Proceedings of the 11th North American ISAE Regional Meeting Proceedings_of_the_1… · 09:00...

Proceedings of the 11th North American ISAE Regional Meeting May 11-12, 2012

Banff, Alberta, Canada

Organizing and scientific committee: Jennifer BROWN, Yolande SEDDON, Ed PAJOR, Fiona LANG, Nicolas DEVILLERS

and Maja MAKAGON

Proceedings of the 11th ISAE North-American Regional Meeting May 11-12, 2012 Banff, AB, Canada

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PROGRAM

Friday, May 11- Max Bell Auditorium, The Banff Centre 12:00-13:30 Registration opens & poster set-up

13:30-14:45 Meeting opening and Keynote Lecture

Dr. Katherine WYNN-EDWARDS (Calgary Veterinary University): Mass Spectrometry for multiple stress glucocorticoids in integrative, low-invasive, biological samples such as hair and feathers

14:45-15:15 Coffee break & poster session

15:15-16:00 Oral presentations: Behaviour sampling techniques

16:00-16:15 Coffee break

16:15-17:00 Oral presentations: Behaviour sampling techniques

17:00-19:00 Reception & poster session

19:00 Free time: Enjoy some drinks, dinner & socializing in Banff Saturday, May 12- Max Bell Auditorium, The Banff Centre 07:00- 08:30 Breakfast (Free for hotel guests - Vistas Dining Room)

08:30- 09:30 Oral presentations: Housing and management

09:30- 09:45 Coffee break

09:45- 10:30 Oral presentations: Housing and management

10:30- 11:00 ISAE Business meeting

11:00- 11:30 Coffee break & poster judging

11:30- 13:00 Oral presentations: Zoo and laboratory animals

13:00- 14:00 Lunch (Vistas Dining Room)

14:00- 14:45 Oral presentations: Behaviour and welfare 14:45- 15:00 Coffee break


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15:00- 15:45 Oral presentations: Behaviour and welfare

15:45- 16:00 Poster and oral presentation awards

16:00- 16:15 Concluding remarks and meeting close


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GENERAL INFORMATION Contact Information

Jennifer BROWN - Canada Maja Makagon - USA Prairie Swine Centre Box 21057, 2105 – 8th Street East, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5N9 Phone: 306 667 7442 Fax: 306 955 2510 [email protected]

Department of Animal Science Michigan State University 3207J Anthony Hall, 474 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824 Phone: 517 432 6165 [email protected]

Attractions & Festivals in Banff

Event Location Date Website

Compagnie Käfig

Eric Harvie Theatre

Saturday, May 12th

http://www.banffcentre.ca/event/5534/compagnie-kfig.mvc?d=2012-05-12+19:30

Stan Jacobs Live!

Rundle Lounge, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

May 11th and 12th

http://www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Events-Calendar


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Map of Banff

Map: Google 2012


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ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Presenting Author Underlined

Friday, May 11: 15:15- 16:00 Behaviour sampling techniques Chair: Sabine Conte, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 15:15 Use of operant conditioning to facilitate physiological sampling in

captive ungulates Jillian Rutherford, John Church and Thomas Dickinson Page 13

15:30 The use of a behavioural biometric in combination with infrared thermography to early detect bovine respiratory disease in a spontaneous model Clover Bench and Allan Schaefer Page 14

15:45 Pain and pessimism in dairy calves Heather Neave, Marina von Keyserlingk and Daniel Weary Page 15

Friday, May 11: 16:15- 17:00 Behaviour sampling techniques Chair: Sabine Conte, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 16:15 Comparison of inter-observer agreement for different types of

welfare measures using three animal welfare assessment protocols for swine Ashley Roberts, Tina Widowski, Penny Lawlis and Renee Bergeron Page 16

16:30 Using ultrasonic vocalizations to assess the effect of shelter provision on the affective states of laboratory rats Katie Barton, Sylvie Cloutier, Jaak Panksepp and Ruth C. Newberry Page 17

16:45 Accurate and efficient behavioural sampling strategies for non-cage laying hens Courtney Daigle and Janice M. Siegford Page 18


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Saturday, May 12: 08:30- 9:30 Housing and management Chair: Gemma Charlton, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 08:30 Dry-off increases aggression in dairy cows

Rebecca Wright, Gosia Zobel, Daniel M. Weary and Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk Page 19

08:45 Cross sucking in milk fed calves may be motivated by a need for oral stimulation and develop into a habit over time Alison Vaughan, Giuliana Miguel Pacheco, Jeffrey Rushen, and Anne Marie de Passillé Page 20

09:00 Effects of crude dietary protein and perch design on broiler performance and foot pad quality Clover Bench, Matthew A. Oryschak, and Eduardo Beltranena Page 21

09:15 Effect of rubber flooring and social grouping on the utilization of free space for sows in free access stalls Fiona Lang, Jennifer A. Brown and Harold W. Gonyou Page 22

Saturday, May 12: 09:45- 10:30 Housing and management Chair: Gemma Charlton, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 09:45 Use of open litter areas by hens housed in a commercial aviary system

Maja Makagon, Janice M. Siegford and Janice C. Swanson Page 23

10:00 Location! Location! Location! The effect of cage size and density on the use of nest boxes in large furnished cages Michelle Hunniford, Linda Caston, Stephanie Torrey and Tina Widowski Page 24

10:15 Evaluating the impacts of wine supplemented feed on beef cattle temperament, feed intake and growth performance Paul Moote, John S. Church, Jonathan D. Van Hamme and Karen S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein Page 25

10:30 ISAE Business meeting: All are welcome!


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Saturday, May 12: 11:30- 13:00 Zoo and laboratory animals Chair: Jillian Rutherford, Thompson Rivers Universi ty 11:30 Zebrafish aversion to chemicals used as euthanasia agents

Devina Wong, Leigh Gaffney, Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk, Jeffrey Richards and Daniel M. Weary Page 26

11:45 Behaviour of rats housed under standard laboratory vs. semi-naturalistic conditions Joanna Makowska and Daniel M. Weary Page 27

12:00 A review of methods for assessing post-operative pain in mice Carly Moody and Daniel M. Weary Page 28

12:15 Humane fish euthanasia: a comparison of tricane methanesulfonate (TMS) and clove oil in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Leigh Gaffney, Devina Wong, Daniel Weary, Marina Von Keyserlingk and Jeffrey Richards

Page 29

12:30 Translocation stress: Behavioural, physiological and psychological measures of stress in an endangered species of kangaroo rat Liv Baker and David Fraser Page 30

12:45 Exploring individual and group level effects in environmentally enriched laboratory-housed rats Becca Franks and Frances A. Champagne Page 31

Saturday, May 12: 14:00- 14:45 Behaviour and welfare Chair: Alison Vaughn, University of Saskatchewan 14:00 Identifying subtypes of inactivity that indicate poor welfare in captive

mink Rebecca Meagher and Georgia Mason Page 32

14:15 Behaviour of emus affected by transportation stress Deepa R. Menon, Darin C. Bennett and Kimberly M. Cheng Page 33


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14:30 Environmental stress factors affecting adult ostrich behaviour during shipment Masoumeh Bejaei, Darin C. Bennett and Kimberly M. Cheng Page 34

Saturday, May 12: 15:00- 15:45 Behaviour and welfare Chair: Alison Vaughn, University of Saskatchewan 15:00 Assessing the active-passive and confident-fearful temperament traits in

group-housed gestating sows Millie Lemieux, Harold W. Gonyou, Jennifer A. Brown, Nicolas Devillers and Laurie Connor Page 35

15:15 Measuring the lying time of dairy cows on commercial farms in Canada Gemma Charlton, Veronique Bouffard, Laura Solano, Jenny Gibbons, Elsa Vasseur, Derek Haley, Jeffrey Rushen, Anne Marie de Passillé Page 36

15:30 Behavioural synchrony of commercial turkeys Marisa Erasmus, and Janice C. Swanson Page 37


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POSTERS Presenting author underlined

1 Assessing variability in dairy heifer body weights

Guilherme Bond, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk, Nuria Chapinal, Edmond A. Pajor, and Daniel M. Weary Page 39 Student Competition

2 Persistence of piglets' reactivity to humans after conditioning to negative or positive stimuli associated to humans Nicolas Devillers, Ophélie Menant, Maria José Hötzel, Céline Tallet and Renée Bergeron Page 40

3 Use of feeders by laying hens housed in multiple-tier aviary system Aisling Nolan, Maja M. Makagon, Janice C. Swanson and Janice M. Siegford Page 41 Student Competition

4 Dairy producer knowledge and compliance with the code of practice in the province of Alberta Bruno R. Muller, Guilherme Borges Bond, Ed Pajor Page 42 Student competition

5 The effects of loading density and transit duration on the behaviour of pigs

transported in the summer and winter months Tracy Muller, Yolande.M. Seddon, Luigi Faucitano, Renée Bergeron, Jennifer Brown, Harold Gonyou

Page 43

6 Weaning dairy calves off milk according to their ability to eat solid feed reduces the negative effects of weaning on energy intake and weight gain Anne Marie de Passillé, and Jeffrey Rushen Page 44

7 Effects of ractopamine administration and castration method on the response to pre-slaughter stress in pigs of two Pietrain genotypes Luiene Rocha, Ana M. Bridi, Luigi Faucitano, Angela Weschenfelder, William Bertoloni and Nicolas Devillers

