What time is feeding? How delays and anticipation of feeding schedules affect stump-tailed macaque behavior (2001)

Waitt, C., Buchanan-Smith, H. M.

Abstract

Results indicate that anticipation of feeding routines had a considerable negative impact on behavior. In the times when animals were awaiting to be fed, rates of self-directed behavior, inactivity, vocalization and abnormal behaviors all increased significantly. When feeding was delayed past the mean routine time, these behavioral patterns were prolonged. It was concluded that feeding animals at a regular time, each day does not truly make routines predictable. Delays in the timing of these events make these events even more unpredictable, and thus all the more stressful. The implications of these results in relation to animal management are discussed.