Life in a variable world: Behaviour, welfare and environmental design
Many or most stimuli in the environment are variable. Sometimes animals will categorize this variation, and we tend to underestimate the complexity of the mechanisms involved. Probably more often, response to variable stimuli is itself variable. Examples are explored in four areas, including the possibility that stimuli may occur in supernormal form: nest-site selection by […]
Factors affecting nest choice by Pekin ducks
To encourage nest use in breeder poultry flocks, it is important that nest boxes are attractive. Few studies have evaluated factors affecting nest attractiveness to ducks. We assessed the effects of nest box experience (Experiments 1 and 2) and features of nests, including degree of enclosure (Experiments 1 and 2) and the presence of an […]
Warm and cozy: temperature and predation risk interactively affect oviposition site selection
Because reproductive decision making affects all taxa, parents often use environmental cues to optimize their decisions. Although prefertilization decisions (e.g. mate choice) are well studied, postfertilization decisions, such as oviposition site selection (OSS), can also have profound effects on parent and offspring fitness. We used the Texas field cricket, Gryllus texensis, to examine how OSS […]
Rearing environment and laying location affect pre-laying behaviour in enriched cages
The number of eggs laid in a nest is often correlated with nest acceptance and therefore hen welfare. However, evaluating pre-laying behaviour may more accurately reflect welfare independent of egg location. Our objective was to compare the effect of rearing environment and laying location on the pre-laying behaviour of hens in furnished cages (FC). We […]