Page 45

8 Measures of acceleration detect effects of dehorning and weaning on locomotor play in calves Jeffrey Rushen and Anne Marie de Passillé Page 46


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9 Frequency of allomaternal care observed in beef cows (Bos taurus) Clarisse Vogel and John S. Church Page 47 Student competition

10 Do I look scared? Exploring the use of anxiolytic drugs on fear responses of domestic laying hens Stephanie Yue Cottee, Kenner Rice and Tina Widowski Page 48


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ABSTRACTS FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques Use of operant conditioning to facilitate physiological sampling in captive ungulates Jillian J. Rutherford*, John S. Church and Thomas E. Dickinson Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, V2C 0C8 Captive animals are often subjected to stressful procedures to procure physiological data. These methods can be dangerous, ineffective, and have negative impacts on the welfare of both animals and handlers involved, yet are continually applied in animal facilities that lack alternatives. Operant conditioning has been used successfully with captive carnivores and marine mammals, but rarely applied to ungulates for data collection. The goal of this study was to explore the theoretical feasibility of using operant conditioning to collect non-invasive sampling data in members of the Order Ungulata including Elk (Cervus canadensis), Camel (Camelus bactrianus), Moose (Alces alces) and Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) at the B.C. Wildlife Park in Kamloops, British Columbia in order to incorporate willing cooperation as an alternative to restraint when collecting physiological samples. Non-invasive sampling techniques used included the collection of saliva and infrared thermographic images. To elicit the subjects’ cooperation in these techniques, sampling behaviours including “station”, “target”, “open-mouth” and “hold” were trained. This involved a period of initial habituation to the trainer’s presence, pairing the discriminative stimulus with a primary reinforcer, and shaping the sampling behaviours from natural behaviours using successive approximation. Training sessions for each subject occurred daily for 10-15 minutes in duration, over a 12 – 18 week period. Sampling behaviours were successfully trained in three of the four species (successful in Elk, Camel, Bighorn Sheep, but not Moose), allowing for the collection of saliva samples and thermographic images. A cortisol assay was successfully performed on the saliva samples obtained, and maximum and average infrared eye temperature measurements were calculated. This combination of behavioural modification through operant conditioning, coupled with non-invasive sampling techniques, could allow for more regular health monitoring and earlier diagnosis of illness, leading to greater overall wellbeing of captive ungulates both at the BC Wildlife Park and in other zoological institutions. * Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques The use of a behavioural biometric in combination with infrared thermography for early detection of bovine respiratory disease in a spontaneous model

Clover J. Bench*1 and Allan L. Schaefer2

14-10 Ag/For Centre, Department Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C and E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, T4L 1W1

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most expensive diseases affecting the North American beef industry. The objective this study was to investigate the use of automated, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) driven, non-invasive infrared thermography (IRT) technology and behavioural biometrics to determine BRD. Sixty-five receiver calves (220kg) were exposed to standard transport and auction practices. Animals were then monitored for BRD using conventional biometrics including clinical scores, rectal temperatures, hematology (white blood cell number, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio), and serum cortisol in addition to novel biometrics such as infrared thermal values and fidgeting behaviour over a period of 33d. Using a logistic regression, data demonstrated that true positive (TP) BRD animals identified using conventional biometrics and peak infrared thermal values of 35.7 ± 0.35 °C (compared with true negative (TN) values of 34.9 ± 0.22 °C; P<0.01) displayed more fidgets/bout/day (bout criterion interval of 5min) compared with TN animals. The use of a single biometric resulted in correct identification between 57-68%. Combining all three biometric measurements raised the overall correct identification of animals as TP or TN to 83.5%. Multiple regression was used to obtain the r-value, which was squared and multiplied by 100 to obtain the relative percentage importance of each biometric. Using the highest ranking (value for predicting BRD) for all days, orbital infrared was valued at 33%, fidget value was 16%, and the mean ratio of individual calf eye maximum to group mean maximum value was 10%. The study demonstrated that a behavioural biometric, such as a fidget, can be added to an automated IRT system at the animal’s water station as a means of increasing the efficacy of early disease detection. It is concluded such systems in the cattle industry would aid animal managers and veterinary practitioners in the identification and management of BRD in cattle. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques Pain and pessimism in dairy calves Heather W. Neave*, Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk, Daniel M. Weary Animal Welfare Program Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada Researchers have recently turned to cognitive processes as a way to assess emotional state in animals. The influence of emotion on cognition, called “cognitive bias”, is supported by human studies showing that depressed or anxious people are more likely to make negative judgments about ambiguous stimuli. Here we present the first report of cognitive bias in cattle and the first evidence of bias in response to pain in any species. We assessed cognitive bias in dairy calves before and after hot-iron disbudding. Previous work has shown that calves experience pain for at least 24 h after this procedure. Holstein dairy calves (n=8) were trained using a go/no-go task to expect positive (milk reward) or negative (time-out with no opportunity to access milk) outcomes following nose contact with a video screen that was either white or red; calves were alternatively assigned white or red as the positive training stimulus, and the opposite colour as the negative training stimulus. Once calves had learned to discriminate between these two training stimuli (at least 90% correct over 3 consecutive training sessions, with an average of 31 trials per session), they were tested with unreinforced probes (screen colours at 25%, 50%, and 75% red) introduced randomly within training sessions. Probes were presented in sessions 1 d before and 1 d after disbudding. Calves approached the ambiguous probe screens less frequently after disbudding (78±9.8, 31±11.8, 3±2.5 % for the probe most similar to the positive screen, the mid-way probe, and the probe most similar to the negative screen, respectively) compared to before disbudding (85±6.1, 49±9.9, 19±4.4 %), a difference that was most pronounced for the probe closest to the negative screen (Mixed model repeated measures ANOVA, P=0.03). These results indicate that calves experiencing pain during the hours after hot-iron disbudding exhibit a "pessimistic" bias. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques Comparison of inter-observer agreement for different types of welfare measures using three animal welfare assessment protocols for swine Ashley Roberts*1, Tina Widowski1, Penny Lawlis2, Renee Bergeron3

1Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada 2Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada 3University of Guelph Alfred, Alfred, Ontario, Canada Standard measures used in animal welfare assessments include animal-based measures (ABM) obtained by observing the animals (e.g. body condition score (BCS)), resource-based measures (RBM) obtained by observing facilities (e.g. non-slip flooring in walkways), and management-based measures (MBM) obtained by interviewing farmers and checking records (e.g. written/posted euthanasia plan). It is widely accepted that it is easy to train assessors to use RBMs and MBMs with good reliability, whereas ABMs are considered to be more direct measures of animal welfare but more difficult to achieve good agreement among assessors. However, few measures have been systematically tested. The objective of this study was to investigate inter-observer reliability of different types of measures used in three current pig welfare assessment programs. Assessors were graduate students in animal science programs with varying degrees of experience on pig farms. Nine assessors received 5 days in-class and 2 days practical training. Data was collected on 5 grow-finish farms over 8 weeks with assessors collecting data simultaneously each time. Preliminary descriptive statistics indicate that RBMs and MBMs generally have a lower standard deviation, and therefore higher reliability (agreement among observers), than most ABMs. When comparing two similar ABMs – BCS using two different scales – greater reliability was found with the ABM that was simpler. Perfect agreement (standard deviation=0) was found with a two-point BCS scale versus a greater standard deviation with a five-point BCS scale. Surprisingly, some measures that should have had a clear yes or no answer showed variability; for example RBMs regarding non-slip flooring and facilities’ state of repair did not obtain 100% agreement on 3 of 5 farms. It is possible that wording of questions or personal standards or experience of observers affected responses. Results of this study can be used to identify the best measures and revise training programs for on-farm animal welfare assessments. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques Using ultrasonic vocalizations to assess the effect of shelter provision on the affective states of laboratory rats Katie Barton1*, Sylvie Cloutier2, Jaak Panksepp2, Ruth C. Newberry1, 2

Washington State University, Department of Animal Sciences1 and Department of VCAPP2, Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, P.O. Box 646520, Pullman WA, USA, 99164-6520

