Browsing by Subject "Behaviour"

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Einfluss von Beschäftigungs- und Strukturelementen auf das Verhalten und das Beinskelett konventionell gehaltener Mastputen
(2010) Letzguß, Helga; Bessei, Werner
Commercial turkey production in Germany is characterized by the use of heavy strains and intensive management systems with a poor level of environment stimulation. This results in behavioral and health problems, which are not only relevant with respect to animal welfare but do result in substantial financial losses for the farmers. It is assumed that environmental enrichment could be a promising means for improving the locomotor system of turkeys and for reducing cannibalism and feather pecking. The present field study deals with the effects of environmental enrichment under commercial rearing conditions. The major focus was on deducing the impact on (i) cannibalism and featherpecking, (ii) locomotor activity, and (iii) leg conditions. In addition the acceptance and the utilization of the enrichment facilities should be determined. Based on previous work, different enrichment structures were selected. Particular attention was given to choose structures that could easily be integrated into existing stables at low costs. Moreover, the objects should not substantially increase the workload of the farmers. Raised platforms, round bales of straw, baskets filled with hay, and packs of palettes were used as enrichment objects. The latter were substituted with square bales of straw in the second experiment. The enrichment structures occupied 5.3 % of the available area of the houses. The two successive experiments, one in the warm (Durchgang 1) and one in the cold (Durchgang 2) season, were carried out using three commercial turkey houses. Heavy strains of turkeys were kept in houses with more than 4500 animals. Two houses (A1 and A2) were enriched and one house was kept as non-enriched control. Starting from the 6th week of age the animals were observed in 4 week intervals by three observers. In addition, videos were recorded during the same time and evaluated using the commercial software INTERACT (Mangold International GmbH, Arnstorf). The following areas have been observed separately: raised platforms, square bales of straw, round bales of straw, unenriched area, wired basket filled with hay, feeder area, and drinker area. The following behaviours were determined: resting, sitting, locomotion, comfort behaviour, object pecking, environment pecking, feather pecking, aggression, dust bathing, scratching, threat, cannibalism, water intake, and food intake. The duration and the number of animals performing locomotion, sitting, and standing in the individual areas were determined. At 14th weeks of age approximately 150 animals were selected at random and weighted. The conditions of the breast skin, feathering, and foot pads were scored. At slaughter, the scorings of each third breast skin and each fifth food pad were repeated. Furthermore, after slaughter, 50 tibiotaris were randomly chosen for which length, angular distal deformity, torsional deformity were identified. Based on computer tomography the following bone parameters were determined in the middle of the total area, total density, corticalis area, corticalis density and Strain Strength Index (SSI). The enrichment structures were well accepted and used by the turkeys. The structures were mainly used for resting. From the observed extended resting periods it can be concluded that on the enrichment structures the animals could better satisfy their need for resting than in the non-enriched areas. Short resting periods in the non-enriched area are mainly due to frequent disturbances caused by fellow turkeys. From the fractions of locomotion in the unenriched areas it could be shown that the enrichment structures yielded increased locomotor activity. There was no effect of the enrichment structures on animal health. A decreased torsion of the tibiotarsi from the enriched houses were determined. In order to access the raised plarforms, palettes, and square bales of straw, the turkeys in the enriched houses had to wing flap, climb, and jump. This resulted in strengthening of both the leg muscles and the bones. The turkeys used the round bales until the end of the fattening period, where as pecking at the basket filled with hay decreased gradually. The occurrences of threat, aggression, cannibalism, and featherpecking, were very low an all houses. Hence, no effect was found for the enrichment structures on these behaviors. This thesis provided proof that low-cost enrichment of the environment can be advantageous with respect to the bone health of turkeys. In addition, it was demonstrated that it is possible to increase the locomotor activity of heavy strains. Furthermore, the results indicate that even small height differences between object surface and litter level suffice to enable the creation of resting areas. It should be noted that the enrichment structures did not loose attractiveness for the turkeys throughout the complete fattening period.
