Husbandry & Management

The effect of a compressed air stimulus on blocking times in a concentrate feeding station for horses in group housing

Concentrate feeding stations are used to meet the different feeding requirements of group-housed horses. In practice, blocking times caused by horses remaining in the feeding station without concentrate allowance constrain the feeding process considerably. To date, the application of an...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Gülden, A., Büscher, W. 2017. The effect of a compressed air stimulus on blocking times in a concentrate feeding station for horses in group housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 39-48.

Aversiveness of husbandry procedures for pre-weaned foals: A comparison using behavioural and physiological indices

Husbandry procedures are necessary for different purposes in horse breeding. The aim of the present study was to assess the aversiveness and effects on the horse-human relationship of a range of common husbandry procedures, in pre-weaned non-habituated Konik polski foals....

Year Published: 2017Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Identification MethodAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Górecka-Bruzda, A., Jaworski, Z., Suwała, M. et al. 2017. Aversiveness of husbandry procedures for pre-weaned foals: A comparison using behavioural and physiological indices. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 31-38.

Contact with cows during the young age increases social competence and lowers the cardiac stress reaction in dairy calves

Separating calf and cow within 24h after birth is common practice in dairy farms. Some dairy farmers, however, practice a rearing system in which the calves are nursed by their dam or by foster cows. We investigated if dairy calves...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Buchli, C., Raselli, A., Bruckmaier, R. et al. 2017. Contact with cows during the young age increases social competence and lowers the cardiac stress reaction in dairy calves. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 187, 1-7.

Dairy goats prefer to use different flooring types to perform different behaviours

Flooring is an important component of indoor housing systems for livestock as it can impact animal hygiene and welfare. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the lying and elimination preferences of goats, as well as their relative...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Sutherland, M. A., Lowe, G. L., Watson, T. J. et al. 2017. Dairy goats prefer to use different flooring types to perform different behaviours. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 197, 24-31.

“Hay-bags” and “Slow feeders”: Testing their impact on horse behaviour and welfare

The temporal distribution of feeding behaviour is of primary importance in grazing herbivores. Many domestic horses are managed under conditions far removed from the natural environment. For example, restricted access to roughage may induce health problems such as gastric ulceration,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Rochais, C., Henry, S., Hausberger, M. 2018. “Hay-bags” and “Slow feeders”: Testing their impact on horse behaviour and welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 198, 52-59.

Applied neurophysiology of the horse; implications for training, husbandry and welfare

Understanding the neural circuits underlying equine behaviour has the potential to help optimise strategies of husbandry and training. This review discusses two areas of neurophysiological research in a range of species and relates this information to the horse. The first...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Animal Training, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: McBride, S. D., Parker, M. O., Roberts, K. et al. 2017. Applied neurophysiology of the horse; implications for training, husbandry and welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 190, 90-101.

Acceptance of novel food by horses: The influence of food cues and nutrient composition

Compared to ruminants little is known about how horses modulate food intake and learn about flavour-to-post-ingestive consequences. While it has been suggested that due to hindgut fermentation horses' foraging preferences may be largely influenced by sensory input (e.g. volatiles), it...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: van den Berg, M., Giagos, V., Lee, C. et al. 2016. Acceptance of novel food by horses: The influence of food cues and nutrient composition. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 183, 59-67.

The influence of odour, taste and nutrients on feeding behaviour and food preferences in horses

While it has been established that nutrients and flavours (odour, taste) play an important role in diet selection by horses, previous studies have not always clarified what type of flavouring (e.g. non-nutritive or nutritive) was used. Therefore, the objective of...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: van den Berg, M., Giagos, V., Lee, C. et al. 2016. The influence of odour, taste and nutrients on feeding behaviour and food preferences in horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 184, 41-50.

Feeder space affects access to the feeder, aggression, and feed conversion in laying hens in an aviary system

In laying hens, minimal requirements for feeder space (cm per bird) are based primarily on data from small groups of hens (n

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J., Würbel, H., Toscano, M. J. 2018. Feeder space affects access to the feeder, aggression, and feed conversion in laying hens in an aviary system. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 198, 75-82.

Are practice recommendations for the prevention of feather pecking in laying hens in non-cage systems in line with the results of experimental and epidemiological studies?

Feather pecking (FP) in laying hens is an important animal welfare problem in practice, despite extensive research and increasing sources of advice for farmers. We aimed to give an overview over results from experimental and epidemiological studies. We included non-cage...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jung, L., Knierim, U. 2018. Are practice recommendations for the prevention of feather pecking in laying hens in non-cage systems in line with the results of experimental and epidemiological studies? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 200, 1-12.