Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"No evidence for object play in the dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis","authors":"Kira Lemke,&nbsp;Robyn J. Crook","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cephalopods are marine invertebrates renowned for their complex brains and behaviors, and are widely used in studies of learning, memory, visual processing and motor control. Their dynamic skin coloration and high activity levels also make them appealing in educational and display settings. Despite large numbers of cephalopods used and bred for research and education worldwide, our understanding of welfare and husbandry needs remain rudimentary. Whilst a few studies have focused on enrichment for octopuses, there have been no similar controlled studies for cuttlefish. Here, we examine if a commonly used enrichment for octopuses - provision of play objects - provides welfare enhancements for captive-bred dwarf cuttlefish, <em>Sepia bandensis</em>. Over the course of several weeks, cuttlefish housed in either enriched or impoverished conditions were exposed to four types of potential play objects, each providing different sensory stimulation and potential for interaction. Cuttlefish were recorded in their home tanks in the presence and absence of each object (or group of objects), and interactions, affiliations and temporal patterns of behavior were analyzed to quantify potential play behavior. Although we observed some evidence for affiliation with objects in the impoverished condition, we found no evidence for affiliation in the enriched housing group, and no evidence in either group for interactive play behavior with any of the objects provided. Thus we conclude that cuttlefish are unlikely to engage in object play, further highlighting their distinct behavioral repertoire as compared to octopuses, and thus will likely not derive welfare benefits from provision of play objects if housed appropriately.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106765"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702457","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":"Like deer caught in the headlights: Human evaluation of the intensity of emotions in brachycephalic and normocephalic dogs – A pilot study","authors":"Petra Eretová ,&nbsp;Quanxiao Liu ,&nbsp;Tereza Nekovářová ,&nbsp;Helena Chaloupková ,&nbsp;Lucie Přibylová ,&nbsp;Šárka Krtičková ,&nbsp;Péter Pongrácz","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the acoustic communication of dogs across a wide variety of contexts has been studied intensively, visual communication is, to date, less understood. Current research has focused on human assessment of canine signals or factors affecting the ability of humans to understand them. In this continuation of our previous pioneering study (Eretová et al., 2024), we have examined the human-perceived intensity of basic emotions (Happiness, Anger, Fear, Sadness, Curiosity) in two dog breeds (brachycephalic - Boston Terrier, normocephalic – Jack Russell Terrier) via short, soundless videos showing canine behaviours in four simulated situations. Participants of the study submitted their assessment via online survey, using a 7-point Likert scale and also provided information about their demographics, attitude towards dogs, and dog ownership history. Statistical analysis was conducted in R 4.2.2. using one full cumulative link mixed model per each inspected emotion. Distributions of positive and negative emotions differed across situations in both breeds, suggesting good recognition of the presented materials of contexts even without any auditory stimuli present. Results showed that owners of normocephalic dogs viewed Boston Terriers as having lower intensities of positive emotions (Happiness, Curiosity; P &lt; 0.05) than brachycephalic dog owners, while also assessing Jack Russell Terriers with higher scores of positive and neutral emotions (P &lt; 0.05). Older participants also tended to assign lesser intensity to positive emotions than their younger counterparts (P &lt; 0.001). Despite predicting that the Boston Terriers would be rated with an overall higher intensity of positive emotions, this was not the case. This pilot study points out that context and the valence of the emotion are critical in its perceived intensity, and that the experience and attitude of assessors are important factors. More research which employs the scalability of emotions needs to be conducted on a wider variety of canine phenotypes to properly understand human-perceived dog emotions and the factors affecting them.