ANIMAL

BEHAVIOUR

TERMS TO KNOW
Instinct (reflexes and responses)

what the animal has at birth. Ex.

Nursing, searching for food.
Habituation learning to respond
without thinking, response to certain
stimulus is established as a result of
habituation.
Conditioning learning to respond
in a particular way to a stimulus as a
result of reinforcement when the
proper response is made.

TERMS TO KNOW
Reinforcement a reward for

making the proper response.

Reasoning the ability to respond
correctly to a stimulus the first time
that a new situation is presented.
Intelligence the ability to learn to
adjust successfully to certain
situations. Both short-term and longterm memory are part of intelligence.

MAJOR TYPES OF
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
Feeding
Sexual
Eliminative
Maternal
Communicati Shelterve
Social
Agonisitic

Seeking
Investigative
Allelomimetic

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
Useful in implementing breeding
programs
Examples of Sexual Behaviour
oCows that are in heat, allow themselves to be
mounted by others
oBulls, rams and stallions smell the vagina and
urine to detect pheromones
oFlehmen Male animal lifts head and curls its
upper lip
oRams chase ewes that are coming into heat
oSows seek out boars for mating
oMares in heat squat and urinate when stallion
approaches and vulva winks

MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR
Females taking care of newborn and
young animals
Examples of Maternal Behavior
oMothers clean young by licking them
oMothers fight off intruders
oBecome aggressive in protecting
their young after birth

Cows

Maternal behavior begins at parturition (time

of birth) and continues to weaning
Cows giving birth
Will seek seclusion, usually in a depression or
trees
Cow will inspect calf and lick it clean
Calf stands and starts to nurse after ~ 1 hour
Cow eats the placenta (so as to not alert
predators)
Cow and calf rejoin herd after 2-4 days

 Cow is very possessive throughout

nursing period
Will come to rescue calf very quickly
Cows identify young primarily by
smell
Sight and sound also contribute to
identification

Time of calf removal in beef herds is

very noisy
Dairy herds calf is immediately
removed from the mother

Pigs
Sows build nest ~ 18 hours before birth
Time of farrowing - ~ 4 hours
A few sows become agitated and kill piglets
Cross fostering is possible within first few
days
Frequently each piglet adopts a single teat

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBB4jEIjGHo

Other animals

Sheep behave similarly to cattle in

many way around birth
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=L5VHea4h4PQ
Ewes will accept orphan goats to
nurse
Mares also behave in a similar
manner

COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIOUR
When some type of information is
exchanged between individual animals
Examples of Communicative Behaviour
oDistress Calls Lambs bleat, calves bawl,
pigs squeal and chicks chirp
oDams recognize offspring by smell
oFarm animals respond to calls or whistles of
the producer
o Bulls bellow deeply to communicate
aggressive behaviour

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Includes fight or flight and aggressive and
passive behaviours between animals
Includes interactions with other animals, humans
and behaviour during handling and restraint
Examples of Social Behaviour
oMales of all farm animals fight when they meet other
unfamiliar males of the same species
oCows, sows and mares develop a pecking order, but
fight less intensely than males
oCows withdraw from the herd to a secluded spot just
before calving
oAlmost all animals withdraw from the herd if they are
sick

Social Dominance
Advantage gives mating preference to
strongest males (important for
sustaining genetic merit for strength in
a species)
Disadvantage weaker individuals are
sometimes deprived of food if it is
limited
Genetic contribution appears to be
moderately heritable

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5t2bIdN51U
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0u5RK_IL6s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIggQ9-fpDw

AGONISITC BEHAVIOUR
Agonistic behaviours are those
behaviours which cause, threaten
to cause or seek to reduce physical
damage.
Agonistic behaviour is comprised
of threats, aggression and
submission.

Types of Aggression Seen in

Livestock Animals
Here are some reasons why livestock animals
may become aggressive:
Pain Induced An animal gets aggressive when
in pain, particularly if someone tries to touch the
painful area.
Maternal Aggression Most female
domesticated animals are protective of their
young and wary of strangers coming near.
Territorial Aggression While horses may share
a feeding site, they retain control of their home
range.

 Female rabbits are very territorial in captivity.

They will attack a male rabbit put into her cage, so
for mating purposes, the female is taken to the
buck's cage.
Inter male Aggression This can occur between
stud animals, particularly boars.
Sexually Induced Aggression Females in oestrus
have been known to fight.
Dominance Aggression Species housed in groups
develop as hierarchy. Even horses have a pecking
order.

Aggression in Cattle
With cattle it is the bull that is of
concern. Pawing the ground with forefeet
and snorting while holding its head up
are signs of aggressive behaviour.
An aggressive bull will knock down a
person and continue to knock him down
or toss him about which could result in
being gored if the bull has horns

 Aggressive behaviour in the heifer is more related

to breed and socialization. Cows that are handled
frequently, such as dairy cows, are usually docile.
It is the cows that arent handled regularly, such
as beef cattle, particularly in large herds, that may
become aggressive.
The cattle fight or flight response varies
considerably on how often they are handled. A
herd of dairy cows will veer away if a human gets
into their personal space, however, high country
cattle are more likely to run to get further away
from the encroaching human.

