Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Behavior and physiological responses to acoustic stimuli in Taurine and Zebuine cattle","authors":"Roberta Farias Silveira ,&nbsp;Vivian Fischer ,&nbsp;Ricardo Zambarda Vaz ,&nbsp;Adroaldo Zanella ,&nbsp;Willian Barros ,&nbsp;Isabella Dias Barbosa Silveira","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taurine and zebu cattle behave distinctly modulated by their genotype and previous experience. We hypothesized that the greater reactivity of Zebu compared with Taurine cattle during daily routine management practice is partially due to the faster perception of sounds. This study aimed to evaluate behavioral and physiological variables of taurines and zebuines before and after the exposure to six acoustic stimuli and a control (without acoustic stimulus). Thirty-nine cows, comprising 19 Aberdeen Angus, AA (<em>Bos taurus taurus</em>) and 20 Nellore (<em>Bos taurus indicus</em>) were enrolled in this study. Six acoustic stimuli were evaluated. The three sounds evaluated were calves mooing, dogs barking and handler commands (e.g. stimulating displacement of cattle), and the sound frequencies were low (65 Hz), intermediate (8 kHz) and high (20 kHz). At each acoustic stimulus, we considered the first behavioral reaction expressed by the animals and the behaviors were registered in an ethogram. Immediately before and after the acoustic stimuli test, we measured body temperature with a thermographic camera (IRT) at the right and left lacrimal caruncles, and at the muzzle as well we determined blood glucose concentration. Further, on other date, reactivity was evaluated using flight distance and behavior score and the interaural distance was measured. The study was conducted according to factorial considering genetic group and acoustic stimuli, and each cow was considered an experimental unit, totaling 39 cows (19 AA and 20 Nellore). AA and Nellore cows did not exhibit any of the behaviors linked to hearing in the absence of sound stimuli. All acoustic stimuli provoked behavior reactions in both groups, notably handler commands, dogs barking, low and high frequencies lead to increased frequency and odds ratio of presenting head movement, ears directed towards the sound source in Nellore compared with AA. Blood glucose concentration and IRT measured at the muzzle were similar for groups, while IRT at the both lacrimal caruncles increased after acoustic stimuli test only in Nellore group. The interaural distance was shorter in Nellore compared with AA cows. Nellore cows had greater values for behavior score and flight distance than AA cows. Compared with AA cows, Nellore cows are more reactive and exhibit higher frequency of behaviors related to sound perception (e.g., head movement, ears in alert position or directed towards the sound) probably linked to faster sound perception due to their shorter interaural distance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106801"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144920241","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":"Behavioral and systemic differences in Holstein cows with known severity of rumen acidosis during low and high-grain feeding","authors":"Rana Muhammad Atif ,&nbsp;Patrick Biber ,&nbsp;Thomas Hartinger ,&nbsp;Ezequias Castillo-Lopez ,&nbsp;Nicole Reisinger ,&nbsp;Qendrim Zebeli","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated behavioral and systemic differences in second-lactation Holstein cows with known susceptibility to subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) when transitioned from a low to high-grain diet. Eighteen cows (9 SARA-susceptible, 9 SARA-resistant; 646 ± 59 kg body weight) were used in a longitudinal experimental design, with two experimental runs. In each run, the cows were first fed a 40 % concentrate diet for 2 weeks followed by a 65 % concentrate diet for 4 weeks. Behavioral parameters (chewing, lying, eating, ruminating, feed sorting), salivary characteristics, milk production, and blood metabolites were evaluated. SARA-resistant cows exhibited greater rumination activity (rumination time, chews per bolus, chews per minute; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), higher body weight (<em>P</em> = 0.04), and elevated serum total protein (<em>P</em> = 0.01), despite no differences in ruminal pH indices. The dietary shift to high-grain significantly affected most behavioral, production, and physiological parameters (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), including increased sorting for physically effective fiber (peNDF), eating rate, meal frequency, milk yield, milk protein, blood glucose, and salivary osmolality, alongside reductions in rumination time, eating duration, milk fat, and blood lipid metabolites. Significant SARA type × diet interactions were observed in rumination indices, eating behavior (visit size, number of meals), blood glucose, and non-esterified fatty acids concentrations, with SARA-resistant cows showing improved metabolic adaptation during the high-grain phase. In conclusion, cows previously identified as SARA-resistant demonstrated enhanced behavioral and metabolic resilience to high-grain diets, suggesting that prior SARA status may influence