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106767"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144713182","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":"The effects of music designed for canine and human relaxation on short-term stress in dogs","authors":"Sidney J. Beecy ,&nbsp;Seana Dowling-Guyer ,&nbsp;Aniruddh D. Patel ,&nbsp;Gianna Zavota-Russo ,&nbsp;Emily McCobb","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106766","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106766","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Auditory stimuli such as music can be an inexpensive and accessible option to help relieve stress for pet dogs. In some studies, classical music has been shown to have a stress-relieving effect on dogs experiencing a long-term stressor. However, the effect of relaxation music designed for dogs or humans administered during a short-term stressor, such as owner separation or a visit to the veterinarian’s office, has not been as thoroughly investigated. This experimental study (<em>N</em> = 37) examined the efficacy of two types of relaxation music, designed for dogs and for humans, to reduce stress in pet dogs undergoing a short-term stressor compared to a control group with no musical stimulus. Stress was measured in two ways during a brief separation from the owner: as activity captured by a collar with an accelerometer and as behavioral signs of stress. While there was no effect of auditory condition on activity level, grooming duration was significantly different by condition: more dogs in the dog relaxation music condition groomed and for longer than dogs in the control condition. No other behavioral differences were found. Overall, there was limited support for a stress-reducing effect of dog or human relaxation music. Future studies with larger, more diverse samples of dogs, different types and longer durations of the short-term stressor, physiologic measures in addition to behavioral indicators of stress, and varied musical selections may prove fruitful in examining the efficacy of auditory stimuli for relieving short-term stress in pet dogs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106766"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750074","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":"Are laterality effects present in novel object responses of calves?","authors":"Chenyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Molly Kindell ,&nbsp;Rebecca K. Meagher","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many animals exhibit preferential viewing of fear-inducing stimuli with their left eyes, reflecting cerebral lateralisation in emotion processing. In novel object tests, often used to assess fear, spatial positioning of the objects relative to the animal can vary. This study aimed to investigate visual lateralisation in calves’ responses in novel object tests, evaluate its effectiveness as an indicator of fear, and examine how initial monocular presentation of fear-inducing stimuli impacts fear responses and their reliability. Thirty-six dairy calves underwent a novel object test at six weeks of age and a second at seven weeks of age using a different object, with behavioural responses towards the novel objects recorded. There was no correlation in latency to first contact with novel objects between tests. On average, proportion of time viewing novel objects with the left eye did not significantly differ from the right eye across the two tests, nor did it correlate with latency to first contact with novel objects. The probability of contact with novel objects and latency to first contact with novel objects did not differ based on initial eye with which novel objects were seen, although among calves that showed an avoidance response, they were less likely to have used the right eye for viewing than either the left eye or both eyes just before the locomotor response. Overall, fear responses in calves during repeated novel object tests were inconsistent, and this inconsistency was not clearly attributable to the random presentation of objects to different visual fields. This may suggest either a lack of cerebral lateralisation in fear processing at this age or that alternative methods may be needed to more accurately assess it.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106757"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702456","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":"Novel application of machine learning to enhance untrained and inexperienced evaluators’ diagnosis of acute pain in pigs","authors":"Beatriz Granetti Peres ,&nbsp;Marcela Carneiro de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Giovana Mancilla Pivato ,&nbsp;Gustavo Venâncio da Silva ,&nbsp;Ana Lucélia de Araújo ,&nbsp;Fábio Augusto Da Silva Esposto ,&nbsp;Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia ,&nbsp;Stelio Pacca Loureiro Luna ,&nbsp;Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106764","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106764","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurately identifying pain is a critical first step required to adequately mitigate pain and improve pig health, welfare and quality of life. The objective of this study was to verify whether random forest and support vector machine algorithms trained utilizing experienced evaluators could improve the accuracy of pain diagnosis in untrained and inexperienced evaluators