The aversion of broiler chickens to concurrent vibrational and thermal stressors

The requirement for assessing the effects of multiple concurrent stressors in improving the welfare of broiler chickens during transport has not been widely recognised. A discrete-choice technique was used to investigate the aversion of broiler chickens to concurrent vibrational and thermal transport stressors. In experiment 1, 12 female broiler chickens, aged 42+/-3 days were studied […]

Relationship between reluctance to eat novel foods and open-field behavior in sheep

Fear, a key aspect of temperament with important implications for both animal welfare and production, may be manifest in responses to novelty. Herbivores typically prefer the familiar to the novel, and they generally regard anything novel with caution (i.e., they are reluctant to eat novel foods). We hypothesized animals differ in their fearfulness towards food […]