Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Behavioral differences of shelter dogs under fluorescent versus LED lighting","authors":"Jennifer Abrams ,&nbsp;Kristiina Wilson ,&nbsp;Janice Hegewald ,&nbsp;Christopher Braun ,&nbsp;Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fluorescent lighting is used in a wide variety of applications, most commonly because of its energy and heat saving capabilities. However, the flicker that accompanies fluorescent light can negatively impact humans and animals. Detrimental behavioral and physiological consequences have been observed in animals housed under fluorescent lighting. One animal population that is likely to be sensitive to the flicker, and often housed under fluorescent lighting, is shelter dogs. To date, no peer-reviewed research has examined the direct impact of fluorescent lighting on shelter dog behavior. Our aim was to evaluate in-kennel behavior using a two-room concurrent approach in which 54 shelter dogs were housed under either fluorescent (n = 20) or flicker free light-emitting diode (LED) lighting (n = 34). Dogs housed in the fluorescent room were more likely to be at the front of the kennel (odds ratio [OR] 2.56, 95 % CI 1.49–4.40), standing (OR 2.32, CI 1.52–3.53), barking (OR 4.68, CI 2.52–8.67), and lip licking (OR 1.71, CI 1.03–2.83) while those in the LED room were more likely to be at the back of the kennel (OR 0.42, CI 0.29–0.61), facing backward (OR 0.44, CI 0.28–0.69), lying down (OR 0.38, CI 0.25–0.56), and on their beds (OR 0.6, CI 0.39–0.95). Overall, investigation of differences in behavior between the two lighting conditions hints at a relationship between more active behaviors observed in dogs when housed under fluorescent and less active behaviors when housed under LED lighting. These results highlight the need for additional research assessing the effects that seemingly imperceptible light flickering may have on this vulnerable population, to further our understanding of ways to reduce environmental stress in a kennel setting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"289 ","pages":"Article 106692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144178262","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}

{"title":"Affiliative and stress behaviors of domestic dogs when they witness a human conflict between their caregivers","authors":"Laura Analía Rial ,&nbsp;Juan Pablo Damián ,&nbsp;Mariana Bentosela","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106680","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106680","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consolation and appeasement are considered strategies for the management of conflicts within a group and consist of an uninvolved observer displaying affiliative behaviors to the victim or the aggressor of the conflict, respectively. Domestic dogs (<em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>) closely cohabit, form strong attachment bonds and have remarkable communicative skills with humans, so the ability to offer these affiliative behaviors could be relevant in their daily lives. In turn, it is considered that emotional contagion acts as a facilitator for such behaviors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of post-conflict affiliative behaviors toward the victim and the aggressor as well as stress responses of the dogs during and after a conflict between two caregivers (experimental condition) in their own household and compare this with a control condition in which the caregivers interacted calmly. The hypothesis that dogs are capable of consoling a caregiver who is a victim of a conflict was tested in a within-subject design (N = 24). Dogs exhibited greater rates of affiliative behaviors towards the victim in the experimental condition compared to the control, both during [rate of gaze (p = 0.0006), proximity (p = 0.009), contact (p = 0.031) and affiliation score (p &lt; 0.0001)] and after [rate of gaze (p = 0.043), proximity (p = 0.021) and affiliation score (p = 0.038)] the conflict. Furthermore, they tended to show lower rates of proximity (p = 0.078) and greater rates of gaze (p = 0.0013) toward the aggressor during the conflict phase in the experimental condition compared to the control. The dogs’ behaviors directed towards the aggressor after the conflict were not influenced by the condition (experimental vs control). These results suggest that dogs would be able to console their caregivers, although alternative explanations must be considered. The behaviors toward the aggressor could signal avoidance and vigilance. In addition, dogs exhibited higher rates of stress-related behaviors during and after the conflict in the experimental condition compared to the control, suggestive of emotional contagion. Current findings contribute to the understanding of the establishment and maintenance of dog-human bonds and raise new questions regarding the welfare of dogs when they witness a conflict within the household.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"289 ","pages":"Article 106680"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144177507","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}