To read about aggression

in other animals
http://suite101.com/article/aggres
sive-behaviour-of-livestock-animal
s-a147397

www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_dYVv5FIQNI

Classification of aggressive
behaviours common to food animals
BEHAVIOURAL CATEGORY
Interspecific aggression
1.Maternal defence
2. Defence of territory
3. Predation

DEFINITION AND EXAMPLE

Mother defends young against
potential predator
Ewe with lamb attacks dog.
Animal attacks intruder-grazing
bulI attacks human.
Animal attacks, kills and eats
another animal-hen catches
and eats an insect.

J ANIM SCI 1986, 62:1130-1139.

Intraspecific aggression
4. Aggression after grouping

5. Inter-male fighting
6. Resource defence
7. Inter-gender fighting

8. Aberrant aggression

Previously unfamiliar animals are

brought together; they fight and a
social structure or hierarchy results
-pigs sorted by size, they fight.
Adult males generally fight to win
mates or territory rams fight
during breeding season.
When resources become limited,
aggression increases cattle fight
with limited feed bunk space.
Males attempt to mount nonoestrous females, aggressive
behaviour ensues-non-oestrous
sows attack a boar who attempted
a mount.
Wool-biting in sheep, naval sucking
(all mammals, especially those
early-weaned), ear and tail chewing
in pigs, fence and pen chewing (all
mammals), cannibalism
or killing of young, feather and vent
picking
in hens and, possibly, hen hysteria.

FEEDING BEHAVIOUR
Exhibited by animals when eating and
drinking
(Ingestive Behaviour)
Examples of Feeding Behavior
oCattle graze 4-9hrs/day, ruminate 4-9hrs/day,
regurgitate 300-400 boluses of feed per day
oSheep and goats graze 9-11hrs/day, ruminate
7-10hrs/day, regurgitate 400-600 boluses of
feed per day
oCattle usually dont go more than 2kms away
from water
oSheep may travel as much as 5kms a day

Feeding Management
The feeding behaviour of livestock
has a significant influence on
growth rates and milk production,
health and the quality and
quantity of the product being
produced on farms

Browsing for feed

If given the opportunity livestock like to browse and
forage for feed. They will take advantage of open
gates or holes in fences, this can be hazardous.
RISKS
Exposure to bovine tuberculosis TB
Injury and death

They will investigate anything strange in the

paddock
This could include hydrants, vehicles etc

TB and production
Carriers
Possums , ferrets, wallabys, wild deer and
pigs

Cattle will investigate the strange dead

thing and this could be a TB infected
organism
This can mean herd movement is
restricted and production can be affected.
TB testing of cattle
Disease control in cattle and deer - Anima
l Health Board

Selective grazing
Cattle like to select the best pasture
available to them
The most palatable
The most nutritious

Intensive grazing systems are

based on perennial ryegrass and
white clover pastures. They need
careful management to remain
palatable and nutritious.

Managing Pasture
Cattle left to selective graze would lead to
stalky long unproductive pasture. Leading to a
drop in production.

Strip grazing is often used to manage pasture

quality and ensure high milk production.
Shape of the breaks????
Which is best?
Rotational Grazing is monitoring
grass growth and how fast stock are eating it.

 Spreading Feed out to reduce

conflict behaviour, subordinate
animals will not get their share if
they have to fight dominant animals
for it.

ELIMINATIVE
BEHAVIOUR
Elimination
of faeces and urine
Examples of Eliminative Behaviour
o Cattle, sheep, horses, goats and chickens eliminate
faeces & urine indiscriminately
o Pigs eliminate faeces in definite areas of a pasture or
pen
o Cattle, sheep, goats and swine defecate while standing
or walking, urinate while standing, but not walking
o Cattle defecate 12-18 times/day, urinate 7-11 times/day
o Horses defecate 5-12 times/day, urinate 7-11 times/day
o Animals defecate & urinate more when stressed or
excited
o Animals lose 3% of their live weight when transported to
& from market points (Shrink)

SHELTER-SEEKING
BEHAVIOUR
Examples of Shelter-Seeking Behaviour
oAnimals crowd together in snow and cold
winds
oAnimals seek shelter of trees when it rains
oCattle and sheep seek shady area for rest
and rumination if weather is hot
oPigs find a wet area if weather is hot
o In extreme situations, animals pile up to the
extent that some get smothered

INVESTIGATIVE
BEHAVIOUR
Examples of Investigative Behaviour
oPigs, horses and dairy goats are highly
curious, investigate any strange object,
approach carefully, slowly, sniffing and
looking as they approach
oSheep are less curious and more timid

ALLELOMIMETIC
Animals of a species tend to do the same
thing at the same time
Important in that a producer may observe
the herd with little difficulty, also useful in
driving groups of animals from one place
to another
Examples of Allelomimetic Behaviour
oCattle and sheep tend to graze at the same
time and rest and ruminate at the same time
oHigh Country cattle gather at the watering
place about the same time each day because
one follows the other

 http://woolshed1.blogspot.co.nz

 www.youtube.com/watch?
v=EyyDq19Mi3A