Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Handle with care: Dogs show negative responses to restrictive handling restraints and tools during routine examinations","authors":"Alissa Cisneros ,&nbsp;Amber D. Carroll ,&nbsp;Carly M. Moody ,&nbsp;Anastasia C. Stellato","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Routine veterinary visits are important for monitoring dog welfare; however, handling during physical examinations may elicit fear responses in dogs. Although handling recommendations exist to mitigate negative experiences for dogs, there is little empirical evidence to support these handling recommendations. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the influence of handling techniques and tools on dog behavioral and physiological responses during routine veterinary examinations. A total of 97 dogs were recruited from a local municipal shelter. Using a randomized block design balanced for age (mean age was 3.5), sex (49 female, 48 male), and size (40 small, 57 medium/large), dogs were randomly sorted into one of five treatments: 1) passive restraint, 2) muzzle-hold restraint, 3) basket muzzle, 4) soft muzzle, and 5) full-body restraint. A willingness-to-approach test was conducted to assess sociability toward the handler, followed by a handling phase (2-minute examination while in the handling treatment), and a post-handling phase (30-second observation period). Behavioral responses (posture reductions, lip licking, yawning, vocalizing, elimination, body shaking, trembling, avoidance, escape) were measured during the handling and post-handling phases, and physiological responses (temperature, respiratory and heart rate) were recorded during handling. A scale used to measure fear was also assessed during each phase using a 5-item scale (0 =no fear, 4 =extreme fear). Results indicated that across treatments, most dogs showed reduced posture during handling (63 %, 61/97), and neutral posture post-handling (95 %, 92/97). During handling, dogs in the muzzle-hold restraint displayed more escape attempts (<em>p</em> = 0.009) and dogs that received the full-body restraint performed more vocalizations (<em>p</em> = 0.008) compared to dogs in the passive restraint. It took longer to place dogs in the soft (<em>p</em> = 0.001) and basket muzzle (<em>p&lt;</em>0.001) compared to the passive restraint. Dogs in the soft muzzle were more likely to display avoidance behaviors (<em>p</em>&lt;0.001) than dogs in passive restraint. Physiological measurements did not vary by treatment group. Fear scores were lower during handling in passive restraint compared to all other treatments: muzzle-hold (<em>p</em>=0.001), basket muzzle (<em>p</em>=0.0157), soft muzzle (<em>p</em>=0.0001), and full-body restraint (<em>p</em>=0.0001). Results suggest that dogs display more negative responses when handled with the muzzle-hold and full-body restraints, compared to passive restraint and use of muzzle tools. This study can be used to inform evidence-based recommendations and support the implementation of less restrictive handling to mitigate stress for dogs during routine examinations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 106601"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143697528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of light and novel enrichment on Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) behavior and physiology","authors":"Emily C. Lynch ,&nbsp;Elizabeth A. Roznik ,&nbsp;Dustin Smith ,&nbsp;Alexis Alvey ,&nbsp;Francesca Giammona ,&nbsp;Janine L. Brown ,&nbsp;Nicole Boisseau ,&nbsp;Audrey Williams ,&nbsp;Melissa Barr ,&nbsp;Nick Allen ,&nbsp;Katherine Hagen","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reptiles play an important role in education and conservation goals within the zoological community, yet evidence-based management protocols tailored to this group remain notably scarce. To redress this, a study was designed to assess behavioral and physiological changes to different light and habitat variants among a clutch of 12 juvenile Eastern indigo snakes (<em>Drymarchon couperi</em>) housed at the North Carolina Zoo. A two-by-two factorial experimental design facilitated the exploration of both the independent and interactive effects of two types of lights (basking vs. fluorescent) and enrichment complexity (weekly rotations of novel enrichment objects vs. no addition of novel enrichment objects). We report that as compared to snakes with basking light, those that received fluorescent light were five times more likely to exhibit active behaviors and spend more time under their light source, as well as trending towards gaining more body mass. We also found that, compared to snakes in standard habitats, those with rotating enrichment items were slower to explore a novel environment and maintained a higher variability of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, which together may indicate higher stress. Our results suggest that the addition of novel enrichment items may not yield welfare advantages while also highlighting the essential role of fluorescent lighting in meeting the physiological requirements of this species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"286 ","pages":"Article 106598"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686630","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":"How can the stork bring the baby? An evaluation of captive saddle-billed stork reproductive activity and influences of husbandry practices","authors":"Arlin Slater ,&nbsp;Paul Rose","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Husbandry surveys can be useful evidence gathering exercises that enable the formulation, and implementation, of better practice care for species in zoos. Where ecological or behavioural needs of a species can be hard to replicate, or when they experience limited successful reproduction, husbandry surveys can illuminate key elements of good practice from across facilities to meet these challenges and support the