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The EU project Welfare Quality (R) proposes an overall assessment system for animal welfare based on animal outcomes. The objective of this study was to test inter-observer reliability (IOR) when assessing lameness, fear and slipping and falling scores as parameters for monitoring the welfare of killing pigs during arrival at the slaughterhouse. Two Belgian and two Spanish slaughterhouses were visited by six to seven observers. Lameness, slipping and falling were assessed twice; during unloading and in the passageway to the lairage zone (lairage). Fear, which was assessed in the unloading area, was based on four indicators: reluctance to move, retreat attempts, turning back and vocalisations. Lameness had low-to-moderate IOR when observed in the passageway to lairage (r = 0.46), but the IOR was low during unloading (r = 0.25). IOR for slipping and falling was moderate to high (r = 0.71 and r = 0.50, respectively), when assessed in the unloading area, but low for observations in the passageway (r = 0.13). Fear indicators had only moderate or low IOR. Turning back was the measure with the highest IOR (r = 0.43) and retreat attempts had the lowest IOR (r = 0.25). Based on these results, we concluded that scoring lameness could be reliable when assessed from the unloading bay to lairage, whereas slipping and falling should be scored in the unloading area of the slaughterhouse. We suggest scoring a maximum of two measures of fear on the same animals at the unloading area, with the most reliable parameters being turning back and reluctance to move. The three indicators of animal welfare (lameness, fear and slipping and falling) should be measured in a way to reduce overtax of the observers in order to achieve accurate results.

Mogelijke implicaties van de aanwezigheid van de wasbeerhond (Nyctereutes procyoniodes) in Nederland. De soort is tussen 1929 en 1955 geïntroduceerd in Europese delen van de voormalige Sovjet Unie. Uit dit literatuuronderzoek blijkt dat de wasbeerhond sinds 1990 ook in Nederland is waargenomen.

The gene (Cbg) encoding cortisol-binding globulin (CBG) has been proposed as a candidate gene to explain genetic variation in cortisol secretion and carcass composition in pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between CBG and pork quality in 5 European breeding lines, Pietrain, Large White (LW), and Landrace purebred lines, a Duroc synthetic line, and a Meishan (MS) x LW advanced intercross. Cortisol-binding globulin maximum binding capacity (CBG-Bmax) was twice as high (P or = 0.364) association between CBG-Bmax and carcass quality traits in Pietrain gilts, but CBG-Bmax was associated with increased loin yields in LW (P = 0.010) and Landrace (P = 0.103) gilts, decreased ham yields (P = 0.082) in Duroc gilts, and increased fat depth (P = 0.064) and leaf fat (P = 0.001) in MS x LW gilts. There was no association between CBG-Bmax and pork quality traits in Pietrain (P > or = 0.269) and Duroc (P > or = 0.114) gilts. Conversely, CBG-Bmax was associated with lighter (higher L* values; P

Improved housing for laying hens may start from the translation of their behavioral needs into welfare-based design parameters for laying hen houses. The objective of our research was to gain insights into the facility usage and behavioral needs of the hen over 24 h when there are no obvious restraints. Twenty ISA Brown commercial laying hens (Gallus domesticus) that were 18 wk old and not beak trimmed, were accommodated in a pen (4 x 6 m) at 19 + 2 degrees C on a light-dark cycle of 10L:14D. The pen providing nest boxes, drinkers, feeders, perches, sand, and wood shaving was designed to accommodate the hens for the experimental period. Video recordings were made for 10 d. Behavioral analyses were conducted on 5 birds for 5 d. Time spent on each behavior, log survivor analysis of events and inter-event intervals, bout analysis, diurnal pattern in events and bouts, occurrence of behavior in different segments and the corridor of the pen, and sequence analysis were performed to gain insights into the temporal and sequential structures of behavior. Hens spent 97% of the day on nest use, preening, drinking, feeding, still, walking, perching, and resting; 43% on commodity-dependent behavior; and 57% not on commodity-oriented behaviors. Behavioral events were short (around 70% event2 min) and frequent (around 70% inter-event intervals40s). The pen corridor was the preferred place for attack, escape, flying, resting, walking, and wing flapping. Feeding-drinking-feeding, preening-resting-preening, scratching-resting-scratching, dust bathing-resting-preening, or dust bathing-resting-wing stretching-dust bathing were the preferred sequences of behavior. Although hens interrupted ongoing behaviors and changed behaviors frequently, they nonetheless clustered behavioral events.

The behavioral response of piglets in a backtest early in life seems indicative of their coping strategy at a later age. Coping characteristics may depend on the interaction between backtest classification and housing conditions. We studied whether growth rate and partitioning of energy in adult gilts were related to response in the backtest early in life, and to housing in groups or individual stalls. During the suckling period, female piglets were subjected to the backtest. Each piglet was restrained on its back for 1 min, and the number of escape attempts was scored. Thirty-six high-resisting gilts and 36 low-resisting gilts were selected. After weaning, pigs were housed in 12 groups of six (three high-resisting and three low-resisting). From 7 mo of age onward, 36 gilts out of six groups were housed in individual stalls, whereas the other gilts remained group housed. At 13 mo of age, gilts were housed in clusters of three (three high-resisting or three low-resisting) for an experimental period of 7 d in climatic respiration chambers. Group-housed gilts were loose housed, and stall-housed gilts were housed in stalls within the chamber. Despite the fact that high-resisting and low-resisting gilts did not differ (P = 0. 269) in initial BW, low-resisting gilts showed a higher (P = 0.039) ADG during the experimental period in association with a higher (P = 0.043) energy metabolizability. This suggests that, in line with the theory on coping strategies, high-resisting gilts may have more difficulties in adapting to a change in environment, (i.e., the change from home pen to climatic chamber). Group-and stall-housed gilts differed (P = 0.001) in initial BW, with group-housed gilts being heavier. During the experimental period, stall-housed gilts showed lower energy metabolizability (P = 0.001), lower energy retention (P = 0.001), and a higher energy requirement for maintenance (P = 0. 001) due to a higher activity-related heat production (P = 0.001). This finding suggests that stall housing might have a negative influence on performance and partitioning of energy when animals are adapting to a change in their environment.

