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Competition for feed in a group of gestating sows leads to aggression around feeding stations, which has a negative impact on their welfare. This study investigates the potential of teaching gestating sows an individual sound signal to reduce aggression resulting from competition for feed access, and thus improve their welfare in a group. A total of 32 sows were used. In a test room, "learning" sows (n = 16) went through 4 individual learning phases (27 days in total) to associate the individual sound signal with an invitation to feed from a one-way feeding station and to discriminate this individual sound signal from other unknown sound signals. After the learning phases, sows were subjected to a 3-day evaluation phase in groups of 4 sows. The "naive" sows (n = 16) were also introduced to the test room individually for 18 days, and in groups of 4 for 3 days without following the learning procedure. Learning sows correctly responded to 100% of their individual sound signal after only 8 days of individual learning, suggesting that they successfully associated the sound signal with feed access. Distinguishing between different sounds was harder as shown by only 18.8% of success after an unknown sound emission at the end of the individual learning phases. Naïve sows reduced the time spent in the feeder compared to learning sows (P < 0.001). On the second day of the group phase, learning sows were less aggressive than naïve sows (P < 0.05). Compared to high-ranking sows, low-ranking sows displayed a reduced number of spontaneous approaches to the feeder during the last individual learning phase (P < 0.001), and higher success rates in the group phase (P < 0.05). The study suggests that, for group-housed sows fed by an individual feeder, teaching sows an individual sound signal can modify their feeding and social behaviors, enhancing their overall well-being during feeding time. Furthermore, the results suggest that this individual learning may be particularly beneficial for low-ranking sows. • Sows were able to rapidly associate a sound as a call to feed. • Sows could partially discriminate their individual sound from the others. • Individual call to feed reduced aggression between sows around the feeder. • Low ranking sows showed greater abilities to adapt to the individual call to feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most domestic goose breeds were domesticated from the Greylag goose. Even though domestication resulted in a change in the production and behaviour of birds compared to their ancestors, geese are relatively recently domesticated and less intensively selected for production compared to other species (i.e. chickens or dairy cattle). In this respect, we hypothesised that the territorial defence of ganders would be present during the laying season similar to the wild ones. The behaviour of birds was expected to differ by sex, the month of the laying season and the time of the day. We assumed that the hierarchy within a group would be affected by the influence of other groups. Altogether 150 birds in three fifty-bird groups were examined over five observation events indicating the onset (December), the peak (the start, the middle and the end of January) and the end (the end of February) of the laying season. Twenty behaviour elements classified into five categories (locomotion, static behaviours, feed intake, comfort behaviours and social behaviours) were examined regarding the three groups as replicates. The territorial defence of ganders was evaluated by spatial distribution analysis, and the relations within groups were investigated by social network analysis. Between sexes, only the frequency of social behaviours presented differences. Ganders showed social behaviour more frequently than geese (10.89% vs 1.49%, P= 0.000). The frequency of static behaviours was the lowest at the onset of January and the highest in February (21.18% vs 38.03%, P= 0.000). The frequency of feed intake was the highest in December and the lowest in February (18.33% vs 4.83%, P= 0.000). Comfort behaviours showed the lowest frequency in December and the highest at the onset of January (36.65% vs 57.63%, P= 0.000). The social behaviours were unchanged in December and January but decreased in February (4.40–6.37% vs 1.16%, P=0.000). Only the frequency of social behaviours differed by the time of the day, indicating the highest frequency in the morning (55.60%, P=0.003). The results of the spatial distribution analysis did not strongly support the presence of territorial defence of ganders. The structure within a group was the most explicit in Group 1 having an adjacent large group and another small group by which it was likely to be influenced. It might be concluded that domestic geese ganders did not keep their territory-holding ability to a full extent during domestication and the behaviour (mainly social interactions) of domestic geese is influenced by sex, the month of the laying season and the time of the day. The structure within a group was somewhat influenced by the adjacent groups. • Geese ate more at the onset and ate less at the end of the laying season. • The frequency of social behaviours decreased by the end of the laying season. • Comfort behaviours showed the highest frequency at the peak of the laying season. • Compared to the wild ones, domestic ganders lost their territory-holding ability. • The hierarchy within a group can be strongly affected by the adjacent groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though cats inhabit a large number of our homes, their activity patterns, biological rhythm and behavior are still under-described and, therefore, poorly understood. This lack of knowledge is partly explained by the limited number of tools available for observing cats with limited effort and minimal disturbances to their routines. To this day, we still lack a faithful description of what constitutes a "normal behavior" of a domestic cat. Bio-loggers have been proven to help researchers decipher the individual and group behaviors of wild animals, and are starting to emerge as a tool for monitoring pets' health as well. These tools have been used not only to analyze cats' activity patterns but also examine their detailed activities, such as eating and walking. Bio-logging coupled with data analysis and Artificial Intelligence tools give hopeful perspectives on more complex activities such as grooming, jumping, social interaction, etc. In this review, our aim is to offer an overview of the contribution of bio-logging devices to the current knowledge and understanding regarding the cat's behavior, and their detailed activities. We specifically focus on the knowledge brought to the understanding of cats' biological rhythm and behavior by accelerometry. This review will provide insight into the major advances facilitated by this tool, its limitations, as well as the possible future development in this field of study. • Accelerometry is a valuable tool to objectively describe cat's biological rhythm. • Cats can adapt to seasonal changes, temperature, human, prey and predator presence. • Advances in Machine Learning could provide a detailed report of cats' activities. • Questions about the cat's daily life evolution could be answered with precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Choice and control" is a phrase used widely in animal welfare science to describe providing captive animals with the ability to select between possible outcomes (stimuli or events). This concept has gained traction as a pivotal management technique across a variety of captive settings; however, little has been done to quantitatively evaluate choice as a welfare-improving practice. Our goal was to use a PRISMA framework to identify and review the current empirical literature on the welfare effects of choice provisions by examining measurable behavioural and biological outcomes. We evaluated choice-based studies which used an experiment design to compare choice to non-choice conditions and the impact of choice on welfare. Covidence software was used to screen and extract data from peer-reviewed literature identified across PubMed, Web of Science Advanced, and Scopus Advanced databases. Study inclusion was contingent upon a methodology which offered options for at least two or more stimuli/events given concurrently and which also contrasted a choice condition to a non-choice condition. A total of 13 papers were identified and included in this review. The majority of the papers included choices associated with enclosure access, food, and enrichment devices which resulted in improved behavioral and physiological welfare indicators across zoological, agricultural, and research laboratory settings. However, the presence of a couple papers reporting unclear or neutral impacts highlighted the need for further empirical research into the welfare impacts of choice. Increased experimental examinations with a wider range of captive settings and species are discussed and considered necessary to better comprehend the welfare benefits of providing increased choice opportunities for captive animals. [Display omitted] • Choice is considered a critical component of captive animal welfare. • We conducted a scoping review of experimental studies of choice and welfare. • Most choice studies were conducted with mammals, in zoos, and on enclosure manipulations. • Most studies showed a positive effect from a choice condition, but more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The welfare of laying hens is crucial for a sustainable and ethical food industry. Free-range systems offer a more natural and stimulating environment, while dual-purpose autochthonous breeds and crossbreeding could address ethical concerns and improve productivity. In this study, behaviour, plumage status, and leg health of five genotypes (two local breeds, two crossbreeds with a medium growth hybrid, and one commercial hybrid) in two different housing systems (enriched cage/free-range) were evaluated. The animals were filmed with professional cameras for three consecutive days at 30 and 64 weeks of age. Each day the recording session lasted 20 minutes, resulting in a total of 120 minutes per pen (20 min X 6 days recorded). A total of 16 behaviours divided into six categories (feeding, movement, social, resting, comfort, stretching) were scored. In addition, the tonic immobility test was performed, and the plumage status and footpad dermatitis of the birds were assessed. The results revealed a significant influence of the housing system on the behaviour, plumage status, and foot health of laying hens. While the housing system affected all behaviours, mainly feeding and comfort behaviours were influenced by the genotype of the hens and the interaction between the housing system and genotype. All genotypes displayed a similar behavioural pattern within the two housing systems, except for the commercial hybrid, which differed in its behaviour from the others adapting better to the enriched cage environment. In particular, the free-range system provided hens with more opportunities to engage in movement and comfort behaviour, and social interactions. Furthermore, hens in the free-range system exhibited better plumage conditions and lower rates of footpad dermatitis, indicating a positive impact on their overall welfare. • Behaviour of 5 laying hen genotypes in enriched cage and free range housing systems was studied. • Housing system affects behaviour, plumage status, and footpad dermatitis of laying hens. • Free range system offers more opportunities to perform a wide range of behaviours. • Significant behavioural differences were observed between the commercial hybrid. • Behavioural patterns were identified using a machine learning technique [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience is the capacity of animals to return quickly to their pre-stress status following a disturbance, including social, physical, and/or disease challenges. In modern farming, where there are many stressors, resilience is crucial for pigs because it affects their welfare and production. The goal of the study was to assess whether behavioral response to an auditory stimulus during a startle test (acute stress) differed between pigs designated at weaning (27 +/- 2d of age) as stress-resilient (SR) or stress-vulnerable (SV). Blood samples were collected from female piglets (n = 170) from 26 litters surrounding weaning at multiple time points. Using serum cortisol levels from these samples, two female pigs from each litter (n = 52) were classified as either SR (n = 26) or SV (n = 26) and used for the startle test. The startle test was conducted when pigs were 7wk-of-age while they were housed in the nursery room and recordings were captured utilizing cameras positioned on the ceiling. We assessed startle magnitude score (SM) and time to resume home pen behavior as indicators of the pigs' behavioral responses. In addition to stress resilience designation, pigs' relaxed-tense score (RT), orientation to stimulus (OS), and pen position were also observed which may affect startle response. Our data suggest no relationship between behavioral response to an auditory startle test and resilience or vulnerability to weaning stress. The difference in the type of stressors needs to be considered as an acute, simple auditory stimulus was used for the startle test and a longer-lasting, multi-modal weaning stress was used for initial resilience designation. However, the startle test could be a relatively easy way to assess the fearfulness of pigs on farms, as it requires no training of pigs and can be conducted in the home pen, but further methodological improvement is required. Though our results did not support a clear connection between a behavioral fear response and physiological stress resilience, examining the resilience of pigs during their early developmental phases using behavioral markers is worthwhile. Early detection of non-resilient animals could offer the opportunity to implement more effective management strategies beginning earlier in life when pigs might be more vulnerable to stressors or the effects more long-lasting, thereby improving the welfare of pigs. Furthermore, it facilitates the selection of robust animals for future breeding. Further research is required to identify behavioral traits clearly indicative of stress resilience. • Pigs' stress resilience at weaning did not affect response