{"title":"Do cows come when called? Training cows to visit the milking robot in response to a cue","authors":"Francesca Pells Johansen ,&nbsp;Gareth Arnott ,&nbsp;Stephanie Buijs","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Voluntary movement of cows through the milking robot of an automatic milking system (AMS) is essential to its productivity. However, challenges remain regarding optimising visit frequency, particularly for systems aiming to combine pasture-based grazing and AMS. Here we explore an approach to enhance visit frequency through associative learning of an audio and tactile cue to encourage cows to voluntarily visit the milking robot. The current study aimed to assess 1) training stage reached and response to cue, 2) the effects of training upon milking frequency, 3) the effects of feed choice upon training stage reached and response to cue, and 4) the effects of cow location, light conditions and weather conditions upon the cows’ response to the cue. Twenty-eight cows from a larger herd of forty-four were trained in two batches (early and late). Cows were feed choice tested during week four of the study. The early group was trained to respond to the cue (move to the milking robot in response to an audio and tactile cue) during weeks 11–12 and tested in week 13, and the late group was trained during weeks 14–15 and tested in week 16. Descriptive statistics and GLMMs were utilised to answer the study questions. Four of the cows did not progress from the lowest level of the predefined five-step training plan. None of the cows completed the training plan, but most cows reached steps three (nine cows) or four (thirteen cows). Twenty cows correctly responded to the cue (trafficked to the milking robot) once or more, but none responded to the cue more than five times (of a possible 10). Milking frequency was higher in both groups during training periods compared to testing periods. There were significant associations between feed consumption during the feed choice test and response to the cue, where cows with the feed they consumed the most of (during the feed choice test) offered in the robot achieving an improved response to the cue. Finally, cows were more likely to correctly respond to the cue during dark hours. Training cows to approach the robot in response to an audio and tactile cue is a promising intervention to increase productivity in AMS. However, our study was unsuccessful in achieving this, and further development of training protocols and research on factors influencing training and cue response is needed to improve success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"289 ","pages":"Article 106674"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144178261","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}

{"title":"When life gives you lemons, squeeze your way through: Understanding citrus avoidance behaviour by free-ranging dogs in India","authors":"Tuhin Subhra Pal,&nbsp;Srijaya Nandi,&nbsp;Rohan Sarkar,&nbsp;Anindita Bhadra","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Palatability of food is influenced by multiple factors such as taste, smell, texture, and freshness, which can vary widely across species. These factors, along with local environmental conditions, often shape the food habits of different populations. In particular, food availability can drive local adaptations, influencing not only the foraging behaviour but also the survival strategies of species. Urbanization, which alters the natural availability of food, has contributed to both a rapid decline in biodiversity and, in some species, the development of local adaptations that allow them to survive in modified environments. Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) have co-existed with humans for centuries, and present a perfect model system for studying local adaptations. In this study, we attempted to understand a specific aspect of their scavenging behaviour in India – citrus aversion. Pet dogs are known to avoid citrus fruits and food contaminated by them. In India, lemons are used widely in the cuisine, and discarded as kitchen waste, which is a primary source of food for scavenging FRDs. We report a set of experiments that revealed the citrus avoidance behaviour of FRDs. The dogs used different manoeuvres to procure the chicken and avoid the lemon provided in our choice tests. A survey revealed that people avoid giving citrus contaminated food to their own pets, but do not follow the same caution in case of FRDs. This study revealed that FRDs in West Bengal, India, are well adapted to scavenging among citrus-contaminated garbage, and have their own strategies to avoid the contamination as far as possible, while maximizing their preferred food intake. These results contribute to a better understanding of FRDs' dietary preferences and inform strategies for promoting responsible human-animal interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"289 ","pages":"Article 106682"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144178260","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}

