Five or eight weeks of restricted suckling: influence on dairy calves’ feed intake, growth and suckling behaviour
Concern about welfare and behavioural needs of animals has increased the interest in keeping calf and cow together after parturition. In this experiment six calves suckled their dams twice a day for five weeks then once a day for three weeks (DAM8). Six calves (DAM5) suckled during five weeks in the same way as calves […]
Lactation-associated infertility in Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) during the breeding season
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10073.abs To investigate the endocrine factors in Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) responsible for the suppression of the estrous cycle during the first reproductive season after delivery (150–360 days postpartum), peripheral blood was taken to measure plasma concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, estradiol-17β, immunoreactive (ir)-inhibin, and cortisol. The results demonstrated […]
Nursing behaviors of beluga calves (Delphinapterus leucas) born in captivity
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:33.3.CO;2-3 The nursing behaviors of two beluga whale calves were observed for the first 55 days postpartum. For both calves, the total time spent nursing in a given period peaked around 7–10 days postpartum and then declined over time. One calf, however, was found to have an unusual decline in nursing at day 35 […]
Feeding behaviour affects nursing behaviour in captive plains zebra (Equus burchellii)
Equids spend more than half of the day feeding. Lactation is a very demanding form of maternal investment. In an environment such as a zoo, where no grass but several feeding sites are present, conflict between suckling behaviour of the foal and feeding behaviour of the lactating mother should occur. We observed 20 foals of […]
Nursing stimulation is more than tactile sensation: It is a multisensory experience
Novel sensory experiences, particularly those associated with epochal developmental events like nursing alter cortical representation, affecting memory, perception and behavior. Functional MRI was used here to test whether the sensoricortical map of the ventrum is modified during lactation. Three stimuli were used to drive cortical activation in primiparous rats: natural, artificial suckling stimulation and general […]
First Suckling: A Crucial Event for Mother–Young Attachment? An Experimental Study in Horses (Equus caballus)
This study investigates the consequences of interference during first suckling for subsequent mare-young attachment in horses (Equus caballus). Foals brought to their dams’ teats appeared, at later ages (1-3 months), to remain closer to their dams and to play less than control foals that had been allowed to suckle spontaneously. Higher levels of play and […]
Cortisol response of restricted suckling or artificially milk-feeding to a short-term emotional stressor in dairy calves and their dams
The present study examines the plasma cortisol reaction of suckling and non-suckling calves and their dams to short-term emotional stressors. Twenty six cow-calf pairs were randomly allocated into one of two treatments: restricted suckling (R) or artificially milk-fed (A). On the day of weaning, blood samples were taken to determine the basal cortisol level in […]
Suckling, weaning, and the development of oral behaviours in dairy calves
Dairy calves are generally separated from their dam at birth. They express non-nutritive oral activities such as licking or sucking other calves or objects, nibbling, or tongue-playing, which have been related to the absence of sucking a teat and ingestive chewing. We hypothesized that the dam, by its presence, can help focus the oral behaviour […]
Filial attachment in sheep: Similarities and differences between ewe-lamb and human-lamb relationships
Animals develop relationships with intra- and interspecific partners, including humans. In some cases this can lead to strong emotional bonds indicating the existence of attachment. The sheep is well known to develop various forms of social attachment (mothers towards young, lambs towards siblings). The relationship they can develop with humans is much less understood. In […]
Daytime mother–calf relationships in reticulated giraffes (Giraffa cameloparadalis reticulate) at the Kyoto City Zoo
The present study quantitatively assesses the relationships between a reticulated giraffe mother and her first- and second-born calves during the first 22 months of the older calf’s and the first 12 months of the younger calf’s life at the Kyoto City Zoo, Japan. The mother permitted her calves to suckle at over 70% of their […]