Influences of Rearing Environment on Behaviour and Welfare of Captive Chilean Flamingos: A Case Study on Foster-Reared and Parent-Reared Birds
Behaviour signals the internal states that relate to an individual’s welfare and its development is influenced by the early social environment that an animal experiences. Husbandry practices can alter this early social environment, for example different rearing conditions (e.g., foster rearing by a surrogate parent of another species). Widespread implementation of altered rearing can lack […]
Pairs of zebra finches with similar ‘personalities’ make better parents
Although behavioural plasticity should be an advantage in a varying world, there is increasing evidence for widespread stable individual differences in the behaviour of animals: that is, [`]personality’. Here we provide evidence suggesting that sexual selection is an important factor in the evolution of personality in species with biparental care. We carried out a cross-fostering […]
Provisioning by captive yellow-tufted honeyeaters (Lichenostomus melanops gippslandicus) acting as foster parents for helmeted honeyeater chicks (L. m. cassidix)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430130303.abs A captive breeding program is being conducted with the endangered helmeted honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix). Establishment of breeding stock involved cross fostering helmeted honeyeater chicks to breeding yellow-tufted honeyeaters (Lichenostomus melanops gippslandicus). Data were collected on provisioning rates and food preferences of the foster parents in feeding chicks of the helmeted subspecies. Feeding […]
Parent-offspring recognition in Brandt’s voles, Lasiopodomys brandti
We investigated social interaction behaviour (amicable versus agonistic) to evaluate parent-offspring recognition in male and female Brandt’s voles. We first examined whether the parents were able to distinguish their own familiar related offspring at the age of weaning from unfamiliar unrelated offspring. Both male and female parents, when encountering unfamiliar unrelated juveniles in a neutral […]
Begging response of gull chicks to the red spot on the parental bill
In some animals, offspring begging is elicited by parents through behavioural or morphological signals. The red spot on the lower mandible in adult gulls is one of the best-known examples of a signal triggering chick begging. We examined whether the begging response of chicks (pecking for food and the chatter call for drawing parental attention) […]
The welfare implications of large litter size in the domestic pig II: management factors
Increasing litter size has long been a goal of pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) breeders and producers in many countries. Whilst this has economic and environmental benefits for the pig industry, there are also implications for pig welfare. Certain management interventions are used when litter size routinely exceeds the ability of individual sows to successfully rear […]
Cross-fostering in gray wolves (Canis lupus lupus)
Cross-fostering in canids, with captive-bred pups introduced into endangered wild populations, might aid conservation efforts by increasing genetic diversity and lowering the risk of inbreeding depression. The gray wolf (Canis lupus lupus) population in Scandinavia suffers from severe inbreeding due to a narrow genetic base and geographical isolation. This study aimed at evaluating the method […]