{"title":"Should the cocktail training method cause a stir? Training frog generalist detection dogs with combined species samples","authors":"La Toya Jamieson ,&nbsp;Naomi Hodgens ,&nbsp;Nicholas Rutter ,&nbsp;Cindy E. Hauser ,&nbsp;Deon Gilbert ,&nbsp;Pauleen Bennett","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106681","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106681","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildlife detection dog (WDD) and handler teams can greatly support conservation efforts. Sourcing odourant samples to train these teams is challenging. One option involves training WDDs on common species, from which samples are more accessible, in the hope they will generalise to similar endangered species. Cocktail (mixture) training, where dogs are trained on samples that purposefully contain multiple odourants (e.g. frog species), may be suitable for rapidly training dogs on multiple species. Presently, there is confounding evidence of animals’ abilities to recognise individual components within mixtures. Our study aimed to determine whether training dogs with ‘frog cocktails’ of five different frog species would facilitate generalisation to novel (i.e. previously unencountered) frog species. Seven dogs were trained on five varieties of ‘frog cocktails’. Each cocktail contained skin swabs from four of the five frog species to minimise species odourant overshadowing. Training occurred indoors across 18 sessions on a 12-armed scent wheel. Double-blind assessments were then completed to determine whether dogs recognised each cocktail component (Species A – E). The dogs were assessed on each of the five species (10 trials per species) to measure sensitivity and precision. Lastly, the dogs were assessed on their ability to generalise to novel frog species (Species F – J). When the dogs were tested on cocktail components, they demonstrated poor species recognition, detecting frogs in 16/35 searches. Sensitivity and precision were highly varied between dogs and across frog species, with a mean sensitivity of 60.8 % and precision of 43.6 %. During novel frog species assessments the dogs demonstrated higher generalisation, alerting to 23/30 novel frog species. The majority of dogs scored highly for sensitivity and precision across these novel species assessments, with a mean sensitivity of 81.7 % and precision of 72.9 %. Our results demonstrate the dogs’ relatively poor recognition of the cocktail components following training, presumably because they were likely processing the cocktails as a whole, rather than as a collection of unique odourants. Their ability to process the cocktails elementally may have improved with a longer training period. However, as a result of this cocktail training and a series of assessments on individual cocktail components, the dogs were able to generalise to novel frog species, suggesting the dogs understood the target category of ‘frog’. Our study highlights considerations for employing the cocktail training method, as well as potential benefits of this training for endangered wildlife detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106681"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144139601","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}

{"title":"Ingestive behavior of dairy buffaloes in a cow-calf contact grazing system during the post-calving","authors":"Arthur Fernandes Bettencourt ,&nbsp;Francisco Freire Duarte ,&nbsp;Isabelle Damé Veber Angelo ,&nbsp;Júlia Fernandes Aires ,&nbsp;Bruna Martins de Menezes ,&nbsp;Anderson Michel Soares Bolzan ,&nbsp;Daniel Mota-Rojas ,&nbsp;Vivian Fischer","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maternal behavior immediately after calving has been widely studied in ruminants, including buffaloes. However, little is known about the cow-calf relationship in a cow-calf contact (CCC) system throughout the lactation period. The objective of this study was to investigate the evolution of ingestive behavior in dairy buffalo cows under a CCC grazing system during the first seven months <em>post</em>-calving and its relation with social behaviors. Ten crossbred dairy buffalo cows (Mediterranean × Murrah), including both multiparous and primiparous, and their calves, were evaluated from three days to seven months <em>post</em>-calving (M1, M2, …, M7). Evaluations were conducted weekly until M4 and biweekly from M5 to M7, totaling 22 observation days per cow-calf pair. Animals were kept together under continuous grazing, and their activities were observed from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. These activities were grouped into the following categories: ingestive behaviors (idling, ruminating, grazing (min), and water intake; number of events); other behaviors (other activities, nursing, time out of water, and total time in water immersion; min); distance between cow and calf (≤ 5 m, &gt; 5 ≤ 10 m, and &gt; 10 m; %); and social behaviors (aggressiveness, maternal care, vocalization, nursing events and denied nursing events; number of events). In M1, buffalo cows spent 75.7 % of their time at a distance of ≤ 5 m from their calves, while in M4, this occurred only 46.5 % of the time (P = 0.001). Idling while standing was more frequent in M1 and M2 compared to the other months (P &lt; .0001), and ruminating while standing was higher in M1 and M2 than in the subsequent months (P = 0.011). Grazing time increased from M1 (128.3 min) to M4 (173.5 min; P = 0.002). The events of aggressiveness (4.9; P = 0.098), maternal care (7.4; P &lt; .0001), and vocalization (1.7; P &lt; .0001) were higher in M1 when compared to M7. During the first two months of buffalo calves’ lives, cows are more vigilant and careful, increasing the time spent idling and ruminating while standing and decreasing the time spent grazing. Understanding these behaviors may help develop management practices that allow the expression of maternal care behaviors without compromising maintenance activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106677"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099379","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}

