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Each of 9 beef × dairy crossbred cows was presented with 2 alien calves within 5 minutes of parturition. Each cow's own calf was removed and later fostered to another cow. Foster trios were observed periodically until introduction to the foster herd. The foster herd was observed continuously on Days 71, 77 and 175 after the average fostering date. Calf growth rates were recorded from birth to Day 77 and from Day 77 to Day 175. All cows were observed to allow their foster calves to nurse at the time the trio was introduced to the herd, suggesting that successful maternal-offspring bonding between calves and dam had occurred. Behavioral data taken on Days 71 and 77 were similar and were summed. Percent cross-suckling was high on Days 71 and 77 but was less on Day 175. Calf growth rates were highly variable to Day 77, and were less variable between Days 77 and 175. A high negative correlation existed between percent cross-suckling and calf growth rate to Day 77. The decrease in percent cross-suckling from Day 77 to Day 175 was directly proportional to an observed decrease in suckling frequency. Percent cross-suckling was highly variable among calves during all observation periods. The negative relationship between percent cross-suckling and calf growth rate was less evident at Day 175, possibly due to increased consumption of forage and creep feed by calves at that time. Variation among foster pairs for growth rate was not significant. In many cases, the fostering methods employed apparently did not result in the formation of a specific maternal bond between the cow and her foster calves.

Behavior of sheep isolated in a 6 m diameter enclosure, then exposed to a tethered dog in the same setting, was examined. Subjects were 2 and 3 year old crossbred ewes (North Country Cheviot, Dorset, Finnsheep, and Romney sire × Suffolk and Columbia-type dam matings). Each of 164 ewes was tested three times with 3 weeks between tests. Ewes were scored for ambulation (number of steps taken) when isolated for a 90 s period and when exposed to the dog for an additional 90 s period. Subjective investigation score, subjective emotional behavior score, number of vocalizations, number of foot-stampings, and number of eliminations (urinations plus defecations) were also examined. These traits were chosen because published research with farm mammals and rodents has indicated they are related to emotional behavior or nervousness. Ewes typically responded to isolation by initial high levels of ambulation which decreased to immobility by the end of the first 90 s. Vocalization occurred in 73% of the observations but foot-stamping occurred very rarely in the first 90 s of observations. Upon exposure of the dog, ewes commonly took several steps, then became and remained immobile for the duration of that 90 s observation. Vocalization was rarer but foot-stamping was much more common than during the period in which ewes were isolated. Eliminative behavior occurred in 53% of the observation periods and was not affected by exposure to the dog. In this experiment, high ambulation during isolation was related to greater emotional behavior, while immobility during exposure of the dog was related to greater nervousness. Vocalization and foot-stamping were predictable responses to isolation and dog exposure, respectively, but both occurred with too low a frequency to be useful measures of variation in emotional behavior. Differences between ewes with Suffolk vs. Columbia-type inheritance were small and not consistent. Ewes with Romney sires had higher scores for ambulation, investigation score, emotion score and vocalization, and ewes with Finnsheep sires scored above average for vocalization and eliminative behavior. Dorset and North Country Cheviot sired ewes were average or below for most of the traits assessing emotional behavior.

Fifty-six feeder lambs were observed each half-hour for one day per week for 7 consecutive weeks between July and September, 1973. At each observation period, the number of lambs eating, drinking, standing in an alert state, lying down and standing inactive was counted. The average number of lambs engaged in each activity over the 7 days of observation was plotted against time. Two peaks of eating, drinking and standing active occurred near sunrise and sunset. During the eating peaks, there was frequently competition for space at the self-feeder. At mid-day, lambs were inactive, standing about in groups, shading their heads under the flanks or between the hind legs of adjacent lambs. Later in the afternoon, lambs utilized the shade that became available from the perimeter fence. In both cooling strategies, lambs were particularly keen to shade their heads. All activity declined after sunset, and throughout the hours of darkness the majority of the lambs were lying down.