Environmental enrichment in intensive production systems for farm animals
(2010) Jordan, Dušanka; Bessei, Werner
Barren and space restricted environment of intensive production systems thwarts the expression of numerous behavioural patterns due to inadequate stimulation. Consequently, animals may develop various abnormal and damaging behaviours or may be in general less active, which contributes to the expression of leg disorders, especially in fast growing animals. These problems may be alleviated with appropriate environmental enrichment, therefore the objective of the thesis was to elucidate the appropriateness of selected environmental enrichments in fattening pigs, growing rabbits, laying hens and fast growing broilers. For this purpose, four studies were conducted. In the first study we wanted to examine the effect of small amount of straw or hay (100 g per animal per day) laid daily in a rack on the behaviour, growth rate and carcass composition of fattening pigs of both sexes (castrated males, females) housed in slatted floor pens. In the second study we studied the influence of gnawing sticks made of Norway spruce (Picea abies) on the behaviour of male growing rabbits (Slovenian sire line SIKA for meat production) housed individually in wire-mesh cages. The third study included laying hens with enhanced diet complexity ? instead of only one, hens were fed two diets in sequence. We studied the effect of sequential feeding with wheat on the behaviour, feed intake, feather condition and egg production of non beak-trimmed ISA Brown laying hens housed in standard cages (five birds/cage). The birds were allotted to one of four treatments. The control (C) was fed a conventional complete diet. Three treatments were fed sequentially with whole wheat (SWW), ground wheat (SGW) or ground wheat with a vitamin premix, phosphorus and oil (SGWI). In sequential treatments, 50% of the ration was fed as wheat from 9:00 to 16:00 o?clock and the remaining 50% as a protein-mineral concentrate (balancer diet) from 16:00 to 9:00 o?clock. In the fourth study we examined the effect of environmental enrichment on foraging behaviour, locomotor activity, growth and feed conversion of fast growing broilers (Ross 308). Animals were allotted to three treatments. The control birds (C) were fed with pellets in a trough, the W birds received additionally to pellets in a trough a small quantity of whole wheat scattered twice a day in the litter. In the P treatment the trough was removed at 14 days of age and feed pellets were scattered in the litter five times a day. Environmental enrichment of fattening pigs with small amount of hay or straw increased the proportion of time animals were active on account of increased occupation with substrate. However, increased proportion of total activity was noticed only in females, which also spent more time chewing substrate than castrated males. Both substrates significantly reduced time spent biting pen bars and the frequency of aggressive encounters. Neither hay nor straw negatively influenced pigs? growth rate and lean meat percentage, whereas sex of the animals significantly influenced both traits. Females grew slower and had greater lean meat percentage than castrated males. In contrast to fattening pigs, environmental enrichment had almost no influence on the behaviour of growing rabbits. Gnawing sticks made of Norway spruce did not attract much of rabbits? interest and significantly influenced only the duration of feeding by 2.08 ± 0.87%. In laying hens, SWW birds spent less time feeding and stood still longer compared to birds in other treatments when fed wheat based diet. This influenced the occurrence of feather pecking, because four hours after distribution of wheat diets, feather pecking was the highest in the SWW and the lowest in the SGW treatment. Consequently, the poorest feather condition was recorded in the SWW treatment. Total feed intake was the highest in the C treatment, while birds ate greater amount of balancer diet compared to wheat based diets. In fast growing broilers, the environmental enrichment with scattered whole wheat (W) did not influence any of the observed behaviour. However, scattering feed pellets in the litter (P) significantly decreased time spent lying in the third and fourth week of age. From the third week onwards, P birds also spent more time walking, scratching and pecking compared to the C and W birds. In feed intake, feed conversion and growth rate there was no difference between the C and W treatment, whereas birds in the P treatment grew significantly slower, which resulted in 13% lower slaughter weight. To conclude, small amount of hay and straw proved to be an appropriate and inexpensive environmental enrichment for fattening pigs in intensive housing systems, which improved their welfare. The addition of wooden sticks for gnawing demonstrated to be an unsuitable environmental enrichment for growing rabbits. Sequential feeding with wheat had a detrimental effect on laying hens? behaviour and feather condition when used with whole wheat. Therefore, wheat should be used either grounded or perhaps presented in shorter time periods. In fast growing broilers, scattering feed pellets in the litter proved to be a promising method to enhance broilers? activity and thus to improve their welfare. However, further research is needed to be able to avoid reduction in body weight at slaughter age.
