Large Animal Behavior

Social behavior of cows

-form matriarchal groups of cows and offspring (around 10 cows)

-males are solitary, but may form small groups (around 3 cows)

-males and females mix during mating season (20 cows)

In general, how is the hierarchy decided in cows?

Leadership is associated with wage, body size, and size of horns

*however, complex and different with each feral herd

How does is the hierarchy different in indoor-housed cattle?

Depends on the resource, and what each individual cow valued and worked hard to get access to

Preferential relationships in cattle

Cattle form preferential relationships, or "friendships" with other cattle and spend most of their time with them, performing altruistic behavior such as grooming each other

How do female cows behave when ready to calve?

-"hider species" that look for covered/secluded areas to calve

-separate from the herd to give birth

-may travel long distances to find desirable calving site

Why do dams separate themselves when ready to calve?

-instinct to hide from predators

-helps them form a stronger bond with their calf without the interruption of other pregnant cows who are drawn to amniotic smells/seeing newborn calves

Type of social housing in beef cattle

1.) Cow/calf operations

2.) Feedlots

Cow/calf operations

a system of raising cattle, the main purpose of which is the production on calves that are sold at weaning; Mix of cows and calves

Feedlots

Calves from cow/calf operations are sent to a feedlot to fatten them up and prepare for slaughter; Mix of males and females from multiple cow/calf operations

Types of social housing in dairy cows

1.) tie stall

2.) free stall

3.) dry lot

Tie stall

Each cow has its own stall that it is tied to, and gets some exercise during the day; mostly small operations

Free stall

Stall in which the cow is not tied and is free to move around or lie down and be part of the group; larger operations

Drylot

a confined area generally equipped with feed troughs, automatic watering devices, shelter, and working facilities where animals are fed and managed; cow has access to indoor and outdoor areas; Southwest U.S.

Types of social housing in dairy calves

1.) single calf housing

2.) group calf housing

Examples of commercial challenges related to animal behavior in cattle

-competition over feed and lying spaces, encouraging agonistic behavior

-mixing and regrouping multiple groups of animals, such as at feedlots; exposes them to diseases and forces them to reestablish a social hierarchy

-housing of young dairy calves

-weaning calves

-housing of cows at calving

Pair housing of dairy calves

Two hutches next to each other in enclose space; can improve social development, cognition, and growth without increasing the risk of disease

Maternity housing in dairy cows

-cows are given a choice between calving in a separated calving pen or in group area

-cows prefer to calf in a more secluded environment

Social behavior of swine

-form matriarchal groups including a few related females and their offspring

-males become solitary as they age

-group size dependent on available resources

Social hierarchy in swine

-strict relationships between pairs

-sow is the highest ranking within the family

-groups generally avoid each other, and rarely allow newcomers into their groups (other than young)

Maternal behavior in sows

-sows leave the group to prepare a nest and give birth

-on days 2-3 sows stay with litter in nest

-on days 3-6 sows forage away from litter and return

-on days 6+ litter follows sow back to group

Why do sows build a nest?

To help with thermoregulation and protection

How are sows usually housed during gestation?

Each sow has her own gestation stall to protect them from fighting and monitor how much they are eating/drinking

How are sows housed during farrowing?

They are moved from a gestation stall to a farrowing stall where the sows and piglets are separated by bars, but piglets can still nurse; prevents sow from laying down and killing her piglets

Where are piglets moved to after weaning?

A nursery and then grower housing where they are fattened up until slaughter; group housing

Commercial challenges related to swine behavior

-housing sows during gestation and farrowing; ethical concerns with separating the sow and being in tight space, but behavioral concerns with aggressive behavior between sows

-aggression, especially when mixing unfamiliar animals such as in the growing phase

-tail-biting, bar-biting and other abnormal behavior traced back to inability to dig/root around as they can in their natural state

-piglet survival

When do you see less aggression in swine?

-stable groups, where no new pigs are introduced to the group

-small groups (less animals to compete against) and extra large groups (it's not advantageous for a pig to fight with a hundred other pigs, so they won't)

-ample access to feeding space

-more frequent feedings/free choice

-access to enrichment (prevents tail biting)

-low stocking density

When do you see more aggression in swine?

-mixing of unfamiliar individuals, because it disrupt hierarcal relationships

-medium to large groups (20-50)

-restricted feeding space

-less frequent feedings

-barren pens with no enrichment

-high stocking density

Stress response in cattle

Cow perceives a stressful event that elicits a negative emotional response such as fear, that then causes physiological changes in cattle

Sympathetic stress response

Occurs immediately (epinephrine)

-increased heart and respiration rate

-pupil dilation

-increased blood flow to skeletal muscles

HPA stress response

Response to chronic stress (cortisol)

-increase in blood glucose

-decrease in inflammation

-decreased digestion

Four "F" behaviors of a stressed animal

1.) fight

2.) flight

3.) freeze

4.) fidget

Green cow behavior

-grazing/feeding

-heads down to feed

-ears relaxed

-ruminating

-lying in lateral recumbency

-relaxed posture

Yellow cow behavior

-cows in heat (more excitable)

-vigilant

-eyes and ears pointing in one direction

-not ruminating

-freezing/fleeing

-starting to have stress response

Red cow behavior

-threatening posture

-heads down with ears pointing towards you

-broadside threat (turn to the side to make themselves look bigger)

-pacing/agitated

-pawing

-snoring

How do you stay in the "green" zone for cattle?

1.) avoid causing stress

2.) use low-stress handling techniques

Causes of stress in cattle

-change in their routine, such as being transported to a new location or having to use new facilities

-new experiences, such as new noises, new environment, new facility

-isolation, since they are herd animals

-poor handling, such as shouting, loud noises, and hitting

A stressed cow should be given time to ______ _______ before handling can begin

Calm down (usually 20-40 minutes)

Horses are a pray species. How does this affect their behavior?

They are constantly perceptive of their environment and hyperaware to what is going on around them

Eyes of horses

Eyes are on the side to give them binocular and extremely large monocular vision; have very large visual field and sensitive to movement in the distance

Blind spots for horses

Right behind and right in front of the horse

Visual field of horses

Have extremely large monocular vision and normal binocular vision that allows them to almost see 360 view around them

Ears of horse

Receive audio input BUT also give signals to their current behavior (such as ears pinned back)

Signs of a green horse

-heads are down to graze

-muscles relaxed

-laying down

-ears are up and pointed forward or to the side to listen

-soft round eyes

-mouth is slightly open and not tight

Handling in green zone for horse

-use commands and power of treats

-approach slow and observe for change

-let the horse think

-make them aware of your presence and talk to them

-move with positive intent

Desensitizing in horses

Moving in small steps to get a horse used to a stimuli they were previously scared of; important to use positive enforcement with treats and stop as soon as horse begins to exhibit yellow behavior

Signs of a yellow horse

-raised head and body posture

-raised tail

-pursed mouth

-eyes become wider so whites are visible

-increased muscle tension

-ears are forward toward stressor

-very alert

-pupils dilated

-sharp snort

Handling in yellow zone for horses

-food and following commands are no longer a priority for them

-notice small changes in body language that could point towards them going in the red zone

-notice changes in breathing patterns or heart rate

-try to deescalate by removing the stressor

-use power of high value treats

How to get a horse back into the green zone

-de-escalate

-stop what you are doing that is causing stress

-create distance from the trigger

-no punishment

Signs of red zone for horses

-proactive fight or flight

-jump, kick, strike, bite

-frequent defecation

-eyes white and pupils dilated

-ears pinned back