The object of this research was to study the relationship between feather pecking and open-field activity in laying hens at two different ages. A population of 550 birds of a laying hen cross was subjected to an open-field test at 5 and 29 weeks of age and to a social feather pecking test at 6 and 30 weeks of age. Factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors for each test: pecking behavior ( social test) and open-field activity (open-field test). In young birds, a positive phenotypic correlation of 0.24 was found between high open-field activity and high levels of pecking behavior ( ground pecking, preening, gentle feather pecking, and wall pecking). In adults, a similar genetic correlation of 0.62 was found. At adult age, the factor pecking behavior consisted mainly of gentle and severe feather pecking. Between ages, a strong, negative genetic correlation of - 0.65 was found between open-field activity at young age and pecking behavior at adult age, indicating that open-field activity levels in young birds may predict pecking behavior in adult hens.

In the European Union, legislation concerning animal housing is becoming stricter because of animal welfare concerns. Feather pecking (FP) in large group housing systems is a major problem. It has been suggested that corticosterone (CORT) response to manual restraint as a measure for stress is associated with FP behavior. The aim of the current study was to identify QTL involved in FP behavior and stress response in laying hens. An F-2 population of 630 hens was established from a cross between two commercial lines of laying hens differing in their propensity to feather peck. The behavioral traits, measured at 6 and 30 wk of age, were gentle FP, severe FP, and aggressive pecking. Toe pecking was measured at 30 wk of age and CORT response to manual restraint was measured at 32 wk. All animals were genotyped for 180 microsatellite markers. A QTL analysis was performed using a regression interval mapping method. At 6 wk of age, a suggestive QTL on GGA10 was detected for gentle FP. At 30 wk of age, suggestive QTL were detected on GGA1 and GGA2 for gentle FP. A significant QTL was detected on GGA2 for severe FP. At 32 wk of age, a suggestive QTL was detected on GGA18 for CORT response to manual restraint. In addition, a suggestive QTL was detected on GGA5 with possible maternal parent-of-origin effect for CORT response.

Bij legkippen ontwikkelt zich vaak verenpikken, het beschadigen of uittrekken van veren van soortgenoten, en soms ook kannibalisme, het verwonden van soortgenoten en het consumeren van bloed of vlees. Het uittrekken van veren levert pijn en ongemakt op voor het dier dat gepikt wordt. Het slachtoffer krijgt kale plekken op haar lichaam, hetgeen kan resulteren in problemen met de warmtehuishouding. Ook zijn de kale plekken aantrekkelijk voor soortgenoten om naar te pikken. Dit kan leiden tot ontwikkeling van kannibalisme, hetgeen gepaard gaat met een sterk verminderd welzijn en hoge uitvalspercentages. In het proces van domesticatie is de kip vanuit de vrije natuur naar het boerenerf verplaatst, vervolgens naar een afgesloten kippenren, en tenslotte naar de legbatterij, waar de dieren in kleine groepjes in kooien worden gehouden. Deze verhuizing van de vrije natuur naar de legbatterij heeft voor- en nadelen voor de kip gehad. Wat betreft de beschikbaarheid van voedsel en bijvoorbeeld bescherming tegen ziekte en predatie is de kip erop vooruit gegaan, maar wat betreft levensruimte en mogelijkheid tot het vertonen van het complete gedragsrepertoire, biedt de legbatterij weinig ruimte en mogelijkheden

The problem of how to objectively assess the overall welfare status of animals under farming conditions has contributed to an ongoing debate that has hampered actual decision making on animal welfare. For this reason we constructed a model based on the assumed hierarchical organization of the animals’ needs for overall welfare assessment in the case of pregnant sows. This model is implemented in a computer-based decision support system that takes a description of a housing and management system as input and produces a welfare score as output. A formalized procedure was used to construct the model for welfare assessment in pregnant sows on the basis of available scientific knowledge. This SOWEL (from SOw WELfare) model contains 37 attributes that describe the welfare-relevant properties of housing and management systems. In the decision support system these attributes are linked to scientific statements and a list of needs to provide a scientific basis for welfare assessment. Weighting factors that represent the relative importance of the attributes are derived from the scientific statements about the various welfare performance criteria that have been measured by scientists. The welfare score is calculated as the weighted average score. All information in the decision support system is stored in tables in a relational database such that newly available knowledge and insights can be incorporated to refine the model. The model has been developed in line with several existing models but it differs from these models in that it is the first to provide a formalized procedure to explicate the reasoning steps involved in welfare assessment based on available scientific knowledge.

'Welzijn bestaat niet', is een gevleugelde uitdrukking van één van mijn collega's. Deze weliswaar ietwat ongenuanceere stelling geeft het probleem weer waarmee een gedragsbioloog in het welzijnsonderzoek geconfronteerd wordt: welzijn is niet direct meetbaar. Want de aanname is dat een dier zelf uitmaakt hoe het met zijn welzijn gesteld is. Dat hangt af van de omstandigheden waarin het dier zich bevindt. Maar hoe komt een etholoog te weten hoe een dier de eigen situatie beoordeelt? Je kunt er niet naar vragen. Nou ja, je kunt er wel naar vragen, maar een antwoord zul je niet krijgen. Of misschien toch wel? Het promotie-onderzoek van Patrick Zimmerman richtte zich op de vraag of het welzijn van leghennen te meten is op basis van geluiden die ze maken

Om te voorkomen dat koeienuiers vervuilen met aanklevende mest verwijderen veel veehouders het haar van de uiers. De bekende werkwijze is scheren, vrij nieuw is het wegschroeien van uierhaar. Studenten van het Van Hall Instituut inventariseerden, in samenwerking met onderzoekers van ASG, de diervriendelijkheid van deze methoden

