AS 247 Midterm

What are the basic "guidelines" to remember when handling cattle?

1. Don't pressure from behind. 2. Animals look at pressure 3. They look the way they're facing 4. Animals go back to the last place they felt safe 5. Easily agitated 6. To move animals, walk against their motion 7. To slow animals down, parallel their motion 8. Motion begets motion

What are the Five Freedoms for animal welfare?

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst. 2. Freedom from discomfort. 3. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease. 4. Freedom to express normal behavior. 5. Freedom from fear and stress.

What were Tinbergen's four questions?

1. What is the causation of behavior? 2. What is the function of the behavior? 3. How does the behavior develop during ontogeny? 4. How does the behavior develop during phylogeny?

How many color receptors do animals have?

2

How can we determine "normal" behavior?

A behavior that an animal exhibits in nature, as well as in a controlled environment.

Where did the term "pecking order" originate?

A hierarchy where Chicken A can peck any chicken, Chicken B pecks all but Chicken A, and so on.

What is a stereotypical behavior?

A repetitive behavior that is done mindlessly.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a stimuli (food).

What are two reasons a bull may attack a human?

Aggression and dominance

Explain what is meant by "pull/draw" and balance point.

Animal has motivation to go a certain direction. Balance point is the point on an animal where you can parallel or go against an animal to get it to move. Usually at the shoulder.

Define stress.

Any time an animal feels it cannot complete the task it is required to do. Also an increase in cortisol levels.

Stimuli

Anything that elicits a reaction out of an animal.

What happened to the monkeys that were raised in confinement with no social contact?

Began to be lethargic and became depressed.

What is the difference between the word behavior and behaviour?

Behavior- American. Based off of lab testing. Behaviour- English. Based off of observing in nature.

Mutualistic

Both benefit

What is this called (only having two color receptors)?

Dichromatic

Unconditioned response

Eating, drinking, sleeping.

What are the ABC's of movement?

Engage, movement, good movement, guide.

T or F All animals spend more time in REM sleep than NREM sleep.

False

T or F Animals can easily forget fearful experiences.

False

T or F Frequency of behavior is synonymous with normality with respect to behavior?

False

T or F Grazing animals are quick at focusing on objects that are close to them

False

T or F A gregarious animal tends to be a loner and is often found by itself away from a herd.

False. Gregarious means herd bound.

T or F Some pigs such as the Pietrain breeds have a gene called the Halothane gene that allows them to endure stress better than other breeds.

False. It causes them to be more stressed and possibly die.

T or F Most grazing animals have a field of vision of 365 degrees.

False. It's 360 degrees.

Give two examples of an internal motivation (internal stimuli, intrinsic)

Hunger and thirst.

What is the HPA axis?

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. It affects the fight or flight system. The adrenal gland releases the hormones.

How can temperament testing impact the productivity of a herd?

Increased levels of the excretion of cortisol is highly correlated to temperament score. Decreased weight gain, decreased conception rates, etc. *Also allows you to cull animals that may not meet the standard of fear, aggression, excitement, etc.

How does predictability and controllability influence stress?

It minimizes stress because the animals expect what is coming because of the rules you set in place.

Explain the negative consequences when an animal begins to excrete the hormone cortisol.

It suppresses the immune system, shuts down digestive and reproductive systems. Animals are more prone to stronger injuries.

What is meant by the term "Circadian Rhythms?"

It's an internal clock, a 24 hour cycle. Often associated with sleep.

Explain the sensory thinking and memory mechanism in animals.

Memories are stored in compartments according to the sensory (stimuli) areas they were retrieved from.

Is the release of corticosteroid always associated with negative stress?

No. Cortisol is also released when there is positive stress (e.g. helps animals to run away from predators). This hormone is also what helps to wake you up in the morning. Helps with digestion and is also an anti-inflammatory.

Altruistic

One benefits selflessly

Selfish

Only one benefits

What are the five possible roles that humans can have with animals in captivity according to Hediger?

Predator, prey, companion, neutral, and symbiotic (both benefit)

Identify and define the three main components of the flight zone:

Pressure: Animals feel pressure but don't feel threatened. Fight: Animals feel the only way to feel safe is to take you out. Flight: Animals feel the need to move away from you.

Give two examples of an external motivation (external stimuli, extrinsic)

Seasons, weather, hot shot, challenger of the herd.

Negative reinforcement

Taking a stimuli away (taking a shock collar off of a dog).

The most central brain regions governing the motivational state and thus the behavior of the animals is what?

The hypothalamus

At the base of the hypothalamus is a small but very important appendage. What is it?

The pituitary gland

Describe the term "shaping" in the realm of animal behavior.

The process of animals changing according to the stimuli and reinforcements it's exposed to (think of Pavlov's dogs, but don't use as an example).

What is latency?

The time of processing between the brain recognizing and responding.

How can the study of birds, rats, mice, and fish relate to the behavior of farm animals?

They can run tests on them because since they're all animals, they have the ability to react the same way. It's a lot cheaper and faster too.

Explain the processes of reactions that animals have to novel stimuli.

They start out scared, then they get curious, and then they find out whether it's a threat or not.

Conditioned response

Think of Pavlov's dogs. Animal coming to a human.

List three reasons that animals are kept in confinement.

To control behavior, to prevent escape, to control breeding, and to allow them to adapt to a housing environment.

T or F All too often, captive animals have insufficient resources or opportunities for homeostasis.

True

T or F Animals who are stressed form a prolonged period of time release a Pheromone that can warn other animals of fearful situations.

True

T or F British breeds of Bos Tarus cattle are generally considered to be more docile than the Continental breeds.

True

T or F If an animal is said to by Homozygous, it means they have inherited a similar gene from both parents.

True

T or F Minivans should be introduced to young animals in a non-threatening way.

True

T or F Screaming in an animal's ears creates an equivalent level of stress as a jolt from a hot shot does.

True

T or F Single trait selection for a behavioral trait can have unexpected consequences?

True

T or F The limbic system is part of the autonomic nervous system of the body.

True

Describe two stereotypic behaviors.

Weaving, cribbing, feather pecking, pacing, wind-sucking.

Alternatives for lab researchers trying to modify behavior using mild starvation could be to: a. Give animals mild shock for incorrect actions. b. Stimulate animal's amygdala with a mild electric pulse c. Give a more palatable food than what animals are accustomed to, as a reward. d. All of the above e. None of the above

d. All of the above