to a later startle test. • Underlying state of tension and proximity affected pigs' response to a startle test. • Pigs' orientation to a startling stimulus affected their return to normal behavior. • Using a multi-modal stimulus could produce more startle than an auditory stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fisheries science, chemical anaesthesia and electrical immobilisation are often studied in laboratory or aquaculture settings with little focus on post-release behaviours of fish in the wild. We used nest-guarding smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) as a model species to investigate the relative impacts of chemical anaesthesia, electroanaesthesia with a TENS unit and conductive gloves, and electrostunning on natural behaviours and reproductive success in situ. Electrostunned fish had higher rates of failure to return to nests within 1 h and showed greater behavioural impairment in terms of both pre-release reflex assessments and capacity to resume parental care behaviours compared to other experimental treatments and control groups. The gloves failed to adequately reduce involuntary movements relative to controls but those fish returned to the nest quickly, suggesting potential opportunities for further refinement of methods. However, ultimate nest fate (i.e., abandonment rates) was similar across groups. We discuss the likely drivers for observed treatment effects, or lack thereof, as well as the implications of variation in biotic and abiotic environmental factors to our results. We end with recommendations regarding the use and development of anaesthetic and electro-immobilisation options for research on wild fishes. • Nesting behaviour was measured in wild fish after anaesthesia or electro-immobilisation. • Most methods did not adversely or notably affect parental care behaviours. • Only electrical stunning yielded significant behavioural impairment in the short-term. • Overall nest abandonment rates were similar across all treatments and controls. • Environmental change and interacting stressors also influenced ultimate nest fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the demand for purebred dogs in the USA is met by commercial breeding kennels (CBKs). In CBKs, adult dogs have been reported to exhibit signs of fear towards strangers. Social fear is a particular welfare concern as it may lead to acute and chronic stress in the kennel, and later, after dogs are retired and rehomed. Studies on pet and shelter dogs have shown that the type of attachment style dogs have with their caretakers is associated with their social behavior towards strangers. Thus, the aims of this study were to characterize the attachment styles of dogs from CBKs to their caretakers, and investigate relationships between the types of attachment styles observed and social fear behaviors in the dogs. Forty-eight adult dogs were tested from three CBKs in Indiana, USA. Twenty (41.67%) dogs were classified as secure, 16 (33.33%) as insecure ambivalent, 9 (18.75%) as insecure avoidant, and 3 (6.25%) as insecure disorganized. Generalized linear mixed-effects models showed that secure and ambivalent dogs approached the stranger more frequently (X2 = 24.636, p < 0.001), and solicited contact more frequently (X2 = 13.092, p = 0.004) than did avoidant dogs. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests showed that secure, ambivalent, and avoidant dogs all initially approached the stranger more quickly in the Paired-Effect test (when the caretaker was present) than in the Stranger Arena test (p < 0.05). Secure and ambivalent dogs also spent more time in proximity to (p < 0.001) and solicited more contact from (p < 0.01) the stranger in the Paired-Effect test than in the Stranger Arena test. These results suggest that there is an association between type of attachment style and fear behaviors towards a stranger in this sample of dogs. Understanding connections between attachment style and social fear, and their implications for stress and welfare in dogs from CBKs may help inform breeders' socialization, social interactions, and related management practices. This in turn may help to reduce dogs' social fear and enhance their long-term welfare outcomes in the kennel. These insights may also aid rehoming efforts, as breeders could potentially inform new owners about behaviors they might expect from their dogs, which might help avoid mismatches in expectations, and in so doing, help keep dogs in their homes. • Attachment styles were identified in dogs from commercial breeding kennels (CBK). • The attachment styles observed were similar to those reported for shelter dogs. • There was no effect of age, sex or breed on dogs' attachment style. • The caretaker acted as a secure base when dogs were presented with a social stressor. • Attachment with the caretaker and social behavior towards strangers were associated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replicability is a fundamental tenet of the scientific method and scientific reporting, but there is a preponderance to publish scientific research in English to increase international recognition, regardless of the country of origin of the research. Questionnaires are widely used to assess personality in animals. These psychometric instruments are mainly published in English but can be used all over the world in other languages. However, without safeguards relating to the translation process, the replicability of the quality of the instrument may change from its originally reported value. This study focuses on the particular issue of cross-cultural reliability of psychometric instruments used for assessing animals that have been translated from their original context. We examined the replicability of the structure of a personality scale originally used in Japanese (but reported in the English literature) on an English population (n=100), and then the reliability of the structure of a French translation of the English version with additional translational safeguards (e.g. back-translation and sense checking) on a French population (n = 159 horses). Horses were rated by 3 evaluators to also allow calculation of inter-rater reliability. We found that there was greater reliability and similarity of structure between the adapted English translation and French version of the Japanese scale, than with the originally published structure of the instrument used in Japan. These results highlight the importance of never assuming the reliability and thus validity of semantic instruments used to assess animal behaviour which have been published in a different language to that in which they were originally developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep is an important contributor to good physical and mental health and an important component of post-surgical recovery. The assessment of dark phase ('nighttime') behavior can provide insight into the efficacy of analgesic treatments and should be considered when assessing pain mitigation in animals. This study aimed to characterize dark phase behaviors and sleep patterns in healthy, young adult cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) maintained in research settings in either pens or cages. It was hypothesized that primates housed in pens would sleep more deeply (as evidenced by reduced activity) and that despite the use of a robust analgesic program, breakthrough pain or discomfort would occur in post-surgical animals, resulting in reduced sleep, and more activity and pain-associated behaviors compared to baseline. Macaques housed in cages (n=43 across 19 cages) were filmed during a 12 h dark phase before and following telemetry instrumentation surgery. A sampling strategy was determined (15 min/h) and video recordings were randomized, blinded, and scored by trained observers using Observer XT, following an ethogram. Cynomolgus macaques housed in pens (n=21 across 9 cages) were video recorded during a 12 h dark phase for comparison. Descriptive analysis and linear mixed models, as well as a pairwise comparison were used to analyze behavior data. Primates housed in pens were more active in the first hour of the dark period and then largely were inactive and quiet for the rest of the dark phase whereas primates in cages initially settled but became more active for the last 7 h of the dark phase. Following surgery, primates were significantly more active during the post-operative dark phase for up to 5 h (p<0.05) and they engaged in significantly more pain-associated behaviors (p<0.05) compared to pre-operative behaviors. The proportion of social behavior observed was high across the dark phase for both housing systems as well as for animals post-surgery, emphasizing the importance of huddling or clasping of a social partner for comfort during sleep or following surgery in cynomolgus macaques. These results inform recommendations for housing as well as optimal post-operative care specific to the dark phase of research macaques to enhance recovery, welfare, and scientific outcomes. • Dark phase behavior may be used to assess pain management regimens. • Social housing is crucial regardless of housing type and for post-operative recovery. • Pen housing sleep behaviors of healthy macaques are described. • Proposed multifactorial model to enhance sleep quality in research macaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental enrichment is a way to provide growing pigs with a complex environment to explore and occupy themselves as they grow. Single point enrichment can provide some complexity to the environment while not having the drawbacks of substrate enrichment, including labor, biosecurity, and lack of infrastructure. To expand our knowledge into the type of point enrichments that pigs engage with, as well as the effects the objects have on lesion counts and behavior, a single point enrichment object was placed into each of the 129 pens, containing 27.1 ± 2.9 pigs per pen, in a conventional fully slatted wean-to-finish facility. The nine treatments included AllBite™ blocks, Bite-Rite™, chains, branched chains, Green Apple Porcichews®, Yellow Vanilla Porcichews®, cotton rope, EasyFix® Luna, and nothing. Interactions with the objects and activity level were monitored by scan sampling and skin lesions were measured by direct enumeration of scratches. Behavioral observation was conducted using the focal follow technique with an ethogram encompassing fighting, scampering, floor nosing, belly nosing, biting, and tail biting. Data collection took place in the 50 days after placement of enrichment objects. The proportion of pigs interacting with the enrichment object was lowest for chain (1.95 ± 0.13%) and highest for rope (6.63 ± 0.41%) (P < 0.011). A significant object-by-day interaction was observed for pigs at the objects (P <.001) with popularity of objects waning over time. There was a significant object by day interaction on the proportion of pigs in a pen that were standing (P <.001). There was also a significant object by day interaction for skin lesions (P<.001) with skin lesions leveling out by the end of the study but objects generally decreasing lesion counts in the first third of the study. Enrichment objects showed no significant effect on the observed behaviors. These findings suggest that the choice of point enrichment object can influence the level of interaction, level of interest over time, activity level, and skin lesions in growing pigs. Future work should investigate the practicality of these objects and farmer willingness and ability to provide them. • Cotton rope was more popular than chain especially when replaced. • Bite-Rite™ toys were more popular than chain throughout the study period. • Skin lesions were decreased in pigs with enrichment compared to pigs with nothing. • Provision of enrichment improved welfare in a typical barren environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective communication and bonding between species depend on understanding the emotional state and the expressive behavior of the counterpart. This is of particular importance for human-horse relationships, as misunderstanding horses' communicative signals can easily lead to severe injuries. While the published evidence suggests that the human ability to correctly interpret equine affective states is far from perfect, this evidence is inconclusive regarding the influence of previous experience with horses. Further, the role of emotion recognition ability as well as the interaction of the two factors – horse-experience and emotion recognition ability – are poorly understood. To fill this gap, we employed an online survey asking participants to interpret 32 different photographs of horses' body language depicting different affective states. Additionally, we assessed participants' emotion recognition ability by means of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test and asked them to provide socio-demographic information (i.e., age, gender, horse-experience). Our results suggest (1) that horse-experienced individuals performed better in interpreting horses' affective states than horse-inexperienced participants and (2) that participants with a high emotion recognition ability performed better in interpreting horses' affective states than participants with a low emotion recognition ability. We did not find evidence for an interaction of emotion recognition ability and horse-experience. Importantly, our results remained significant irrespective of how we defined "experienced" vs. "inexperienced" and after controlling for unequal gender distributions across these two groups. Our study showed that previous experience with horses and emotion recognition ability both affect the interpretation of horses' affective states. The effect for previous experience was much larger than for emotion recognition ability. However, even horse-experienced individuals only correctly identified about 50% of the affective states. The findings are discussed with regard to findings from previous and directions for future research. • Lack of studies on the human ability to interpret horses' affective states. • Previous horse-experience affects interpretation of horses' affective states. • Emotion recognition ability affects interpretation of horses' affective states. • Performance in identifying horses' affective states was far from perfect. • Horse-experienced individuals only identified about 50% of the affective states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cats