Background The decline noticed in several fertility traits of dairy cattle over the past few decades is of major concern. Understanding of the genomic factors underlying fertility, which could have potential applications to improve fertility, is very limited. Here, we aimed to identify and study those genes that associated with a key fertility trait namely estrous behavior, among genes expressed in four bovine brain areas (hippocampus, amygdala, dorsal hypothalamus and ventral hypothalamus), either at the start of estrous cycle, or at mid cycle, or regardless of the phase of cycle. Results An average heat score was calculated for each of 28 primiparous cows in which estrous behavior was recorded for at least two consecutive estrous cycles starting from 30 days post-partum. Gene expression was then measured in brain tissue samples collected from these cows, 14 of which were sacrificed at the start of estrus and 14 around mid cycle. For each brain area, gene expression was modeled as a function of the orthogonally transformed average heat score values using a Bayesian hierarchical mixed model. Genes whose expression patterns showed significant linear or quadratic relationships with heat scores were identified. These included genes expected to be related to estrous behavior as they influence states like socio-sexual behavior, anxiety, stress and feeding motivation (OXT, AVP, POMC, MCHR1), but also genes whose association with estrous behavior is novel and warrants further investigation. Conclusions Several genes were identified whose expression levels in the bovine brain associated with the level of expression of estrous behavior. The genes OXT and AVP play major roles in regulating estrous behavior in dairy cows. Genes related to neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity are also involved in estrous regulation, with several genes and processes expressed in mid-cycle probably contributing to proper expression of estrous behavior in the next estrus. Studying these genes and the processes they control improves our understanding of the genomic regulation of estrous behavior expression.

Mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are abundantly expressed in the limbic brain and mediate cortisol effects on the stress-response and behavioral adaptation. Dysregulation of the stress response impairs adaptation and is a risk factor for depression, which is twice as abundant in women than in men. Because of the importance of MR for appraisal processes underlying the initial phase of the stress response we investigated whether specific MR haplotypes were associated with personality traits that predict the risk of depression. We discovered a common gene variant (haplotype 2, frequency 0.38) resulting in enhanced MR activity. Haplotype 2 was associated with heightened dispositional optimism in study 1 and with less hopelessness and rumination in study 2. Using data from a large genome-wide association study we then established that haplotype 2 was associated with a lower risk of depression. Interestingly, all effects were restricted to women. We propose that common functional MR haplotypes are important determinants of inter-individual variability in resilience to depression in women by differentially mediating cortisol effects on the stress system. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.

Ethologen onderzoeken het gedrag van grazers in natuurgebieden en stellen natuurbeheerders vervolgens de vraag: willen we het dier aanpassen aan de omgeving of de omgeving aan het dier?

Discomfort among rabbit, turkeys, duck, sheep and goat is surveyed and prioritized based on an expert view from animal scientists. Possible solutions for the most serious items of discomfort are mentioned 'Ongerief bij konijnen, kalkoenen, eenden, schapen en geiten is geïnventariseerd en geprioriteerd op grond van een expertview van dierwetenschappers. Voor de belangrijkste ongeriefitems worden oplossingsrichtingen aangegeven

Discomfort among rabbit, turkeys, duck, sheep and goat is surveyed and prioritized based on an expert view from animal scientists. Possible solutions for the most serious items of discomfort are mentioned

Mogelijke implicaties van de aanwezigheid van de wasbeerhond (Nyctereutes procyoniodes) in Nederland. De soort is tussen 1929 en 1955 geïntroduceerd in Europese delen van de voormalige Sovjet Unie. Uit dit literatuuronderzoek blijkt dat de wasbeerhond sinds 1990 ook in Nederland is waargenomen.

Rasechte rottweiler minder agressief door de redactie wo 24 okt 2007, 14:51 AMSTERDAM - Rottweilers met stamboom zijn minder agressief dan hun niet-raszuivere soortgenoten. Ook vertonen de rasechte rottweilers minder angstgedrag. Dat blijkt uit een onderzoek van twee dierwetenschappers van de Wageningen Universiteit. Gedragsbioloog Joanne van der Borg en epidemioloog Lisette Graat analyseerden de gegevens van 822 honden uit de totale populatie van ongeveer 14.000 rottweilers in Nederland. Rottweilers zijn in Nederland niet verboden, in tegenstelling tot pittbulls. In 2001 is in Nederland de zogenoemde Maatschappelijk Aanvaardbaar Gedrag-test ingevoerd voor potentieel agressieve honden. Plaatsing van de rottweilers op de lijst van verboden hondenrassen kon worden voorkomen door te bewijzen dat de honden voor zo'n test konden slagen. Pups van ouders die beide voor de test zijn geslaagd krijgen sindsdien een stamboom. Op dit moment is ongeveer de helft van alle rottweilers in Nederland rasecht, aldus de onderzoekers. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat ruim 7 procent van de rasechte rottweilers agressief is tegen vreemden. Bij de niet-raszuivere honden vertoont ruim 16 procent zulk gedrag. De dieren zonder stamboom zijn ook agressiever tegen andere honden, schrikken meer van geluiden en zijn banger voor vreemden. De wetenschappers stellen dat hun onderzoek bewijst dat de gedragstest zinvol is. Aangenomen kan namelijk worden, dat pups van twee geslaagde ouders zelf ook geen overmatig agressief of angstig gedrag zullen vertonen.

Rasechte rottweiler minder agressief door de redactie wo 24 okt 2007, 14:51 AMSTERDAM - Rottweilers met stamboom zijn minder agressief dan hun niet-raszuivere soortgenoten. Ook vertonen de rasechte rottweilers minder angstgedrag. Dat blijkt uit een onderzoek van twee dierwetenschappers van de Wageningen Universiteit. Gedragsbioloog Joanne van der Borg en epidemioloog Lisette Graat analyseerden de gegevens van 822 honden uit de totale populatie van ongeveer 14.000 rottweilers in Nederland. Rottweilers zijn in Nederland niet verboden, in tegenstelling tot pittbulls. In 2001 is in Nederland de zogenoemde Maatschappelijk Aanvaardbaar Gedrag-test ingevoerd voor potentieel agressieve honden. Plaatsing van de rottweilers op de lijst van verboden hondenrassen kon worden voorkomen door te bewijzen dat de honden voor zo'n test konden slagen. Pups van ouders die beide voor de test zijn geslaagd krijgen sindsdien een stamboom. Op dit moment is ongeveer de helft van alle rottweilers in Nederland rasecht, aldus de onderzoekers. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat ruim 7 procent van de rasechte rottweilers agressief is tegen vreemden. Bij de niet-raszuivere honden vertoont ruim 16 procent zulk gedrag. De dieren zonder stamboom zijn ook agressiever tegen andere honden, schrikken meer van geluiden en zijn banger voor vreemden. De wetenschappers stellen dat hun onderzoek bewijst dat de gedragstest zinvol is. Aangenomen kan namelijk worden, dat pups van twee geslaagde ouders zelf ook geen overmatig agressief of angstig gedrag zullen vertonen.

