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Effects of disturbance on spatial memory in pigs: implications for choice testing techniques

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

M. Mendl
Affiliation:
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
K. Laughlin
Affiliation:
Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK
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Extract

Choice tests, which measure animals' preferences for resources, are increasingly used to aid the design of new husbandry systems. However, under farm conditions, these systems are not always used as desired. A possible explanation for this is that laboratory testing and on-farm conditions induce different states of stress or disturbance in animals which, in turn, affect processes underlying their choice behaviour. One important process which underlies choice behaviour is spatial memory. To choose accurately, animals need to learn and remember the location of different resources. Studies of deer and cattle, which involve animals learning the location of different stimuli, have shown that some individuals are unable to learn to avoid apparently aversive restraining crushes (Pollard et al., 1994; Grandin et al., 1994), and that calmer individuals may make more accurate choices (Grandin et al., 1994).

Type
Pig Welfare
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1996

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References

Grandin, T., Odde, K.G., Schutz, D.N. and Behrns, L.M. 1994. The reluctance of cattle to change a learned choice may confound preference tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 2128.10.1016/0168-1591(94)90012-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pollard, J.C., Littlejohn, R.P. and Suttie, J.M. 1994. Responses of red deer to restraint in a y-maze preference test. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 6371.10.1016/0168-1591(94)90016-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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