Understanding Animal Welfare: Behavioral Indicators and Interpretations

1. Behavioural indicators 2 Module 7

2. Learning Objectives • To recognise and interpret behavioural indicators of animal welfare • To learn how to identify possible causes of abnormal behaviour

3. Summary of Content How to: • Recognise ‘normal’ behaviour • Identify a range of behavioural indicators • Interpret behavioural indicators that animals display • Identify possible causes of abnormal behaviour

4. Introduction • Module 6 looked at how behavioural indicators are used by animal welfare science to identify how the animal feels about changes and choices within its environment • In this session we shall look at how you can use behavioural indicators to learn about the welfare status of animals

5. Behavioural indicators - the ‘normal’ animal • Alertness • Curiosity • Range of activities • Interaction with other members of the herd/flock • Interaction with humans/Aversion to humans • Play

6. The ‘normal’ animal: Alertness

7. The ‘normal’ animal: Curiosity

8. The ‘normal’ animal: Range of activities

9. The ‘normal’ animal: Interaction with other members of group/herd/flock

10. The ‘normal’ animal: Interaction with humans

11. The ‘normal’ animal: Play

12. The ‘normal’ animal: Behaviour influenced by species, age, breed and sex

13. The experienced stockman

14. Behavioural indicators of poor welfare • Limited range of activity • Panting and/or sweating • Huddling or shivering • Depression • Abnormal fear or aggression towards humans • Stereotypies and other behavioural abnormalities

15. 1a) Limited range of activity May affect individuals or a whole group, and includes: • Restricted space in intensive farming systems or laboratory housing • Close tethering • Lameness • Increased lying time (due to lameness, disease, obesity or weakness)

16. 1b) Limited range of activity due to confined housing

17. 1c) Limited range of activity due to close tethering

18. 1d) Limited range of activity due to lameness Lame animals suffer as: • They are in pain • They do not interact normally with other herd members • They are often thin because they cannot move easily to feed • They may suffer urine scalding or develop sores from lying down for long periods

19. 1e) Increased lying time due to weakness, disease, obesity • Weakness may be the result of chronic starvation • Many diseases cause exhaustion or collapse • Obesity is an important issue among pet animals

20. 2. Panting and/or sweating • Heat stress • Fever • Overcrowding • Fear Identify the cause by measuring ambient temperature, stocking density, and by clinical examination for other signs of disease

21. 3. Huddling or shivering • Cold • Does not usually affect most animals except in extreme environments • Often affects very young animals • More likely where animals are wet and chilled by wind • More likely if young animals have not been fed • Fear

22. 4. Depression

23. 5. Abnormal fear or aggression towards humans ‘Normal’ depends upon species, breed and previous contact with humans Animals learn from experience: abnormal fear or aggression may indicate previous cruelty

24. Negative tactile interactions • Negative interactions for 15 - 30 seconds daily cause pigs to be less willing to approach stationary humans • Positive interactions cause pigs to be more willing to approach stationary humans

25. Pig interaction with stockman 0 50 100 150 Time to interact (s) -ve none +ve (Gonyou et al., 1986)

26. 5. Abnormal fear or aggression towards humans ‘Normal’ depends upon species, breed and previous contact with humans. Dairy cows who are frequently handled should not be afraid of people

27. 6. Stereotypies and other behavioural abnormalities

28. Conclusions/Summary • The behaviour of animals can tell us a great deal about their welfare • If animal behaviour indicates poor welfare, we need to investigate its causes and then identify potential solutions