H.B. Graves

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND GROWTH OF PIGS FOLLOWING MIXING DURING THE GROWING-FINISHING PERIOD'

Abstract Behavior and average daily gain were evaluated after mixing pigs amongst litters or maintaining them as littermate groups, after weaning and initially limit or full fed. Limit fed mixed groups fought most and gained least of the treatment groups. Limit fed littermate groups fought least of the groups. Limit feeding after moving and mixing pigs amongst litters may reduce pathological conditions but was not demonstrated to reduce behavioral stress, as indicated by the expression of agonistic behavior.

Some theoretical and observed relationships of fixed and portable spacing behavior of animals

Abstract Some effects of enclosure-shape on positioning of animals with respect to enclosure and to penmates were determined using computer simulations and actual animal observations. The probability distributions for distance to the nearest neighbor were generated for two, three, four and five randomly spaced points within triangular, square and circular configurations. Sets of simulations were conducted holding constant maximum distance within enclosures, where maximum distance equalled the side, diagonal or diameter of the triangle, square or circle, respectively. Pen-shape affected mean distance between nearest neighbors even when features of the enclosures were constant. When maximum distance was held constant, the circle resulted in greater mean distance to nearest neighbor than did the triangle or square, which were nearly equal in mean value. When area was held constant, the triangle had the greatest mean distance to nearest neighbor, and the circle had the least. However, the differences in means among simulations with constant area were not as great as when maximum distance was constant. In actual observations, small numbers of crowded beef steers tended to position their heads around the enclosure perimeters. Thus, in some pen designs, the ratio of perimeter to area should be maximized to increase the efficiency of area usage. Triangular enclosures minimized this ratio compared to square or circular configurations. To double the maximum distance two individuals could space apart, one must increase enclosure area four times when all sides are increased proportionately. Pen-shape may be of prime importance in efficient space utilization by animals.

Social organization among young beef cattle in confinement

Social organization or dominance hierarchies were demonstrated among beef steers as young as 250 days of age. Two groups of five and seven crossbred beef steers were scored for agonistic encounters, and these data were used to determine dominant—subordinate relationships. The effects of removing and adding animals to groups were determined by mixing some members from the groups of five and adding new members to obtain the groups of seven. Weight was positively correlated (P< 0.05) with dominance value (0.55). There was evidence that the dominance orders were formed soon after weaning and that the orders remained stable even when the groups were moved to other pens.

Social dominance relationships and spacing behavior of swine

Dominance ranks were determined within each of eight pens of domestic swine, Susscrofa. Data on spacing and orientation of subjects were obtained from 16 mm time-lapse films and 35 mm overhead photographs with the aid of a digitizer assisted FORTRAN program, DISANGL 2. Dominance orders among subjects were relatively linear and stable. No pattern in pen location preferences (fixed space) was found but there were relationships between dominance rank and portable spacing patterns of the subjects. Distance to a nearest neighbor was the most important variable affecting the orientation of the swine, and the most dominant animal had a lesser tendency to face away from nearest neighbors at any particular distance and a greater tendency to space further from nearest neighbors than was the case for subordinates. The results of this study support the notion that social dominance provides a means by which a possible limited resource, such as personal space, may be differentially allocated to group members.

Social preferences of domestic hens for domestic vs. red junglefowl males and females.

The striking dimorphism of male and female junglefowl may have evolved in large part due to female choice of mates. However, domestic fowl hens consistently chose domestic, not junglefowl, males as well as females in preference tests. Either genetic predisposition to favor junglefowl morphological features over those of the domestic types utilized in these tests was overridden by experience or such genetic predisposition does not exist in the breed we tested.

Some observations on activities of a small group of confined ewes with single, twin, or triplet lambs

Abstract Lambs tended to suck one or two times per hour through the 24-h day. In general, ewes and lambs lay down together for about 1 h, the lamb would then suck, the ewe would feed and then stand for about an hour after which the cycle would repeat itself.

Some observations on the role of behavior in poultry production and future research needs

This review includes consideration of sexual behaviour of the domestic fowl in field observations.

Effects of lamb rearing conditions on aggression and dominance relationships

Abstract The effects of rearing conditions on agonistic behavior were studied using lambs reared: (1) in a flock; (2) individually with a ewe; (3) with other lambs; (4) as individuals. The lambs were paired in a noncompetitive situation preweaning, and again postweaning, after 10 weeks of cohabitation in one group; competitive paired tests were also conducted postweaning. During the preweaning paired tests, the socially deprived lambs exhibited play and investigatory behavior while the flock reared lambs ignored the other lambs or were aggressive. Neither the postweaning noncompetitive nor the competitive paired tests revealed disparity in behavior among treatments.

A computer-assisted technique for processing spacing and orientation behavior

Abstract A computer-assisted technique for the collection and processing of spacing and orientation data is presented. A Model 274-22 Numonics Graphic Calculator and Digitizer (NGCD) was used to compute Cartesian coordinates for each subject animal from photographs or drawings of animal groups. An IBM 029 keypunch interfaced with the NGCD automatically punches the animal coordinates and identification numbers on to cards for computer processing. DISTANGLE II, a FORTRAN IV program adapted from DISTANGLE (Stricklin et al., 1977), calculates distances and specified angle relationships among all the subject animals. Nearest neighbor relationships, location frequencies and movement distances are also determined. All calculations of the program are punched on to computer cards for further statistical analysis.

EFFECTS OF LAMB REARING CONDITIONS ON AGGRESSION AND DOMINANCE RELATIONSHIPS

ABSTRACT Zito, C.A., Wilson, L.L. and Graves, H.B., 1978. Effects of lamb rearing conditions on aggression and dominance relationships. Appl. Anim. Ethol., 4: 125–139. The effects of rearing conditions on agonistic behavior were studied using lambs reared: (1) in a flock; (2) individually with a ewe; (3) with other lambs; (4) as individuals. The lambs were paired in a noncompetitive situation preweaning, and again postweaning, after 10 weeks of cohabitation in one group; competitive paired tests were also conducted postweaning. During the preweaning paired tests, the socially deprived lambs exhibited play and investigatory behavior while the flock reared lambs ignored the other lambs or were aggressive. Neither the postweaning noncompetitive nor the competitive paired tests revealed disparity in behavior among treatments.