adaptation strategies during dietary transitions. Additional research is suggested to evaluate prolonged impact of high-grain diets on behavioral and production parameters across different SARA phenotypes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106800"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144918053","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":"Linking foraging behaviour of free-ranging, lactating beef cows with diet quality and weight gain in semi-arid rangeland","authors":"David J. Augustine ,&nbsp;Monte J. Reed ,&nbsp;Sean P. Kearney ,&nbsp;Lauren M. Porensky ,&nbsp;J. Derek Scasta ,&nbsp;David W. Pellatz ,&nbsp;Justin D. Derner","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monitoring free-ranging livestock foraging behaviour and health with on-animal sensors has emerged as a potential means to enhance adaptive management for ranching operations. We evaluated the use of GPS collars collecting animal locations at 5-min intervals and estimating activity (grazing, walking, or stationary) via a 3-axis accelerometer to quantify foraging behaviour of lactating <em>Bos taurus</em> beef cows with calves on a ∼7600 ha working ranch in a sagebrush grassland ecotone in northeast Wyoming. We used this sensor data to quantify five metrics of foraging behaviour at a daily time step including (1) mean velocity while grazing (VG), (2) mean grazing bout duration (GBD), (3) mean turn angle while grazing (TAG), (4) total daily grazing time (TTG) and (5) total daily travel distance (TD), and related these metrics to measurements of cattle diet quality, weight gain, and stock density. While foraging behaviour metrics varied among individual cows, we found that daily estimates of VG, GBD, TAG and TD were all significantly related to stock density and variation in remotely-sensed estimates of dietary crude protein content. Over longer time periods of weeks to months, cattle diet quality and weight gain were significantly related to VG (positive correlation; R² = 0.42 – 0.87), and GBD (negative correlation; R² = 0.58 – 0.78). These findings indicate that ranchers have the ability to influence diet quality and animal performance via (1) the rotation of herds among pastures of varying composition and quality, and (2) changes in herd size relative to pasture size (i.e., animal density). Furthermore, our results indicate there is substantial potential utility for near-real-time monitoring of foraging behaviour as an indicator of animal performance via the combination of GPS tracking, accelerometer data, and a method to wirelessly transmit data to the internet. However, operationalizing such a system will likely depend on continuing improvements in sensor durability and data management efficiency, and reductions in sensor and data transmission costs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106802"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003658","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":"Effects of automated short-term incomplete milking during peak to mid lactation on udder firmness, heart-rate variability, and behavior recordings in dairy cows","authors":"Robin Joest ,&nbsp;Jenny Stracke ,&nbsp;Ute Müller","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Incomplete Milking can strategically be used to induce short-term milk yield reduction, benefiting dairy cows’ metabolism without affecting long-term productivity. However, while intermitted milking has been associated with elevated udder pressure and discomfort in dairy cows, incomplete milking´s welfare effects remain less well studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of automated short-term incomplete milking on udder filling and udder firmness, as well as on the welfare of dairy cows, by assessing heart rate variability (HRV) and behavior recordings. Udder healthy, multiparous dairy cows in peak- to mid-lactation were randomly assigned to the complete milking treatment (COMP; n = 23, 95 ± 49 days in milk, lactation number 3.0 ± 1.3 (mean ± SD)) or the incomplete milking treatment (INCL; n = 23, 93 ± 46 days in milk, lactation number 2.6 ± 0.8 (mean ± SD)). The incomplete milking consisted of two phases: In the 1st phase, milk withdrawal was gradually reduced by 9 %/day over 5.5 days, resulting in app. 40 % reduction and was followed by 3 complete milkings. Subsequently, in the 2nd phase, the 40 % reduction was maintained consistently for further 5.5 days. Milk yield did not differ between treatments before incomplete milking (COMP: 39.1 ± 1.42 kg/day; INCL: 40.2 ± 1.66 kg/day (mean ± SEM) and a 43 % reduced milk withdrawal was effectively achieved at the end of the 1st phase and throughout the 2nd phase. In INCL cows, udder filling increased, and udder firmness before milking was elevated on average by 18 % during the 1st and by 22 % during the 2nd phase, compared to COMP cows. After milking, udder firmness was on average 33 % higher in INCL cows throughout both phases. Udder health was not affected by incomplete milking and it had no effect on HRV indices, which remained consistent between groups and over time (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). No defense behavior was observed in the milking parlor, and behavior recordings in