Investigating the motivation to play in lambs

Chapagain, Durga; Uvnäs‐Moberg, Kerstin; Lidfors, Lena

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2014.08.004

Cited by 14 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For instance, asymmetric ear positions were assessed for the first time in cattle in this study and were more frequent during brushing suggesting that further studies of such asymmetries in cattle may be justified. Previously in sheep (in experimental set ups) an asymmetric ear posture was associated with sudden and negative stimuli [ 10 , 11 ], but it has also been shown in positive situations such as play [ 28 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Routine activities and emotion in the life of dairy cows: Integrating body language into an affective state framework

Oliveira

Keeling

2018

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We assessed dairy cows’ body postures while they were performing different stationary activities in a loose housing system and then used the variation within and between individuals to identify potential connections between specific postures and the valence and arousal dimensions of emotion. We observed 72 individuals within a single milking herd focusing on their ear, neck and tail positions while they were: feeding from individual roughage bins, being brushed by a mechanical rotating brush and queuing to enter a single automatic milking system. Cows showed different ear, neck and tail postures depending on the situation. When combined, their body posture during feeding was ears back up and neck down, with tail wags directed towards the body, during queuing their ears were mainly axial and forward, their neck below the horizontal and the tail hanging stationary, and during brushing their ears were backwards and asymmetric, the neck horizontal and the tail wagging vigorously. We then placed these findings about cow body posture during routine activities into an arousal/valence framework used in animal emotion research (dimensional model of core affect). In this way we generate a priori predictions of how the positions of the ears, neck and tail of cows may change in other situations, previously demonstrated to vary in valence and arousal. We propose that this new methodology, with its different steps of integration, could contribute to the identification and validation of behavioural (postural) indicators of how positively or negatively cows experience other activities, or situations, and how calm or aroused they are. Although developed here on dairy cattle, by focusing on relevant postures, this approach could be easily adapted to other species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Routine activities and emotion in the life of dairy cows: Integrating body language into an affective state framework

Oliveira

Keeling

2018

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a previous study, it was found that lambs expressed play behaviours when being moved from their pens to a larger arena containing enrichment objects (Chapagain et al, 2014). Male lambs engage more in social play compared to females (Sasch and Harris, 1978;Dwyer, 2009), and a previous study has shown that female lambs have the ability to form anticipation for forthcoming rewards .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Behavioural expression of positive anticipation for food or opportunity to play in lambs

Yngvesson

Boissy

Uvnäs‐Moberg

et al. 2015

Behavioural Processes

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…After about the first week of life, lambs form play groups (Morgan & Arnold 1974), and sex differences become apparent. Males tend to play more aggressively, headbutting and mounting each other (Chapagain et al 2014;Orgeuer et al 1984); females tend to engage in more locomotor play, such as gamboling and frolicking. Both perform exaggerated and exuberant body movements like "bucking," spinning, and whirling around (Spinka et al 2001).…”

Section: Mother-offspring Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%