Each year, millions of dogs worldwide are abandoned by their owners, relinquished to animal shelters, and euthanised because of behaviour problems. Nutrition is rarely considered as one of the possible contributing factors of problem behaviour. This contribution presents an overview of current knowledge on the influence of nutrition on canine behaviour and explores the underlying mechanisms by which diet may affect behaviour in animals. Behaviour is regulated by neurotransmitters and hormones, and changes in the availability of their precursors may influence behaviour. Tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin, may affect the incidence of aggression, self-mutilation and stress resistance. The latter may also be influenced by dietary tyrosine, a precursor to catecholamines. As diet composition, nutrient availability and nutrient interactions affect the availability of these precursors in the brain, behaviour or stress resistance may be affected. PUFA, especially DHA, have an important role as structural constituents in brain development, and dietary supply ofn-3 andn-6 PUFA could modify aspects of the dopaminergic and serotonergic system and, consequently, cognitive performance and behaviour. Finally, persistent feeding motivation between meals can increase stereotyped behaviour and aggression and decrease resting time. This feeding motivation may be altered by dietary fibre content and source. At present, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of nutrition in canine (problem) behaviour through the above mentioned mechanisms. Studies that explore this relationship may help to improve the welfare of dogs and their owners.

Onzuivere rottweiler vaak veel agressiever door de redactie do 25 okt 2007, 04:30 AMSTERDAM - Rottweilerhonden met een stamboom vertonen minder agressief en angstig gedrag dan niet-raszuivere rottweilers. De kans op agressief gedrag is bij de zogenoemde lookalikes maar liefst twee keer zo groot en bij angst maar liefst vier keer zo groot als bij dieren met stamboom. Dat melden dierwetenschappers van de Wageningen Universiteit. Gedragsbioloog Joanne van der Borg en epidemioloog Lisette Graat analyseerden de gegevens van 822 honden uit de totale populatie van 7000 raszuivere en ongeveer evenzoveel niet-raszuivere rottweilers in Nederland. Rottweilers zijn in Nederland niet verboden, maar na een aantal bijtincidenten moeten de honden wel slagen bij de Maatschappelijk Aanvaardbaar Gedragtest. Alleen pups van ouders die beide voor de test zijn geslaagd krijgen een stamboom. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat zeven procent van de rasechte rottweilers agressief gedrag vertoont tegen vreemden. Bij de niet-raszuivere honden vertoont zestien procent zulk gedrag. De dieren zonder stamboom zijn ook agressiever tegen andere honden, schrikken meer van geluiden en zijn banger voor vreemden. De wetenschappers stellen dat het onderzoek bewijst dat de gedragstest zinvol is. Aangenomen kan namelijk worden, dat pups van twee geslaagde ouders zelf ook geen overmatig agressief of angstig gedrag zullen vertonen.

Onzuivere rottweiler vaak veel agressiever door de redactie do 25 okt 2007, 04:30 AMSTERDAM - Rottweilerhonden met een stamboom vertonen minder agressief en angstig gedrag dan niet-raszuivere rottweilers. De kans op agressief gedrag is bij de zogenoemde lookalikes maar liefst twee keer zo groot en bij angst maar liefst vier keer zo groot als bij dieren met stamboom. Dat melden dierwetenschappers van de Wageningen Universiteit. Gedragsbioloog Joanne van der Borg en epidemioloog Lisette Graat analyseerden de gegevens van 822 honden uit de totale populatie van 7000 raszuivere en ongeveer evenzoveel niet-raszuivere rottweilers in Nederland. Rottweilers zijn in Nederland niet verboden, maar na een aantal bijtincidenten moeten de honden wel slagen bij de Maatschappelijk Aanvaardbaar Gedragtest. Alleen pups van ouders die beide voor de test zijn geslaagd krijgen een stamboom. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat zeven procent van de rasechte rottweilers agressief gedrag vertoont tegen vreemden. Bij de niet-raszuivere honden vertoont zestien procent zulk gedrag. De dieren zonder stamboom zijn ook agressiever tegen andere honden, schrikken meer van geluiden en zijn banger voor vreemden. De wetenschappers stellen dat het onderzoek bewijst dat de gedragstest zinvol is. Aangenomen kan namelijk worden, dat pups van twee geslaagde ouders zelf ook geen overmatig agressief of angstig gedrag zullen vertonen.

There is an ongoing debate in The Netherlands between farmer organisations, conservationists and government about whether the health status of feral animals jeopardises the health status of domestic cattle. In this respect, BHV1 is the most prominent acute problem. Although the compulsory eradication programme for BHV1 in domestic cattle populations is suspended, eradication of BHV1 still takes place on a voluntary basis.The objective of this thesis was to study the role of Heck cattle andred deerliving in Dutch nature reserves for the possible introduction of BHV1 in domestic cattle. Therefore, the research question whether BHV1 could persist in Heck cattle andred deerpopulations had to be answered.The persistence of BHV1 in small cattle populations was studied by estimating the mean time to extinction using a stochastic model. For realistic parameter values, it was found that the mean time to extinction was already in the order of 100 years in a population of 10 animals. As the contact structure of the Heck cattle populations may influence BHV1 transmission and thus also BHV1 persistence, this contact structure was quantified using behaviour observations. It was shown that the contact structure was more limited for transmission of BHV1 in the autumn and winter-spring period than in the summer period. During summer most transmission would take place based on the number of contacts. The effect of vaccination was then studied on the dynamics and persistence of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations. Serological data of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations were combined with model simulations. From the serological data and simulations results it was clear that vaccination of a large part of the Heck cattle population decreased the seroprevalence for BHV1. It was also found that in 3 out of 20 simulated populations, BHV1 became already extinct within 15 years for the partly vaccinated populations. For thered deerpopulations it was quantified to what extent BHV1 might spread amongred deerusing two transmission experiments. It was shown thatred deercan be infected with BHV1 and excrete BHV1, but no transmission of BHV1 was observed amongred deer.From the results it could be concluded that BHV1 will persist in the Heck cattle populations if no eradication measures were taken but will not persist inred deerpopulations. However, this does not necessarily imply that, for the eradication of BHV1 in domestic cattle, eradication of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations is necessary.

