Chapters 22 & 24 Unit 6: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Objectives Knowledge of the affects of various animal behavior on production and performance Appreciation of inherited vs. learned behaviors Understanding of effective management, and its relationship to profit Comprehension of the decision-making process, and technology/tools available to assist managers in the process

Fields of Animal Behavior Psychology Ethology-Instinctive & Learned Behaviors Instinct birth (Ex. Nursing in mammals) Habituation Lack of response to a repeated stimulus Called Conditioning Classical-association between an unconditioned stimulus & a neutral stimulus (Pavlov’s Dogs) Operant-learning to respond to a stimulus as a result of reinforcement

Fields of Animal Behavior Trial & Error Trying different responses until the correct one is performed, tied to a reward Reasoning Correct response to a stimulus the first time Intelligence Short term memory Long term memory Imprinting Bonding process Mostly for recognition purposes

Systems of Animal Behavior Nine identified systems 1. Sexual 2. Caregiving 3. Care soliciting 4. Agonistic 5. Ingestive 6. Eliminative 7. Shelter seeking 8. Investigative 9. Allelomimetic

Systems of Animal Behavior Sexual Behavior – Heat or estrus – Pheromones Used to attract the opposite sex Flehman-curling of upper lip – Cow & Bull – Sow & Boar Sow seeks out the boar – Mare & Stallion

Figure 22.1 A cow or heifer in estrus will allow either bulls or females to mount.

Systems of Animal Behavior Caregiving Behavior Most is maternally oriented Stimulation to suckling Protection Care Soliciting Behavior Young crying for help when distressed, disturbed, or hungry Vocal sounds

Figure 22.2 A calf separated from its dam has a distinct bawl, which communicates distress of dissatisfaction. Courtesy of the American Hereford Association.

Systems of Animal Behavior Agonistic Behavior Fight or flight Aggressive or passive Interaction w/ other animals Males always fight other strange males Establishing social dominance oOffense oDefense oEscape oPassivity Females usually are not as aggressive

Systems of Animal Behavior Social interaction plays a huge role in animal production Age has an effect Interaction w/ humans Disposition is formed through experience and inheritance Behavior during Handling & Restraint Animals remember positive & negative experiences All depends upon the handlers and the facilities Knowing and understanding behavior will reduce stress on the producer and the animal, and prevent injury Blood odor appears to be detectible

Systems of Animal Behavior Vision can be manipulated Curves chute systems Solid walls Flight Zone

Figure 22.5 Shadows that fall across a chute can disrupt the flow of animals through the facilities. The lead animal often balks and refuses to cross the shadows. Courtesy of Temple Grandin.

Let’s take a look at a few examples: source:

Systems of Animal Behavior Ingestive Behavior Eating & drinking Grazing behavior Rumination Relation to water access How do we manage the range Climate can have an impact on grazing Eliminative Behavior Feces and Urine Cattle, sheep, goats are indiscriminate Hogs will defecate in a particular area Horses will defecate on the scent of another horse

Systems of Animal Behavior Cattle defecate times daily Horses defecate 5-12 Urinate ~7-11x/d Elimination is effected by stress Responsible for Shrink Loss in cattle transport Shelter-Seeking Behavior Shade for rest & rumination Wet areas for cooling Crowding during cold conditions

Systems of Animal Behavior Investigative Behavior Curiosity Common in pigs, horses, dairy goats, and somewhat in cattle Allelomimetic Behavior Doing the same thing at the same time Herding behavior

Figure 22.3 One-hour feeding pattern for two cows of different social rankings. Adapted from Schake and Riggs, 1972.

Figure 22.7 Cattle expressing investigative behavior as the result of interest in a novel item in the pen. Courtesy of Temple Grandin.

Systems of Animal Behavior Other Behaviors Communication Transfer of information through any of the senses Maladaptive or Abnormal Behavior Animals that cannot adopt to a new environment, or exhibit inappropriate behavior oEx. Tail chewing and cannibalism in swine Buller-steer syndrome oSteer castrated before puberty oCertain steers are more attractive for mounting oAs one mounts, the others do the same oCan cause physical injury, reduced weight gain, additional labor/equipment oCan be as much as 1-3% of the feedlot steer herd

Making Effective Management Decisions Fixed resources Land Labor Capital Management Renewable resources Animals Plants

Managing for Lower Costs & Higher Returns Profitability Formula Profit/loss=(production X price) – cost Production and cost include many different things Managers should focus on the optimum level of output vs. input Primary Components of Long-term profitability Costs Careful monitoring of input costs Ex.?

Managing for Lower Costs & Higher Returns Production Pounds or numbers sold Price Amount received/lb., or /h, or /doz. Influenced by supply/demand Resource Improvement Land used for forage and cropping Can easily be depleted if not cared for properly So, how do producers focus on the business side of their operation? What can they influence?

The Manager Plan Act Evaluate Characteristics of an Effective Manager Profit-oriented Short-term and long-term objective planning Keep up on current knowledge/technology Effective time management Attentive to physical, emotional, financial needs of the employees

Figure 24.1 Major component parts of the planning process.

The Manager Use of incentive programs for motivation Honest business dealings Effective communication and use of employee input Prioritize duties Self-starter Prioritize resource use Risk management Be a good example

Figure 24.2 Organizational structure of a large commercial feeding operation.

Financial Management Must have good records for costs, returns, and profitability Cash transactions Balance Sheet (net worth=assets-liabilities) Income Statement Cash-flow Statement Enterprise Budget Partial Budget Income Tax Forms

Financial Management Credit and money management is crucial to making effect management decisions, during times of inflation & high interest rates Credit must be managed carefully, and used as a tool Income Tax Considerations Paying little or no income tax should not be a goal Well-managed operations pay income taxes if profitability is the goal not poor management to pay income tax, but to pay more than is owed

Financial Management Estate & Gift-Tax Planning Adequate knowledge & planning can greatly help managers pass on farms to heirs Producers can make an annual gift of $10,000 to children/grandchildren without paying federal gift tax 1997 unified credit exemption up to $1m by family farms can use a family business exemption of an additional $300,000 Consult a tax professional

People Most widely overlooked part of management, but is the most critical Communication is the key Effective people managers should be able to: Determine optimum labor needs Identify, hire, and retain employees Motivate and reward employees both financially and nonfinancially Keep the focus of the mission and goals Build and enhance teams and partnerships

People If the operation is family-owned and operated Use sound business practices Evaluate other family operations Include all family members in written planning of responsibilities Weekly meetings for planning, evaluating, problem solving Family relationships are most important, and can be compatible w/ profitability Patience and tolerance Encourage open communication

Management Systems Systematic organization of information in order to make valid management decisions Critical thinking and assessment are key Often, sophisticated evaluation tools are not necessary, however, they are useful for large volumes of information Animal production has typically been maximized without consideration of cost-benefit relationships

Management Systems Lets talk about some management examples, good or bad