the barn showed no differences between treatments. This study demonstrates that, even though automated short-term incomplete milking resulted in increased udder filling and firmness – suggesting elevated residual milk and internal udder pressure –, incomplete milking does not indicate adverse effects on the welfare of dairy cows based on the indicators evaluated in this study. These findings support incomplete milking as a viable management strategy for dairy cows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106798"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925053","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":"Grief-like distress responses in horses after the death of a conspecific","authors":"Claire Ricci-Bonot ,&nbsp;Emily Wilson ,&nbsp;Stefania Uccheddu ,&nbsp;Daniel Simon Mills","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a social species, it would be anticipated that horses may display altered behaviours toward dying or dead conspecifics. However, there is remarkably little literature on this subject. The aim of this study was to identify behavioural changes in horses who have experienced the loss of a companion equid. An online survey was used to collect data on the housing and management of the equids, information on the surviving and deceased equid (including relationship), the passing of the deceased equid, and the type and duration of immediate and sustained behavioural changes in the surviving horse. The survey was completed for 325 surviving horses. Horse owners reported multiple changes in behaviour in the surviving horse within 24 h of the companion’s death; most often related to arousal (88.96 %), behaviour directed towards other equids (77.67 %) and people (77.64 %), alertness to stimuli (72.92 %) and vocalisation (68.63 %). Multiple logistic regression models indicate that horses who had shared an affectionate relationship, rather than simply tolerated each other, were more likely to change their excitement to interact with others or at feeding time (parental-dependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.006; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.023) and behaviour towards humans (parental-dependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.026; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.029). These behavioural changes often persisted for 6 months after the death of their companion. Horses who had witnessed the death of their companion were more likely to show alterations in time spent sleeping (p = 0.028) and feeding (p = 0.030) within 24 h of death, compared to before companion death. These surviving horses were also more likely to have a change in excitement towards interacting with others and/or around feeding time (p = 0.004) and vigilance (p = 0.016). Whether or not the surviving horse had spent time with the dead body did not affect its behaviour in the first 24 h of loss. However, within 6 months after the death of the companion, horses who could spend time with the body had no change in vocalisation (p = 0.005) and excitement to interact with others and/or to feed time (p = 0.022). Conversely, horses who could not spend time with the body were more likely to show a change in arousal (p = 0.038) and vigilance (p = 0.033). These findings indicate that horses may express grief-related behaviours, but further independent empirical evidence is required. The death of a companion can have negative consequences for the survivor’s welfare. This study may help owners manage emotional welfare better during this difficult time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890802","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":"Dairy cow personality: Associations with home pen behavior and performance","authors":"P. Hasenpusch ,&nbsp;T. Wilder ,&nbsp;A. Seidel ,&nbsp;K. Dannen ,&nbsp;G. Thaller","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Personality traits cause inter-individual variation in behavior and therefore represent an important factor of dairy cow health and wellbeing. As personality traits are usually assessed by conducting behavioral tests in an experimental arena, the question remains, how personality traits may differ in home pen behavior. Furthermore, it remains unclear, to what extent personality traits, home pen behavior and performance of dairy cows are associated. In this context, we recorded the milk yield, milk contents and feeding behavior of 271 cows for 14 days prior to conducting a novel object test, followed by a forced human approach test. For the same period the lying and walking behavior of a subset (36 cows) was additionally tracked via a real time location system. Using linear models, we estimated the association of traits inferred from test measurements with home pen behavior and production characteristics. These models included the cows exploration, boldness, sociability and trust in humans score as well as pairwise interactions between them. Two parameters describing home pen behavior were affected by interactions of personality traits. Within the group of less bold cows, the level of exploration was positively associated with the number of lying bouts per day. Furthermore, within the group of less explorative cows, the less