There is an ongoing debate in The Netherlands between farmer organisations, conservationists and government about whether the health status of feral animals jeopardises the health status of domestic cattle. In this respect, BHV1 is the most prominent acute problem. Although the compulsory eradication programme for BHV1 in domestic cattle populations is suspended, eradication of BHV1 still takes place on a voluntary basis.The objective of this thesis was to study the role of Heck cattle andred deerliving in Dutch nature reserves for the possible introduction of BHV1 in domestic cattle. Therefore, the research question whether BHV1 could persist in Heck cattle andred deerpopulations had to be answered.The persistence of BHV1 in small cattle populations was studied by estimating the mean time to extinction using a stochastic model. For realistic parameter values, it was found that the mean time to extinction was already in the order of 100 years in a population of 10 animals. As the contact structure of the Heck cattle populations may influence BHV1 transmission and thus also BHV1 persistence, this contact structure was quantified using behaviour observations. It was shown that the contact structure was more limited for transmission of BHV1 in the autumn and winter-spring period than in the summer period. During summer most transmission would take place based on the number of contacts. The effect of vaccination was then studied on the dynamics and persistence of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations. Serological data of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations were combined with model simulations. From the serological data and simulations results it was clear that vaccination of a large part of the Heck cattle population decreased the seroprevalence for BHV1. It was also found that in 3 out of 20 simulated populations, BHV1 became already extinct within 15 years for the partly vaccinated populations. For thered deerpopulations it was quantified to what extent BHV1 might spread amongred deerusing two transmission experiments. It was shown thatred deercan be infected with BHV1 and excrete BHV1, but no transmission of BHV1 was observed amongred deer.From the results it could be concluded that BHV1 will persist in the Heck cattle populations if no eradication measures were taken but will not persist inred deerpopulations. However, this does not necessarily imply that, for the eradication of BHV1 in domestic cattle, eradication of BHV1 in the Heck cattle populations is necessary.

The gene (Cbg) encoding cortisol-binding globulin (CBG) has been proposed as a candidate gene to explain genetic variation in cortisol secretion and carcass composition in pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between CBG and pork quality in 5 European breeding lines, Pietrain, Large White (LW), and Landrace purebred lines, a Duroc synthetic line, and a Meishan (MS) x LW advanced intercross. Cortisol-binding globulin maximum binding capacity (CBG-Bmax) was twice as high (P or = 0.364) association between CBG-Bmax and carcass quality traits in Pietrain gilts, but CBG-Bmax was associated with increased loin yields in LW (P = 0.010) and Landrace (P = 0.103) gilts, decreased ham yields (P = 0.082) in Duroc gilts, and increased fat depth (P = 0.064) and leaf fat (P = 0.001) in MS x LW gilts. There was no association between CBG-Bmax and pork quality traits in Pietrain (P > or = 0.269) and Duroc (P > or = 0.114) gilts. Conversely, CBG-Bmax was associated with lighter (higher L* values; P

Piglets have difficulties with the abrupt changes at weaning associated with conventional pig production systems. Previously, it has been shown in rats that reward and announcement of reward counteracts impact of stress effects. In the present study, it was investigated if announcement of an environmental enrichment, more than enrichment alone, could facilitate play behaviour and reduce weaning-stress-induced behaviours such as increased aggression with subsequent increased injuries and increased social manipulative behaviours (i.e., tail biting, belly nosing, mounting). Twenty-four litters of conventional housed fattening piglets were kept under three different experimental conditions: sound cue (conditioned stimulus, CS) paired with an environmental enrichment (unconditioned stimulus, US) with a maximum delay between the CS and US of 30 s (CS-US paired) in which anticipatory behaviour develops; cue-environmental enrichment unpaired (CS-US unpaired) and no cue and no environmental enrichment (No CS-US). At two weeks of age the so-called,anticipation procedure' started and ended two days after weaning. Growth, play, aggressive, social manipulative, eating and inactive behaviour, and injury rates were measured before and after weaning. Results of this study indicated that announcement of enrichment and not enrichment alone significantly increased play behaviour after weaning. In addition, announcement of enrichment and to a lesser extent enrichment alone decreased aggression before and after weaning and subsequent amount of injuries after weaning. The most important finding of this study is that the effects of an expected enrichment are more pronounced than the effects of enrichment alone. It is therefore suggested that announcing enrichment has an additional effect on the impact of enrichment alone and can be used as a new tool to reduce weaning stress in piglets.

High milk production in dairy cattle can have negative side effects on health and fertility traits. This paper explores the genetic relationship of milk yield with health and fertility depending on herd environment. A total of 71,720 lactations from heifers calving in 1997 to 1999 in the Netherlands were analyzed. Herd environment was described by 4 principal components: intensity, average fertility, farm size, and relative performance indicating whether herds had good (poor) health and fertility despite a high (low) production. Fertility was evaluated by days to first service and number of inseminations (NINS); somatic cell score was used as a measure of udder health. Data were analyzed with a multitrait reaction norm model. Genetic correlation within traits across environments ranged from 0.84 to unity. Genetic correlations of the 3 traits with milk yield were antagonistic but varied over environments. Genetic correlation of milk yield with days to first service varied from 0.30 in small herds to 0.48 in herds with low average fertility. Correlations with NINS varied from 0.18 in large herds to 0.64 in high fertility herds, and with somatic cell score from 0.25 in herds with a high fertility relative to production to 0.47 in herds with a relative low fertility. Selection in environments of average value resulted in different predicted responses over environments. For example, selection for a decrease of NINS of 0.1 in an average production environment decreased milk yield by 35 kg in low production herds, but by 178 kg in high production herds.