have shared the anthropogenic niche with humans for ten thousand years, while their role as an initially self-domesticated pest-controller (mostly hunting rodents), has barely changed along the millennia. At the same time, cats became the most popular companion animal species in many countries, whose affectionate attributes elicit attachment and appreciation from their human caregivers. Curiously, although cats originate from a mainly solitary ancestor, they became considerably social, engaging in positive interactions not only with humans, but also with their conspecifics. But how do they do it? The mainstream comparative ethological approach considers cats (depending on the given socio-cognitive capacity in focus) as equal, or a somewhat inferior counterpart, to companion dogs, when it comes to inter-specific interactions with humans. In this critical review we proposed a different approach. By surveying the literature on cats' feeding and social behavior, from the aspects of evolution and ecology, and analyzing the results on cat-human interactions and cats' problematic behaviors, we concluded that perhaps the most unique feature of the cat is its dual nature: an animal that remained chiefly independent from humans, while at the same time, they developed a sophisticated and complex sociability on the inter- and intraspecific level as well. In the case of strongly independent cats, when compared to dogs, we will less often find those behavioral phenotypes that commonly characterize the dogs' asymmetrical, dependency-based relationship with humans: signs of separation-related stress, owner-directed attachment, and referential gazing during problematic situations. The characteristic independent nature of cats is most probably the result of the unchanged feeding ecology – in fact, cats are still solitary 'predators for hire', that initially made them best friends of the first human inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent settlements. [Display omitted] • Cats emerged from asocial ancestors – now they show intra- and interspecific sociability. • Cats are 'ideal companions' – but they easily revert to self-sustaining (feral) predators. • Cats show complex socio-cognitive capacities with humans – but they retain their independency. • Cats' unchanged feeding ecology keeps them in the original status of 'predator for hire'. • Domestication resulted in a companion species that coexists with humans on equal terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain identification in farm animals is a welfare challenge worldwide. In the last decade, our research team validated the Unesp-Botucatu Cattle Acute Pain Scale (UCAPS) based on specific pain or discomfort behaviors and alterations to maintenance behaviors when the cattle experiences pain. Recently, for other specific-species pain scales, such as sheep, pigs, and horses, we have used algorithms to weigh the pain-related behaviors, ranking their heterogeneous importance. Because the ranking of cattle pain-related behaviors' importance is still unknown, we aimed to investigate whether UCAPS pain-related behaviors have different statistical weights and rank their importance. We used a dataset comprising behavioral scores from 40 bulls in the perioperative period subjected to surgical castration in our previous study. Bulls were filmed between 16 and 24 hours before castration, between 1 and 4 hours after castration, 1 hour after analgesia, and 24 hours after the end of the surgery. Three experienced observers assessed all videos blind to the timepoint. After watching each video, the observers decided whether they felt analgesia should be indicated for the individual (expert assessment) and score UCAPS behaviors. Each pain-related behavior was weighted using a multilevel binomial logistic regression. Among the 17 UCAPS behaviors, four were not significant ('Activity 1: restless, moves more than normal or lies down and stands up with frequency', 'Appetite 1: hyporexia', 'Wagging tail', and 'Licking wound'), suggesting minor importance. The algorithm highlighted 'Kicking', 'Hind limbs extended', 'Extends neck', 'Head down', and 'Interaction 2' (apathetic: may be isolated or may not accompany the other animals; does not react to tactile, visual and/or audible environmental stimuli) respectively, as the five most important pain-related behaviors within this sample. Statistical weighting might contribute to the acute pain scoring approach and selecting behaviors in the psychometric validation process for pain scales. In conclusion, the statistical weighting based on multilevel binomial logistic regression raised evidence for a ranking of the importance of UCAPS pain-related behaviors in determining the need for analgesia in bulls after surgical castration. These findings contribute to a better understanding of bulls' behavioral responses to acute pain, potentially improving pain identification and monitoring, and enhancing welfare. • The algorithm evidenced different importance levels of behaviors used to monitor pain. • Behaviors related to pain, discomfort or maintenance were the five most important ones. • Statistical weighting could be used for validation of the bovine pain scale. • Kicking, extending hind limbs or neck, and head down were the most important behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation translocations have a low success rate mainly due the lack of skills of introduced animals to survive in the new environment, such as naivety facing a potential predator. Pre-release training based on classical conditioning may allow those animals to identify threats. Here we evaluated the behavioral responses to anti-predator training by an endangered tropical species, the Vinaceous-breasted Amazon parrot (Amazona vinacea). We investigated the hypothesis that anti-predator training of captive parrots can stimulate aversive behavior towards predators, also investigating whether animals habituated to the training. Eleven parrots were submitted to anti-predator training using four different predator models (jaguar, bird of prey, dog, and human) and a chair as control. During training, the predator models were associated with an aversive stimulus, represented by a disguised person chasing the animals. All training sessions were video recorded and parrots' behaviors were collected through footage analysis. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were adjusted to evaluate the animals' behaviors during training and to evaluate changes in behavior according to the predator model. We also carried out a Time Series Analysis (TSA) through a Temporal Autocorrelation to identify signs of habituation. Parrots escaped more in training with all predators than in training with the chair. Parrots also walked in the presence of the dog, the human, and the bird of prey, which is a mild response than escaping but also suggests a risk perception. The behaviors eating and preening were most observed in training with the chair. The parrots showed behavioral changes throughout the training sessions, with a decrease in the frequency of the behavior walking and an increase in the behavior alert, which is an indication that parrots did not habituate to stimuli used during training. The results obtained by TSA also corroborated this finding. Overall, our results demonstrated that anti-predator training can elicit proper behaviors in captive animals, which, after release, may contribute to the animals survival in the wild. Thus, anti-predator training should be applied as a pre-release technique in parrot conservation programs. • Anti-predator training elicits aversive and escape behaviors on Vinaceous-breasted parrots. • Parrots escaped more when predators were present, especially the jaguar. • The behaviors eating and preening were most observed during training with the chair. • Parrots did not habituate to training. • Anti-predator training showed to be important in the pre-release protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory fish play an important role in modern scientific research. More and more researchers have begun to pay attention to the other living environment except the physical and chemical factors of the water body, because it is not only related to animal welfare, but also related to the validity of the experimental results. Unfortunately, laboratory fish are sometimes raised alone, primarily because the impact of isolation of fish is still poorly understood. This study assessed the effects of long-term social isolation (lasting 90 days) on the growth, clustering, anxiety-like behavior, and physiological parameters (cortisol, dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)) of laboratory rare minnow. We found that isolation did not affect the growth, clustering behavior, and anxiety-like behavior of the laboratory rare minnow. However, we found a significant decrease in the levels of cortisol, DOPAC and 5-HT in isolated fish. Our results suggested that isolated environments might impact the responsive ability of rare minnows, and future researchers should thus provide appropriate living environments for them. • Rare minnow are sometimes raised in isolation, but there is no study on the effect of isolation on rare minnow. • Three months of isolation will not significantly affect the growth, shoaling and anxiety-like behavior of rare minnow. • The physiological state is significantly affected by the isolation. • Avoiding isolation can increase the repeatability of experimental results and fish welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorting for specific parts or nutrients in feed is a natural behavior of ruminants, but for intensive dairy systems it is disadvantageous if it leads to nutritional imbalances for the individual or the herd. To prevent feed sorting in cattle, mixed rations (MR) are fed and forage components are cut as short as possible. In small ruminants, feed sorting is well documented but not well studied in relation to MR. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of dairy sheep and goats to feed sort in MR. Experiments were conducted with each of 12 pairs of female adult dairy sheep and goats. In the first experiment, three MR composed of different forages (hay, grass silage, maize silage) were tested consecutively, each in a long and short cutting length variant. In the second experiment, two short cut variants of a grass silage-hay MR were investigated that differed in nutritional value. For all experiments, animals received each variant of MR for five consecutive days. The composition of feed rests at 11:00, 15:00 and the next day were compared to the ration fed at 09:00. Both species sorted all of the offered MR for large particles, and sheep but not goats sorted for protein. In the short cut MR variants, particle size sorting was reduced in the first two hours after feed delivery (09:00–11:00), but cutting length had no relevant effect thereafter, or on protein sorting. The nutritional value of the MR had no detectable influence on feed sorting. Both species sorted for larger particles in both variants, and goats sorted against protein in the first two hours after feed delivery, whereas sheep sorted for protein thereafter. These results show that sheep and goats are able to change the composition of MR within two hours after feed delivery. A short cutting length delayed feed sorting to a limited extent. Maintaining the feed quality of a mixed ration throughout the day is important for the health and welfare of dairy sheep and goats but seems to be a major challenge for feeding management. • The ability of sheep and goats to select in mixed rations of different roughages was investigated. • Both species sorted for large particles, and sheep sorted for protein. • The nutritional value had no detectable influence on feed sorting. • A short cutting length delayed sorting for particle size in the first two hours after feed delivery. • Maintaining the feed quality of mixed rations throughout the day seems to be a major challenge in feeding small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite availability of video content marketed for dog (Canis familiaris) entertainment, there is little information on dog behaviors when viewing content, nor describing which content is engaging. The aims of this study were to define demographics of dogs that engage with screens, owner observed behaviors, and perceived content interest. A digital survey was distributed to dog owners (03/2022–03/2023). We collected demographics, home environment, owner-rated behaviors, content interest, and interest in 4 presented videos. We compared the representation of dogs from different purebred dog groups (categorized by job/purpose by the American Kennel Club) with the estimated general purebred dog population. Most respondents (total n=1246) lived in the USA (89%). Median age was 4 years, 54% were purebred, 51% were female. Most (86%, n=1077) stated their dog watched screen content. Excitement behaviors were often described: 78% of dogs approached the screen, 76% vocalized. Many owners played videos for their dogs when left alone. Dogs most frequently engaged with animal content; dogs were the most popular animal. Age and visual status influenced the frequency of perceived interaction; age and breed influenced content interest. Within purebred dogs that were stated to watch content, there was a relative over-representation of "sporting" and "herding"-type breeds. A dog's age, visual status, and breed type may influence their interest in video content at home. Because many owners reported excitement in their dogs in reaction to screen content, owners may wish to determine whether video content would be suitable for use when their dogs are left alone. • Age and visual status influence owner-perceived dog interactions with screens in the home. • Sporting and herding dog breeds appear to watch more than other breed types. • Movement on screens is a strong motivator for screen attention in dogs. • Animal content is broadly interesting to dogs, with dog subjects the most popular. • Dogs frequently exhibit signs of excitement when reacting to screen-based content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dogs, maternal behaviour plays an essential role in offspring survival and can influence the development and behaviour of the neonate later in life. We investigated the effect of prepartum enrichment on maternal behaviour and welfare of breeding dams at a large-scale