bold cows had a higher variance in their walking bout duration than bold cows. Among production characteristics, feed intake was affected by different levels of exploration, sociability and trust. The effects depended on the expression of interacting traits such as boldness, sociability and trust. Most of these interactions also influenced milk yield and milk contents. This influence may be attributed to changes in the feeding behavior, which, in turn, is influenced by personality. However, milk yield and milk constitution were also influenced by boldness, when cows were additionally characterized as less sociable. Thereby the results indicates that personality and production may be related by other mechanisms. Regarding these findings, we suggest further research focusing on particular associations to determine causal relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931581","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":"Creep heating in outdoor farrowing huts may increase piglet welfare without impacting survival and growth","authors":"Jens Malmkvist ,&nbsp;Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager ,&nbsp;Lene Juul Pedersen","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Newborn piglets are prone to hypothermia, and higher mortalities are suggested in outdoor farrowing huts. Therefore, we investigated whether creep heating during the first 7 days after parturition improves piglet survival and welfare. Data (location, behaviour, weight, mortality) were collected from birth to weaning at 7 weeks from 88 litters across seasons. Each hut contained four pens, half with a heated (HEAT) piglet creep area and half of these had a metal bar (‘pendulum’) to support the sow's lying-down movement. The position of the sow at birth influenced the first piglet entry to the creep (rump facing creep: median 87 min vs snout facing creep: 191 min after the birth of the first piglet; P = 0.037). During the first day of life (D0), creep usage was low (2.6 ± 0.65 % of observations) regardless of heating (P = 0.20) and season (P = 0.38; spring: 1.5 %, summer: 2.7 %, autumn: 1.8 %, winter: 3.1 %). Most piglets on D0 were at the udder (71.5 ± 1.83 %) or in the pen, away from the sow (25.9 ± 1.87 %). Creep usage increased after D0, with more piglets inside if heated (D2, HEAT: 28.0 ± 3.16 % vs not: 6.8 ± 1.85 %; P &lt; 0.001), at the expense of being in the pen without sow contact (HEAT: 16.6 ± 2.76 % vs unheated: 32.5 ± 3.06 %; P &lt; 0.001). HEAT did not influence piglets in udder contact (e.g. on D2, P = 0.21). We found no effect of HEAT on piglet survival (P = 0.54) and growth (P = 0.35) based on weighing individuals D1, D21, and D49. From D1 to weaning, 16.2 % of liveborn piglets died. The risk of piglet dying tended to higher in piglets being fostered by another sow (in contrast to their biological mother; P = 0.085) and higher for males (Hazard ratio vs females: 1.4; P = 0.004). Piglet Average Daily Gain (ADG) decreased with increasing litter size at weaning (P &lt; 0.001) and was positively associated with the parity of the sow (P = 0.042). Season influenced the piglet ADG (P &lt; 0.001), being higher during spring (g/day: 321 ± 12^a) and autumn (338 ± 12 ^a) than summer (272 ± 11^b; winter: 297 ± 14^ab). Piglets fostered by another sow had lower ADG (283 ± 13 vs native piglets of the litter: 331 ± 5 g/day; P &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, heating resulted in more piglets using of the creep early in life on postnatal day 2, especially in cold weather (mean outdoor temperature effect; P = 0.030), indicating a need for more thermal zones inside the hut. These results suggest that additional hut features like heating may increase piglet welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907768","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":"Nature guiding how we nurture: Using the behavioral ecology of the domestic sow to advance welfare legislation","authors":"Abigale H. Zoltick ,&nbsp;Jennifer A. Punt ,&nbsp;Jeremy N. Marchant","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the twentieth century, pork production transitioned from small extensive farms to large intensive systems, leading to widespread confinement of commercial sows. This global intensification of pig production generated substantial welfare concerns, including questions about the expression of maternal behaviors. Ethologists often use the behavioral repertoire of wild animals to understand the ecological and welfare needs of their domestic counterparts. Thus, we hypothesized that the welfare of today’s commercial sow will depend, at least in part, on 1) evidence that the domestic sow maintains the motivation to perform those behaviors intrinsic to the wild sow, and 2) evidence that suppression of these behaviors results in measurable indicators of negative welfare. We compiled evidence from the literature to investigate the maternal behavioral repertoire of the wild sow during each stage of her reproductive cycle and the domestic sow’s enduring motivation to perform these behaviors. Our findings detail the survival of the wild sow’s maternal behavioral repertoire within the modern-day domesticate and the negative welfare outcomes associated with