{"title":"Assessment of dog shelter management and welfare in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Implications for behavior and health","authors":"Adul Saengthong ,&nbsp;Janine L. Brown ,&nbsp;Korakot Nganvongpanit ,&nbsp;Veerasak Punyapornwittaya ,&nbsp;Kannikar Na Lampang ,&nbsp;Jakkawat Pongsumpan ,&nbsp;Jaruwan Khonmee","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The management of stray dogs poses significant challenges worldwide, particularly in Thailand, where stray populations continue to rise. This study evaluated management practices and welfare conditions of eight dog shelters in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, focusing on space allocation, dog density, and human-dog interactions on canine behavior and health indicators. Results indicated that higher-density shelters experienced increased rates of lameness, coughing, skin conditions, and behaviors potentially related to stress or environmental conditions, such as panting, barking, and negative reactions toward strangers. Lower density was associated with higher body condition scores (p &lt; 0.05). Shelters with adequate space and structured human-dog interaction programs demonstrated improved welfare outcomes, including better body condition scores and fewer stress-related behaviors (p &lt; 0.05). By contrast, the lack of veterinary services in certain shelters was linked to higher disease prevalence. These findings underscore the importance of proper shelter management, environmental enrichment, and veterinary care in promoting the physical and psychological well-being of shelter dogs. The study highlights the need for national guidelines to ensure effective and humane management of stray animal populations in Thailand. Future research exploring physiological changes associated with shelter management practices is recommended to further enhance welfare strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106666"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105283","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}

{"title":"Relationship between estrus and reactivity on the reproductive performance of beef cows","authors":"Francisco A.R. Catalano ,&nbsp;Luiz E. Kozicki ,&nbsp;Isis V. Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Ruan R. Daros","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>No study has considered the association between reactivity traits and estrus on the probability of pregnancy. Here we analyze the relationship between reactivity and estrus on the probability of pregnancy in beef cows. A total of 1218 beef females from 11 commercial ranches (Paraná state, Brazil) were subjected to a fixed-timed artificial insemination (FTAI) protocol: on day zero (D0), estradiol benzoate was administered, and an intravaginal progesterone device inserted. On day eight (D8), estradiol cypionate, cloprostenol and equine chorionic gonadotropin were administered and the progesterone device removed. The sacro-caudal region was paint marked to assess estrus expression. On D10 (48 hours after progesterone device removal), the paint removal score was annotated and AI performed. Chute score and flight speed were evaluated on D0, D8, and D10. The chute score was assessed through head, limb, and tail movements. The females were given scores: 1 for calm animals to 5 for reactive ones. Flight speed was measured using a digital stopwatch. The recorded time taken to cover the distance from the chute exit to the end of the return alley was converted into speed (m/s), and the females were grouped into quartiles according to their flight speed. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 45 days post-FTAI. Average chute score and flight speed on D0 and D8 were not associated with estrus on D10. The average (D0, D8, and D10) chute score was not associated with pregnancy probability, but an interaction was observed between the average flight speed (D0, D8, and D10) and estrus expression on pregnancy probability (P &lt; 0.01). Females exiting the chute at higher speed were more likely to become pregnant than slower females if they were not showing signs estrus; however, when showing signs of estrus flight speed did not change the likelihood of pregnancy. When analyzing the days separately, the interaction between flight speed and estrus expression was also observed for D8 and D10. Furthermore, on D10 it was observed an association between chute score and pregnancy probability (P = 0.03), with reactive females having a lower pregnancy probability compared to neutral females. Reproductive performance of beef cows that express estrus (i.e., paint removal score 3) is not influenced by reactivity, but those that do not show such signs of estrus have different chances of pregnancy dependent on their reactivity. Increased reactivity in the last day of the FTAI protocol as a potential response to aversive handling may impair reproductive performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106679"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946843","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}

