Showing papers by "Daniel M. Weary published in 2023"

Breed, parity, and days in milk affect risk of tongue rolling in dairy cows

Abstract: Graphical Abstract Summary: Tongue rolling is a common oral stereotypic behavior in dairy cattle characterized by a repeated circular movement of the tongue inside or outside of the mouth. We monitored tongue rolling in 8,158 lactating Jersey and Jersey-Holstein crosses on a large commercial dairy farm. The behavior was recorded over 3 consecutive milkings by cameras mounted in the center of two 80-stall rotary parlors. About one-third of the cows were observed tongue rolling during at least one milking, but this behavior was more common in Jerseys than in Jersey-Holstein crosses and more common in older than younger cows. We encourage more work on the stereotypic behaviors of cows on commercial farms to better understand the role of genetics and other developmental factors.

Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves

Abstract: Hunger remains a significant animal welfare concern as restricted feeding practices are common on farms. Studies to date have focused on negative effects on health and productivity but little research has addressed the feeling of hunger, mostly due to methodological difficulties in assessing animals' subjective experiences. Here, we explored the use of a cognitive approach to disentangle motivational hunger (a normal state that is of limited welfare concern) from distressful hunger (a state associated with intense negative emotions). Cognitive performance in a foraging task is expected to follow an inverted U relationship with hunger levels, providing an opportunity to make inferences about different hunger states. We assessed the effect of milk restriction on calf cognition in two experiments using a modified hole-board test. Experiment 1 showed that reducing milk allowance from 12 to 6 l d−1 impaired all measures of cognitive performance. Experiment 2 showed that the same type of feed restriction also disrupted calves’ capacity to re-learn. We conclude that hunger associated with reduced milk allowance can disrupt cognitive performance of dairy calves, a result consistent with the experience of distressful hunger.

Cage-free eggs in China

Abstract: Since 1985, China has been the world’s largest egg producer. In 2020, 3.3 billion layer hens were reared in China, producing 29.8 million tons of eggs (around 40% of the world’s egg production, see Figure 1; FAO, 2022). Battery cage production became common in China in the 1980s and by 2017 approximately 90% of farms used cages (IEC, 2017). Internationally, concern for animal welfare has begun to encourage a shift towards less confined housing systems, including cage-free housing for hens (with or without access to the outdoors). Any transition to cage-free systems will depend upon a variety of factors including the values of consumers and the way these eggs are marketed. The effects of this transition on hen welfare will depend on the degree to which cagefree housing methods actually benefit the birds themselves. In this paper we review the development of cage-free farming in China in relation to consumer preferences and hen welfare. Our aims are to 1) describe the history of egg production in China, including changes in cage-free production, 2) describe current consumer preferences for eggs, including attributes associated with hen housing and welfare, 3) review the link between cage-free housing and hen welfare, 4) describe approaches to help improve hen welfare on cage-free farms, and 5) identify areas for future research.

The Effect of Placement and Group Size on the Use of an Automated Brush by Groups of Lactating Dairy Cattle

Abstract: Simple Summary Indoor housed dairy cows are highly motivated to scratch themselves using mechanical brushes. Many farms provide brushes to cows, yet no commercial brushes to date capture how the brushes are used by the cows in the pen. We developed an automated brush and tested how much cows use it at four different group sizes (60, 48, 36, and 24 cows) and with different brush locations in the pen. We found that cows used the brush for longer when it was close to the feed and water and when they were housed in smaller groups. We suggest that future studies provide groups with multiple brushes to better understand the influence on brushing behavior of cows. Abstract Mechanical brushes are often provided on dairy farms to facilitate grooming. However, current brush designs do not provide data on their use, and thus little is known about the effects of group size and placement of brushes within the pen. The objectives of this study were to automatically detect brush use in cow groups and to investigate the influence of (1) group size and the corresponding cow-to-brush ratio and (2) brush placement in relation to the lying stalls and the feeding and drinking areas. We measured brush use in groups of 60, 48, 36, and 24 cows, with the brush placed either in the alley adjacent to the feed bunk and water trough or in the back alley. Cows used the brush for longer when it was placed in the feed/water alley compared to when placed in the back alley. Average brush use per cow increased when cows were housed in smaller groups, but the brush was never in use more than 50% of the day, regardless of group size. We conclude that brush use increases when availability is increased and when the brush is placed closer to the feed and water.