Proposed methods of environmental enrichment should be validated using physiological, behavioral and affective measures to confirm that they improve animal well-being and reflect best animal husbandry and care practice. We hypothesised that the quality of the home cage environment of laboratory rats would be improved by the addition of a shelter, as indicated by the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations. Pairs of female Long-Evans rats (N=22), were placed in one of two home environments: (1) Standard (provided with bedding only); (2) Enriched (provided with bedding and a shelter). Treatments were provided for 3 weeks from 30-51 days of age. We compared the rate of frequency-modulated 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) (associated with positive affective states) and 22-kHz USVs (associated with negative affective states) produced in these cage environments as well as responses in an emergence test conducted at the end of the 3-week housing period. Rats introduced to the enriched environment produced more frequency-modulated 50-kHz USV’s (Median (interquartile range) calls/min, Standard: 0 (0-0.3), Enriched: 0.5 (0.10-1.20); Kruskal-Wallis, χ2=4.96, DF=1, P=0.03). The production of 22-KHz USVs was rare and unaffected by the housing environment. Nor did anxiety-related behaviour during the emergence test differ according to home environment (P>0.05). Our results suggest that rats were in a more positive affective state when introduced to a novel cage containing a shelter compared to a cage with bedding only. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour sampling techniques Accurate and efficient behavioral sampling strategies for non-cage laying hens Courtney L. Daigle*, Janice M. Siegford Animal Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA Continuous observation is the most accurate way to determine time budgets, and can provide a ‘gold standard’ representation of resource use and behavior frequency and duration. In particular, continuous observation can capture behaviors that are of very short duration or occur infrequently. However, continuous observation is labor intensive and time consuming, making collecting data on multiple individuals or over long time spans difficult. The objective of this study was to identify more efficient (yet still accurate)behavioral sampling strategies by comparing continuous behavioral sampling with scan sampling intervals of 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60min and subsamples of continuous observation of10min/30min, 15min/1h, 30min/1.5h, and 15min/2h. Posture, behavior, and resource use were recorded from 90h of continuous video from six non-cage Hy-line brown hens. Time budgets were calculated and analyzed using a general linear model. The mean percentage of time spent in a behavior did not differ from continuous for all parameters examined (P > 0.05), except for preening with 60min, rest with 30min, and nestbox usage with 15min/2hinterval. Analysis using a Pearson’s correlation revealed strong correlations for all postures (r2 > 0.86; P < 0.05) between continuous and 5, 10, and 15min scans and 15min/1h, and 30min/1.5h intervals. All sampling strategies (excluding 60min) were highly correlated with continuous (r2 > 0.81; P < 0.05) for all resources except drinker. The same pattern was observed for feeding, foraging, and resting (r2 > 0.93; P < 0.02). Preening was correlated (r2 > 0.84; P < 0.05) for 5min and 30min/1.5h while drinking was correlated for 15min only (r2 = 0.879; P = 0.021). Although sampling techniques may be driven by the specific research question, these results indicate that 30min/1.5h would be the most parsimonious sampling technique for assessing general posture, behavior, and resource use of non-cage laying hens. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Dry-off increases agonistic behaviour in dairy cows Rebecca Wright*, Gosia Zobel, Daniel M. Weary and Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada In the dairy industry, cessation of milk production (“dry-off”) is often accomplished by abruptly stopping the milking routine and switching cows to a low energy diet. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of these management changes on competitive displacements at the feed bunk. Late lactation Holstein cows (n=18) were assigned to pairs matched by parity and milk production (mean±SD; 24±5 kg/d). Each member of a pair was randomly assigned to either ABRUPT or GRADUAL dry-off. On d0, ABRUPT cows were dried-off, and both treatments were switched from a total mixed ration to a chopped straw and hay diet. GRADUAL cows were put on an intermittent milking schedule, with complete dry-off occurring on d5. Displacements were monitored from d-3 until d8 during the time of peak feeding activity (1500-1900). Data was divided into three periods: P0 (baseline; d-3 to d-1), P1 (ABRUPT cows dry, GRADUAL cows reduced milking; d0 to d4) and P2 (all cows dry; d5 to d8). The PROC MIXED procedure in SAS (SAS Institute, 2003) was used to determine differences between treatment and period. Displacements increased in frequency during P1 (mean±SED; 1.7±0.37 displacements/h/d; P<0.01) and P2 (1.9±0.37 displacements/h/d; P=0.005) as compared to P0 (1.1±0.37 displacements/h/d), and did not vary with treatment. The increase in displacements coincided with d0 when both treatment groups were subjected to a change in diet, as opposed to when complete cessation of milking occurred (d0 for the ABRUPT cows and d5 for the GRADUAL cows). This increase in displacements likely reflects increased food sampling behavior associated with changing cows to a lower quality diet than that which they were familiar with.

*Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Cross sucking in milk fed calves may be motivated by a need for oral stimulation and develop into a habit over time Alison Vaughan*1, Giuliana Miguel Pacheco 2, Jeffrey Rushen 3, and Anne Marie De Passillé 3 1University of Saskatchewan, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A8, Canada 2University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom 3Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PO Box 1000, 6947 Highway 7, Agassiz, BC, V0M 1A0, Canada Cross-sucking among dairy calves is a concern in older animals where it may cause health problems for the recipient. Although the majority of calves stop cross-sucking following weaning, some continue this behaviour. Both hunger and the taste of milk increase sucking motivation. Our aim was to identify what motivates cross-sucking in high milk fed calves and describe changes to this behaviour over time. 55 Holstein calves were housed in groups of 4-8 and fed with automated feeders. Daily duration of cross-sucking, feed intake and frequency of unrewarded visits to the milk feeder (a behavioural sign of hunger) were recorded before and after weaning off milk. Before weaning the majority of cross-sucking events (75%) occurred >30 minutes after a milk feeder visit and so appeared not to be motivated by the taste of milk. Immediately after weaning, there was a negative correlation between cross-sucking and unrewarded milk feeder visits (rs=-0.34 P=0.01), suggesting calves may use the feeder as an outlet for sucking motivation. A positive correlation between hay intake and duration of cross-sucking immediately after weaning (rs=0.30; P=0.02), suggests that calves with high motivation for oral manipulation may adopt different strategies (either increasing hay intake or sucking on the empty teat) when no longer able to suck milk through teats. No association was found in later observation periods between cross sucking and other variables, which may represent disassociation from the original eliciting stimulus. Although calves preferentially cross-suck certain individuals, although fixed, reciprocal cross-sucking pairs only became established after weaning. A tendency for a positive correlation between cross-sucking and being cross-sucked found before weaning (rs=0.26; P=0.05) became significant after weaning (rs=0.53; P<0.001). In this study cross-sucking may be motivated by a need for oral stimulation rather than milk ingestion or hunger and develop into a habit over time. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Effects of dietary crude protein level and provision of perches on performance, carcass traits, foot pad quality and behaviour of broilers Clover J. Bench*1, Matthew A. Oryschak2, and Eduardo Beltranena1,2

14-10 Ag/For Centre, Department Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5 2Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Research and Innovation Division, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada The effect of dietary crude protein (CP) and provision of simple wooden perches on performance, behaviour and foot pad lesion scores (FPS) was tested in pens of mixed sex broilers (Ross 308; n=1530) grown to 35-d. Treatments consisting of normal (NCP) or high (HCP) dietary CP levels and one of three perch treatments (no perch, ‘I’ or ‘X’ configurations) in a factorial arrangement were assigned to a minimum of 5 replicate pens in completely randomized design. Growth rate and feed intake were calculated for each of 3 phases (d0-11, 11-24, 24-35). Focal animals within each pen were identified using marking paint for behaviour observations on d13, 20, 27 and 34 and FPS on d14, 21, 28 and 34. At d36, 30 birds per treatment were slaughtered under commercial conditions for measurement of carcass traits. Shanks were collected after scalding to determine post-processing FPS. Performance data were analyzed using PROC MIXED, while behaviour data and FPS were analyzed using PROC GENMOD (both of SAS v9.1). Growth performance was not affected by either CP or perch (P>0.13). Broilers fed the NCP diet had higher carcass wt and dressing percent compared to those fed the HCP diet (P<0.01). Birds fed the HCP diet had higher FPS on all sampling days and post-scalding compared to those fed the NCP diet (P<0.01). The proportion of focal birds perching was not affected by either CP (P>0.36) or perch configuration (P>0.24) on most of the sampling days. Proportions of non-perching focal birds resting and active were not affected by perch or CP. In conclusion, dietary CP level has a large influence on FPS. Provision of perches in this study did not affect FPS or behaviour but further research into optimal perch design is required, particularly for heavier, less active birds. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Effect of rubber flooring and social grouping on the utilisation of free space for sows in free access stalls

Fiona C. Rioja-Lang*, Jennifer A. Brown, Harold W. Gonyou Prairie Swine Centre, Box 21057, 2105 – 8th Street East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7H 5N9 Individual gestation stalls are the most common housing system for sows in N America, however, many producers are anticipating a change towards group housing. One alternative to traditional gestation stalls are free access stalls (sows can freely interact in a communal area, or remain in a stall). This study investigates if sows increase the amount of time they spend in free space areas by fitting rubber mats to increase comfort, and also to group sows by age to reduce fear by younger (subordinate) animals. Comfortable flooring has been suggested to improve animal welfare, however it has been difficult to find a durable product to withstand manipulation from sows. Sixteen groups of 12 sows were housed in free access stall pens. Treatments were arranged in a 2x2x2 factorial design and replicated twice. Sows were housed in 1 of 2 pen configurations, with rubber or concrete flooring, and as a group of high (3.6 ± 1.7; mean ± S.D) or low (0.4 ± 0.6; mean ± S.D) parity sows. Photographs were taken from mounted cameras that recorded over a 24hr period, once per week, for 8 weeks. Data were analysed using SAS 9.2. Preliminary descriptive statistics indicate that in both the ‘young’ and ‘old’ groups sows both spent more time in the free space areas with rubber flooring than concrete flooring (P<0.05) for both pen configurations. There was also increased lateral lying on the rubber flooring. The ability to identify the optimum flooring and social management options will improve producers' decision making capabilities when making the transition to group housing. These results suggest that using rubber flooring will encourage gestating sows to use the free space areas more and accrue the associated benefits including increased muscle and bone strength. Housing younger sows together will also increase the utilisation of the free space. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Use of open litter areas by hens housed in a commercial aviary system

Maja M. Makagon*, Janice M. Siegford, Janice C. Swanson

Animal Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Animal Science, 1290 Anthony Hall, 474 S. Shaw Lane, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA

Aviary systems provide hens with litter access. However, literature pertaining to hens’ use of litter areas is sparse. This study, conducted as part of the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply project, evaluated use of open litter areas by hens housed in a commercial aviary barn. Data were collected in eight of 40 aviary sections in the barn. Four sections featured a single row of aviary units with a common litter area; four were composed of two parallel unit rows with a common litter area. Hen activity was evaluated instantaneously every 15 min over four 2 h time periods throughout the day when hens were 32 wks of age. Space use was measured using ImageJ software. The overall proportion of open litter space used (t6 = 0.52, P = 0.62) and perch use (t6 =2.10, P = 0.08) were similar in single and double sections. In both section types, litter and perch use was highest during the morning and midday, and decreased in the evening. Not all perches were used equally in the double aviaries (χ

211 = 46.64, P < 0.01), however there

was no clear pattern to the distribution. Although hens were observed dust bathing throughout the day, the majority of hens dust bathed between 1500-1700 h. The number of hens dust bathing in single vs. double aviaries was significant only at the midday time point (z = -2.17, P = 0.03), with approximately twice as much dust bathing in the double units. No preferences for dust bathing location were observed in either system (P > 0.70, all comparisons). This study highlights the overall similarities in the use of open litter areas by hens in housed in single versus double aviary sections, while emphasizing the importance of providing hens with access to dust bathing materials throughout the day. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Location! Location! Location! The effect of cage size and density on the use of nest boxes in large furnished cages Michelle Hunniford* 1, Linda Caston1, Stephanie Torrey2, Tina Widowski1

1Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario Furnished cages are an alternative to conventional cages from the standpoint of both production and welfare; the most important feature provided is the nesting area. Previous research into egg-laying patterns in furnished cages attributes laying outside the nest box to either early experience, an absence of suitable nest site features or lack of individual nest preference. Proposed regulations in the USA include an interim period where space allowances in furnished cages will gradually increase. Currently, there is little information regarding the amount of nest space required for large group sizes housed in furnished cages. Our objective was to determine the effect of cage size and density on the use of the nesting area in furnished cages. Groups of hens were housed in two different cage sizes (20880cm2; 41296cm2) at two different stocking densities (520cm2,750cm2/bird) resulting in group sizes of 28, 40, 55 and 80 birds. Curtained nesting areas with plastic mesh floors were 70cm2 and 100cm2/bird in the high and low-density cages, respectively. In each cage, the scratch area consisted of a smooth plastic mat adjacent to a solid wall opposite the nest area. Each combination of cage size and density was replicated 6 times for a total of 1218 birds in 24 cages. The location of each egg laid (nest, floor, scratch) was recorded for each cage, for weeks 20-39. The percentage of nest eggs was lower (P<0.05; SAS GLM fixed model) in large cages (89.0%±0.79) than in small (91.4%±0.79), but there was no effect of density (P=0.59) or interactions between cage size and density (P=0.31). More scratch eggs were laid in large cages (10.3%±0.76) than small (7.6%±0.76; P<0.05). This suggests that other features of the cage design or group size rather than designated nest space (which differed only between densities) influenced nesting behaviour. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Housing and Management Evaluating the impacts of wine supplemented feed on beef cattle temperament, feed intake and growth performance. Paul E. Moote*1, John S. Church1, Jonathan D. Van Hamme1 and Karen S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein2

1Thompson Rivers University, 900 McGill Road, Kamloops BC, V2C 0C8 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, 5304 – 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1 This study evaluated the impacts of winery waste (WW) inclusive diets used to produce the niche product “Wine Finished Beef” on feed intake (FI), average daily gains (ADG), and temperament of feedlot cattle. An objective behavioral test was used to determine whether WW affects cattle reactivity during handling. A total of 69 Angus-cross feedlot steers (BW 351.3 ± 27.9kg) were randomly allocated to one of 4 pens, 2 per treatment, and fed finishing rations supplemented with either 6 to 7 % WW (WW; n = 18, 17) or water (control (C); n = 17, 17) for 143d. Weight and temperament data were collected on 5 occasions at 35 day intervals from d1 to d143. FI was measured by dividing total wet mass delivered to respective pen, divided by pen density; additionally, feed quality was measured using near infrared spectrophotometry and bomb calorimetry. Temperament was assessed using flight speed (FS) and measured using an electronic system employing two light-beam generators and reflectors set to a height of 0.9m and positioned at 1.5 and 3.95m from chute exit. Data was analyzed using repeated measures mixed model MANOVAs, with diet and day as the main and repeated effects, respectively. Results found treatment feeds similar in chemical composition and caloric densities. FI and ADG did not differ between WW and C steers (P=0.82 and 0.12 respectively); however, FI and ADG were found to change over the feeding period (FI (P<0.001); 13.91 to 18.67kg/day—ADG (P<0.0001); 3.44 to 2.65kg/day). FS did not differ between treatments; however, FS increased for all cattle as the study progressed (P=0.63 and P<0.0001, respectively). Under the conditions of the present study, supplementing feedlot diets with WW did not affect cattle intake, average daily gain or temperament. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals Zebrafish aversion to chemicals used as euthanasia agents Devina Wong*, Leigh Gaffney, Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk, Jeffrey Richards, Daniel M. Weary

University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver. B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4 Zebrafish are becoming increasingly popular as a vertebrate model organism for developmental and biomedical research. In 2010, Zebrafish represented the majority of laboratory animals used in Canada, and now more fish are used than rats and mice combined. Zebrafish are commonly euthanized at the end of an experiment with an overdose of the anaesthetic tricaine methanesulfonate (TMS), but to date no research has assessed if exposure to this or other agents meets the criteria of a “good death”. Eugenol, derived from clove oil, has been identified as an alternative to TMS for fish euthanasia and has been approved for use in fish in several countries. We used a conditioned place preference paradigm to compare aversion to TMS and clove oil. Zebrafish show a preference for dark or light environments, and by exposing them to anaesthetics in the preferred side of a light-dark box, we were able to show a difference in preference following exposure. Zebrafish (n = 25) were habituated over 10 days to a testing apparatus where they could choose between a dark or a brightly-lit tank, connected with a short tube. Zebrafish spent approximately 90% of their time in the preferred tank. Once zebrafish were fully habituated, anaesthetic exposure using 150mg/L of TMS or 65mg/L of clove oil was carried out in the preferred tank. After exposure zebrafish avoided the preferred tank and the extent of conditioned place aversion varied with the euthanasia agent; after exposure to TMS fish completed an average of 6.3 ± 1.4 (mean ± S.E.M.) fewer re-entries into the preferred tank versus only 1.4 ± 1.1 fewer re-entries following exposure to clove oil (UA = 142.5, P(2) = 0.0005). In addition, more fish showed complete rejection of their previously preferred side after TMS exposure; 10 out of 13 fish exposed to TMS versus 3 out of 12 fish exposed to clove oil showed complete rejection of the preferred side following exposure (P < 0.05). These results indicate that zebrafish find TMS more aversive than clove oil, and that clove oil is a humane alternative to TMS for zebrafish euthanasia. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals Behaviour of rats housed under standard laboratory vs. semi-naturalistic conditions Joanna Makowska* and Daniel M. Weary University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

In the wild, rats engage in a host of behaviours, from foraging and exploration, to looking for nesting material and defending a territory. In most laboratories, rats are kept in cages that offer few opportunities to perform behaviours other than sleeping and reaching for food and water, and some authors argue that rats have lost the ability to perform behaviours they have not had the opportunity to perform through generations of laboratory breeding. The aim of this descriptive pilot study was to compare behaviour of female rats housed under standard laboratory or semi-naturalistic conditions. One week after weaning, two Sprague-Dawley rats were placed in a standard polycarbonate cage (45 x 24 x 20 cm) containing a PVC tube, and five rats were placed in a large wire-mesh cage (120 x 60 x 70 cm) containing soil, ladders, shelves, ropes, and PVC tubes. Rats were filmed with infrared cameras. During the light phase, standard-housed rats either took turns sleeping in the PVC tube or slept together next to it. Rats in the large cage began digging within 6 minutes of being placed in it, and quickly established a burrow system. These rats spent the light phase in the burrows but emerged once or twice per hour for 43 ± 41 s to explore. During the first hour of the dark phase when they are most active, these rats spent 25 ± 5% of the time performing three behaviours not observed in the standard cage: climbing, digging, and sitting on a shelf. When the experimenter was in the room, standard-housed rats mostly reared with their noses touching the lid while rats in the large cage hid in their burrows. These results suggest that laboratory rats readily engage in behaviours they have not had the opportunity to perform for many generations. * Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals A review of methods for assessing post-operative pain in mice Carly M. Moody* and Daniel M. Weary University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, Vancouver, BC, Canada There is an increasing trend of using mice in research and this is expected to continue with the development of a greater number and variety of genetically modified (GM) mice. Many laboratory mice undergo at least one surgical procedure during their lifetime, but little research to date has evaluated post-operative pain behaviors in mice that could be used to identify and minimize the duration and degree of pain experienced. The standard analgesic doses given post-operatively may be inadequate (and potentially harmful) for different mice strains, making it important for researchers to learn how to recognize pain. This review will examine current methods of assessing pain behaviors in mice post-operatively, including both short-term and long-term assessment techniques. Short-term techniques involve assessing pain behavior immediately after surgical recovery, including examination of facial expressions or using an ethogram of defined behaviors such as frequency and duration of writhing and flinching. Long-term assessment techniques involve examination of behaviors for 24 hours or more, such as evaluation of burrowing or nest building behavior. Ideally behavior is also assessed pre-operatively to allow comparison of pre- and post-operative measures. Application of these methods should help improve animal welfare and reduce complications associated with untreated post-operative pain. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals Humane fish euthanasia: a comparison of tricaine methanesulfonate (TMS) and clove oil in zebrafish (Danio rerio) Leigh Gaffney*1, Devina Wong1 Daniel Weary1, Marina Von Keyserlingk1, Jeffrey Richards2