{"title":"Few effects of sow lactational stress on maternal behavior, but altered physiology with implications for piglet early-life stress coping","authors":"Cathinka C. Jørgensen,&nbsp;Ulrike Gimsa,&nbsp;Liza R. Moscovice","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sows in conventional livestock farming are subject to several challenges, many of which are associated with suboptimal housing conditions. These conditions increase the risk of maternal stress during the lactational period, which can cause changes in maternal care with subsequent influences on piglet early life experiences. We aimed to investigate how maternal stress during lactation influences maternal care, by analyzing changes in sow behaviors, including aggression, nursing events and social contact with offspring, and physiology, focusing on hormones important for stress regulation (cortisol, CORT) and social bonding (oxytocin, OXT). We also wanted to assess how two different rearing environments would influence offspring early life behavioral and physiological responses during a maternal separation. In addition, piglets were separated with or without littermates present, to examine effects of social buffering on piglet responses. From lactation day 2–15, sows were treated with an injection of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; n = 10) or a saline solution (C; n = 10), to simulate a high- or low- stress condition. Milk and saliva samples were collected during the treatment period to investigate the effect of maternal stress on sow CORT and OXT concentrations. In addition, behavioral data and saliva samples for CORT analyses were collected from sows during a 4-h maternal separation (MS) followed by a reunion, and during a matched control day. During the MS, plasma samples were collected from piglets for CORT and OXT analyses. Behavioral data were also collected at regular intervals from a subset of these piglets. Results indicate significant increases in CORT concentrations in saliva and milk of ACTH sows during the lactational period. The ACTH and C sows did not differ behaviorally during separations or reunions, although there was a tendency for ACTH sows to lay less on their sides during control days. There were no significant effects of the piglet rearing condition on piglet activity or hormones. However, during reunions, control piglets had a stronger preference for contact with the sow than with other piglets compared to the mother-treated piglets. Piglets who were group-housed during separations also had lower CORT concentrations compared to single-housed piglets. Even though ACTH sows exhibited few behavioral indications of heightened stress responses, physiological changes in milk could have long-term implications for piglets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106675"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070387","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}

{"title":"Social behaviour in groups of castrated and uncastrated organic fattening male pigs - consequences for the individual","authors":"Jeannette C. Lange,&nbsp;Ute Knierim","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106676","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106676","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Entire male pigs are more active than castrated male pigs and their social behaviour may be harmful to their pen-mates. Even if the average number of skin lesions does not differ between castrated and entire males, it is possible that the distribution of injurious interactions among individuals is different and that the welfare of highly affected individuals is compromised. Therefore, using data from 531 ear-tagged entire males (39 groups) and 305 castrates (22 groups) from five organic farms, we examined whether higher standard deviations (SD) of skin lesions on the front or the rear body indicated a higher concentration of injurious interactions on some individuals in groups of entire compared to castrated males, and whether the proportion of moderately and severely injured pigs differed. Potential effects of space allowance, female contact, and weight heterogeneity per group were also considered. We further investigated what characterised individual entire or castrated males with a higher number of skin lesions and whether more entire than castrated males were repeatedly injured. Pigs were weighed at the start and end of fattening, Additionally, they were scored for skin lesions at around 80 kg and 130 kg live weight, and after first split marketing. Compared to castrates, the proportions of moderately and severely injured pigs per group and the SD of skin lesions were higher in entire males with no direct contact to females, but did not differ when entire males were kept next to female pigs. Individual castrated but not entire males with a lower relative live weight at the start of fattening had more lesions, and castrates with more lesions also had lower lifetime weight gain. Together this may point to some differences in motivation for agonistic interactions between castrated and uncastrated male pigs. There was a general mitigating effect of higher space allowances, with a higher importance for entire males on the individual level. Rates of repeated moderate or severe injury at around 80 kg and 130 kg liveweight did not differ with 15 % (castrated) and 16 % (uncastrated) injured pigs. We conclude that the fattening of entire males under organic conditions can bear a higher injury risk for some individuals, but that this can be prevented by appropriate husbandry conditions, such as housing female pigs in the neighbouring pen. In general, higher space allowances help to reduce negative consequences of social behaviour.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 106676"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946781","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}