Untersuchungen zur Variation und Rhythmik der individuellen Futteraufnahme bei Pekingenten in Gruppenhaltung
(2003) Bley, Tobias Alexander Georg; Bessei, Werner
Methods to record feed intake in group reared individuals were only available for larger domestic species, such as pigs and cattle. Similar equipment for ducks using an antenna-receiver system had to be developed for the present study. The antenna was fitted nearby the feeder and the transponder was attached to the wing mark. The feeders were connected to an electronic scale and the following characteristics were recorded by a PC continuously: number of the bird, day, time of day, time of visits to the feeder, feed consumption. The system was suitable for duckling from 14 days old onwards. Two experiments were carried out. In experiment 1 a total of 50 male Pekin-type hybrid from 14 to 49 days of age were used. In experiment 2 records were taken from 480 male and female ducks of an experimental line from day 21 to 45. The birds were raised in groups on deep litter (straw). Commercial pelleted feed and water were provided ad libitum. The distance between feeders and drinkers was 1 m in experiment 1 and 5 m in experiment 2. The following traits were extracted from the records: Number of meals per day (defined as visits to the feeder with feed intake) Duration of meals (sec.) Size of meals (grams.) Intensity of feeding (feed intake in grams. per min): feed intake per meal in relation to duration of meal Duration of pauses (sec. or min.) Duration of feed intake per day (min.) Feed intake per day (grams.) Live weight (grams.) Dates of a total of 530 ducks and containing 260000 visits to the feeder were recorded and analysed On the basis of the duration of the frequency of meals per day two distinct groups, birds with large number of short meals (HM), and birds with a small number of big meals (LM), were identified. Comparisons were made between the two meal-type groups for all traits and the circadian rhythms of feed intake. HM ducks were characterised by short duration and small size of meals, and short pauses between meals. There was only a small difference between the meal-types for the total duration of feeding and feeding intensity. HM birds were lighter than LM birds. With increasing age, number of meals per day and duration of feeding per day decreased while daily feed consumption increased. Duration and size of meals, and intensity of feeding increased with age. Changes in feeding activities were most important between 3 and 4 weeks of age. An effect of sex was only noted for the number of meals at seven weeks of age. Differences in the occurrence of pauses were found in response to the experiment, meal-type and age. With regard to the presentation and analysis of pauses the usual procedures using log survivorship functions were discussed. In the present study, however, the differences in the distribution of pauses have been demonstrated using the relative frequency for the pauses of long duration and the cumulative frequency for the pauses of shorter duration. With regard to the high variation of the duration of pauses among individuals and with age the calculation of a single meal criterion, which separates pauses within and between meals, for all individuals and over all ages was not considered useful. On the basis of the distribution of pauses of the different meal-types it seems that the meal criterion is less than one minute in the HM types, and over 35 minutes in the LM types. The circadian rhythm of feed intake was similar in both meal-type groups and shows a biphasic shape with maxima at the beginning and the end of the light period. There was also feed intake during the dark period, the consumption, however, was lower than in the light period. The power spectra of the feed intake showed main components in the 24; 12; 6 and 4.8 hours rhythms and, in addition, various different rhythms in the area of 2-4 hours. The rhythm pattern was more pronounced in the HM types as compared to the LM types. The power of the 24 hours rhythms decreased with age, while a 6 hours rhythm developed at the end of the test period. In general it can be said, that there are distinct types of temporal structures in feeding behaviour in ducks. Age-depending changes appear mainly in the early fattening phase up to 5 weeks of age. There is no general meal criterion in ducks which may be applied to all individuals and at all ages. Feed intake underlies rhythmic processes which are modified with age.