1University of British Columbia, Animal Welfare Program, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4 2 University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4 Since the 1990s, the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in laboratories has increased substantially, but no research to date has addressed humane methods of euthanasia for zebrafish or other fish species. Currently in Canada, tricaine methanesulfonate (TMS) and metomidate are the only chemical anaesthetics approved for veterinary use with fish. TMS is the favoured method of chemical anaesthesia because, according to the CCAC, it “causes no signs of stress”. Unfortunately this statement is not supported by published scientific data. An alternative anaesthetic is clove oil but its effects on fish welfare have not been assessed. The goal of this study was to compare TMS and clove oil for zebrafish euthanasia. Zebrafish (n=20) were immersed in a buffered TMS solution at 100mg/L, 150mg/L, and 200mg/L; or a clove oil solution at 45mg/L, 55mg/L, and 65mg/L. The times from exposure until the fish became unable to swim and unresponsive were measured and signs of distress (rapid opercular movement, piping, twitching) were recorded. Fish were then moved into an uncontaminated tank and allowed time to recover. At the lowest and highest concentrations, the time to anesthesia was longer with TMS than clove oil (P<0.01), but at intermediate concentrations times to anesthesia were similar with the two agents (P<0.82). There were more piping (P<0.01) and twitching (P<0.02) in the fish exposed to TMS than those exposed to clove oil at each concentration. In addition, 90% of the fish exposed to TMS at 100mg/L regurgitated food during exposure; none of the fish exposed to clove oil exhibited this behaviour. These results suggest that clove oil is a humane alternative to TMS for zebrafish euthanasia. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals Translocation stress: behavioural, physiological and psychological measures of stress in an endangered species of kangaroo rat Liv Baker* 1,2 and David Fraser1 1University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Canada, 2San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Road, CA 92027 Translocations are a key species-management practice. Most translocation attempts are unsuccessful in establishing self-sustaining populations. Historically, post-translocation mortality is high as animals confront their novel environments. Such a mortality rate is likely because the stressors characteristic of typical translocations strain the coping mechanisms an animal uses to survive in the wild. While animals have evolved a repertoire of behavioural and physiological coping mechanisms to manage stress, their welfare may be compromised when the quality of their environment shifts to such a degree that their coping skills become inadequate. Translocations are intense enough to cause such a shift. Being able to effectively measure stress and understand how animals respond to potential stressors of a translocation has great importance for animal conservation and welfare concerns. To this end we are investigating physiological measures of stress in connection with captive behaviours in a translocated group of the endangered kangaroo rat, Dipodomys stephensi (SKR)- a nocturnal, granivorous heteromyid rodent, which is a keystone species native to open grasslands of southern California. SKR (N=150) were trapped from 2 source populations and held in captivity for 4 to 14 days before being soft-released at a new, protected site. Fecal samples were collected during trapping, captivity and post-release events. A fecal glucocorticoid radioimmunoassay was used to measure cortisol levels. Preliminary immunoassay results suggest that fecal cortisol levels are higher in temporarily captive D. stephensi; t(129) = -3.98, P <0.001, and highest in animals one month post-release compared to wild individuals; t(61) = -4.30, P <0.001. Furthermore, overall mean cortisol levels are higher in individuals from a more disturbed source population; t(43) = -3.121, P < 0.005, which correlates with higher post-release survival. If final analyses bear this out, this has important implications for our understanding of how SKR cope with stressors as well for source population selection. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Zoo and Laboratory Animals Exploring individual and group level effects in environmentally enriched, laboratory-housed rats Becca Franks* and Frances A. Champagne Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Ave MC 5501, New York, NY 10027 Enriching the environment of laboratory-housed animals can positively affect their welfare, but it may also improve the ecological relevance of laboratory-based research questions. For example, ecologists are discovering that rich network patterns exist in a range of group-living species. To assess the possibility of investigating such phenomena in the lab, 60 female rats were housed in groups of four (group N = 15) in large, complex environments with shelter and food enrichment. Multilevel models were used to assess the presence of individual- and group-level effects. After collecting data on an individual’s behavior in an automated maze, strong individual differences, but not group-level differences, were apparent in the propensity to pursue treats (indicative of gain motivation) and in the propensity to maintain darkness (indicative of safety motivation; P’s < 0.0001). Eleven months later, behavioral data was collected in the homecage after providing food enrichment. Specifically, the number of rats and their spatial arrangement at the front of the cage, which was divided into two halves, was recorded. Group-level differences were found in the number of animals that came to the front of the cage and a group’s tendency to disperse itself evenly across the two sides of the cage divider (P’s < 0.001). Neither of these effects could be entirely explained by individual differences in maze-behavior, though groups composed of individuals who achieved high levels of darkness in the maze tended to disperse themselves more evenly (P < 0.05). This individual-group relationship is compatible with previous research demonstrating that individuals who are concerned with safety are also concerned with maintaining stability. Accordingly, this research provides preliminary evidence that enriched housing facilitates the exploration of ecological questions such as the relationship between individual- and group-level outcomes. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Identifying subtypes of inactivity that indicate poor welfare in captive mink Rebecca Meagher* and Georgia Mason Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 How impoverished housing affects inactivity varies, perhaps because different forms reflect different motivations (e.g. resting versus hiding). To identify subtypes that could indicate poor welfare in mink, subjects were housed long-term in large cages enriched with ‘toys’ plus wading water (N=13), known to be preferred. Controls lived in non-enriched cages (N=16). These housing conditions were then reversed. Before and after the swap, inactivity was recorded along with three characteristics found to be influenced by enrichment in pilot studies: location (in nest-box versus out in cage); whether alert (eyes open) or asleep; and posture (e.g. belly exposed, suggesting relaxation, or protected). An assessment was made of which forms were elevated in non-enriched housing before the housing swap; which co-varied with stress (faecal cortisol metabolites; FCM) or fear in “glove tests”, using GLMs controlling for sex (JMP 8); and how each changed after the housing swap (one-way t-tests). Inactivity in the nest-box was increased by enrichment-removal (P<0.05) although not decreased by enrichment-gain (P>0.10). It was also linked with fear and stress: males that were fearful in “glove tests” spent the most time in the nest-box (sex*temperament P=0.054), while females’ decreases in FCM after gaining enrichment co-varied with their decreases in inactivity in the nest-box (sex*FCM change P<0.05). Lying alert was similarly increased by enrichment-removal (P<0.05), and also decreased by enrichment-gain (P<0.005). However, it did not co-vary with fearfulness or FCM (both P>0.10). There was a tendency for a decrease in lying belly down after enrichment-gain (P=0.054), although it was unaffected by enrichment-removal (P>0.10); again, this did not correlate with FCM or fear. The welfare significance of this posture thus needs further study, while inactivity in the nest-box and alert inactivity hold the most potential as indicators of poor welfare in mink. The former may reflect fear; the latter, a currently unknown state -- perhaps boredom. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Behaviour of emus affected by transportation stress Deepa G. Menon*, Darin C. Bennett, and Kimberly M. Cheng Avian Research Centre, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C, Canada. Many emu farms are located in areas lacking slaughter and processing facilities that necessitate transporting of these birds over long distances for processing. Emus are prone to stress during transport and handling and there is the need to identify behavioural indicators of stress in them. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the behavioural changes in emus after transportation to a new facility. From a total of 25 behaviours observed (one zero sampling technique) in nine (5 females and 4 males) adult emus, eight major ones were identified. Time budgets revealed that emus spent 29.9 % of their time standing, 26.4 % in locomotion, 19.4 % feeding, 10.2 % grooming, 8.5 % resting, 2.5 % drinking, 2.2 % vocalising, and 0.7 % for other activities. Using this protocol, the pre and post transport (5-6 hours) behaviours of 54 adult emus in three shipping trials were compared using Wilcoxon matched pair test. The results revealed that there was significant reduction in the time budgets (percentage ± S.E) for feeding (P<0.001) from 12.6 ± 1.4 to 1.4 ± 0.5; locomotion (P<0.001) from 27.4 ± 2.2 to 8.9 ± 2.1; and grooming (P<0.001) from 7.3 ± 1.0 to 0.9 ± 0.5. In these trials, huddling was observed only after transportation or handing. There was no significant change in resting or standing behaviours. In one of the trials there were significant increases in aggression (P=0.005) from 0 to 2.3 ± 0.7 %, fence pecking (P<0.05) from 0 to 3.0 ± 4.4 % and pacing from 5.2 ± 2.0 to 16.9 ± 5.0 % after transport. The increase in stereotypies such as pacing, and reduction in comfort behaviours seem to be the response to stress in emus. Identification of such stress related behaviours would aid to improve the management and welfare of emus. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Farm ostrich behaviour as an indicator of stress during transportation Masoumeh Bejaei*, Darin C. Bennett, and Kimberly M. Cheng Avian Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Ostrich production is a relatively young industry and little research has been done to examine ostrich welfare during transportation. Prior to this study, we conducted a survey to gather information about the current ostrich farming and transportation practices to identify potential welfare issues. The objective of this study was to identify environmental stress factors which influence behavioural response of ostriches in each stage of transportation and to determine whether certain behavior can be used as stress indicators. Behaviour of 38 ostriches (2.5 to 3 yrs old) was observed during the 5 stages of the transportation process: pre-transport, loading, transportation (18 hrs of driving, using a 3-compartment modified horse trailer with an installed infrared camera for recording bird behaviour), unloading and post-transport. Body weight and blood samples were obtained before and after transportation. Environmental stress factors which cause stress behaviour in ostriches were identified in each transportation stage based on casual and systematic observations. We found that the frequency of pre-transport sitting behaviour was significantly (P<0.01) correlated to time spent in the holding pen (r=0.41), post-transport plasma alanine transaminase (r=0.68), aspartate aminotransferase (r=0.65) and creatine kinase (r=0.71) levels. The length of transportation time was significantly (P<0.001) correlated to body weight loss (r=0.98). Close examination of birds that were sitting down after being rounded up before loading showed higher percentage of post-transport swollen wing or feet (r=0.4, P<0.05), bruises (r=0.48, P<0.01), shaking (r=0.62, P<0.001) and feather losses (r=0.39, P<0.05). We concluded that pre-transport sitting behaviour can be used as a stress indicator and handlers should carefully monitor those birds that were sitting before loading and try not to mix them with other less stressed birds during shipment. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Assessing the active-passive and confident-fearful temperament traits in group-housed gestating sows Millie Lemieux* 1, Harold W. Gonyou1, Jennifer A. Brown1, Nicolas Devillers2 and Laurie Connor3 1Prairie Swine Centre, Box 21057-2105, 8th Street East, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5N9, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK. 2Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC. 3University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB. As the transition is made to group housing systems for gestating sows, individual differences in temperament are expected to play a role in the ability of sows to cope with the challenge of being housed together. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the active-passive, and confident-fearful dimensions of temperament of gestating sows housed in groups (walk-in/lock-in stall system). A total of 316 sows (parity range 0-8) were assessed at week seven of gestation using four behavioural tests: open door (ODT), pig approaching human (PAH), human approaching pig (HAP), and novel object (NOT). The ODT and NOT are considered indicators of the active-passive dimension, and the PAH and HAP tests were used to evaluate the confident-fearful dimension. Positive correlations were found between the latency to contact a human in the PAH and to contact an object in the NOT (r> 0.31, P<0.0001), and between the time spent within a meter of the human in the PAH and score on the HAP (r> 0.35, P<0.0001). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was done, which explained 73% of the variation, revealing that the first component, accounting for 38% of the variation, reflects the “confident” temperament trait by being highly correlated with measures from the PAH (r>0.81) and HAP (r>0.40). The second factor, explaining14% of variation, reflects the “active” dimension with correlations to the NOT (r>0.89). The third, with 11% of variation, highlights the “passive” dimension with correlations to the ODT (r>0.86), and the fourth, with 10% of variation, reflects the “fearful” trait with correlations to the PAH (r>0.32).The findings from the PCA suggest that a “confident” trait in sows may be a main component of the behavioural response in tests of human approach, with time spent in close proximity and score in the HAP also being positively correlated. Temperament measures will further be compared to productivity parameters of group-housed gestating sows. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Measuring the lying time of dairy cows on commercial farms in Canada Gemma Charlton*1, Veronique Bouffard 2,3, Laura Solano4, Jenny Gibbons1, Elsa Vasseur1, Derek Haley5, Jeffrey Rushen1, Anne Marie de Passillé1 1Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PO Box 1000, 6947 Highway 7, Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada, V0M 1A0. 2Laval University, Quebec, Canada, G1V 0A6 3Valacta, The Dairy Production Centre of Expertise, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, H9X 3R4 4University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4 5University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1 Research suggests that, when comfortable, cows will lie down for at least 12 h/d. As part of an on-farm study investigating cow comfort and longevity, the time that cows lay down was recorded on 100 tie-stall and 71 free-stall commercial farms in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. On each farm, the total duration of lying time, the bout frequency and mean duration of lying bouts was recorded on 40 lactating Holstein dairy cows (mean ± SD; 134.8 ± 46.74 DIM), for four consecutive days, using automatic activity loggers. On tie-stall farms average lying time was 12.4 h/d (± 0.87; range: 10.3 to 14.4 h/d), over an average of 11.4 lying bouts/d (± 1.23; range: 8.5 to 14.8), with each lying bout lasting an average of 1.2 h/d (± 0.14; range: 0.9 to 1.6 h/d). Average lying time on free-stall farms was 10.8 h/d (± 0.89; range: 8.7 to 13.2 h/d), over an average of 10.8 lying bouts/d (± 1.30; range: 6.7 to 13.9), with each lying bout lasting an average of 1.1 h/d (± 0.17; range: 0.9 to 1.8 h/d). Of the 100 tie-stall farms 74% had average lying times of ≥ 12 h/d compared to only 10% of the 71 free-stall farms. In free-stall farms, 25% of cows lay down for less than 9.5 h/d, while in tie-stalls 25% of cows lay down for less than 11.3 h/d, with only 7.5% lying down for less than 9.5h/d. Accelerometers allow the lying time of cows on commercial farms to be recorded automatically, but the mean farm lying time does not accurately portray the variation between cows on a farm. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Oral Session: Behaviour and Welfare Behavioral synchrony of commercial turkeys Marisa A. Erasmus* and Janice C. Swanson Animal Behavior and Welfare Group, Dept. Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Behavioral synchrony, the simultaneous performance of behavior, is important in maintaining group stability in gregarious animal species. Synchrony has important implications for poultry management because it affects how resources are used and may lead to competition and aggression when space and resources are limited. To date, little is known about behavioral synchrony of commercial turkeys. The objectives of this study were to examine synchrony and activity budgets of young commercial turkey hens housed in controlled conditions. Turkeys were housed in groups of 25 to 28 in five identical littered pens from one to twelve weeks of age. Behavior was recorded for 9 hours on the same day of the week at 4 and 12 weeks of age. Instantaneous scan samples of behavior (sitting/sleeping, eating, drinking, standing, feather pecking, and other) were conducted at 10-min intervals. Synchrony was assessed using the kappa coefficient of agreement (K). Pen and age differences in synchrony and activity budgets were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Frequencies of sitting, eating, preening, feather pecking and other differed among pens (P<0.04). Frequencies of standing (23.2% vs. 17.6%, P<0.0001), eating (11.4% vs. 5.3%, P<0.0001), and other (19.6% vs. 6.3%, P<0.0001) were greater, and frequencies of sitting (32.7% vs. 51.4%, P<0.0001), drinking (2.0% vs. 2.5%, P<0.05), preening (8.8% vs. 12.6%, P<0.0001) and feather pecking (2.2% vs. 4.3%, P<0.0001) were lower at four weeks vs. twelve weeks. Sitting, standing, eating, drinking and other behavior were significantly more synchronized than expected by chance at both ages (four weeks: Ksit=0.13, Kstand=0.07, Kpreen=0.01; twelve weeks: Ksit=0.29, Kstand=0.05, Kpreen=0.02, P<0.05). Eating and other behavior were synchronized at four weeks (Keat=0.015, Kother=0.05; P<0.05). This study is the first to describe behavioral synchrony of turkeys, and indicates that there is significant synchronization of particular behavioral categories, but the degree of synchrony changes with age. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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ABSTRACTS FOR POSTERS