using the Unesp-Botucatu Pig Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS). Four-minute, pre-recorded video clips of 45 male pigs in pain-free (pre-surgical castration) and painful conditions (post-surgical castration) were used. Previously generated scores from three experienced evaluators using UPAPS on a video database were used to train and test random forest and support vector machine models. Following this, ten inexperienced evaluators were recruited to assess the same video clips using the UPAPS. Scores from inexperienced evaluators were then inputted for machine learning algorithms and pain diagnosis was adjusted accordingly. Both machine learning models performed well based on area under the curve, sensitivity &gt; 90 %, and specificity &gt; 95 %. Area under the curve, specificity, and sensitivity of untrained inexperience evaluators were statistically (p &lt; 0.05) equivalent between the original UPAPS, and UPAPS adjusted by random forest and support vector machine. In conclusion, the random forest and support vector machine algorithms trained using experienced evaluators did not modify the discriminatory diagnostic ability of untrained inexperienced evaluators scoring UPAPS. In future studies, additional machine learning techniques could be implemented to investigate whether they improve the accuracy of pain diagnostic. In addition, further studies are needed to develop a concise and standard training program for inexperienced evaluators and investigate its effects on the accuracy of pain diagnosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106764"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710968","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":"Exploring pose estimation as a tool for the assessment of brush use patterns in dairy cows","authors":"Niclas Högberg ,&nbsp;David Berthet ,&nbsp;Moudud Alam ,&nbsp;Per Peetz Nielsen ,&nbsp;Lena-Mari Tamminen ,&nbsp;Nils Fall ,&nbsp;Adrien Kroese","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Access to mechanical brushes enables grooming behaviour in dairy cows and has shown benefits for cow welfare, including improved cleanliness, comfort, stress reduction. Brush-use may also promote a positive emotional state. Reduced brush use has been associated with health issues, suggesting its potential for automated health monitoring. This study aimed at evaluating whether data generated by pose estimation could be used to assess brush use patterns in loose-housed dairy cows. It presents an approach for automatically identifying the body segment being brushed as an application of pose estimation. Data collection was carried out at the Swedish Livestock Research Centre in a loose housing system equipped with an automatic milking system and two mechanical rotating brushes. Recordings spanned 25:30 h and used three cameras, at different positions, monitoring a single mechanical brush placed in a passageway between cubicle rows. One human observer with access to recordings from all three synchronized cameras annotated the data-set on a second-by-second basis. The observer recorded: (1) the number of cows using the brush; (2) the anatomical segment being brushed; and (3) whether brushing resumed after a pause. The same video recordings were processed with object detection and pose estimation, which predicted the location of bounding boxes for cows and for the brush as well as corresponding keypoints. Using the brush and cow keypoint locations, we attempted to detect brushing by anatomical region. In a first stage, machine-learning models were trained to predict brushing state (independent of location) using keypoint distance to the brush, achieving an accuracy of 86.3 %. To mitigate the risk of error propagation, we relied on human annotations to segment the video to confirmed brushing bouts for analysis in the second stage. To identify the anatomical location of brushing, two methods were evaluated: (1) simply assigning the brushing location to the closest keypoint, achieving 73 % average accuracy across classes, and (2) projecting brush and anatomical keypoints onto a spline modelling the cow’s backline, resulting in 87 % accuracy. Misclassifications were predominantly limited to adjacent body segments. Given that intra-observer reliability was 90 %, the spline-based method was deemed sufficiently reliable for research applications to accurately monitor the specific body segments being brushed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106746"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710969","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":"Quantifying behavioural impairment as a proxy for physiological stress to improve welfare of imperilled white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) during routine sampling efforts","authors":"Connor H. Reid ,&nbsp;James A. Crossman ,&nbsp;Marco M. Marello ,&nbsp;Luc LaRochelle ,&nbsp;Steven J. Cooke","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106762","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106762","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The