inhibition of these behaviors under most commercial conditions. Using this ethological framework, we examined California’s Proposition 12 to identify opportunities to advance welfare through housing legislation informed by a sow’s behavioral ecology. Collectively, this work substantiates the use of wild sow behavior as a comparative framework to assess the welfare outcomes of commercial sow housing and highlights the critical role that animal behavior science should play in shaping evidence-based policy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885579","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":"This little piggy got cold: Door flaps on outdoor farrowing huts improve piglet survival during winter in Australia","authors":"Megan E. Lucas,&nbsp;Lucy Wotherspoon,&nbsp;Amelia Sofra","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pigs in outdoor production systems have opportunities to engage in experiences that enhance their welfare but are also challenged with stressors like coping with harsh climatic conditions. Cold weather is a particular challenge for neonatal piglets that have a limited capacity to thermoregulate and increased risk of dying in winter. This research examined if adding door coverings to outdoor farrowing huts in winter could increase the temperature of pigs’ shelters and translate to improved thermal comfort and survival for piglets. Two hundred litters were studied over six time replicates from early winter until early spring at a commercial piggery in Australia. Pigs were housed in group farrowing paddocks containing eight huts each. A randomised complete block design was used to assign treatment (with or without a rubber door flap over the entryway) to huts within each paddock. Hut microclimate, piglet thermoregulatory behaviours, and piglet survival were examined. Door flaps were effective at increasing temperature, with the daily minimum temperature in huts with door flaps 2.4°C (SE = 0.2) warmer than huts without (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.0001). Door flaps had no negative effects on other aspects of the hut microclimate, including humidity, ammonia, or bedding moisture (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). Piglets in huts with door flaps compared to without were less likely to shiver from 0 to 4 days of age (OR = 0.77; 95 % CI = 0.39–1.50; <em>p</em> = 0.0002). At this same age, there was also an indication that piglets from huts with door flaps were less likely to be in physical contact with the sow when resting, although the evidence was not strong (OR = 0.81; 95 % CI = 0.66–1.0; <em>p</em> = 0.057). There was no significant effect of door flaps on huddling behaviour (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). While door flaps had no significant effect on the number of piglet losses within 24 h of age before piglet processing, they improved survival after this time. Specifically, door flaps reduced the hazard of piglets dying between processing until 12 days of age by a factor of 0.65 (95 % CI = 0.47–0.89; <em>p</em> = 0.007). These findings demonstrate that simple modifications to existing outdoor farrowing huts can improve thermal comfort and piglet survival in winter. Overall, door flaps present a practical and beneficial strategy for improving piglet welfare and farm productivity in outdoor systems, even in relatively moderate climates like Australia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917041","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":"Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Lincoln Canine Anxiety Scale","authors":"Maria Cecília de Souza ,&nbsp;Gabriel Quaresma Bastos ,&nbsp;Crystian Moraes Silva Gomes ,&nbsp;Rosana Suemi Tokumaru","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Canine anxiety is an emotional state that affects both the animal's well-being and its relationship with owners, often being associated with problematic behaviors. The Lincoln Canine Anxiety Scale (LCAS) was developed to reliably measure canine anxiety, particularly in response to loud noises such as fireworks. In this study, the LCAS was adapted into Portuguese and for the Brazilian cultural context, with its psychometric properties tested in relation to a broad set of anxiety-inducing situations, analyzed collectively. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a bidimensional structure, distinguishing behaviors related to behavioral inhibition (Passivity Factor) from those reflecting behavioral activation (Activity Factor). Reliability and consistency indicators, McDonald’s omega, Composite Reliability and ordinal Cronbach’s alpha, supported the adequacy of the factors (Passivity: ω = 0.82, CR = 0.84, α = 0.82; Activity: ω = 0.74, CR = 0.76 α = 0.74,). Confirmatory factor analysis further supported the internal structure. Item response theory analyses indicated adequate item discrimination, ordered thresholds, and no differential item functioning by dog or owner sex. These results offer evidence of internal structure and response pattern validity of the LCAS-Br.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106791"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865167","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}