commercial dog breeding establishment. During the last four weeks of gestation, dams were exposed to either baseline management conditions (control N = 13) or an additional enrichment protocol based on positive human interaction (enriched N = 13). We then recorded the duration of mother-puppy interactions throughout the first three weeks postpartum. Hair samples for cortisol analysis were collected at four timepoints: 3rd week of gestation, last week of gestation, 4th week postpartum, and 8th week postpartum. Additionally, the behaviour of the dams was assessed during the 3rd week of gestation. We hypothesised that, compared to control dams, enriched mothers would show higher levels of maternal behaviour and lower post-treatment and post-partum levels of hair cortisol. With the exception of vertical nursing, all the recorded maternal behaviour variables declined over time. None of the maternal behaviour variables were significantly affected by the enrichment treatment. However, as litter size increased, enriched dams spent marginally more time nursing their puppies in a sitting or standing posture (vertical nursing). Similarly, as litter size increased, enriched dams had significantly lower average hair cortisol concentration (HCC) levels compared to dams in the control group. Furthermore, dams scoring higher in the pre-treatment behavioural assessment (being more social towards humans and other dogs, less fearful and reactive, and more willing to play and interact with unfamiliar stimuli) had lower HCC levels. HCC did not vary significantly across the four timepoints. Overall, these findings suggest that although higher HCC levels in dams bearing larger litters could be associated with elevated energy mobilisation during pregnancy and lactation, a potential stress-mitigating effect of the positive human interaction cannot be excluded. Further studies should investigate this potential stress-mitigating effect using additional welfare indicators. • Gestational enrichment did not affect maternal behaviour significantly in this population of breeding dams. • Overall, maternal behaviour decreased throughout the first three weeks postpartum. • With increasing litter size, enriched dams tended to prefer a vertical nursing posture over lateral nursing. • Litter size was positively associated with breeding dams' periparturient cortisol levels. • Better performance in a behavioural test was associated with lower periparturient cortisol levels in breeding dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to apply fuzzy modeling to the behavioral responses and physical activity of broiler chickens with and without environmental enrichment. 96 Cobb broiler chicks, raised in a controlled environment, 48 birds for each treatment (T1 = presence and T2 = absence of environmental enrichment) at different ages (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks old) during the two production cycles were used. The behavioral assessment was carried out by recording the images for later analysis at the following observation times: 8–9 am, 12–1 pm and 4–5 pm, totaling three hours of observation per rearing week (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) at 5 min intervals of between image compositions. The experimental design was completely randomized in a split-plot, and the treatments and subplots were allocated to the weeks of rearing of the birds, containing 48 repetitions. The activity level of birds was based on behavioral data of broiler birds, in which fuzzy modeling was applied. Input variables (locomotion and activity) and output variables (activity level) of the fuzzy system were applied. During the first three weeks of life, the birds showed a moderate activity level, according to the fuzzy classification (between 0.300 and 0.450) between the two proposed treatments. At weeks 5 and 6, high levels of flock activity were characteristic of the group housed in an environment with the presence of environmental enrichment, while birds housed in the environment without enrichment showed a moderate level of activity at all times. At the times when high levels of activity were reported, the same behavior as in week 4 was observed: the activity level increased due to high values of "activity" behaviors, while "walking" behaviors remained in the moderate range. The fuzzy modeling revealed that the use of environmental enrichment (ladder with perch) increased the activity level of broilers in the last weeks, which displayed the highest levels of activity (mobility) of the birds. The use of fuzzy logic in behavioural responses allowed a greater global clarification of the birds' behavioural response pattern, while the traditional approach showed an increase in specific responses, which leads us to conclude that both approaches can be used synergistically. • Fuzzy modeling is recommended for studying animal behavior. • The application of fuzzy logic modeling made it possible to make a global inference on bird behavior, while the results of conventional analysis were specific to the individuality of behaviors. • The presence of environmental enrichment increased the activity level of chickens, especially in the last few weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different animal species, both domestic and wild, can discriminate between various human cues, such as voices, and adjust their behavior based on whether they are familiar or unfamiliar with these cues. To investigate whether this ability extends to a domesticated species not specifically bred for human interaction and whether it can manifest at an early age, even under commercial-like conditions with limited human interaction, we conducted human vocal discrimination tests on domestic chicks at two ages (25 and 67 days old). Our findings showed that chicks could discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar voices at both ages, exhibiting increased vigilance when a known sentence was spoken by an unfamiliar voice compared to a familiar voice. We also found that chicks were more vigilant after a familiar voice delivered an unknown sentence, compared to an unfamiliar voice delivered a known sentence. This suggests a violation of expectation when animals are confronted with mixed familiar/unfamiliar heterospecific signals. Our findings support that neither specific selection for interaction with humans, nor an extended history of exposure to humans, is a prerequisite for animals to discriminate heterospecific cues, such as human voices. • Domestication is expected to enhance animals' sociocognitive skills towards humans. • Lack of research on domesticated animals not bred for human interaction. • Can domestic chicks discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar human voices? • Chicks can discriminate human voices as early as 25 days old. • Both voice and phrase familiarity influenced bird behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear of thunder in dogs is notably prevalent worldwide. When the symptoms are severe, it becomes a notable stressor for dogs, not only shortening the dog's lifespan but also becoming a significant burden for the owner. Therefore, identifying the risk factors is crucial. Through previous research, some factors influencing the fear of thunder are known, but the impact of living environments and pet owners remains poorly understood. In this study, an online questionnaire was conducted to explore the risk factors for fear of thunder. The questionnaire included questions about fear of thunder, demographic features of dogs, and information regarding living environments, as well as the symptoms of fear of thunder, owner reactions, the age of onset or remission of symptoms, and the triggers associated with the onset or remission. A total of 1326 valid responses were obtained. According to the owners' reports, 43.6% of dogs exhibit fear of thunder. The symptoms obtained from the questionnaire indicated typical fear-related behaviors in dogs. Vocalization was independent of other symptoms. Those who have never been fearful of thunder were younger compared to those who have experienced fear of thunder. The results revealed that the prevalence rate increased with age but decreased in the elderly. Miniature Dachshunds and Toy Poodles were less fearful compared to other breeds. Dogs living in houses exhibited higher fear of thunder compared to dogs living in apartments. We also showed that dogs were significantly more fearful of thunder when their owners were afraid of it. The probability of fear of thunder increased when risk factors were stacked. The frequency of thunder in the region and the frequency of thunder during the dog's socialization period were not found to be significantly associated with fear of thunder. These findings suggest that a dog's fear of thunder is influenced not only by previously reported factors but also by the owner and living environment. We expect that this study contributes to the prevention, treatment, and management of the fear of thunder ultimately leading to the improvement of the well-being of dogs and their owners. [Display omitted] The onset of fear of thunder is influenced by multiple factors. The probability of fear of thunder increased with age but decreased in the elderly. Toy Poodles and Miniature Dachshunds exhibited lower levels of fear of thunder. Dogs living in houses exhibited higher fear of thunder compared to dogs living in apartments. Dogs were more fearful of thunder when their owners were afraid of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science, which involves engaging the general public in research tasks, is increasingly used in animal behaviour studies. In this review we conducted a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to evaluate two methodologies of data collection using citizen science in order to study cat-cat interactions: online survey responses and caregiver-recorded home videos analysed by researcher(s). Using the SWOT-analysis on both methodologies, we listed intrinsic aspects that facilitate (Strengths) or interfere with (Weaknesses) reaching scientific goals, as well as the features that the methodology may be able to capitalise on (Opportunities) or which limit its value (Threats). A major strength of online surveys is the possibility to access caregivers' specific knowledge of their cats, while sampling bias often is a potential weakness. Opportunities of surveys are the methodology´s flexibility and data collection efficiency, but at the same time suffering from threats related to biases associated with caregiver interpretation of their pet's behaviour. Strengths of caregiver-recorded videos capturing cats' behaviour include that they allow expert behavioural observations and scoring in a systematic manner (e.g. using an ethogram) and thus yielding quantitative data (whose reliability can be tested between and within observers). Furthermore, given the ubiquity of smartphones, filming cats is not a burden for most caregivers, and the collected recordings can potentially contain high-quality data that may otherwise be inaccessible, or subject to bias if a researcher had been present in the home environment. Though, caregivers' influence on and lack of standardisation of the recordings are weaknesses which possibly influence the quality of the collected data. Opportunities include public engagement with science, while possible Threats may be related to privacy of the caregivers participating. In this review we consider in more detail each of the four SWOT components related to each methodology in order to optimise cat behaviour research in the future. The authors suggest strategies for future studies using the research methodologies discussed in this review and give specific recommendations when using caregiver-recorded videos in behavioural studies. Additionally, smart combinations of both online surveys with home videos recorded by caregivers might overcome some limitations of the individual methodologies, and would thus be a potentially stronger approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional aquaculture farming conditions favour the development of maladaptive traits of reared fish. The hatchery releases are a crucial part of the population recovery action in sturgeon species. The manipulation of the environment could be one of the solutions to increase welfare and thus make the fish more adaptable to the changing post-release environment. The objective of our study was to compare the zootechnical parameters and behaviour of young sterlets Acipenser ruthenus reared in different culture conditions. Hatchery-like or bare (CRTL) and environmentally enriched (EE) conditions with small gravels were provided in duplicates in four aquariums. Following the rearing period, spatial exploration behaviour, swimming activity, stress coping, and boldness were analysed in different cross-maze tests. A bare maze was used with the absence of physical enrichment for the first test whereas for the second test, the environmental complexity was increased with the same type of gravel used in the rearing period. The fish from the EE conditions showed significantly lower mortality and greatersurvival (72.2 ± 2.9% vs. 89.2 ± 1.8%; P < 0.001, χ2 test) during the rearing period. Although they were significantly smaller throughout rearing, the EE fish did not have worse condition compared to the CTRL fish. The esults also showed significantly better stress coping under different circumstances and elevated exploration behaviour assuming higher boldness in EE fish. In summary, the present study highlights the potential beneficial effects of using environmental enrichment on survival, behaviour and the overall welfare of juvenile sterlets. • Applying environmental enrichment resulted in higher survival rates. • Increased stress coping was observed in the environmentally enriched group. • Exploratory behaviour may be enhanced by environmental enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dairy farming, social behavior plays a critical role in ensuring welfare and productivity of cows. Understanding social associations in dairy commercial farms could help farmers in creating herd management practices able to consider individual animal needs, in particular in stressful conditions as during regrouping. Here, we investigated the social behavior of 150 dairy cows during milking events in a free traffic barn at an Automatic Milking System (AMS) and we compared their social structure between their first