Perceptions of laboratory animal veterinarians regarding institutional transparency

Abstract: Institutions using animals for research typically have a veterinarian who is responsible for the veterinary care programme and compliance with regulatory obligations. These veterinarians operate at the interface between the institution’s animal research programme and senior management. Veterinarians have strong public trust and are well positioned to share information about animals used for scientific purposes, but their perspectives on sharing information with the public are not well documented and their perceptions of transparency may influence how institutional policies are developed and applied. The objective of our study was to analyse the perceptions of institutional transparency among laboratory animal veterinarians working at different universities. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were used to describe perceptions of 16 attending veterinarians relating to animal research transparency. Three themes were drawn from the interviews: (i) reflections on transparency; (ii) reflections on culture; and (iii) reflections on self. Veterinarians reflected on their personal priorities regarding transparency and when combined with barriers to change within the institutions, sometimes resulted in reported inaction. For example, sometimes veterinarians chose not to pursue available opportunities for change at seemingly willing universities, while others had their initiatives for change blocked by more senior administrators. The sharing of information regarding the animals used for scientific purposes varied in how it was conceptualised by attending veterinarians: (i) true transparency; communication of information for the sake of openness; (ii) strategic transparency; attempt to educate people about animal research because then they will support it; (iii) agenda-driven transparency; selective release of positive stories to direct public opinion; and (iv) fearful non-transparency; not communicating any information for fear of negative opposition to animal research. Transparency was not perceived as an institutional priority by many of the veterinarians and a cohesive action plan to increase transparency that involves multiple universities was identified as a promising avenue to overcome existing barriers.

Calves peak-end memory of pain

Abstract: In humans, the 'peak-end' rule states that recollection of an experience is most often influenced by the peak (the most intense moment) and end of the experience. We investigated whether calves followed the peak-end rule in their memory of a painful procedure: disbudding. As proxies for retrospective and 'real-time' reports of pain, we used conditioned place aversion, and reflex pain behaviours. In two separate trials, calves were subjected to two disbudding conditioning sessions (one horn per treatment), acting as their own control. In the first trial, calves (n = 22) were disbudded and remained in a pen for 4 h, and disbudded and left in another pen for 4 h with an additional 2 h following an analgesic treatment. In the second trial, calves (n = 22) were disbudded and left in pens for 6 h during both treatments, receiving the analgesic at either 2 h or 4 h after disbudding. Calves were then tested for place aversion. For both trials we did not observe a preference for the pens where calves received analgesic treatment towards the end of the session. We did not find an association between aversion and the sum, peak or end of pain behaviours. Results are not consistent with a peak-end effect in calves' memory of pain.

Curiosity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)? Behavioral responses to 30 novel objects

Abstract: Curiosity—the motivation to seek out information—has been studied widely across the animal kingdom. To investigate curiosity in zebrafish we presented 30 novel objects to groups of zebrafish housed in semi-naturalistic tanks (6 tanks; 10 fish/tank; 10-min presentations). During the first 100 s and final 100 s of each object's 10-min presentation period, we recorded each group's: (i) latency to approach the object, (ii) attraction to the object, (iii) social dynamics: agonistic behavior and group cohesion and coordination, and (iv) diving behavior, a stress response in zebrafish. Comparing these behaviors to a 100 s baseline period when no object was present, we tested for neophobia (avoidance of novelty), neophilia (overall attraction to novelty), sustained interest (prolonged attraction to at least some presentations), discriminant interest (certain objects eliciting more attention than others), habituation (loss of interest over time), and alterations to social and stress behaviors. Zebrafish groups readily approached all objects (1 s median latency), were neophilic throughout all object presentations, and showed systematic sustained interest only for some object presentations at the beginning of the study (object presentations 1–10). Over the course of the study, zebrafish also showed signs of habituation such that by the final ten object presentations (21-30), there were no signs of overall sustained interest. During the beginning of the study (object presentations 1–10), we also found evidence for specific object-driven interest, with object ID accounting for 11% of the variability in interest scores (p < 0.01), and object-driven interest corresponding to alterations in social behavior: decreased aggression (p < 0.02), increased group cohesion (p < 0.02), and increased group coordination (p < 0.05). By explicitly investigating curiosity in fish, this work reveals that under certain conditions, zebrafish voluntarily engage in cognitive stimulation opportunities. More work is needed to clarify what types of information zebrafish find most rewarding and how long-term exposure to such opportunities may affect fish welfare.

Correction to: ‘Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves’ (2023) by Lecorps et al.