Om te voorkomen dat koeienuiers vervuilen met aanklevende mest verwijderen veel veehouders het haar van de uiers. De bekende werkwijze is scheren, vrij nieuw is het wegschroeien van uierhaar. Studenten van het Van Hall Instituut inventariseerden, in samenwerking met onderzoekers van ASG, de diervriendelijkheid van deze methoden

Om na te gaan of voedsters behoefte hebben aan ruwvoer is een kooi met keuzemogelijkheden ontwikkeld volgens het consumer-demand model. Begin dit jaar is men gestart met een eerste ronde, waarin voedsters konden kiezen tussen drie soorten ruwvoer. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op dit onderzoek

Om na te gaan of voedsters behoefte hebben aan ruwvoer is een kooi met keuzemogelijkheden ontwikkeld volgens het consumer-demand model. Begin dit jaar is men gestart met een eerste ronde, waarin voedsters konden kiezen tussen drie soorten ruwvoer. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op dit onderzoek

The objective of the current study was to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations among feather pecking (FP) behavior and stress response, immune response, and egg quality parameters. These traits have been measured in an F-2 cross, coming from a cross between a high and a low FP line of laying hens. Heritabilities (h 2) of stress response (32 wk), primary immune response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (36 wk) and Mycobacterium butyricum (39 wk), and egg quality parameters (35, 44, and 50 wk of age) were calculated. The h 2 was 0.05 +/- 0.05 (SE) for stress response, 0.15 +/- 0.07 for antibody response to KLH, and 0.08 +/- 0.06 for antibody response to M. butyricum. The h 2 for egg quality traits were in the range of 0.12 to 0.30. Significant phenotypic correlations were found between gentle FP in adult hens and stress response, egg weight at 44 and 50 wk, and egg deformation at 50 wk. Significant additive genetic correlations were found between severe FP in adult hens and antibody response to KLH (0.79 +/- 0.35), and between ground pecking in adult hens and egg deformation at 50 wk (0.63 +/- 0.26), and between ground pecking and eggshell strength at 35, 44, and 50 wk of age (-0.86 +/- 0.29, -0.81 +/- 0.20, -0.76 +/- 0.24, respectively).

Line differences for open-field behavior in chickens have been observed, and it has been shown that this behavior has a genetic component. The aim of this study was to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in open-field behavior. For this purpose, open-field behavior was studied at 5 and 29 weeks of age in F(2) hens coming from an intercross between two commercial White Leghorn laying lines selected for egg production traits. Latencies, durations, and frequencies of general activity (sitting, standing, walking, and stepping), defecation, and vocalizations were recorded individually for each bird, and a factor score was calculated. All animals (F(0), F(1), and F(2)) were screened with 180 microsatellite markers. Regression interval mapping was applied using both a paternal half-sib analysis and a line-cross analysis method. For general activity at 5 weeks of age, a significant QTL was detected on GGA4 and a suggestive QTL on GGA2 under the line-cross model. For general activity at 29 weeks of age, a significant QTL was detected on GGA4 and two suggestive QTLs were detected on GGA1 and on GGA10, respectively, also using the line-cross analysis. The QTL on GGA4 at 5 weeks of age did not overlap with the QTL on GGA4 at 29 weeks of age. The current study indicated that open-field behavior in young chickens was regulated by QTL that differ from the QTL for open-field behavior in adult chickens.

Stadskippen of kippen die verwilderen in de omgeving van mensen kunnen een probleem vormen. Zo bezorgde een populatie verwilderde kippen in de omgeving van het Amsterdamse Amstelpark zoveel overlast dat de gemeente besloot dieren weg te vangen. Een groep verontruste burgers richtte daarop de Werkgroep Park en Fauna op om zich te verzetten tegen deze, in hun ogen weinig duurzame manier van beheer. Immers, de populatie zou zeker weer toenemen. De werkgroep vroeg de Wetenschapswinkel meer duurzame en diervriendelijke beheersmethoden aan te reiken. De onderzoekers doen literatuuronderzoek naar de geschiedenis van de kip in de westerse samenleving en naar de leefwijze van wilde kippen. Aan de hand van twee voorbeelden (het Amstelpark en het industrieterrein van Alkmaar) schetsen zij vervolgens een aantal beheers-technieken. Zij onderscheiden in hun rapport de volgende mogelijkheden om overlast tegen te gaan: (i) het voorkómen van vrijlopende populaties (tegengaan dat mensen kippen vrijlaten door bijvoorbeeld voorlichting of verbodsbepalingen); (ii) het belemmeren van de voortplanting door eimanipulatie (bijvoorbeeld het schudden of lekprikken van eieren zodat deze niet meer uitkomen). Wel moet daarbij nestmogelijkheid wordt aangeboden om controle en manipulatie mogelijk te maken; (iii) slechts in noodgevallen gebruik maken van 'curatieve' maatregelen, zoals wegvangen van kippen en het tegengaan van het voederen van kippen op ongewenste plekken door de bevolking.Wet- en regelgeving bieden nauwelijks aanknopingspunten om het probleem met wilde kippenpopulaties op te lossen. Wel kunnen gemeentes die dit probleem serieus willen aanpakken, onderzoeken welke van de genoemde maatregelen voor de eigen gemeente het beste zijn en vervolgens een beheersplan opstellen, voorzien van budget

There are indications that pigs may have difficulty in adapting to the constraints of intensive housing conditions. Pigs show a wide variation in adaptive responses when exposed to the same stressful situation. Aim of this thesis was to investigate whether the behavioural coping responses of young piglets reflect and predict more general profiles of reactivity to challenges, often referred to as coping styles, under different rearing and housing conditions. For this purpose, pigs were characterized early in life as `high-resisting` (HR) or `low-resisting` (LR) on the basis of their resistance response in a so-called Backtest, in which they were manually restrained in supine position. The major part of the thesis focused on the interaction between these individual coping characteristics of pigs and their housing environment, which was either barren or enriched with straw bedding. The experiments described in this thesis show that HR pigs are more aggressive than LR pigs and less flexible in adapting their behaviour to environmental changes. As the two types of pig differed in response to the dopamine-agonist apomorphine, some initial evidence is provided for a neurochemical background of these behavioural differences. In addition, individual coping or personality characteristics of pigs were reflected in immune reactivity and in their home pen behaviour in barren and enriched environments. HR and LR pigs adapted differently to barren housing conditions. Moreover, individual characteristics modulated the effects of rearing and housing conditions on the behavioural response to novelty, immune reactivity, prevalence of gastric lesions and behavioural development. Remarkably, for almost all of the variables that were affected by housing environment, the impact was much larger for LR than for HR pigs. Thus, individual characteristics of pigs affect their performance in different environments and should be taken into account when studying the impact of housing on their behaviour and welfare. The knowledge of individual coping or personality characteristics could be extended and used for finding the optimal match between pigs and their social and physical environment in pig husbandry.