lactation (when they were housed in the primiparous area) and their subsequent lactations in the multiparous area. Data on individual milking traffic and daily milk yield were collected for a period of 5 years and 5 months. To identify and analyze consistent social associations among cows, we utilized the time interval between milking events, which is defined as the time difference between the entry time of one cow and the entry time of the next in the milking robot. Our findings revealed significant social differentiations in both areas, indicating the presence of non-random social structures within the herd. During milking, younger cows exhibited a tendency to form stronger social associations with particular individuals based on genetic relatedness. The correlation observed between genetic relatedness and social behavior in young cows indicates that grouping genetically related individuals could provide advantages. On the other hand, as cows age, they tend to exhibit a higher degree of social connectivity with their herd mates. This suggests that older cows have a wider range of social associations which is not driven by genetic relatedness. We examined the potential influence of social associations on cow productivity, and we found no significant correlation between social behavior and milk yield for primiparous and multiparous cows. At a temporal level, we compared their ego-networks, when they were hosted in the primiparous area and when they were hosted in the multiparous area, and we found a significant level of social stability. Although the factors that influence social behavior in cows may differ with age, our findings indicate the tendency to maintain consistent social relationships over time. Maintaining stable relationships is crucial for enhancing the welfare of cows in social contexts, and this knowledge can promote the development of management practices aimed at supporting their social well-being. Our study highlights the importance of understanding social behavior and dynamics in dairy cows and offers valuable insights that can guide the development of effective herd management practices in the dairy farming industry. • Lactating cows in automatic milking system show non-random social structure. • Younger cows form stronger social associations based on genetic relatedness. • As cow age, they show a broader range of social associations within the herd. • Average milk yield is not influenced by the strength of social associations. • Lactating cows maintain consistent social associations over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) represent the largest population of dogs around the world. Their lives are not under direct human supervision and these dogs can be found in and around all possible forms of human habitation. Increased urbanization, poor population management measures and open garbage dumps have compounded their population over the years, leading to increased dog-human conflict, especially in the Global South. Pet keeping has been on the rise in India but most dogs are commercially acquired and are typically foreign breeds. Adoption of FRDs may be a potential solution for both population management and better welfare. While many studies have been conducted on dog behavior across the Global North, studies pertaining to adoptability, dog-human bonds, and welfare of FRDs have been largely missing. We investigated the in-house behaviour and human-animal bonds among adopted FRDs in India using a mixed method approach. Participants were recruited using social media using a snowball method. Data were collected on demographics and lifestyle of both the owners and their dogs, along with owner responses on the Canine Behaviour and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ, Survey I) and the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS, Survey II). Questions on reasons for adoption, not sterilizing their dogs and behaviour consultation were kept as open responses. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the C-BARQ items to investigate differences in factor structure from previously established studies in Europe and United States. Influence of demographic and lifestyle parameters on factor scores were investigated using logistic regression. We received valid responses from 1484 respondents for Survey I and 427 responses for Survey II from participants, who had filled the surveys for the same adopted FRD. A 13-factor structure emerged from the EFA- Stranger directed aggression, Owner directed aggression, Dog directed aggression, Fear, Nonsocial fear, Touch sensitivity, Separation related problems, Attachment, Excitability, Energy, Chasing, Elimination and Stereotypy. Comparison of scores across sex and neuter status of the dogs revealed differences. Various demographic factors influenced the behaviour of the adopted dogs. Owners reported a very high Emotional Closeness, low Perceived costs and average dog-owner interaction. The dog-owner relationship was mostly influenced by lifestyle and demographic factors rather than the dog's behaviour. Overall, our results indicate that FRDs can adapt to a domestic life and make good pets. This study is a first attempt to bridge the ethnocultural gap on dog-keeping from India and lays the foundation for multiple avenues for future studies on the welfare of FRDs in the Global South. • Adopted free-ranging dogs assessed for their behavior and bond with owners. • Factor structure of C-BARQ differed from similar studies conducted in Global North. • Dog and owner demographics affected C-BARQ factor scores. • Human-dog bond was not much influenced by the owned dog's behavior. • Complex nuances of reasons for adoption and potential behavioral problems revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good early life conditions are increasingly recognized as essential to animal welfare later in life. The use of light during incubation might improve coping capacities and welfare in later life in poultry, by more closely approximating chicken natural environments compared to the current conventional incubation in darkness. Previous studies showed that lighted incubation resulted in more lateralized chicks, a more pronounced daily behavior rhythm, earlier onset of melatonin rhythms, and lower stress reactions to various stressors after hatching. Most existing research, however, has been conducted on broilers, and little information on lighted incubation is available for laying hens. In the current research, Dekalb White and ISA Brown eggs were incubated in complete darkness or in a cycle of green 12 L:12D throughout incubation, and five fear of human tests were performed on the 387 chickens during the rearing phase. We expected dark-incubated chickens to show stronger fear responses than light-incubated chickens. That was only the case for one of 15 behavior measurements taken during the tests (p < 0.05). In addition, white layer hybrids are known to be flightier and more fearful than brown hybrids. In this study, white chickens indeed showed stronger fear responses than brown chickens in 12 of the 15 behavior measurements (p ≤ 0.002). Furthermore, we expected light during incubation to have stronger effects on white chickens than on brown chickens, because of the stronger transmission of light through white eggshells. However, the interaction between hybrid and incubation was never significant (p ≥ 0.18). Finally, contrary to our expectations, there was no effect of the incubation treatments or the hybrid on plasma corticosterone responses to a manual restraint test (p ≥ 0.36). Since there was a hybrid effect on behavior in this test, it is reasonable to think that behavior reflected coping style, rather than fear level. To conclude, the light regime used in this study does not seem as promising as expected to improve laying hen welfare. Finally, the brown hybrid was usually less fearful than the white hybrid, though there were some exceptions depending on the stressor, and that should be taken into account in research and in laying hen management. • Lighted incubation decreased fear of humans in one of 17 measurements in pullets. • White pullets were more fearful of humans than brown pullets in most tests. • Brown pullets were more fearful than white pullets in one test. • Behavior may sometimes indicate coping strategy rather than fearfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having one or more non-human animals in our company became a steadily growing custom around the world. The terminology that describes these non-consumable animals encompasses a wide range as well (e.g. 'hobby animals', 'pets', 'exotic animals'). However, their customary dubbing as 'companion animals' raises several questions that warrant for a systematic approach. In this review, we based our approach on the fundamental four questions developed for studying behaviour by Tinbergen, through which behaviour-based descriptors can be found for the various criteria that consider an animal as being a companion to humans. There is little consensus about whether a companion animal would be (1) any animal that people keep for other than consumption or working purposes; or in a more narrow sense, (2) companion animals should provide hedonistic value through rewarding interactions with their owners; or in the strictest sense, (3) only those animals can be regarded as companion animals that stay with their owners of their own free will (without confinement). According to Tinbergen's four recommended levels of behavioural research, we assessed the literature with regard to the (i) Mechanism, where we investigated what kind of behaviour is expected from a companion animal in the above defined clusters. Next, we surveyed (ii) the role of Ontogeny in causing potential changes in the behaviour of particular animals, thus making them more suitable for companionship with humans. The question about (iii) Evolutionary background of various companion animal types came next, whether and which kind of forces of selection were needed for their existence. Finally, (iv) regarding the Function of behaviour, our focus was directed to the advantages (adaptive value) that companionship with animals can provide to both parties if we consider the various definitions of companion animals. With this critical review our goal was to provide an ethology-based framework for the description of various approaches to this elusive human-animal relationship. Rather than relying on hard-to-quantify terms borrowed from human sciences (such as 'attachment', 'bonding' or 'emotional closeness'), we believe that the essence of being a companion animal should be determined with the terminology of biology, more closely, with the help of behaviour. [Display omitted] • Animal companions vary in the complexity of interactions with and attraction to their owners. • Ethology helps identifying the behaviours that characterize 'ideal companions' to humans. • Most species have not been selected to coexist with humans in a mutually amicable way. • Selection for tameness and neophilia enhanced some animals' suitability for companion status. • Dogs and cats, naturally attracted towards humans, are ideal choice for being our companions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of brown bears Ursus arctos in captivity is often stereotypic. Given that olfactory communication plays a primary role in the life of Ursidae, this study investigated the behavioral responses of brown bears to the odor of conspecific urine and its effectiveness in reducing stereotypies in captivity. The study was conducted in six zoos in Bulgaria, with eight male and eight female brown bears. The urine of an unfamiliar male bear was used as a stimulus. To assess the significance of the stimulus, the duration of a set of behaviors demonstrated by all the animals before and after the odor presentation was compared. All bears showed a keen interest both in the non-odorized boxes and those with the applied odor, demonstrating their relevance both as a novel object and a sensory stimulus. That resulted in an increase in the number of spontaneous behaviors and in the reduction of stereotypic behaviors under the influence of the stimulus during the experiment. Accordingly, the use of conspecific urine odor as an olfactory stimulus can be an important part of enrichment programs for brown bears in captivity and contribute to improving their welfare. • The odor stimulus – urine of conspecific has value as an environmental enrichment. • The odor stimulus altered the stereotypic behavior of bears during the experiment. • Increased activity and variety of behaviors were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Animal-born mini-cameras allow video-tracking of free-ranging domestic animals. • Video-tracking allows reliable behavioural data collection without observer effects. • A comprehensive cat ethogram is validated for cat-camera footage. • Video-tracking could be used for conservation and animal welfare studies. • Suggested applications include the study of predation behaviour of domestic cats. Free roaming domestic animals can have a profound effect on wildlife. To better understand and mitigate any impact, it is important to understand the behaviour patterns of the domestic animals, and how other variables might influence their behaviour. Direct observation is not always feasible and bears the potential risk of observer effects. The use of animal-borne small video-cameras provides the opportunity to study behaviour from the animal's point of view. While video-tracking has been used previously to study specific aspects of the behaviour of a species, it has not been used so far to determine detailed time-budgets. The aim of this study was to provide and validate an ethogram based on cat-camera footage collected from 16 cats (Felis catus). The methodology was validated comparing films recorded simultaneously, from both collar-mounted video recorders and hand-held video recorders. Additionally, the inter-observer reliability of scorers was measured. Continuous and instantaneous recording regimes were compared, and behavioural accumulation curves were evaluated to provide further technique recommendations for video-tracking cats. Video-tracking allows scoring of behaviour as reliably as direct observation (linear mixed effects model: t < 0.001, P = 0.99; df = 14 in 7 cats; Cohen's κ = 0.88). Furthermore, inter-observer reliability was high (Cohen's κ = 0.72) and was not significantly different from 0.8 (one-sample t -test: t = 1.15. df = 5, P = 0.30), indicating that the method is not subject to bias in observers. Recommendations are given for the most efficient scoring protocol to reliably record feline behaviour. While the validation was concerned with cat behaviour, the approach can be easily adapted for a variety of domestic species, as well as some captive animals. Video-tracking offers a new avenue to investigate both general time-budgets and more specific behaviours such as foraging or space use from the animal's point of view and in its normal environment, without restrictions to movement. Insights gained through video-tracking will be relevant to various conservation and animal welfare issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four compared to two wooden beams increased the frequency of manipulation bouts. • Four compared to two wooden beams increased the duration of manipulation. • Four compared to two wooden beams did not increase simultaneous manipulation. Pigs are highly motivated to perform exploratory behaviour and must have permanent access to manipulable material according to the EU Directive 2008/120/EC. A commonly used type of manipulable material is wooden beams. The beams are placed in vertical racks and touch the floor. According to Danish implementation of the directive, at least two wooden beams should be provided to a pen of 10–18 finisher pigs. However, it has not been investigated whether access to a higher number of wooden beams benefits pigs by stimulating more oral manipulation. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of increasing the number of wooden beams from two to four in pens of 18 finisher pigs. Response variables were manipulation of wooden beams including bout frequency, bout duration, hourly duration, proportion of pigs manipulating within the hour and proportion of pigs manipulating simultaneously. Behaviour was observed from video on a fixed weekday in weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 of the finisher period. The effects of number of beams, beam location, observation week and pigs' introduction weight were analysed. Increasing the number of beams from two to four increased the bout frequency, average bout duration, hourly duration of manipulating the beams and the proportion of pigs manipulating within the hour; however, it did not increase the proportion of pigs manipulating simultaneously. Only bout frequency decreased with time, and this decrease was seen later in pens with four beams. Thus, four compared to two beams increased the exploratory behaviour of the pigs, the number of pigs engaged in the manipulation and kept the pigs interested in the beams for longer. In pens with four beams, beam location also affected beam manipulation with a higher bout frequency on beams located on the opposite side of the pen as the feeder. Pigs' introduction weight did not affect pigs' manipulation of the beams. The results suggest that the pigs benefit from being provided with a higher number of beams than currently demanded by the Danish implementation of the EU Directive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nocturnal laying hen behavior was affected by northern fowl mites. • Behaviors became more fragmented, being performed at higher frequencies. • Resting quantity & quality were reduced because hens woke up often and rested less. • This behavioral change was interpreted as restlessness due to irritation. The northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) is a key pest for caged laying hens. High infestation levels can lead to anemia, reduced production, and mortality. Although the mites cause skin irritation and thus likely affect resting behavior, the nocturnal behavior of infested chickens has not yet been studied. We investigated the impact of mite infestation on nighttime behavior of 16 beak-trimmed White Leghorn hens. The hens were housed individually in wire cages. They were experimentally inoculated with approximately 35 mites at 25 weeks of age and observed for the behaviors dozing, sleeping, preening and being active. Continuous observations were made from video recordings taken from 22:00 h until 06:00 h for two consecutive nights at pre-infestation week 0 and post-infestation weeks 3, 5 and 7. Mite infestation levels were measured weekly on an 8-point scale (0 (no mites) to 7 (≥10,000 mites per hen)). For statistical analyses with linear mixed models, mite infestation levels were categorized as score 0 (no mites), 3–4 (51–500), 5 (501–1000) and 6–7 (>1000). Higher levels of mite infestation were associated with hens spending less time dozing (P < 0.001) and more time preening (P < 0.001) and being active (P = 0.012). Dozing decreased from 90% of the observed time for mite score 0 to 76% for score 6–7. Preening increased from 2% (score 0) to 9% (6–7) and time spent being active increased from 1% (0) to 7% (6–7). Mite infestation increased the number of uninterrupted bouts of all behaviors (P ≤ 0.020), especially dozing and preening (P < 0.001), suggesting restlessness in the mite-infested hens due to irritation and itching. The mite-infested hens' increased nocturnal activity, including preening, as well as the fragmentation of behavioral activities together with decreased dozing, indicate disturbed resting behavior and suggest a reduction in the welfare of mite-infested hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ewes spend more time in close affiliation with high sexually performing rams. • Ewes express more solicitous looks in the presence of high sexually performing rams. • Ewe time in affiliation with rams is highly correlated with male reproductive behavior. Variable expression of male reproductive behavior has been observed in all species studied. Approximately 25% of male sheep exhibit low sexual interest, but usually mate and have limited numbers of offspring. In domesticated, promiscuous species like sheep, the female may have mate preference, but mate choice is usually constrained by breeding strategies. It was hypothesized that when mate choice is limited, ewes would exhibit more proceptive behavior toward rams with low sexual interest to ensure reproductive success. Recorded serving capacity tests (n = 56) were utilized for this analysis. Rams were individually exposed to two ewes in estrus with behavior recorded for 20 min. From those recordings, a 10 min time period was utilized to assess ewe proceptive behavior. Ram anticipatory and consumatory behaviors were recorded. Anticpatory behaviors included ano-genitial sniffs, vocalization, fore-leg kicks, head butts, and nudges. Consumatory behavior included mount attempts, mounts, and ejaculations. Rams were categorized as high performing if they achieved two or more mounts during the 10 min period. Ewe behavior was determined by the number of solicitation looks and movements toward and away from the ram. During the 10 min of observed behavior, time spent in close proximity (less than 0.3 m) to the ram was determined and considered time in affiliation with the ram. Percent of time spent in affiliation with high sexually performing rams was greater (P < 0.001) 57.7% (±3.3) than when exposed to rams exhibiting low sexual behavior (23.8% [±3.4]). Affiliation time was highly correlated (P < 0.001; r2 ≥ 0.6) with ram behaviors: number of mounts, total anticipatory, and consummatory behavior. High sexually performing rams garnered more (P < 0.001) solicitous looks from ewe than did low performing rams. Ewes exhibited increased number of purposeful moves toward (P = 0.02), but not away (P = 0.58) from, high performing rams. These data indicate that ewes express more proceptive behavior toward rams expressing greater sexual interest. In conclusion, ewe behavior does not compensate for low sexual interest from the ram and would not be expected to contribute to the reproductive success of rams expressing low sexual interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Behaviour is important when assessing acclimation to a novel environment. • Outbreeding produces behavioural variation in domestic Chinook salmon. • Behavioural types are inconsistent across ontogenetic life transitions. • Behavioural types are predictive of survival, mass and growth rates. While outbreeding is a common method used to introduce variation to a broodstock in aquaculture to maintain healthy genetic stocks, little consideration is given to identifying stocks that can experience easy acclimation to captivity. Because the ability of individuals to behaviourally adjust to novel captive conditions influences who will reach broodstock age, behaviours can be used to screen for potential source stocks for outbreeding. To determine the effects outbreeding has on the variation of behavioural phenotypes produced, and whether these phenotypes can be predictive of growth and survival to captive conditions, an experimental design was created consisting of seven wild-domestic hybrid stocks of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and domesticated control stock. Behavioural assays were conducted on the same captive individuals as juveniles in fresh water and sub-adults in salt water to test for the occurrence of acclimation / growth-maximizing behavioural phenotypes such as flexibility: exploration, neophilia, and predator responsiveness; and growth-promotion: sociality, activity, and food-motivation. These behaviours were then contrasted against performance (growth and survival) within and across life-history stages. We found inter-population variation in four distinct behavioural types at each life-history stage. Still, we found individuals that were less shy (LMM: β = -0.14, P < 0.001), or inactive (β = -0.32, P = 0.004), or more social (β = 0.018, P = 0.01) as juveniles; or were risk-averse (β = 0.022, P = 0.056) as sub-adults experienced greater short and/or long-term performance. While not one behavioural type emerged in predictive power of performance, better performing stocks possessed more of these desired behavioural traits. By identifying which behavioural attributes contribute most to first-generation acclimation, screening tools can be developed to recommend natural populations for outcrossing, balancing both production and animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inattentional blindness occurs when an individual's attention is highly focused on a task, producing a failure to notice other stimuli in the environment. The current study aimed to assess whether dogs demonstrate inattentional blindness. We divided a cohort of dogs into experimental (n = 12) and control groups (n = 12), balanced by sex and aspects of temperament that could potentially influence inattentional blindness. Dogs were initially trained to run down an empty corridor for five consecutive trials. From trial 6–10, the experimental group was rewarded at the end of the corridor in order to condition an expectation of reward and induce inattentional blindness, while the control group continued to be unrewarded. On trials 11 and 12, a novel object was placed in a side opening halfway down the corridor for all dogs, and dogs' responses to the object were scored. There were significantly fewer responses to the novel object by dogs in the experimental group compared to the control group, suggesting that dogs fail to attend to novel stimuli in the environment when expecting a reward. These findings provide the first evidence of inattentional blindness in dogs, and have important implications for dog behavior with particular relevance for the training and performance of working dogs. • Dogs were trained to associate a context either with a reward or no reward. • Dogs rewarded in context failed to notice a novel object in the area. • Provides evidence of inattentional blindness when attention is focused on a task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking an animal's location from video has many applications, from providing information on health and welfare to validating sensor-based technologies. Typically, accurate location estimation from video is achieved using cameras with overhead (top-down) views, but structural and financial limitations may require mounting cameras at other angles. We describe a user-friendly solution to manually extract an animal's location from non-overhead video. Our method uses QGIS, an open-source geographic information system, to: (1) assign facility-based coordinates to pixel coordinates in non-overhead frames; 2) use the referenced coordinates to transform the non-overhead frames to an overhead view; and 3) determine facility-based x , y coordinates of animals from the transformed frames. Using this method, we could determine an object's facility-based x, y coordinates with an accuracy of 0.13 ± 0.09 m (mean ± SD; range: 0.01–0.47 m) when compared to the ground truth (coordinates manually recorded with a laser tape measurer). We demonstrate how this method can be used to answer research questions about space-use behaviors in captive animals, using 6 ewe-lamb pairs housed in a group pen. As predicted, we found that lambs maintained closer proximity to their dam compared to other ewes in the group and lamb-dam range sizes were strongly correlated. However, the distance traveled by lambs and their dams did not correlate, suggesting that activity levels differed within the pair. This method demonstrates how user-friendly, open-source GIS tools can be used to accurately estimate animal location and derive space-use behaviors from non-overhead video frames. This method will expand capacity to obtain spatial data from animals in facilities where it is not possible to mount cameras overhead. • Open-source software can transform video frames to facilitate animal tracking. • This method does not require user background in computer science. • This method can expand capacity to estimate animal location in enclosed areas. • Lamb-dam pairs maintain proximity and similar range sizes but not distance traveled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs are popular pets in Taiwan but many owners fail to recognise and address undesirable behaviours exhibited by their dogs. Little is known about dog owner attitudes and perceptions in Taiwan. In this study, an online survey was distributed to Taiwanese dog owners to investigate their perceptions of five behavioural factors, including 35 behavioural descriptions, with 479 completed surveys received. Seven behaviour veterinarians in Taiwan were also invited to complete