Behavioural deprivation: a central problem in animal welfare
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1988 |
Authors: |
M.S. Dawkins |
Publication/Journal: |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Keywords: |
animal welfare, behavior, behaviour, deprivation, suffering, time-budget, welfare |
ISBN: |
0168-1591 |
Abstract:
A key issue in animal welfare is whether keeping animals in conditions where they cannot or do not perform behaviour typical of more naturally-kept members of their species causes them to suffer. Various measures have been used to resolve this issue. The cost an animal is prepared to pay for the opportunity to perform different behaviour can be used as a measure of the importance of that behaviour to the animal. Manipulation of time-budgets is the most reliable method of measuring such costs and of relating “deprivation” to “suffering”.