development and management of sustainable populations. The saddle-billed stork (<em>Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis</em>) is one example of a challenging species to maintain under human care, with limited successful reported breeding (egg laying, chick rearing and fledging of young). Therefore, research aimed to survey holders of this stork to identify factors influencing reproductive success across AZA and EAZA regions. We found that wild-caught pairs produced significantly more clutches than captive-bred pairs, while flight restriction appeared to negatively impact fertility rates. All successfully breeding pairs exhibited courtship behaviours, though these behaviours alone did not guarantee reproductive success. Whilst a single nesting platform appeared more effective than multiple or no platforms in encouraging nesting, no single demographic, environmental, or husbandry factor significantly predicted egg-laying success. This suggests that successful reproduction depends on complex interactions between multiple variables. Our findings highlight the importance of providing appropriate environmental conditions that support natural behaviours and emphasise the need for a holistic approach to exhibit design for successful breeding of this species in zoological collections. We recommend further research into the ecology of the species itself, especially mate choice and pair bonding mechanisms, to further evaluate variability in zoo-housed stork reproductive efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106600"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sniffing for fun: Evaluating the effect of olfactory enrichment on cats’ toy preference and interaction","authors":"Emily Webberson ,&nbsp;Anastasia C. Stellato ,&nbsp;Kristina A. O’Hanley ,&nbsp;Lingna Zhang ,&nbsp;Edgar O. Aviles-Rosa","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Play is a critical natural behavior in domestic cats. Toys and olfactory enrichment are common methods used to encourage play; however, no research has previously evaluated how olfactory enrichment affects toy interaction in cats. We hypothesized that the addition of cats’ preferred odor to a toy would increase toy interaction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate if adding cats’ preferred odor to moving or stationary toys increased toy interaction. Pet cats (N = 31) participated in three, 5-minute free operant preference assessments where we first evaluated their preferred odor from a set of three different odors (i.e., catnip, silver vine, and Feliway®) and a control (i.e., unscented) and subsequently evaluated their interaction time with a moving or stationary toy with and without their preferred odor, independently. Cats’ behavior during the different preference tests was video recorded and the amount of time they interacted with the testing stimulus was measured. Preference for an odor or a toy was defined as the stimulus that received the most interaction time. Cats interacted with catnip (85.24 s; 95 % CI [59.64, 110.85]) and silver vine (57.99 s; 95 % CI [35.32, 80.66]) more than with the control (3.36 s; 95 % CI [0.98, 5.75]) and Feliway® (8.11 s; 95 % CI [4.24, 11.97]). Although there was no statistical difference, more cats showed a preference for catnip (<em>n</em> = 19) than silver vine (<em>n</em> = 12). Subsequently, each cat’s preferred odor (catnip or silver vine) was added to moving and stationary toys to evaluate the effect of olfactory enrichment on toy interaction. A linear mixed model was used to assess the effect of odor (scented vs unscented), toy type (stationary vs moving) and their interaction on the amount of time cats interacted with the toys. Cats interacted significantly more with moving toys, whether scented (59.04 s; 95 % CI [28.27, 122.14]) or unscented (58.24 s; 95 % CI [27.88, 120.50]), compared to unscented stationary toys (12.27 s; 95 % CI [5.47, 26.21]). Cats interacted statistically longer with scented stationary toys (38.01 s; 95 % CI [18.02, 79.02]) than with unscented stationary toys, but their interaction with scented stationary toys did not statistically differ from their interaction with scented or unscented moving toys. These results indicate that cats prefer moving and scented stationary toys compared to unscented stationary toys. Our results highlight that using olfactory enrichment is a simple method to encourage interaction with stationary toys and play behavior to support cat welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106592"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642401","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":"From simple behavioural tests to EEG measurements: Studying linguistic competence in dogs","authors":"D.J. Ujfalussy ,&nbsp;A. Gergely ,&nbsp;A. Kis ,&nbsp;H. Bolló ,&nbsp;J. Topál","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This critical review examines non-human manifestations of linguistic competence and its precursors, with a focus on findings from studies on domestic dogs (<em>Canis familiaris</em>). Previous research – including both theoretical reviews and empirical studies – has widely demonstrated that the domestic dog serves as an ideal natural model for studying a broad range of cognitive and behavioural traits shared with humans. Studies also indicate that dogs can interpret human communication cues in a remarkably child-like manner; they possess functionally human-analogous, voice-sensitive cortical regions and show specific neural responses to speech. Moreover, some dogs show evidence of learning word-object associations in ways unprecedented among nonhuman species. Together, these findings strongly support the translational value of dog-human comparisons for exploring the evolution of skills related to faculties of language and suggest that dogs may serve as models for studying natural variability in children’s world learning abilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106594"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143628463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What