A feed delivery system for the study of choice behavior in cows

Cate, L.R.; Mullord, M.M.; Temple, William Johnson; Matthews, Lindsay R.

doi:10.3758/bf03205086

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…2. The work of Hollard andDavison (1971) andMiller (1976) has been partially replicated, showing that concurrent VI schedules may provide a useful technique for the quantitative analysis of food preferences in the dairy cow, particularly when measures unconfounded by the postingestional consequences are needed (Cate et al, 1978). Other research in this laboratory using medicated molasses lick-blocks has shown that consistent values of ql/q2 markedly different from 1.00 are obtainable.…”

Section: Discussion Equation 2 With C Constant or Equationmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Concurrent Schedule Assessment of Food Preference in Cows

Matthews

Temple

1979

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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115

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Six dairy cows (Bos taurus) were trained on several pairs of concurrent variable-interval schedules with different types of food available on each alternative. The required response was a plate press made by the animal's muzzle. Performance generally replicated that found with other species. The generalized matching law accounted for the preference data, showing that food preference could be quantitatively analyzed as a special case of response bias. The preference functions showed that the response- and time-allocation ratios were not as extreme as obtained reinforcement rate ratios (undermatching).

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Section: Discussion Equation 2 With C Constant or Equationmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Two square nose-plates, .10 m by .10 m, were mounted .67 m apart on a dual feeddelivery unit (Cate, Mullord, Temple, & Matthews, 1978). The unit was .45 m wide by .90 m long by .80 m high.…”

Section: Apparatusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concurrent Schedule Assessment of Food Preference in Cows

Matthews

Temple

1979

J Exper Analysis Behavior

Self Cite

115

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“…A feed delivery unit with two hoppers, described in detail by Cate, Mullord, Temple, and Matthews (1978), permitted the presentation of equal volumes of two foods. The foods presented in this study were commercially produced crushed barley and meatmeal.…”

Section: Apparatusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concurrent‐schedule Performance in Dairy Cows: Persistent Undermatching

Foster

Temple

Robertson

et al. 1996

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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Performance of dairy cows responding under concurrent variable-interval variable-interval schedules of food delivery was examined, with results analyzed in terms of the generalized matching equation. In Experiment 1, bias measures indicated that crushed barley was preferred over meatmeal when these foods were available under the alternative schedules. For whole-session data, substantial undermatching of response and time-allocation ratios to obtained reinforcement ratios was evident. Postreinforcement pause time ratios approximately matched obtained reinforcement rates. Subtracting these times from total time-allocation values yielded net time-allocation ratios that undermatched obtained reinforcement ratios to a greater degree than did whole-session time-allocation ratios. In Experiment 2, substantial undermatching was evident when the same foods (hay for 2 cows, crushed barley for 2 others) were available under the alternative schedules. Food-related activities and other defined behavior not related to food were quantified by direct observation, and were found to occupy a substantial proportion (roughly 40% to 80%) of experimental sessions. Subtracting the time spent in these activities from the time allocated to each component schedule did not reduce the degree of undermatching obtained. Across all conditions in both experiments, slopes of regression lines relating behavioral outputs to environmental inputs characteristically were below 0.6, which agrees with prior findings and suggests that, contrary to suggestions in the literature, undermatching in dairy cows is not the result of using different foods under alternative schedules or differential pausing under those schedules.

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“…The key was backlighted with either a red or a white bulb. Subjects received feed from a feed bucket delivered to the subject via a pneumatic ram (Cate et al, 1978), which was controlled either manually or by computer. Initial behavior was shaped by manually providing access to rolled barley in the feed magazine as responses gradually came closer to breaking the light beam (i.e., successive approximations).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operant analysis of chronic locoweed intoxication in sheep.

Pfister

Stegelmeier

Cheney

et al. 1996

Journal of Animal Science

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Five sheep were fed a 10% locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) pellet or alfalfa pellets for 3- to 5-wk periods to determine the effects of intermittent locoweed ingestion on operant responding; three controls were fed alfalfa pellets for 22 wk. Sheep were trained to respond to a multiple schedule with a fixed ratio (FR) 5 and fixed interval (FI) 50 s as major elements; performance was reinforced with rolled barley. Locoweed-treated sheep decreased (P < .05) FR response rate after 4 wk of locoweed feeding, but this decrease first appeared during the first recovery period (wk 6). The FR response rate of intoxicated sheep did not return to baseline during the remainder of the study and differed from controls during most of the study. Controls did not deviate (P > .05) from their FR baseline except during wk 2. Sheep did not stabilize on the FI component. As locoweed-treated sheep became progressively more intoxicated, they altered their pattern of FR responses, with longer post-reinforcement pauses, and a slower overall FR rate. Intoxicated sheep ingested an average of .21 mg swainsonine.kg-1.d-1. Overt signs of intoxication were noted when two sheep were stressed on wk 17. These two sheep had neuroviseral vacuolation typical of locoweed poisoning, whereas the three remaining locoweed-treated sheep that were euthanatized 5 wk later showed little histologic evidence of intoxication. Our findings indicate that "on-off" or cyclic grazing of locoweed ranges should be approached cautiously. Such a grazing program may be feasible because of the rapid resolution of histologic pathology; however, an initial toxic insult of 4 wk seems to be excessive, even at low doses, because sheep may exhibit persistent behavioral abnormalities that require > 6 wk to resolve.

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A feed delivery system for the study of choice behavior in cows

Abstract: A feed delivery system for the study of choice behavior in cows is described. Supportive data are provided for six dairy cows exposed to two-alternative, concurrent variable-interval schedules.Air cylind~r.

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

Concurrent Schedule Assessment of Food Preference in Cows

Concurrent Schedule Assessment of Food Preference in Cows

Concurrent‐schedule Performance in Dairy Cows: Persistent Undermatching

Operant analysis of chronic locoweed intoxication in sheep.

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