Broilers are chickens kept commercially under intensive husbandry conditions for poultry meat production. They grow to a slaughterweight of approximately 2.2 kg in 6 weeks. Broilers show a pronounced decrease in behavioural activity during their short life. The aim of this thesis was to gain more insight into the influence of both motivation and ability on behavioural activity in broilers. The distinction between motivation and ability is relevant for the interpretation of behavioural activity in broilers in terms of welfare. Broilers were observed when kept in pens with good facilities and in several ex situ tests where they had to work for food. Broilers showed all normal juvenile chicken behaviours, but the time spenton each behaviourhas changed. Many behavioural patterns were shown in a sitting posture instead of in a standing posture. Performance in short physical tasks depended on motivation and physical ability. Hunger and satiety mechanisms have changed compared to layer chickens, but the motivation to work for food still can be manipulated in broilers. Broilers are willing to peck a key many times or to walk long distances to obtain food rewards, but their performance seemed to be dependent on body weight. Apart from having an abnormal high motivation to eat, broilers are normal biologically functioning animals. Parallel to the effect of overweight on the quality of life in humans, the abnormal high body weight at a young age has a negative impact on the welfare of broilers. Broilers are restricted to display behaviours for which they are motivated imposed by their high motivation to eat, which is associated with their fast growth and high body weight at young age, or by environmental conditions in which they are usually kept.

The behavioral response of piglets in a backtest early in life seems indicative of their coping strategy at a later age. Coping characteristics may depend on the interaction between backtest classification and housing conditions. We studied whether growth rate and partitioning of energy in adult gilts were related to response in the backtest early in life, and to housing in groups or individual stalls. During the suckling period, female piglets were subjected to the backtest. Each piglet was restrained on its back for 1 min, and the number of escape attempts was scored. Thirty-six high-resisting gilts and 36 low-resisting gilts were selected. After weaning, pigs were housed in 12 groups of six (three high-resisting and three low-resisting). From 7 mo of age onward, 36 gilts out of six groups were housed in individual stalls, whereas the other gilts remained group housed. At 13 mo of age, gilts were housed in clusters of three (three high-resisting or three low-resisting) for an experimental period of 7 d in climatic respiration chambers. Group-housed gilts were loose housed, and stall-housed gilts were housed in stalls within the chamber. Despite the fact that high-resisting and low-resisting gilts did not differ (P = 0. 269) in initial BW, low-resisting gilts showed a higher (P = 0.039) ADG during the experimental period in association with a higher (P = 0.043) energy metabolizability. This suggests that, in line with the theory on coping strategies, high-resisting gilts may have more difficulties in adapting to a change in environment, (i.e., the change from home pen to climatic chamber). Group-and stall-housed gilts differed (P = 0.001) in initial BW, with group-housed gilts being heavier. During the experimental period, stall-housed gilts showed lower energy metabolizability (P = 0.001), lower energy retention (P = 0.001), and a higher energy requirement for maintenance (P = 0. 001) due to a higher activity-related heat production (P = 0.001). This finding suggests that stall housing might have a negative influence on performance and partitioning of energy when animals are adapting to a change in their environment.

There are indications that pigs may have difficulty in adapting to the constraints of intensive housing conditions. Pigs show a wide variation in adaptive responses when exposed to the same stressful situation. Aim of this thesis was to investigate whether the behavioural coping responses of young piglets reflect and predict more general profiles of reactivity to challenges, often referred to as coping styles, under different rearing and housing conditions. For this purpose, pigs were characterized early in life as `high-resisting` (HR) or `low-resisting` (LR) on the basis of their resistance response in a so-called Backtest, in which they were manually restrained in supine position. The major part of the thesis focused on the interaction between these individual coping characteristics of pigs and their housing environment, which was either barren or enriched with straw bedding. The experiments described in this thesis show that HR pigs are more aggressive than LR pigs and less flexible in adapting their behaviour to environmental changes. As the two types of pig differed in response to the dopamine-agonist apomorphine, some initial evidence is provided for a neurochemical background of these behavioural differences. In addition, individual coping or personality characteristics of pigs were reflected in immune reactivity and in their home pen behaviour in barren and enriched environments. HR and LR pigs adapted differently to barren housing conditions. Moreover, individual characteristics modulated the effects of rearing and housing conditions on the behavioural response to novelty, immune reactivity, prevalence of gastric lesions and behavioural development. Remarkably, for almost all of the variables that were affected by housing environment, the impact was much larger for LR than for HR pigs. Thus, individual characteristics of pigs affect their performance in different environments and should be taken into account when studying the impact of housing on their behaviour and welfare. The knowledge of individual coping or personality characteristics could be extended and used for finding the optimal match between pigs and their social and physical environment in pig husbandry.