Das Verhalten von Mastputen bei unterschiedlicher Besatzdichte und Einstreuart
(2013) Günthner, Pia; Bessei, Werner
There exists at present no legal regulation concerning housing and management of commercial turkey production in Europe. The European Commission is working on a directive of keeping fattening turkeys. In Germany is a voluntary agreement of turkey producers, animal protection societies and governmental authorities, which provides standards and minimum requirements for adequate turkey rearing. These standards, however, are still being debated. Especially the stocking density is considered too high. The present study was carried out to provide scientific information on the behaviour of turkeys under different stocking densities, and thus, to support the revision of the voluntary agreement on turkey keeping. The turkeys (B.U.T. Big 6) were kept in an experimental turkey house. The male and female birds were kept in two separate parts of the same building. Each part contained 16 identical pens. The males were raised up to the 21 weeks of age and received a commercial pelleted turkey diet in 7 feeding phases. The females were raised upt to 16 weeks and received 6 feeding phases. Three different stocking densities were testet: low, intermediate and high. The existing recommendations of stocking density for males and females of the voluntary agreement were chosen as intermediate density. All birds were kept on wood shavings as litter from day-old to 5 weeks of age. From the 6th week of age (which correspond to the 3rd feeding phase) onwards chopped straw was spread as required to maintain good litter quality. In one additional treatment wood shavings instead of straw were spread throughout the fattening period. The intermediate stocking density of males and females was used for this treatment. Hence the experimental setup consisted of 4 treatments within both sexes. Direct behavioural observations were carried out by 4 trained observers. The direct observations started with the 2nd feeding phase and continued untill the end of the fattening period. Feeding, drinking, walking, sitting/lying, standing, litter pecking/scratching, dust bathing, preening, feather pecking, wound pecking and aggressive pecking were recorded using time sampling technique. In addition all pens were video-recorded in the weeks before or after the direct observations. The duration of the different behaviours were measured using the video records. Feed consumption, water consumption, body weight development and temperature inside the stables were recorded continuously. The experiment was repeated with a second batch of birds using the same experimental layout and the same criteria as in the first batch. Litter temperature was additionally recorded in the second batch. In the first batch the frequency and duration of sitting/lying was significantly higher at the lower stocking density as compared to the stocking density. This could by explained by physical disturbance of resting birds at the higher stocking density. The higher litter temperature under high stocking density might also have interrupted the sitting phases of the birds. At the lower stocking density there were significantly more preening, feather pecking and a non-significantly higher level of dust bathing than in the higher stocking density. The opposite result has been expected with regard to feather pecking. This supports the result of other publications which reported an interrelationship of comfort behaviours, such as preening and dust bathing, and feather pecking. The effect of stocking density was not significant for all other behaviours. This shows that stocking density in the tested range has little influence on the behaviour growing turkeys. Feed intake growth rate and the water : feed ratio were lower at the lower stocking density. The lower water : feed ratio indicated that the reduction of feed intake and growth rate with increasing stocking density is influenced by higher litter temperature. The turkeys raised on wood shavings from the 3rd feeding phase onwards showed significantly more feeding behaviour than those kept on straw in the first batch, and a similar tendency in the second batch. They also pecked significantly more the feathers of their pen mates in both batches. The higher feeding behaviour of the birds kept on wood shavings coincided with a significantly higher feed intake only in the second batch. All other performance traits did not significantly respond to the different litter types. The higher feeding behaviour and feed intake of turkeys kept on wood shavings was explained by a compensatory activity to litter pecking: straw as litter obviously presents a higher stimulus for exploratory litter pecking than wood shavings. The lower feather pecking activity of the turkeys kept on straw can be explained by the same effect. Feather pecking as substitute of litter pecking has been reported in the literature for turkeys and other poultry species. Sitting/lying behaviour was consistently higher in male than in female birds in both batches. The causes of this effect can be manifold. The higher body weight may reduce the ability of standing and thus increase sitting/lying. The lower group size and lower stocking density in the males may have led to less disturbances and allowed more resting behaviour. Finally the higher litter temperature observed in the female pens may have reduced the time spent sitting/lying in the females. Males showed significantly more litter pecking and scratching in both batches. Preening was higher and feather pecking was lower in males. This effect was significant in at least one batch. The inverse relationships between litter pecking and feather pecking among males and females are consistent with the effect of litter on these behaviours. In conclusion, the effect of stocking density in the range tested in the present experiment was relatively small as compared to other factors, such as age, season, sex and Litter temperature.