is reinforced? The timing of the release of rein tension and the horse’s response latency for trot to walk transitions","authors":"Marie Eisersiö ,&nbsp;Agneta Egenvall ,&nbsp;Jenny Yngvesson ,&nbsp;Elin Hernlund ,&nbsp;Anna Byström","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rein tension signals are commonly used to communicate with a horse during riding. In accordance with the principles of negative reinforcement, tension on the reins acts as signals and motivates a horse to change behavior, while release of rein tension reinforces the correct behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate if the features of rider rein tension signals and timing of the release have effects on the magnitude of rein tension, horse response latency, as well as horse behavior and head posture, during downward transitions. Nine riders rode the same eight horses in a crossover design, making eight transitions from trot to walk with each horse. Rein tension was measured and from video recordings the timing of the riders’ application of the decelerating rein signal and of the release were registered along with gait, behavior and head posture. Analyzing data using linear mixed models, it was found that median and minimum rein tension (p = 0.001) increased during the rein tension signal, compared to in trot before the transition. During the release median (p &lt; =0.001) and maximum rein tension (p &lt; 0.0001) decreased compared to during the rein tension signal. Interestingly, the timing of the release in relation to the downward transition varied among riders. The release was, in most cases, given ‘during’ the downward transition (70 %). However, in 19 % of the trials, the release was given ‘before’ the transition had begun, during the trot, and in 11 % the release was given ‘after’ the transition had ended, during the walk. Releasing rein tension ‘before’ the transition had begun was associated with longer response latency (p &lt; 0.05). Maximum rein tension was lower at the fifth and eighth trial compared to the first (p = 0.02). Horse head movements were generally associated with lower magnitudes of rein tension when present compared to absent, while open mouth was associated with higher maximum rein tension. Since rein tension acts on the sensitive structures of the horse’s mouth and/or head/nose, further research on ways of reducing rein tension magnitude would benefit equine welfare. There is also room for further research on the implementation of cues, in isolation and together, to investigate riders’ communication via the reins as well as how to effectively implement learning theory into practice for riders on all levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106590"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143631825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clustering of behavioural problems in dogs aged 3–6 months reflect underlying emotional commonalities","authors":"Tom Rowland ,&nbsp;Helen Zulch ,&nbsp;Lorna Winter ,&nbsp;Carolyn Menteith ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Mills","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Problem behaviour tends to be conceptualized using either a “behavioral approach”, which emphasizes the contingency between observable events and behaviour; a “medical approach”, which emphasizes physical changes which give rise to some form of disorder or a “psychobiological approach”, which emphasizes the importance of normal emotional control systems. The psychobiological approach predicts that different problem behaviours will cluster together due to a common emotional network influencing the probability of their expression. To explore this, we analysed owner reported severity of puppy behavioural problems with a view to exploring their direct associations and associated clustering structure. A cross-sectional survey of dog owners was performed asking about the severity (4-point Likert scale) of 21 common puppy behaviour problems. In puppies aged from 3 to 6 months of age, we performed exploratory graph analysis to estimate the conditional dependency network and associated clustering structure. Four clusters were identified which could be interpreted as reflecting different emotional networks: incentive seeking (DESIRE/SEEKING), aversion avoidance (FEAR), frustration (RAGE), and attachment (PANIC/GRIEF) (<em>sensu</em> Panksepp 1998). These results demonstrate a potential common emotional basis to diverse behaviour problems and provide empirical support for managing and modifying behaviour by focussing on addressing emotional control systems over individual behaviours.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106591"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143591584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the personality of dogs involved in animal-assisted interventions and their relationship with the handler: the Italian landscape","authors":"Alberto Mair ,&nbsp;Luca Martelli ,&nbsp;Marta De Santis ,&nbsp;Diletta Fornasiero ,&nbsp;Lorena Filugelli ,&nbsp;Simona Normando ,&nbsp;Franco Mutinelli ,&nbsp;Laura Contalbrigo","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Therapy dogs involved in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) can be a valuable support for individuals with physical or psychological difficulties. The effectiveness of the intervention is influenced by the functioning of the dog-handler dyad. In Italy, handlers who have completed the requisite training are registered on the 'Digital Pet' platform. This study aimed to construct a general profile of the Italian population of therapy dogs and handlers and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the dog-handler relationship. We administered a survey to the handlers registered on Digital Pet. The survey included information on the dyad, an Italian translation of the C/DORS to assess the relationship between the dog and the owner (in