Stadskippen of kippen die verwilderen in de omgeving van mensen kunnen een probleem vormen. Zo bezorgde een populatie verwilderde kippen in de omgeving van het Amsterdamse Amstelpark zoveel overlast dat de gemeente besloot dieren weg te vangen. Een groep verontruste burgers richtte daarop de Werkgroep Park en Fauna op om zich te verzetten tegen deze, in hun ogen weinig duurzame manier van beheer. Immers, de populatie zou zeker weer toenemen. De werkgroep vroeg de Wetenschapswinkel meer duurzame en diervriendelijke beheersmethoden aan te reiken. De onderzoekers doen literatuuronderzoek naar de geschiedenis van de kip in de westerse samenleving en naar de leefwijze van wilde kippen. Aan de hand van twee voorbeelden (het Amstelpark en het industrieterrein van Alkmaar) schetsen zij vervolgens een aantal beheers-technieken. Zij onderscheiden in hun rapport de volgende mogelijkheden om overlast tegen te gaan: (i) het voorkómen van vrijlopende populaties (tegengaan dat mensen kippen vrijlaten door bijvoorbeeld voorlichting of verbodsbepalingen); (ii) het belemmeren van de voortplanting door eimanipulatie (bijvoorbeeld het schudden of lekprikken van eieren zodat deze niet meer uitkomen). Wel moet daarbij nestmogelijkheid wordt aangeboden om controle en manipulatie mogelijk te maken; (iii) slechts in noodgevallen gebruik maken van 'curatieve' maatregelen, zoals wegvangen van kippen en het tegengaan van het voederen van kippen op ongewenste plekken door de bevolking.Wet- en regelgeving bieden nauwelijks aanknopingspunten om het probleem met wilde kippenpopulaties op te lossen. Wel kunnen gemeentes die dit probleem serieus willen aanpakken, onderzoeken welke van de genoemde maatregelen voor de eigen gemeente het beste zijn en vervolgens een beheersplan opstellen, voorzien van budget

From 26 to 28 May 2004 an international seminar was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands, about current knowledge and advice on rodent management on organic pig and poultry farms in Western Europe. This paper summarizes the discussions. Rodent management is necessary to protect the food production chain from health hazards to livestock and humans. Some organic farmers prefer biological rodent control, but since rodents can also transmit diseases this bears certain risks for the production of healthy livestock and safe food. Effective rodent management requires a thorough understanding of the biology of the pest species concerned. These can be divided into two groups: field rodents, such as voles, and commensal rodents like house mice and rats. The objective of managing field rodents is to minimize livestock exposure to these vectors, and to regulate their populations in case their density is expected to grow dramatically. Infestation of livestock facilities with commensal rodents can be prevented, but once they are present, their eradication must be aimed for. General elements of rodent management are (1) the prevention of rodent infestations through strategic actions such as modifying the habitat or rodent proofing of the buildings, (2) monitoring their appearance and population density, and (3) rodent control measures. A number of possible management actions is described to provide a basis for examining the measures' social acceptability, their economic and environmental impacts, and their efficacy.

Increasing milk yields in modern dairy cows cause concern that high yield may impair the cows' health and welfare, for example, via negative effects on metabolic status and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) function. This study aims to investigate whether a high level of milk production, and the associated metabolic status, affects HPA function in dairy cows and changes their adaptive capacity. Additionally, it aims to establish whether possible effects of milk production level only show under challenging conditions. Holstein-Friesian cows, which produced on average 11,443 and 7727 kg of fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM)/305 d in their previous lactation, were compared. During the dry period, the cows were fed to requirements or overfed. High milk yield and the concomitant large energy deficit were associated with 1) increased pituitary (re)activity, i.e., increased ACTH baseline concentrations and higher ACTH concentrations after corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) administration, and 2) decreased adrenocortical reactivity, i.e., lower cortisol responses after ACTH administration. Although significant, the effects of milk production level on HPA function were relatively small. Animals showed seemingly normal hormonal responses to CRH and ACTH administration. Also, cortisol baseline concentrations were unaffected. It seems, therefore, unlikely that the adaptive capacity of the high-producing cows was significantly impaired compared with their low-producing herdmates.

Feather pecking is a major welfare and economic problem in laying hens. It is characterised by pecking at- and pulling out of feathers of conspecifics. A bird's propensity to develop feather pecking may be related with other behavioural characteristics, such as reaction to frustration (the omission of expected reward) and social motivation. Furthermore, differences in feather pecking between lines indicate that genetic background plays an important role.In this thesis, the relationship between feather pecking and other behavioural characteristics was studied in two lines that differed in feather pecking behaviour: the high (HFP) and low (LFP) feather pecking lines. The importance of the social environment was evaluated in an experiment where different tests to measure feather pecking were compared. Furthermore, the reaction to frustration was studied in these lines and it was studied whether frustration can facilitate feather pecking directly. In a behaviour genetics study, it was studied whether behavioural traits measured at young age were predictive of feather pecking at adult age.It was found that the social environment plays an important role in the development of feather pecking. Pecking at a bunch of feathers in an individual context is not comparable with feather pecking in a social group. Although HFP and LFP lines showed differences in reaction to frustration, short-term frustration in a Skinnerbox could not facilitate feather pecking. Finally open-field behaviour at young age was found to be predictive of pecking behaviour at adult age. These results were used to develop a model on the relationship between feather pecking and other behavioural characteristics, that may be helpful to solve the problem of feather pecking in laying hens.

Feather pecking is a major welfare and economic problem in laying hens. It is characterised by pecking at- and pulling out of feathers of conspecifics. A bird's propensity to develop feather pecking may be related with other behavioural characteristics, such as reaction to frustration (the omission of expected reward) and social motivation. Furthermore, differences in feather pecking between lines indicate that genetic background plays an important role.In this thesis, the relationship between feather pecking and other behavioural characteristics was studied in two lines that differed in feather pecking behaviour: the high (HFP) and low (LFP) feather pecking lines. The importance of the social environment was evaluated in an experiment where different tests to measure feather pecking were compared. Furthermore, the reaction to frustration was studied in these lines and it was studied whether frustration can facilitate feather pecking directly. In a behaviour genetics study, it was studied whether behavioural traits measured at young age were predictive of feather pecking at adult age.It was found that the social environment plays an important role in the development of feather pecking. Pecking at a bunch of feathers in an individual context is not comparable with feather pecking in a social group. Although HFP and LFP lines showed differences in reaction to frustration, short-term frustration in a Skinnerbox could not facilitate feather pecking. Finally open-field behaviour at young age was found to be predictive of pecking behaviour at adult age. These results were used to develop a model on the relationship between feather pecking and other behavioural characteristics, that may be helpful to solve the problem of feather pecking in laying hens.