through pheromones.
 Mostly the pheromones is detected through olfactory
system.
The involvement of vomeronasal organ in sensing
pheromone is also possibility.
Sexual behavior
The sexual behavior of bull is shown by his approach to
the genitalia of female.
The male then licks the valva and underside of the tail.
The sexual behavior of male is influenced by social
environment, sensory capacities, pheromones and sexual
stimuli.
Flehman response
(except in pig )
Flicking out of the tongue
Striking out with forelimb
Low pitched bleating .

Flehman Response
The female show sexual behavior only at the time of
estrus.
It includes special type of receptive posture and certain
estrus specific movement.
The female shows sign of repeated urination and tail is
slightly deviated to lateral side, the vulva is swelled and
some string like mucous is discharged from the
genitalia.
Female allows male to mount for deposition of semen
in the genitalia.
These behavioral change in adult female take place in cyclic fashion
under the influence of hormones from hypothalamo-hypophyseal-
gonadal system.
FEMALE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
OESTRUS BEHAVIOUR OF DIFF SPS
• COW Restless behaviour, raises and twitches tail ;arches back and
stretches bellowing ,mounts or stands to be mounted , vulva sniffed
by other cows
• SHEEP ewe seeks out ram and associates closely with it
• GOAT rapid tail waving; poor appetite for 1 day
• HORSE Urinating stance.
• PIG Sow stands for ‘riding test’ , pricking of ears .
 SNIFFING AND LICKING OF VULVA

URINATING STANCE MOUNTING IS ACCEPTED BY COW IN ESTRUS

 Agonistic behavior
 Any behavior associated with threat, attack or
defense on the part of animal is called agonistic
behavior.
 The fighting is most commonly seen as intraspecies
aggressive encounter among cattle and dog.
AGGRESSION AT MIXING FIGHTING BETWEEN CATTLES
 It is usually meant to establish hierarchy as in
case of cattle and territory in case od dog.
 The bull exhibit notorious fight between
themselves.
 This aggressive behavior is under the control of
limbic system particularly hypothalamus and
amygdala.
Care giving maternal behavior
The maternal care giving behavior starts immediately
after parturition.
The mother licks the placental fluid that smears the new
born fetus.
This licking stimulates general body activity including
urination and defecation in fetus.
The visual, tactile, taste and olfactory cues serve to
establish maternal care giving behavior.
Communication between mother and offspring
 The mother cow produces recognizable call to her
offspring if offspring is away from the mother.
 The bitch becomes very aggressive to protect the
pups.
 The baby chicks is danger or distress emit a “fret call”
inviting mother to approach the save the situation.
Care soliciting of young:
 The new born calf exhibits suckling behavior which
is indispensable for survival.
 The tactile stimulus during suckling of teats
produces a neurohormonal reflex.
 The oxytocin released as a component of efferent
pathway stimulates the busket cells in mammary
gland to contract and helps let down of milk.
 The lip and tongue of calf move vigorously.
Emotional behavior
 In higher animals various components of limbic
system such as hippocampus and amygdala regulate
emotional behavior.
 The motions are depression, rage or furious activity
or fear.
Eliminating behavior
 Eliminating behavior includes pattern of behavior
concerned with evacuation of urine from the
bladder and elimination of faeces from the GI tract.

 In normal defecation in both male and female the

tail is extended away from the posterior region,
back is arched and hind legs are placed forward.
During 24 hours cycle cattle normally urinate
about 9 times and defaecates 12 times.

The eliminative behavior varies with nature and

quantity of food ingested and ambient
temperature.
Behavioural activities are often used as indicators
of welfare.
We can use behavioural indicators to recognise
whether the livestock is in poor or good state of
welfare.
Monitoring behavioural activities of livestock can be
helpful to livestock producers by identifying the
problems and further implementation of potential
solutions for better livestock management and
welfare.
Abnormal animal behavior
• Tail biting represents both a major animal welfare and
economic problem for the pig industry with losses due to
reduced weight gain, increased on-farm veterinary treatment,
culling and carcass condemnation.
• Tail biting has a multifactorial origin. It is known to be
sporadic, making outbreaks difficult to predict and
understand, even within the same facilities and under similar
management systems.
• Nowadays, more than two third of the growing pig farms
report some tail damage due to tail biting.
• Tail biting can be described as any oral manipulation of the tail resulting in lesion
and is usually referred as "abnormal" since it is rarely reported under extensive or
semi-natural conditions.
• MAIN RISK FACTORS FOR TAIL BITING
• Lack of enrichment material and barren floors
• Poor ventilation-Large daily temperature fluctuations -High level of ammonia
• High stocking density and large herd
• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Poor health status
• Suboptimal or imbalanced diet
• Individual factors (age, genetic)
Feather Pecking and Cannibalism
• Chickens and other types of poultry develop a social hierarchy
within the flock; it is called the pecking order.
• Feather pecking is a way to express dominance in small poultry
flocks as flock members establish their rank.
• A certain degree of mild feather pecking is normal within the
flock, but feather pecking sometimes leads to cannibalism.
• Cannibalism is a separate, more sinister behavior that goes
beyond establishing the pecking order.
• Cannibalism involves chickens pecking, tearing, and consuming
the skin, tissues, or organs of flock mates.
•Cannibalism differs from simple dominance and the
establishment of a normal social hierarchy because
it actually physically harms some members of the
flock (Scheideler and Shields, 2007).
•It may occur among birds of any age or any breed
and is not specific to housing type: it can occur in
floor pens, cages, aviaries, and free-range, outdoor
systems.
Causes
•No one knows exactly what causes feather pecking and
cannibalism, but several triggers seem to be responsible.
•Genetics seems to play a part in feather pecking and
cannibalism; light breeds are more prone to the behavior
than heavier breeds (Savage and Darre, 2008).
•Management practices may play an even bigger role,
though even the best-managed flocks may experience an
outbreak.
•Feather pecking may also be a learned
behavior that spreads rapidly through the
flock (Cloutier et al. 2002).
•Chickens tend to imitate each other, so if
one bird starts the practice, the others
quickly pick up the behavior. Once started, it
is difficult to reverse.
• Clauer (2009) has identified several other possible causes for cannibalism,
including these:
• Overcrowding (limited floor space)
• Excessive heat
• Excessive light
• Shortage or restriction of feed and water
• Unbalanced diet
• Different ages, strains, or colors of birds mixed together
• Changes in environment or management practices
• Shortage of nesting boxes or brightly lit nests
• Failure to remove injured or dead birds in a timely manner
• Genetically slow feathering birds