Verhaltens- und Gesundheitsmonitoring für die Gruppenhaltung tragender Sauen
(2015) Junge, Melanie; Jungbluth, Thomas
The number of pig farmers in Germany with breeding sow herds has continually re-duced over the past 15 years. Simultaneously, herd size has increased. This trend is intensified through the introduction of mandatory group housing for gestating sows. While larger herds represent high demands on management and monitoring of indi-vidual animal health, the situation also offers potential for automation of work proce-dures or in data recording as part of indicator-based systems. The primary objective of this work was conception, implementation and evaluation of a monitoring system for determining health and behaviour deviations of gestating sows in group housing. Hereby, sensor and data technology infrastructure was to be designed for recording animal-individual indicators as feeding or drinking events as well as minimum distances travelled within a sow gestation stable for a large dynamic group. Materials used were the available RFID technology of two electronic feeding stations (EFS) and a boar recognition system. These were supplemented by the mounting of additional RFID antennae besides drinkers and on the two doors between exercise and indoor areas. For determining volumes of water metered out, flowmeters were fitted in the supply pipelines for all eight drinkers. The EFS data protocols were used for assessment of feeding events and calculation of relative eating ranks. Over the combined time-related sequencing of registration of the 13 RFID antennae within the sow gestation stable, the animal-individual minimum distances travelled were calculated on a daily basis. Animal-individual assessment of health status and changes in behaviour of the sows was conducted as part of an observation study. Examined were relationships between the automatically recorded indicators feeding events, drinking events and distances travelled, in addition to changes in health and behaviour were examined. The potential for implementation of a monitoring or prediction model was then assessed. From 13.04.2012 to 31.05.2013, recorded and analysed were 29,552 day data sets from 199 gestating sows (parity 2 to 11). In this period, only a few effects on sow health through cases of disease were documented. However, during the twice-weekly gait assessment of the sows via locomotion scoring, some cases of medium to serious lameness were identified. During 372 days, 69,577 drinking events with water volumes of from 2 ml to 11.45 l were recorded. On average, the sows drank 0.53 l water 2.4 times per day although, for 25% of the daily data sets, no drinking events were determined. In addition, a clear 24-hour cycle of water consumption was established with maxima during morning and afternoon. Where sows did not take feed from the EFS, they then tended to drink less water from the drinkers. Parity and temperature differences appeared to have only a limited influence on water consumption. Contrary to this, the sows identified as lame showed a highly significant reduced count of animal-individual drinking events, metered amounts of water at the drinkers, lower calculated distances travelled and time spent at the boar recognition in comparison with sows showing no symptoms of lameness. Detection of sows returning to heat via observation of animal-individual periods of attendance at the boar recognition and then applying a threshold value model proved very effective. Comparing standard-behaviour sows and those returning to heat also led to identifying a tendency towards reduction in metered drinking water consumption and number of drinking events for the latter. The assessments of feeding sequences at the EFS and calculation of relative eating ranks gave no significant differences between non-standard behaviour and standard behaviour animals. A tendency for influences of age, lameness and return to heat on EFS feeding sequence, or on relative eating ranks, was observed. For locomotion behaviour of gestating sows kept in large groups, reference values for possible distances travelled could be collected. Up to now, only very little literature was available on this subject. Management-associated measures such as the integration of new animals in the group appeared to have very little influence on the investigated indicators. The feasibility of animal-individual monitoring through real time processing of sensor data recorded from a group of gestating sows and of integration with a management software program, could be demonstrated. In total, however, the very large animal intra and inter variability for the parameters drinking events, feeding events and minimum distances travelled complicated the definition of the individual-animal monitoring models for indicator-based early identification of health problems. Conceivable here are further follow-up investigations regarding indicators, sensors and assessment algorithms.