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Poster 1 Assessing variability in dairy heifer body weights Guilherme B. Bond*1,2, Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk1, Nuria Chapinal1, Edmond A. Pajor2, and Daniel M. Weary1 1University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4 Vancouver, Canada 2University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6, Calgary, Canada Raising healthy heifers is crucial to the success of a dairy farm, but indicators of adequate heifer rearing practices, including weight gains, are rarely measured. The objective was to determine the variation in growth of Holstein heifers raised on dairy farms in the lower Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. Data were collected from 33 farms, with a minimum herd of 100 milking cows and all using computerized recording systems. Farms were visited between June 2010 and October 2010. Chest circumference was measured for all heifers aged 12 to 17 months (n= 560) and these values were used to estimate body weight (BW). Birth dates were also recorded. Data were analyzed through a simple linear regression analysis resulting in a line equation of BW (kg) = 112.9 + 5.1* (age in weeks) (R2=0.35). Residuals derived from this regression were averaged across heifers within each farm and ranged from -53.8 to 71.5 kg. We tested the effects of a range of farm level descriptors (including weaning method, time between weaning and moving to a new pen, size of the heifer group, frequency of regrouping heifers, times per day heifers were provided fresh feed) but only one variable was able to account for among-farm variation in residual weights; average weight gain during the pre-weaning phase (i.e. calves 0 to 2 months of age; residual gains measured as described above for heifers). Residual weights of heifers increased with gains of the pre-weaned calves (line equation: Residual Heifer BW (kg) = -1.50 + 2.99* Residual Calf BW (kg); R2=0.39). These results show considerable among-farm variation in heifer weight gains. This indicates that management practices on some farms can be improved, especially those related to the management of pre-weaned calves. *Corresponding author: [email protected] Student Competition