white sturgeon (<em>Acipenser transmontanus</em>) is a large-bodied imperilled fish species of significant conservation interest in western North America. Since 2002, hatchery-origin fish have been released in the Upper Columbia River’s Transboundary Reach to support population recovery, and captured with baited setlines as part of routine monitoring of fish health and reproductive status. Here, we investigated whether the use of increasingly long and intensive sampling protocols was associated with differences in short-term post-release behaviour derived from biologger data. In addition to basic sampling (e.g., body measurements, fin clipping), we exposed hatchery-origin juveniles to blood sampling; blood sampling and ultrasonography for sex determination; and blood sampling, ultrasonography, and gonadal biopsy surgeries. We also quantified the stress of setline-captured fish prior to processing using whole-blood glucose and lactate and compared these values (mean ± SD glucose = 4.2 ± 1.4 mmol/l; lactate = 5.9 ± 3.0 mmol/l) to those from an angled baseline group (glucose 1.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l; most lactate &lt; 0.3 mmol/l). Overall, sampling regime did not affect tri-axial accelerometer-derived post-release locomotor activity (overall and vectorized dynamic body acceleration) or depth preferences over the course of 10 min trials, and the stress induced by setline capture and retrieval appears to be a major contribution to the total stress experienced by these fish. We offer some recommendations to improve the routine sampling protocols used in management efforts in this system and elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106762"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710967","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 birdwatching tourism on breeding behaviour and reproductive success of hornbills","authors":"Shuang Yang ,&nbsp;Xi Lu ,&nbsp;Jiaju Liu ,&nbsp;Shuangping Yu ,&nbsp;Zuwei Yang ,&nbsp;Anru Zuo ,&nbsp;Ruixin Mo ,&nbsp;Dong Zhu ,&nbsp;Shilong Liu ,&nbsp;Yubao Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106763","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106763","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Birdwatching tourism, as a form of sustainable ecotourism, has gained increasing attention and popularity. While bringing significant economic benefits to local areas, it may also impact on local wildlife. Yingjiang County, located in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, leverages its abundant avian resources to develop the birdwatching industry vigorously. Three hornbill species—<em>Anthracoceros albirostris</em>, <em>Rhyticeros undulatus</em>, and <em>Buceros bicornis</em>—form stable breeding populations there and have become focal species for birdwatching tourism. However, research on the impacts of birdwatching tourism on the behavior and breeding ecology of hornbills remains scarce.</div><div>This study investigated the effects of birdwatching activities at birdwatching hides on the behavioral expressions of these three hornbill species during the breeding period, using Number of birdwatchers, HidingCover, and Distance as key factors. Results showed that anthropogenic disturbances from birdwatching did not significantly impact hornbills, breeding success rates, nor did they affect locomotor, preening, or social behaviors. However, they significantly influenced breeding behaviors, particularly during the pre-nesting period, with weaker effects observed during the nesting period. Overall, the impacts of birdwatching at birdwatching hides are complex and multifaceted, with disturbances and protective effects coexisting in a non-mutually exclusive manner during the breeding period.</div><div>This study aims to reveal the impacts of birdwatching activities on hornbills' behaviors and breeding performance while exploring hornbills' response processes to anthropogenic disturbances. The findings will help establish rational birdwatching practices and standardize the planning and design of birdwatching sites, providing a scientific basis for sustainable birdwatching tourism and effective species conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106763"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144724080","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":"The maintenance conditions of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) breeding stock affect the survival and behavior of their offspring","authors":"Francieli Ubirajara India Amaral ,&nbsp;Aline Pompermaier ,&nbsp;Gabriela Rutikoski ,&nbsp;Milena Zanoello Bertuol ,&nbsp;Paola Aparecida de Almeida ,&nbsp;Luciane Dallazari da Silva do Prado ,&nbsp;Wagner Antonio Tamagno ,&nbsp;Jennifer L. Freeman ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Egydio Barreto ,&nbsp;Leonardo José Gil Barcellos","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environment in which we live influences our biological traits throughout our ontogeny, being markedly significant during the beginning of our lives. Some characteristics inherited (genetically and/or epigenetically) from parents can also influence individual development, known as transgenerational effects. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the transgenerational effects in the offspring of parental fish prior exposed to different environments in terms of quality (from poor quality to good quality one). We evaluated the consequences of different parental environmental quality on survival and behavior of their offspring. The zebrafish (<em>Danio rerio</em>) was used as our experimental model. To do that, zebrafish breeders were kept in different environments (stressful (poor quality), standard (neutral) or enriched (high quality)) for 15 days before reproduction. After this maintenance period, the breeders reproduced, and their offspring were evaluated for survival and exploratory behavior. Our results show that breeders kept under low welfare conditions (stressful environment) produced offspring with higher mortality rates compared to the other environmental conditions. Also, the survived offspring of parents that were in low welfare conditions exhibited increased anxiety as detected in behavioral tests. Thus, we conclude that the maintenance environment of breeders significantly affects the development of traits of their offspring, emphasizing the importance of breeders’ welfare for both fish farming and scientific research laboratories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106761"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679167","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":"Welfare implications of non-nutritive visits to an electronic feeder by pregnant gilts","authors":"Martyna Ewa Lagoda ,&nbsp;Laura Ann Boyle ,&nbsp;Joanna Marchewka ,&nbsp;Keelin O’Driscoll","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electronic sow feeders (ESFs) are often used to feed pregnant sows. They collect detailed information on feeding behaviour which could potentially relate to sow welfare status. This study investigated associations between patterns of gilt feeding behaviour during pregnancy, specifically between non-nutritive visits to the ESF, and welfare indicators (performance of oral stereotypy behaviour; skin lesion counts; locomotory ability, and hair cortisol concentrations). Study gilts (n = 51; 8 replicates) were housed in a dynamic group (total group size range: 15–33 gilts; day 30–108 of pregnancy) and fed by an ESF which automatically recorded nutritive and non-nutritive visit start and end times. These data were used to calculate the average duration of non-nutritive visits (these took place after a gilt consumed her daily feed ration), the coefficient of variation (CV) of daily non-nutritive visits, the total number of non-nutritive visits throughout pregnancy, and the order of entry to the ESF four days post-mixing (a proxy metric of dominance status). Oral stereotypy behaviours (30 instantaneous scans/gilt/day; 3 hr/gilt/day) were observed directly 72 hr post-mixing, in mid and late pregnancy. Skin lesions were counted 24 hr and three weeks post-mixing, and in late pregnancy. Locomotory ability was scored using a visual analogue scale (0–150 mm) in mid and late pregnancy. Hair was shaved from gilts in late pregnancy, and cortisol concentration determined. Gilts that spent less time in the ESF and made fewer non-nutritive ESF visits performed more oral stereotypies 72 hr post-mixing (regression coefficient; REG: −1.6 ± 0.77, <em>P</em> = 0.041; REG: −0.02 ± 0.01, <em>P</em> = 0.043) and in mid-pregnancy (REG: −2.6 ± 0.83, <em>P</em> = 0.003; REG: −0.03 ± 0.01, <em>P</em> = 0.002, respectively). They also had lower skin lesion counts three weeks post-mixing (REG: 0.1 ± 0.02, <em>P</em> = 0.001; REG: 0.001 ± 0.0003, <em>P</em> = 0.001) and in late pregnancy (REG: 0.05 ± 0.023, <em>P</em> = 0.037; REG: 0.001 ± 0.0003, <em>P</em> = 0.041), and worse locomotory ability in mid-pregnancy (REG: −1.6 ± 0.58, <em>P</em> = 0.008; REG: −0.02 ± 0.01, <em>P</em> = 0.005). Gilts which showed more variability in the number of daily non-nutritive visits to the ESF performed more oral stereotypies 72 hr post-mixing (REG: 0.3 ± 0.15, <em>P</em> = 0.040) and in mid-pregnancy (REG: 0.44 ± 0.16, <em>P</em> = 0.010), and had lower skin lesion counts in late pregnancy (REG: −0.01 ± 0.004, <em>P</em> = 0.016). Gilts that entered the ESF earlier in the entry order four days post-mixing had higher locomotion scores in mid-pregnancy (REG: −0.3 ± 0.11, <em>P</em> = 0.010). There were no associations between feeding behaviour patterns and hair cortisol concentrations. However, given the numerous other associations, patterns of non-nutritive visits to the ESF may help inform on the welfare status of pregnant gilts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106758"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686351","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}