Abstract: Open AccessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Lecorps Benjamin, Woodroffe Raphaela E., von Keyserlingk Marina A. G. and Weary Daniel M. 2023Correction to: ‘Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves’ (2023) by Lecorps et al.Biol. Lett.192023012320230123http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0123SectionOpen AccessCorrectionCorrection to: ‘Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves’ (2023) by Lecorps et al. Benjamin Lecorps Benjamin Lecorps http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5973-7152 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Raphaela E. Woodroffe Raphaela E. Woodroffe Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1427-3152 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Daniel M. Weary Daniel M. Weary http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0917-3982 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Benjamin Lecorps Benjamin Lecorps http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5973-7152 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Raphaela E. Woodroffe Raphaela E. Woodroffe Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1427-3152 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Daniel M. Weary Daniel M. Weary http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0917-3982 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:29 March 2023https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0123This article corrects the followingResearch ArticleHunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calveshttps://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0475 Benjamin Lecorps, Raphaela E. Woodroffe, Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk and Daniel M. Weary volume 19issue 1Biology Letters18 January 2023Biol. Lett.19, 20220475. (Published online 18 January 2023) (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0475)The primary affiliation institution metadata details for author Benjamin Lecorps has been changed from the University of British Columbia to the University of Bristol. This has now been corrected on the publisher's website. Previous ArticleNext Article VIEW FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD PDF FiguresRelatedReferencesDetailsRelated articlesHunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves18 January 2023Biology Letters This IssueMarch 2023Volume 19Issue 3 Article InformationDOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0123PubMed:36987864Published by:Royal SocietyOnline ISSN:1744-957XHistory: Manuscript received07/03/2023Manuscript accepted15/03/2023Published online29/03/2023 License:© 2023 The Authors.Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. Citations and impact Subjectsbehaviour Large datasets are available through Biology Letters' partnership with Dryad

Mouse isoflurane anesthesia using the drop method.

Abstract: Anesthesia with isoflurane prior to carbon dioxide euthanasia is recommended as a refinement, but vaporizer access can be limited. An alternative to vaporizers is the 'drop' method, introducing a fixed volume of isoflurane into the induction chamber. Previous work suggests that isoflurane administered at a concentration of 5% via the drop method is effective but aversive to mice; lower concentrations have not been tested. We assessed mouse behavior and insensibility with induction using the drop method for isoflurane concentrations below 5%. Male Crl:CD-1 (ICR) mice (n = 27) were randomly allocated to one of three isoflurane concentrations: 1.7%, 2.7%, and 3.7%. During induction, measures of insensibility and stress-related behaviors were recorded. All mice reached a surgical plane of anesthesia, and mice exposed to higher concentrations did so more quickly; as concentrations increased from 1.7 to 2.7 and 3.7%, the time to recumbency (Least squares means ± SE: 120.5 s ± 8.1, 97.9 s ± 8.1, and 82.8 s ± 8.1, respectively), loss of righting reflex (149.1 s ± 8.5, 127.7 s ± 8.5, and 100.7 s ± 8.5, respectively), and loss of pedal withdrawal reflex (214.5 s ± 8.3, 172.2 s ± 8.3, and 146.4 s ± 8.3, respectively) all declined. Rearing was the most frequently performed stress-related behavior, and was most pronounced immediately following isoflurane administration for all treatments. Our results indicate that the drop method can be used to effectively anesthetize mice with isoflurane concentrations as low as 1.7%; future work should assess mouse aversion.

Public attitudes toward the use of technology to create new types of animals and animal products

Abstract: Philosophers have used thought experiments to examine contentious examples of genetic modification. We hypothesised that these examples would prove useful in provoking responses from lay participants concerning technological interventions used to address welfare concerns. We asked 747 US and Canadian citizens to respond to two scenarios based on these thought experiments: genetically modifying chickens to produce blind progeny that are less likely to engage in feather-pecking (BC); and genetically modifying animals to create progeny that do not experience any subjective state (i.e. incapable of experiencing pain or fear; IA). For contrast, we assessed a third scenario that also resulted in the production of animal protein with no risk of suffering but did not involve genetically modifying animals: the development of cultured meat (CM). Participants indicated on a seven-point scale how acceptable they considered the technology (1 = very wrong to do; 7 = very right to do), and provided a text-based, open-ended explanation of their response. The creation of cultured meat was judged more acceptable than the creation of blind chickens and insentient animals. Qualitative responses indicated that some participants accepted the constraints imposed by the thought experiment, for example, by accepting perceived harms of the technology to achieve perceived benefits in reducing animal suffering. Others expressed discomfort with such trade-offs, advocating for other approaches to reducing harm. We conclude that people vary in their acceptance of interventions within existing systems, with some calling for transformational change.