a similar survey to identify their perceptions of the urgency for seeking help for different behaviours. Results showed that Taiwanese dog owners were most likely to seek professional help when faced with behaviours relating to potential medical issues, fearfulness to sounds, and difficulty in handling. In contrast, Taiwanese behaviour veterinarians considered most of the listed behaviours to be urgent except for changes in appetite and mounting. Taiwanese owners were more likely to apply reward-based or environmental and day-to-day management approaches to deal with 26/35 of commonly seen undesirable behaviours, while aversive methods were more prevalently used in 9/35 of commonly seen undesirable behaviours, specifically behaviours related to destruction, aggression, and undesirable play behaviour. Respondents were most likely to ignore behaviours not involving immediate harm to humans or animals, for example, staring at nothing, mounting objects and people's legs, tail/shadow chasing, air-snapping and lip-licking. Lastly, human factors (e.g. gender, housing style, and owners' use of learning resources) influenced how owners perceived and responded to the canine behavioural issues posed in this study. In conclusion, there were discrepancies regarding the perceived urgency of seeking professional assistance between dog owners and behaviour veterinarians in Taiwan. To promote dog health and welfare as well as owner safety, veterinary and dog behaviour professionals in Taiwan are encouraged to incorporate the findings of this study by raising owner awareness of concerning behavioural issues, and promoting training approaches that support healthy dog-owner relationships. • Discrepancies found between Taiwanese dog owners and behaviour vets on the urgency of seeking help for dog behaviors. • Human factors like gender, housing style, learning resources shape owner perceptions and responses to canine issues. • Dog owners prefer reward methods for medical/stress behavior; aversive methods for aggression, destructive and biting acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undesirable feline behaviors can detrimentally effects on the human-cat relationship, owner satisfaction, and animal welfare. This study explored cat owners' perceptions of cat behavior and identified specific behaviors that owners found problematic. Cat owners voluntarily completed an online survey about their cat's behavior (Fe-BARQ) between January 2016 and December 2022 (n = 4941). We examined owners' perceptions of their cats' behavior problems on an ordinal scale (no problems, minor problems, moderate to serious problems) relative to cat age, sex, neuter status, declaw status, outdoor access, Fe-BARQ subscales and miscellaneous items using Pearson Chi Square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and mixed effects ordinal logistic regression models. Almost all Fe-BARQ subscales and miscellaneous items were associated with owners' perceptions of their cats' behavioral problems in the univariate analysis, excluding predatory behavior, prey interest, vocalizations, location preferences for resting, and lying on items when in use. Multivariate analysis showed owners were more likely to perceive their cat's behavior as problematic if the cat exhibited owner-directed aggression (OR 2.31, 95% CI 2.01–2.65), familiar cat aggression (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.55–1.96), urine spraying (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.53–2.00), crepuscular activity (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24–1.53), fear of novelty (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05–1.24) or escaping behavior (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.23). Cats who readily adapted to change (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74–0.89), slept on appliances/elevated spaces (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.98), or kneaded (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.96) were less likely to be perceived as problematic. Our results suggest cat owners were more likely to view their cat's behavior as problematic if the behavior directly affected their lifestyle or environment, such as aggression, house soiling or activity during the night, while other behaviors, such as separation-related behavior, excessive self-grooming, and predatory behavior, did not influence owners' perceptions of cat behavior within the multivariate models. Further education may help cat owners to recognize the importance of these other behaviors as indicators of animal welfare and understand the wider impacts of cat behavior, including through predation on wildlife. • Behaviors that impacted owners' lifestyle had the largest impact on owners' perceptions. • Owners found aggression and urine spraying the most problematic behaviors. • Fearfulness and escaping had a small impact on owners' perceptions of cat behavior. • Owners did not consider predatory behavior or prey interest as a problem behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horses (Equus ferus caballus) engage their sense of smell in numerous behaviors. However, only few studies so far evaluated responses of horses to olfactory stimuli presumed to be either attractive or aversive and rather focused on presenting horses with only one type of odor. Therefore, we assessed behavioral responses of horses towards seven natural odors that are either potentially threatening, or socially attractive, or socially aversive. To this end, we presented a total of 10 horses with the following odors: same-sex and opposite-sex horse feces; same-sex and opposite-sex horse urine; tiger (Panthera tigris) feces and urine; and horse blood attached to one of two simultaneously presented food buckets and recorded their behavior. We found that the horses displayed clear behavioral reactions towards potentially threatening odors (tiger feces and urine; horse blood) compared to socially attractive (opposite-sex feces and urine) and, in some cases, socially aversive (same-sex feces and urine) odors. More precisely, the horses put their ears back significantly more frequently and tended to do it for longer in the potentially threatening odor condition compared to the socially attractive one. In the potentially threatening odor condition, the horses ate from the control bucket significantly more frequently compared to the other two conditions. Detailed analyses showed that the horses' behavioral responses were particularly pronounced following exposure to tiger feces and urine. Furthermore, we found that, in some situations, socially aversive odor stimuli caused higher vigilance and more cautious approach, as reflected in increased time of sniffing the odor-bearing bucket and decreased frequency of eating from it in the socially aversive compared to the potentially threatening odor condition. These findings suggest that horses, which are known as prey and social animals, are sensitive to social odors and even more so to odors from predators. • We presented a total of 10 horses with seven natural odors in 14 sessions. • These odors were either potentially threatening, socially attractive or aversive. • The horses showed different behaviors in response to potentially threatening odors. • The horses displayed also differential behaviors to socially aversive odors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific call transmission is a common information-gathering behavior in birds. Unlike centralized large-scale chicken farming in urban areas, domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in remote mountainous areas of China are often raised free-range by individual households. Free-range domestic chickens are exposed to many natural predators and can increase their chances of survival if they can respond to heterospecific alarm signals. To this end, we observed free-ranging domestic chickens in Miao village communities around Leishan County, Guizhou, southwestern China, and we performed comparisons on the behavioral responses of these chickens to the territorial song and alarm calls of wild Japanese tits (Parus minor). Our findings showed that the chickens were more vigilant to Japanese tit alarm calls than to territorial songs and exhibited significant anti-predator behaviors such as vigilance and runaway. Furthermore, there was significant difference in behavioral response to the two different alarm calls, with greater vigilance to tit alarm calls for Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus) than for sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus). This suggests that domestic chickens can differentiate between territorial songs and alarm calls of wild Japanese tits, and there is a behavioral difference in the two types of alarm calls of Japanese tits. • In remote mountainous areas of China, free-range domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) are exposed to many natural predators. • Free-range domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) were more vigilant to Japanese tits (Parus minor) alarm calls and exhibited vigilance and escape behaviour. • Domestic chickens can learn and discriminate information on predator type based on the alarm calls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals' development is influenced by the environment in which they live. In the case of dogs, persons can decide whether that environment is the internal or external part of their residences, which differ strongly in terms of physical and social environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate which characteristics of the dog and the owner influence the location where the dog lives in the house (mostly inside or mostly outside). Participants in this study were Brazilian dog owners who answered an online questionnaire. 730 questionnaires were analyzed. We applied multiple logistic regressions to investigate whether the factors studied (sex, age and marital status of the person; number of people living in the residence; sex, age, size, origin, level of aggression of the dog in the presence of strangers and age at which the dog arrived at the residence) were associated with where the dogs lived. We obtained a final model with three main effects: size, origin and aggressiveness of dogs in the presence of strangers. We found that the chance of living indoors is greater for: small dogs than for big dogs, bought dogs than for rescued dogs and dogs with no level of aggression compared to dogs with little aggression. These results have a possible relationship with easier handling, in relation to small dogs; the motivations in the acquisition process, regarding the bought dogs; and safety for non-aggressive dogs. Owner characteristics did not influence where dogs spent most of their time. Since the internal part of the house differs from the external part in terms of physical and social environment, we discuss how our data contributes to a better understanding of dogs' developmental environment and possible reasons that determine the place where dogs spend most part of their lives. • Dogs' features but not owners' impact where they stay in the household. • In this research, we used an online questionnaire for Brazilian dog owners. • The chance of living indoors is greater for small dogs than for medium and large dogs. • The chance of living indoors is greater for dogs purchased and non-aggressive dogs. • The developmental environment of dogs is influenced by characteristics of the dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated behavior analysis (ABA) strategies are being researched at a rapid rate to detect an array of behaviors across a range of species. There is growing optimism that soon ethologists will not have to manually decode hours (and hours) of animal behavior videos, but that instead computers will process them for us. However, before we assume ABA is ready for practical use, it is important to take a realistic look at exactly what ABA is being developed, the expertise being used to develop it, and the context in which these studies occur. Once we understand common pitfalls occurring during ABA development and identify limitations, we can construct robust ABA tools to achieve automated (ultimately even continuous and real time) analysis of behavioral data, allowing for more detailed or longer-term studies of behavior on larger numbers of animals than ever before. ABA is only as good as it is trained to be. A key starting point is having manually annotated data for model training and assessment. However, most ABA developers are not trained in ethology. Often no formal ethogram is developed and descriptions of target behaviors in ABA publications are limited or inaccurate. In addition, ABA is also frequently developed using small datasets, which lack sufficient variability in animal morphometrics, activities, camera viewpoints, and environmental features to be generalizable. Thus, ABA often needs to be further validated before being used satisfactorily on different populations or under other conditions, even for research purposes. Multidisciplinary teams of researchers including ethologists and ethicists as well as computer scientists, data scientists, and engineers are needed to help address problems when applying computer vision ABA to measure behavior. Reference datasets that can be used for behavior detection should be generated and shared that include image data, annotations, and baseline analyses for benchmarking. Also critical is the development of standards for creating such reference datasets and descriptions of best practices for methods for validating results from detection tools to ensure they are robust and generalizable. At present, only a handful of publicly available datasets exist that can be used for development of ABA tools. As we work to realize the promise of ABA (and subsequent precision livestock farming technologies) to detect animal behavior, a clear understanding of best practices, access to accurately annotated datasets, and networking among ethologists and ABA developers will increase our chances for rapid and robust successes. • Automated behavior analysis tools are being rapidly developed for use with animals. • Monitoring tools are often developed for a specific purpose, using small datasets. • Data scientists, engineers, ethologists and ethicists together develop better tools. • Public datasets are needed to develop efficient analytical tools. • Standards are needed for annotating datasets