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Animal Behavior.

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Presentation on theme: "Animal Behavior."— Presentation transcript:

1 Animal Behavior

2 What is Behavior? Webster’s Definition
Conduct or Action The individual and group actions which take place in animals in order to allow them to live and function in their environment.

3 Animal Behaviors Environmental Comfort Social Behavior Mating behavior
Nest building Post-partum behavior

4 Environmental Comfort
Environment is too cold huddling piling up Environment is too hot cattle & sheep seek shady areas for rest & rumination Pigs seek wet areas Why?

5 Environmental Comfort
Examples of discomfort behavior? Tail biting & ear chewing (swine) feather picking & cannibalism (poultry)

6 Social Behavior Male animals of all species fight when they meet other unfamiliar males Cows, sows, & mares develop a pecking order, but fight less intensely Ewes seldom fight

7 Social Behavior - Cows Social order in cow herds are influenced by:
Age Size Strength Presence of horns Previous experience

8 Social Behavior - Pigs Develop a social order at birth
Closely confined pigs in pens of greater than 30 head per pen have some difficulty establishing social order

9 Social Behavior - Poultry
Pecking order found in: Feeding Nesting Roosting Low status individuals often: get less feed appear nervous & frightened feed early in the morning & later at dusk while dominant birds roost

10 Mating Behavior - Threat Displays
Bulls Arching of the neck Protrusion of the eyeballs Erection of the hair along the back Pawing the ground Turning of the shoulder toward the threatened individual

11 Mating Behavior - Threat Displays
Stallions Rearing on the hind legs Laying back the ears Rams Vigorous stamping of the forefoot

12 Nest Building - Sows Three days before labor most of the time is spent sleeping & feeding As labor draws near: Attempt to clean & dry the nesting site Chew long grass or straw to provide bedding Use forelegs to build nest by pawing Resist any human attempt to move her bedding The amount of nesting time varies with the individual

13 Post-Partum Behavior Mares
Following birth mare will lay exhausted for minutes Do not eat the afterbirth, but will groom their foals

14 Post-Partum Behavior Cows Will lick the uterine discharge from herself
Will rest for a period of time & then lick the fetal membranes & fluids from her calf Usually will eat the placenta & sometimes any bedding that is contaminated by fetal & placental fluids Have students consider a cow in the wild and why she would show this type of behavior

15 Post-Partum Behavior Ewes
Chews & eats parts of the fetal membranes, but do not consume the entire afterbirth Recognition of both ewe & lamb is very important Often will reject their young if they are taken away immediately after birth & returned later Discuss the management practices of adopting bummer lambs including: - rubbing afterbirth onto bummer lamb - skinning dead lamb and covering the orphan lamb with the hide


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