Individuality really matters for fish welfare
Animal welfare science started to gain ground in the 1960s (Duncan 2006), especially after the publication of the famous book Animal Machines in 1964 by Ruth Harrison. this book exposed several farm practices that were causing suffering for terrestrial farmed animals, which later basically culminated in the official publication of the famous five freedoms in […]
Effects of Positive Reinforcement Training and Novel Object Exposure on Salivary Cortisol Levels under Consideration of Individual Variation in Captive African Elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Dealing with potential stress in species that have high husbandry requirements, such as elephants, is a challenge for zoos. The objective of the present study was to determine whether positive reinforcement training (PRT) and exposure to a novel object (NOV) for enrichment induced a salivary cortisol response indicative of activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis […]
Affective styles and emotional lateralization: A promising framework for animal welfare research
The growing recognition of animals as individuals has broader implications for farm animal welfare research. Even under highly standardized on-farm conditions, farm animals show heterogeneous but individually consistent behavioural patterns towards various stimuli, based on how they appraise these stimuli. As a result, animal welfare is likely to be highly individual as well, and studying […]
Individualities in a flock of free-roaming greylag geese: Behavioral and physiological consistency over time and across situations
The concept of personality implies individual differences in behavior and physiology that show some degree of repeatability/consistency over time and across contexts. Most studies of animal personality, particularly studies of individuals’ variation in physiological mechanisms, have been conducted on selected individuals in controlled conditions. We attempted to detect consistent behaviors as well as physiological patterns […]
Immobility and supination in garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans) following handling by human predators
A common response of animals to physical restraint is tonic immobility. The authors observed the behavior of garter snakes, Thamnophis elegans, in the field to determine the frequency of immobility as a response to handling. Most snakes fled after release, but the remainder remained immobile, sometimes on their backs (supination), for up to 10 min. […]
Acoustic analysis of cattle (Bos taurus) mother–offspring contact calls from a source–filter theory perspective
Cattle vocalisations have been proposed as potential indicators of animal welfare. However, very few studies have investigated the acoustic structure and information encoded in these vocalisations using advanced analysis techniques. Vocalisations play key roles in a wide range of communication contexts; e.g. for individual recognition and to help coordinate social behaviours. Two factors have greatly […]