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Poster 2 Persistence of piglets’ reactivity to humans after conditioning to negative or positive stimuli associated to humans Nicolas Devillers*1, Ophélie Menant1, Maria José Hötzel2, Céline Tallet3 and Renée Bergeron4 1 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Dairy and Swine R & D Centre, Sherbrooke QC J1M 0C8, Canada 2 Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - LETA, Florianópolis SC, Brasil 3 INRA - UMR1348 PEGASE, Saint-Gilles, France 4 University of Guelph - Alfred Campus, Alfred ON, Canada This preliminary experiment aims to develop a conditioning protocol to study human-animal relationship in piglets. One week after weaning, five groups of three piglets were subjected to a conditioning situation repeated 11 times over 3 days: a human entered the home pen and sat passively in a corner for 5 minutes (P) or delivered a stimulus each time a piglet approached: positive (S: stroking or F: food reward) or negative (C: capture attempt or B: ball gun hit). Following the conditioning period, a reactivity test was performed and repeated weekly for 5 weeks: the same human sat passively in a corner of the home pen and once piglets made contact or after 5 minutes, attempted to touch the snout and the ear of each piglet in a random order. A 5-level reactivity score was given (0: no withdraw to 4: no contact). Data were analysed with the MIXED procedure with repeated measures (SAS). During conditioning, all P, S and F piglets made contact with the human within 1 minute from the fourth session, while C and B piglets never made contact. In the first reactivity test, C piglets never made contact and B piglets made contact later than P, S and F piglets (B=227; P=0.3; S=0; F=0 seconds; P<0.05). Latency to make contact decreased over time and was less than 30 seconds in all treatments by 3 weeks after conditioning. Reactivity score did not change over time (P>0.1) and was higher in B, C and P piglets than in F and S piglets (B=2.11±0.25; C=1.89±0.26; P=1.75±0.27; F=0.78±0.29; S=0.72±0.24 seconds; P<0.001). In conclusion, piglets were successfully conditioned to the positive and negative treatments. However, piglets seemed to habituate to the motionless human during testing after a few repetitions. Reactivity to an approaching human was more consistent over time and would better reflect the previous conditioning. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 3 Use of feeders by laying hens housed in multiple-tier aviary system Aisling M. Nolan, Maja M. Makagon*, Janice C. Swanson, Janice M. Siegford Animal Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Animal Science, 1290 Anthony Hall, 474 S. Shaw Lane, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA Aviary systems are an alternative to traditionally used conventional cages which have recently been banned in the EU and parts of the USA. While aviaries offer several benefits, including increased space and resource access, they can be associated with increased hen aggression. Aggressive behaviors can be associated with resource competition, for example competition for access to feeder space. This study, conducted in a commercial facility, focused on the distribution and behavior of hens at aviary feeders, and aimed to determine if feeder distribution was adequate to accommodate the hens. The behavior of laying hens at feeders attached to the fronts of the upper and lower tiers of four distinct aviary sections were sampled during periods of high feeding activity (6:45-7:45 and 14:30-15:30). Two-way paired t-tests were used to compare the number of hens in the upper and lower tiers of the aviary sections and morning versus afternoon use of the feeder space. On average, a larger number of hens used the feeder on the lower tier versus the upper tier during the morning (t3 = -3.80, P = 0.03) as well as the afternoon (t3

= -6.98, P < 0.01). The overall use of feeder space was found to be similar during the morning and afternoon time (t3 = 0.58, P = 0.60). Instances of aggression and feeding bout durations are currently being analyzed to evaluate how these differences in spatial distribution affect the hens’ behaviors. The results of this study will inform producers about the spatial preferences of hens during feeding periods, and can help guide the design of alternative laying hen housing systems. This study is part of the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) project. *Corresponding author: [email protected] Student Competition


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Poster 4 Dairy producer knowledge and compliance with the code of practices in the province of Alberta Bruno Roberto Muller* 1, Guilherme Borges Bond2, Ed Pajor2 1Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua dos Funcionários, 1540, 80035-050, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 2University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6, Calgary, AB, Canada In Canada, the recently revised Dairy Code of Practice establishes requirements and recommendations for the care of dairy young stock and adult cows. The purpose of this study was to measure producer awareness of the codes, as well as to verify if the calf management procedures adopted on farms comply with the code’s requirements and recommendations. A total of 64 Albertan dairy farms with at least 75 Holstein lactating cows housed in free stalls were assessed. Producers filled out a questionnaire on their knowledge of the Code of Practice, as well as a questionnaire describing their calf management practices. A subset of 15 questions from the calf management questionnaire, covering 7 items from the code, was selected for the code compliance analysis. The majority of producers (76.5%) were aware of the code but only 66.7% of these producers (52.0% of the total number of farms) have read it. None of the farms was 100% compliant with all the 15 items from the code of practice. On average farms complied with 6 items, ranging from 2 to 10 items. Producers complied with the code in areas such as timing of the first feeding of colostrum, amount of colostrum fed, and temperature of the milk fed. Items with lower compliance were colostrum quality assessment, quantity of milk offered daily until 28 days of age and navel disinfection. Some producers (23.1%) made management changes as a result of the code, mainly related to the use of pain control medication during the dehorning of calves, although compliance is still low (34.4%). The results demonstrate that code compliance is variable, despite awareness being high, and that producers do make changes to their practices based on code recommendations. Additional efforts in producer outreach are necessary to further encourage code compliance. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 5 The effects of loading density and transit duration on the behaviour of pigs transported in the summer and winter months Tracy. L. Muller* 1, Yolande M. Seddon1, Luigi Faucitano2, Renee Bergeron3, Jennifer Brown1 and Harold Gonyou1 1 Prairie Swine Centre Inc., P.O. Box 21057, 2105 8th St East, Saskatoon ,SK, S7H 5N9 2 Dairy and Swine Research and Development Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada, J1M 0C8 3 University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1 The effects of long transport times and seasonal conditions in Canada are of concern both to an animal’s welfare and to the industries economy. This study examined the effect of transport duration and stocking density on pigs transported during summer (S) and winter (W). Over eight weeks (four per season), market pigs were transported for 6h, 12h and 18h from a commercial farm to the abattoir. Pigs were transported in triple deck pot-bellied trailers which contained 10 compartments (C). Four C were studied with two loaded at standard density (HD) guidelines (per pig S: 0.37m2; W: 0.35m2) and two at reduced density (LD) (per pig S: 0.42m2; W: 0.40m2). Prior to leaving the farm pigs were weighed, identified and loaded with four focal pigs per C. Cameras were installed to monitor behaviour at 5 minute intervals during transport. At the abattoir pigs rested in lairage and observations of behaviour were recorded. Behaviours recorded included lying, standing and sitting. Fighting and drinking were also recorded during lairage. Statistical analysis using PROC mixed in SAS determined effects of density, season and trip duration. In W, a greater minimum percentage of pigs stood during initial transit at LD, than at HD (P<0.05). A greater minimum percentage of pigs were observed lying down during initial transit when travelling in S at HD than LD, or in W at HD (P<0.05). Drinking during the first hour of lairage was greater in pigs transported for 12h at LD and for 18h at HD and LD than for all other treatments (P<0.05). Thus, the density treatments studied showed minimal effects, and suggests that the minimum code of practice guidelines are adequate. Seasonal differences in pig behaviour at different densities may be to maintain thermo-regulation and comfort. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 6 Weaning dairy calves off milk according to their ability to eat solid feed reduces the negative effects of weaning on energy intake and weight gain. Anne Marie de Passillé* and Jeffrey Rushen Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC, Canada Dairy calves show reduced growth, lowered energy intake and increased hunger when weaned off milk. Calves differ in their ability to eat solid feed, and automated feeders allow weaning to be adjusted to an individual calf’s intake. We examined effects of weaning according to solid feed intake on age at weaning, energy intake, and behavioural signs of hunger. 40 group-housed Holstein calves fed from automated feeders were gradually weaned when voluntary intake of grain starter reached a target level with weaning complete when intakes were either 1600g/d (HIGH-END) or 800g/d (LOW-END). Digestible energy (DE) intakes were calculated from milk, starter and hay intakes, calves were weighed and visits to the milk feeders were measured daily. Treatment effects were tested with GLM. There were large differences between calves in the age at which weaning was complete (range 43d – 81d), with weaning completed earlier for LOW-END calves (59.6±2.3d) compared to HIGH-END calves (66.8±2.2d) (P<0.05). There were no differences (P >0.10) between the weeks before and during weaning (from when milk allowance was first reduced to when the calves received no milk) in DE intakes (0.09±0.01 vs 0.08±0.01Mcal/kgBW) or weight gains (1.11±0.09 vs 1.16±0.08 % body weight) and no effect of weaning method (P >0.10). Daily visits to the milk feeder did increase during weaning (before vs during weaning: 8.70 ± 0.56 vs 15.78 ± 1.18 /d). Neither DE intakes nor visits to the milk feeder were affected by weaning method (P > 0.10). During weaning, the daily weight gain was higher for HIGH-END calves compared to LOW-END calves (1.42±0.10 vs 0.88±0.11 %body weight; P<0.01). Weaning individual calves according to their ability to eat solid feed reduces the impact of weaning. Weight gain during weaning is highest when complete weaning is delayed until calves are eating a larger amount of solid feed. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 7 Effects of ractopamine administration and castration method on the response to pre-slaughter stress in pigs of two pietrain genotypes Luiene M. Rocha1,3 Ana M. Bridi 2, Luigi Faucitano3, Angela Weschenfelder1,3, William Bertoloni 4 and Nicolas Devillers*3