and validating monitoring tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High production pasture-based dairy systems have difficulty meeting cows' nutritional and environmental needs, especially during extreme environmental conditions during summer in temperate zones. The mixed systems combine pasture access with supplementation periods to achieve the maximum use of pastoral conditions and help better meet nutritional requirements. The aim of this study was to determine if the different conditions during confinement (compost barn, CB vs. outdoor soil-bedded, OD) affect behavioral, biochemical and physiological indicators of welfare in dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of two groups for confinement periods: a compost barn (CB, n = 15): consisting of compost bedding, a roofed area, ventilation and sprinklers, and an outdoor soil-bedded area during (OD, n = 15), which had a soil floor and shaded area. The frequency of eating, ruminating, drinking, lying, standing, and walking behavior in confinement was evaluated for three months during summer. Rumination minutes was recorded with collars automatically throughout the day. Blood samples were taken to determine total proteins, albumin, globulins and creatine kinase. The subcutaneous temperature was recorded during December and January (n = 7 per group). During the confinement, the CB cows spent more time lying down (P = 0.001) and ruminating (P = 0.04) than the OD cows. During pasture access, the CB cows spent more time grazing (P = 0.003) and less time ruminating (P < 0.0001) than the OD cows. Furthermore, the CB cows had lower subcutaneous temperature than the OD cows during the day (P < 0.0001). Serum creatine kinase concentrations tended to be higher (approximately 360 % more) in the OD cows than in the CB cows (P = 0.07). Differences in the type of confinement determined behavioral changes during both the confinement and pasture access, demonstrating the adaptability of cows to a varied environment. In conclusion, the different conditions during confinement affected the welfare indicators of the dairy cows in the mixed system during summer, with OD cows experiencing poorer welfare than CB cows, based on behavioral, biochemical and physiological indicators of welfare. • Different confinement conditions affected the welfare indicators of cows in mixed feeding systems. • Welfare status of compost barn cows was better than outdoor soil-bedded cows. • Compost barn cows were lying more during confinement than outdoor soil-bedded cows • In pasture, outdoor soil-bedded cows were lying more than compost barn cows, compensating for the confinement behavior. • Outdoor soil-bedded cows had higher subcutaneous temperature than compost barn [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barking is a common problem in animal shelters. Loud noise is an irritant and stressful to both humans and other animals. In the present study, we tested a positive reinforcement intervention using food delivery with 70 dogs at a municipal animal shelter in Pirassununga, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The experiment consisted of three conditions with three daily phases: pre-intervention (A1), intervention (B), and post-intervention (A2). The intervention consisted of the experimenter (ALB) entering the building in which dogs were housed, stopping at each of its 12 kennels (between 4 and 6 dogs in each kennel), and delivering food to the dogs after they had ceased barking. After the first study condition with its single experimenter, we conducted two other conditions to test the generalization of the intervention with novel stimuli. In Condition 2, the experimenter was accompanied by a student; and in Condition 3, the experimenter was with the same student and a shelter employee. Continuous sound levels (Leq dB) and duration of barking were measured pre- and post-intervention throughout the study's three conditions as well as the amount of time needed to carry out the intervention each day. We found that, on average, both Leq dB and barking duration reduced following the intervention with a decrease in both measures from the beginning to the end of the study. Furthermore, intervention implementation time shortened across the study's conditions, with less than three minutes needed for the intervention to be carried out in Condition 3. In total, our findings suggest that the Barking Reduction Protocol (BRP) is an effective, low-effort intervention that reduces dog barking in the animal shelter. When considering the many issues that compromise the daily lives of shelter dogs, this intervention may be a useful tool in changing dogs' barking behavior in response to people and improve their welfare as they await adoption. • Dog barking in animal shelters affects human and animal welfare. • A positive reinforcement intervention using food to reduce dog barking was tested. • This study utilized multiple measures of efficacy and experimenters across conditions. • Duration of barking, loudness of barking, and training time decreased with the intervention. • This intervention is an inexpensive, low effort, effective approach to reducing dog barking in shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal-borne aversive geofencing devices (AGDs, or satellite-linked shock collars) are commercially available and used on livestock to restrict their movement within a virtual boundary. This technology has potential application as a human-wildlife conflict mitigation tool, where problem animals might be conditioned to avoid human-dominated habitats by associating an audio warning with a subsequent electric shock, which is delivered if the audio warning is ignored. Ensuring that high standards of animal welfare are maintained when implementing such tools is important for acquiring manager and community acceptance of such approaches. We conducted two pilot experiments with eight captive Asian elephants using mild electric shocks from a modified dog-training collar fitted around the neck, as part of an ongoing effort to develop AGDs suitable for mitigating human-elephant conflict. As part of these experiments, we assessed elephants' behavioural and physiological stress before, during and after the experiments. During the experiments elephants wore collars for up to nine consecutive days and received a small number of electric shocks on 1–3 consecutive days. Bootstrapped principal component analysis showed that daily activity budgets of individual elephants on experiment days were not different from the pre-experiment days. Generalised linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) showed that anxiety/stress behaviours increased on the first day of acclimatising to the collar and on testing days (i.e. days they received shocks) of the first experiment, but not during the second experiment relative to pre-experiment days. Analysis of faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentrations using GLMM showed that FCM concentrations were higher in samples collected ∼24 hrs and ∼48 hrs after testing days compared to baseline levels as expected given the lag time for excretion of cortisol metabolites. These elevated anxiety/stress behaviours and FCM concentrations returned to baseline levels shortly after the experiment. Therefore, we conclude that AGDs did not produce lasting behavioural or physiological stress effects in elephants during this short-term study but recommend further studies with a larger sample of elephants to confirm the transferability of these findings. • Aversive geofencing devices (AGDs) are used to control livestock movement within virtual boundaries. • AGDs might be developed as a human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation tool to manage elephant movement. • Here, we assessed the welfare impacts of AGDs on captive Asian elephants. • Results showed that AGDs did not produce lasting stress effects in elephants. • Thus, AGDs may be further explored as an effective non-lethal HEC mitigation tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are often observed mimicking animals' facial expressions in an attempt to communicate with them. However, to date, there is limited understanding of how animals respond to humans reproducing their facial displays, or if this type of human behaviour presents a risk for either human safety or animal welfare. In the present study, we investigated how Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) responded to pictures of humans and conspecifics displaying their facial expressions. Macaques viewed pictures of neutral, mildly threatening or highly threatening human or macaque faces. We recorded aggressive, submissive, and self-directed behaviours exhibited by individuals while in front of each stimulus. Macaques displayed more self-scratching toward human neutral face compared to the corresponding macaque face, and vice versa for the mild threat. They also exhibited more aggressive behaviours toward macaque neutral and mildly threatening stimuli compared to the human stimuli. However, macaques did not display any more submissive behaviour between human and macaque for any facial stimuli. There was also no significant difference in behavioural responses for highly threatening faces between species. These findings suggest that while the reproduced facial expression by humans might carry meaning for macaques, their responses vary between species. Therefore, these results highlight some potential issues for facial signalling (mis)communication between species, which has implications for animal welfare and human safety. • To date, there is no study on how animal respond to humans reproducing their facial expressions. • We recorded behavioural responses of Barbary macaques presented with conspecific and human faces displays. • We found difference in behavioural responses between conspecific and human stimuli. • Our findings have important implications for human-animal communication research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) is a great challenge in the modern world that presents a threat to all species. Research on the effect of anthropogenic noise on free-living wildlife is increasing but the effect of anthropogenic noise on the behaviour and welfare of captive wildlife has received limited attention, even though captive settings are full of human activity and a wide range of sounds. Moreover, studies in captivity tend to classify noise subjectively by volume according to human hearing and as part of the overall 'visitor effect' rather than a stressor in its own right. Research on free-living wildlife suggests that anthropogenic noise can negatively impact foraging behaviour; similar impacts in captive species could have a detrimental effect on their health and welfare if animals cannot perform functional feeding behaviours and access adequate nutrition. In the current study, we designed a forage box experiment for captive pied tamarins, a Critically Endangered callitrichid primate species that is prone to poor physical health and breeding success in captivity. Ten pairs of tamarins housed at Jersey Zoo were provided with a forage box containing cryptic (hidden) prey items (waxworms). Using a within-subjects design, tamarins were provided access to the forage box in noise and non-noise conditions of anthropogenic noise (machinery used for gardening in the zoo). Both active (foraging with the hands) and observational (looking into the forage box) foraging were significantly less frequent in the presence of anthropogenic noise; however, there was no difference in the duration of these behaviours or in foraging success. Furthermore, the presence of anthropogenic noise did not significantly affect vigilance behaviour. We found no sex differences in the effect of noise, and our results suggest that the anthropogenic noise we tested was only a minimal distractor for tamarins. However, large individual differences in foraging suggest that other factors may have a larger impact on foraging than the anthropogenic noise used in this experiment. More research into how captive animals may respond to the presence of anthropogenic noise is needed. • Captive tamarins foraged for cryptic prey in noise and non-noise conditions. • Tamarins reduced frequencies of active and observational foraging during anthropogenic noise. • Anthropogenic noise did not affect tamarins' vigilance or foraging success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This might be related to the design of currently available foraging enrichments, which generally stimulate a subset of foraging activities rather than foraging behaviour in its entirity. We therefore designed a two-component foraging enrichment that addressed both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging. To evaluate whether foraging times would approximate those in the wild (4–8 h/day), we studied the effect of the separate and combined components on foraging behaviour in 12 healthy grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) using a balanced cross-over design. Parrots were provided food by means of the appetitive (APP), consummatory (CONS), and combined (APP+CONS) component(s) of the foraging enrichment, and in a food trough that served as a control (CTRL; no enrichment) for 30 days per test condition. The time spent on foraging was evaluated on days 2, 14 and 30 in all four test conditions using continuous focal sampling. Each of the single components (APP or CONS) increased daily foraging times from 2 to 3 h per day (CTRL: 121 ± 16 min/24 h, APP: 176 ± 31 min/24 h, CONS: 194 ± 26 min/24 h), while the combined enrichment doubled daily foraging times (APP+CONS: 234 ± 42 min/24 h), thereby approaching natural foraging time budgets. Foraging times remained steady over the 30 days, indicating no habituation or change in use of the enrichments throughout this period. These results demonstrate the importance of providing both appetitive and consummatory activities to generate effective foraging opportunities for parrots. Such a bottom-up approach could be beneficial for other (parrot) species as well. [Display omitted] • Both appetitive and consummatory foraging activities should be considered when designing foraging enrichments. • The newly designed two-component foraging enrichment approximated wild parrots' foraging times. • It evoked psittacine foraging activities as seen in the wild, such as podomandibulation and ground foraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]