Paired-comparisons scales for monkey rewards
The method of paired comparisons is applied to food incentives for monkeys, both for amounts and kinds of food. It was found that scale values for rewards (peanuts) was proportional to the logarithm of quantity for the range between ¼ peanut to 4 peanuts. Using 5 qualitatively different foods it was shown that reliable scale […]
Does the anticipatory behaviour of chickens communicate reward quality?
The anticipatory behaviour of animals has been credited with enabling scientists to more closely infer what an animal wants. From a welfare perspective, this knowledge could improve how we care for animals under our management, as information about how animals prioritise rewarding items may guide how we allocate resources effectively. Our goal was to determine […]
Sheep farmers’ attitudes to farm inspections and the role of sanctions and rewards as motivation to reduce the prevalence of lameness
The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations (2007) make it an offence to allow unnecessary suffering to animals, highlighting that farmers have a duty of care for their livestock. Despite this, the current global mean prevalence of lameness in sheep in England is 5%; ie ∼750,000 lame adult sheep at any time. To investigate farmers’ […]