1Laval University, Quebec City, G1V 0A6, Canada 2State University of Londrina, Londrina, 86051-990, Brazil 3Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 0C8, Canada 4Federal University of Mato Grosso, 78060-900, Cuiaba, Brazil

A total of 756 pigs (115+5 kg liveweight) were distributed into two main groups (376 and 380 pigs each), receiving 7.5 ppm of ractopamine (RAC) or not (NRAC) during the last 28 days of the finishing period. Within each group, 377 castrates (SC) and 379 immuno-castrates (IC), and two genotypes containing 25 (A) and 50 % (B) Pietrain genetics (377 and 379 pigs, respectively) were represented according to a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Castration took place at one day of age, while physiological -castration was performed through two subcutaneous injections of Improvest® (2 ml) at 10 and 4 weeks before slaughter. Handler behaviours were registered at loading. Aggressive behaviours were observed continuously during the first hour of lairage at the plant. Blood was collected at exsanguination for serum creatine-kinase (CK) and plasma lactate analysis. Physiological data were analyzed by the MIXED procedure, while the behavior data were analyzed by the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Feeding RAC to A and B pigs increased the number of physical contacts and vocal motivation (P = 0. 01 and P = 0.02; respectively) from the handler to be driven forward during loading. In lairage, the number of fights increased in RAC-fed (IC) compared to non-fed SC (15.75 vs. 9.75; P < 0.05), whereas fight activity of RAC pigs was of shorter duration compared to NRAC pigs (9.41 vs. 14.90 sec.; P = 0.004). Blood CK levels were greater (P < 0.05) in SC compared to IC, while blood lactate levels tended to increase in RAC pigs (P = 0.06). Thus, based on the results arising from the present study, immuno- castration as single factor appears to be a viable alternative without any major effect on animal welfare during preslaughter handling. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 8 Measures of acceleration detect effects of dehorning and weaning on locomotor play in calves Jeffrey Rushen* and Anne Marie de Passillé Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agassiz, BC, Canada Play may be a behavioural indicator of positive emotions in young animals, but in calves, spontaneous play is time consuming to record. Research shows that dehorning and weaning off milk reduce the spontaneous play running that calves show in their home pens. We examined whether automatic measures of acceleration during brief exposure to a large enclosure could estimate the duration of the play running that occurred and detect the effects of dehorning and weaning. Holstein calves were placed in an arena for 10 mins and the duration of running was recorded from video. Total acceleration was recorded from accelerometers attached to one leg. In Exp. 1, 24 calves were either dehorned on d5 or served as controls, and were tested the days before and after dehorning. Dehorned calves had a lower duration of running (median ± quartile deviation = 22.4±20.1s vs 31.8 ±21.4s; P<0.01; Mann-Whitney test) and a smaller total acceleration (24517±1542G vs 25115±672G; P<0.01) than controls. Before and after dehorning, duration of running was correlated with total acceleration (both r>0.77; P<0.001). In Exp. 2, 12 calves were tested during the weeks before and after weaning at 3 months of age. Before and after weaning, the duration of running was positively correlated with total acceleration (both r>0.85; P < 0.001). After weaning, there was a decrease in both the duration of running and the total acceleration (Mann-Whitney; P < 0.01), and the change in running duration following weaning was correlated with the change in total acceleration (r = 0.94; P < 0.01). The amount of running the calves did in the arena was reduced following both dehorning and weaning, and measures of acceleration could be used to automatically estimate the duration of running that occurred, suggesting this was a time-efficient way of detecting the calves’ motivation to play run. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 9 Frequency of allomaternal care observed in beef cows (Bos taurus) Clarisse Vogel* and John S. Church Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada V2C OC8 Allomaternal care (protective behaviour exhibited by an animal to another juvenile individual of the same species that is not their offspring) is of potential interest to cattle ranchers, because it may be of benefit in herd management. Allomaternal care has been reported in the literature for wildlife such as deer and small mammals, but few examples have been reported with domestic cattle (Bos taurus). Our goal was to determine if the behaviour does indeed exist in beef cattle. Fourteen cow-calf pairs were observed using a combination of scan, focal and all-occurrence sampling in a pasture setting during two summer months (June and July). Observations were analyzed for total frequencies exhibited by each individual cow, as well as the average frequency for each of 7 representative age groups in the cohort. The frequency was highly variable amongst individuals, but the majority of beef cows displayed allomaternal care at least once during the two-month observation period, regardless of whether their own offspring was present. While no age effect was observed, a T-test revealed that the frequency of allomaternal care increased over time (June 1.2 vs. July 2.6, P<0.05, StatPlus, Alexandria, VA). Knowledge that this behaviour exists, and that there is variation amongst individuals, could be used by ranchers in the formation of calving groups, especially in remote ranges where monitoring is difficult, or calf predation is problematic. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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Poster 10 Do I look scared? Exploring the use of anxiolytic drugs on fear responses of domestic laying hens Stephanie Yue Cottee*1, Kenner Rice2 and Tina Widowski1

1Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada 2Chemical Biology Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA Evidence for emotional states may be investigated using pharmacological agents known to affect the central mechanisms controlling fear or anxiety and determining effects on behaviour. In this study, laying hens were given Imipramine (tricyclic antidepressant), R121919 (CRF-1 receptor antagonist) or saline intramuscularly prior to testing them under a novel object (NO) or tonic immobility (TI) paradigm. The NO test assumes that less fearful hens will approach the object whereas more fearful hens will avoid it. The TI test assumes that longer durations of immobility reflect higher levels of fearfulness. We hypothesized that hens receiving these drugs would show decreased fearful responses and lower levels of corticosterone in response to the frightening stimuli. However imipramine increased corticosterone levels after both tests (TI: F(2,22)=19.02, p<0.0001; NO: F(2,22)=18.76, p<0.0001) and neither drug affected TI duration (F(2,23)=1.17, p>0.05). All groups increased their avoidance distance upon NO presentation, but imipramine birds had an overall avoidance distance that was higher than R121919 and saline groups (F(2,22)=6.67, p<0.01). This was likely due to the higher overall activity level (number of steps) shown by imipramine-treated birds both before and after presentation of the NO (F(2,22)=8.37, p<0.05). Neither drug group showed a difference between number of vocalizations emitted before and after NO presentation (imipramine: t(6)=-0.65, p>0.05; R121919: t(7)= -2.06,p>0.05), whereas control birds vocalized more after NO presentation (t(7)=-3.40, p<0.01). Counter to our hypothesis, neither drug consistently attenuated fear responses. Though early research on this topic has shown some drugs can attenuate fearful TI responses, the data have not always been congruous. In addition, most studies have used chicks, which have non-functional blood-brain-barriers until later stages. Mature hens likely process drugs differently. Effects of anxiolytic drugs on the birds’ emotional state remain unclear, but it seems that imipramine might change their stress-coping style from a passive to active/bold one. *Corresponding author: [email protected]


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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS Name Affiliation Address E-mail address Liv Baker University of

British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada

[email protected]

Katie Barton Washington State University

Pullman, WA, USA [email protected]

Matsoumeh Bejaei Avian Research Centre, University of British Columbia

Vancouver, BC, Canada

[email protected]

Clover Bench University of Alberta

Edmonton, AB, Canada

[email protected]

Renée Bergeron Université de Guelph

Alfred, ON, Canada [email protected]

Guilherme Bond University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Jennifer Brown Prairie Swine Centre Inc.

Saskatoon, SK, Canada

[email protected]

Gemma Charlton Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Agassiz, BC, Canada

[email protected]

John Church Thompson Rivers University

Kamloops, BC, Canada

[email protected]

Sabine Conte Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Sherbrooke, QC, Canada

[email protected]

Courtney Daigle Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI, USA

[email protected]

Anne Marie

de Passillé Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Agassiz, BC, Canada

[email protected]

Nicolas Devillers Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


[email protected]

Marisa Erasmus Michigan State University


[email protected]

Becca Franks Columbia University

New York, NY, USA

[email protected]

Leigh Gaffney University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Michelle Hunniford University of Guelph

Guelph, ON, Canada

[email protected]

Fiona Lang Prairie Swine Centre Inc.


[email protected]


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Millie Lemieux Prairie Swine Centre Inc.


[email protected]

Maja Makagon Michigan State University


[email protected]

Joanna Makowska University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Rebecca Meagher University of Guelph

Guelph, ON, Canada

[email protected]

Deepa Menon Avian Research Centre, University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Carly Moody University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Paul Moote Thompson Rivers University


[email protected]

Tracy Muller Prairie Swine Centre Inc.


[email protected]

Bruno Muller Universidade Federal do Paraná

Curitiba, PR, Brazil [email protected]

Heather Neave University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Heather Neave University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Aisling Nolan Michigan State University


[email protected]

Ed Pajor University of Calgary

Calgary, AB, Canada

[email protected]

Ashley Roberts University of Guelph

Guelph, ON, Canada

[email protected]

Luiene Rocha Université Laval Quebec, QC, Canada

[email protected]

Jeffrey Rushen Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada


[email protected]

Jillian Rutherford Thompson Rivers University


[email protected]

Abby Schwartz University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Yolande Seddon Prairie Swine Centre Inc.


[email protected]

Alison Vaughan University of Saskatchewan


[email protected]

Clarisse Vogel Thompson Rivers University


[email protected]


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Dan Weary University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Devina Wong University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Rebecca Wright University of British Columbia


[email protected]

Katherine Wynn-Edwards

Calgary Veterinary University

Calgary, AB, Canada

[email protected]

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