this case, the handler), and of the C-BARQ to assess the dog's personality. The data from both questionnaires were subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Subsequently, factor scores were calculated for each dog-handler dyad and then tested across a series of background variables, including the dog's age, sex, weight, origin, and breed. In conclusion, the correlations between the C-BARQ and C/DORS factors were calculated. A total of 240 respondents were obtained from the 809 handlers who were contacted. EFA identified 14 factors for the C-BARQ and six factors for the C/DORS, which differs from other studies. As expected, the examined cohort of therapy dogs exhibited minimal scores and limited variability for the C-BARQ factors pertaining to behavioral issues, including 'Owner-directed aggression', 'Stranger-directed aggression', and 'Territoriality'. Conversely, the highest median value was observed for the 'Attachment/attention seeking' factor. With regard to the C/DORS, the factor designated 'Perceived costs' exhibited the lowest median scores, while the highest median value was observed for the factor designated 'Perceived emotional closeness – emotional support'. Weak correlations were identified between the factors of the two questionnaires. Moreover, the age and weight of the dog was found to affect some factor scores of both questionnaires. Additionally, specific factors of the C-BARQ were found to be affected by the breed, origin and sex/neuter status of the dog. These preliminary results are part of a multimodal analysis of the dog personality and dog-handler relationship. Further investigation will be conducted through behavioral and hormonal observations, with the aim of elucidating the factors that contribute to the efficacy of AAI teams.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106593"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642400","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":"Meta-analysis on the effect of foraging on feather pecking and feather coverage","authors":"Jiying Wen,&nbsp;Shenglin Yang,&nbsp;Jinjin Zhu,&nbsp;Ai Liu,&nbsp;Yifu Rao","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feather pecking (FP) has been a longstanding concern in avian welfare because of its potential to inflict harm on bird plumage. Researchers have proposed the redirection hypothesis in studies investigating factors influencing FP, positing that pecking feathers serve as a redirection of foraging behavior. Following the proposition of this theory, farmers have begun to integrate foraging materials as a tactic to mitigate FP. However, recent studies have suggested that approaches promoting foraging behaviors may not be successful in diminishing FP, thereby questioning the validity of the redirection hypothesis. This study employs meta-analysis to assess the effects of foraging on FP and feather coverage. A comprehensive meta-analysis was performed on 16 studies sourced from three databases. The findings of the meta-analysis comparing foraging and non-foraging groups suggest that foraging can reduce FP and enhance feather coverage. However, subgroup analysis found that digestible foraging materials can effectively reduce FP and increase feather coverage, while promoting foraging activities alone does not lead to a decrease in FP or an increase in feather coverage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106584"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610381","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 learning during human-animal interaction: Effects on broiler chickens' behavior","authors":"Javiera Calderón-Amor ,&nbsp;Tamara Tadich ,&nbsp;Benjamin Lecorps ,&nbsp;Javiera Oyarzún ,&nbsp;Victoria Philp ,&nbsp;Sergio Guzmán-Pino ,&nbsp;Daniela Luna","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human-animal interactions play a great role in animal welfare. Despite that chickens can establish positive bonds with humans, it remains unknown if broiler chickens can do this via social learning. This study examined whether observing conspecifics undergoing gentle handling (demonstrator chick) influences broiler chicks' fear and behavior toward humans through social learning mechanisms. One-day-old male broiler chickens (n = 72, distributed across 6 pens; 2 pens per treatment) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: (1) gentle handling, where one demonstrator chick per pen received daily positive interactions with an experimenter for 15 days while observer chicks watched through a wire mesh divider; (2) human presence, where chicks were exposed daily to neutral human visual contact without direct interaction; and (3) control, without additional human contact. Behavioral responses toward humans were assessed when the chicks reached 31–32 days of age, with the demonstrator absent during testing. The assessment involved the experimenter entering each home pen for 5 minutes, allowing chicks to freely approach and interact. We recorded the time spent in proximity to the experimenter, latency to approach, and behaviors such as preening, alertness, and resting. The results demonstrated that observers of the gentle handling were more likely to approach the experimenter, did so more quickly, and spent more time nearby compared to those in the human presence and control groups. Additionally, control group chicks exhibited higher levels of alert behavior than those in the other treatments. Our results suggest that chicks witnessing another bird being gently handled feared humans less. While habituation through mere human presence had some effect, it was not as pronounced as observing direct positive interactions. This study highlights the potential of using social learning mechanisms to improve animal welfare in poultry by fostering positive human-animal relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"285 ","pages":"Article 106586"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601026","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}