Inferring resource use from functional area presence in a small, single-flock of chickens in a mobile barn.

In poultry behavior research, the reliance on presence data to estimate actual resource usage has substantially increased with the advent of tracking technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and image-based systems. Although such widely used technologies are fundamentally designed for presence tracking, many studies claim to use them to investigate actual resource usage. This study investigates whether the duration of chickens' presence near key resources accurately reflects their actual usage. To this end, we analyzed 210 ten-min video sequences from 5 days of recordings of 21 chickens, focusing on their proximity to and use of 6 key resources in a mobile poultry barn. Human observers manually assessed the durations of proximity-presence in defined functional areas of interest-and resource use for each individual in the video sequences. Significant correlations (Spearman's coefficient 0.83-1) were found for most resources, except the pophole (Rho = -0.30). Usage-to-presence ratios varied: perches exceeded 87%, feeder and enrichments around 66%, drinker 50%, and pophole 10%. Our findings highlight that mere proximity to resources does not always guarantee their effective use. We emphasize the need for careful interpretation of data from tracking technologies, acknowledging the distinction between mere proximity and actual resource use. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and varied conditions to ensure broader applicability.

Setting the stage to tag "n" track: a guideline for implementing, validating and reporting a radio frequency identification system for monitoring resource visit behavior in poultry.

Passive radio frequency identification (RFID) can advance poultry behavior research by enabling automated, individualized, longitudinal, in situ, and noninvasive monitoring; these features can usefully extend traditional approaches to animal behavior monitoring. Furthermore, since the technology can provide insight into the visiting patterns of tagged animals at functional resources (e.g., feeders), it can be used to investigate individuals' welfare, social position, and decision-making. However, the lack of guidelines that would facilitate implementing an RFID system for such investigations, describing it, and establishing its validity undermines this technology's potential for advancing poultry science. This paper aims to fill this gap by 1) providing a nontechnical overview of how RFID functions; 2) providing an overview of the practical applications of RFID technology in poultry sciences; 3) suggesting a roadmap for implementing an RFID system in poultry behavior research; 4) reviewing how validation studies of RFID systems have been done in farm animal behavior research, with a focus on terminologies and procedures for quantifying reliability and validity; and 5) suggesting a way to report on an RFID system deployed for animal behavior monitoring. This guideline is aimed mainly at animal scientists, RFID component manufacturers, and system integrators who wish to deploy RFID system as an automated tool for monitoring poultry behavior for research purposes. For such a particular application, it can complement indications in classic general standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 18000-63) and provide ideas for setting up, testing, and validating an RFID system and a standard for reporting on its adequacy and technical aspects.

Endocannabinoid administration affects taste preference and the expression of cannabinoid and opioid receptors in the amygdala of early lactating cows.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of intraperitoneal N-arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) on taste preference for feed and water, tongue taste receptor signalling (TAS1R2, GNAT3), and endocannabinoid (CNR1, CNR2, GPR55) and opioid (OPRD1, OPRK1, OPRM1, OPRL1) receptors in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens in periparturient cows. We conducted taste preference tests using unaltered, umami-tasting, and sweet-tasting water and feed, before and after calving. After calving, eight cows received AEA injections (3 µg/(kg bodyweight × day), 25 days), whereas eight control (CON) cows received saline injections. Tissue was sampled 30 days after calving. Before calving, both cow groups preferred sweet-tasting feed and umami-tasting water. After calving, only the AEA-treated group preferred sweet-tasting feed, whereas the CON group showed no clear taste preference. In the amygdala, the mRNA expression of CNR1, OPRD1 (left hemisphere) and OPRK1 (right hemisphere) was lower in AEA animals than in CON animals, whereas no differences were found in the nucleus accumbens and tongue taste receptor expression. In conclusion, AEA administration enhanced existing taste preferences and reduced the expression of specific endocannabinoid and opioid receptors in the amygdala. The results support endocannabinoid-opioid interactions in the control of taste-dependent feed preference in early lactating cows.

Personality traits affect learning performance in dwarf goats (Capra hircus).

A wide range of species exhibit time- and context-consistent interindividual variation in a number of specific behaviors related to an individual's personality. Several studies have shown that individual differences in personality-associated behavioral traits have an impact on cognitive abilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and learning abilities in dwarf goats. The behavior of 95 goats during a repeated open field (OF) and novel object test (NO) was analyzed, and two main components were identified using principal component analysis: boldness and activity. In parallel, the goats learned a 4-choice visual initial discrimination task (ID) and three subsequent reversal learning (RL) tasks. The number of animals that reached the learning criterion and the number of trials needed (TTC) in each task were calculated. Our results show that goats with the lowest learning performance in ID needed more TTC in RL1 and reached the learning criterion less frequently in RL2 and RL3 compared to animals with better learning performance in ID. This suggests a close relationship between initial learning and flexibility in learning behavior. To study the link between personality and learning, we conducted two analyses, one using only data from the first OF- and NO-test (momentary personality traits), while the other included both tests integrating only animals that were stable for their specific trait (stable personality traits). No relationship between personality and learning was found using data from only the first OF- and NO-test. However, stability in the trait boldness was found to have an effect on learning. Unbold goats outperformed bold goats in RL1. This finding supports the general hypothesis that bold animals tend to develop routines and show less flexibility in the context of learning than unbold individuals. Understanding how individual personality traits can affect cognitive abilities will help us gain insight into mechanisms that can constrain cognitive processing and adaptive behavioral responses.

Learned control of urinary reflexes in cattle to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Indiscriminate voiding of excreta by cattle contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil and water contamination1,2. Emissions are higher in animal-friendly husbandry offering cattle more space2 - a trade-off we call the 'climate killer conundrum'. Voiding in a specific location (latrine) would help resolve this dilemma by allowing ready capture and treatment of excreta under more spacious farming conditions. For urination, toileting requires self-control and coordination of a complex chain of behaviors including awareness of bladder fullness, overriding of excretory reflexes, selection of a latrine and intentional relaxation of the external urethral sphincter3. Attempts to train toileting in cattle have so far been only partly successful4-6, even though their excretion and associated neurophysiological control are similar to those in species capable of toileting3. Similarly, very young infants have been considered incapable of self-initiated voiding, but they can be taught with extensive training7. Using a backward chaining, reward-based training procedure, we here show that cattle can control their micturition reflex and use a latrine for urination. Such self-control provides evidence that animals can learn to respond to and reveal internal experiences via appropriately trained operant behaviors, thereby providing another way to explore their subjective states.

The effect of age on discrimination learning and self-control in a marshmallow test for pigs.

Both humans and nonhuman animals need to show self-control and wait for a larger or better reward instead of a smaller or less preferred but instant reward on an everyday basis. We investigated whether this ability undergoes ontogenetic development in domestic pigs (similar to what is known in human infants) by testing if and for how long nine- and 16-week-old pigs wait for a larger amount of their preferred reward. In a delay-of-gratification task, animals first learned that a small reward was hidden under a white cup and a large reward under a black cup, and then the delay to deliver the large reward was gradually increased. The results show that older pigs could wait longer for a larger reward than younger pigs (10.6 ± 1.3 s vs. 5.2 ± 1.5 s), thereby confirming our hypothesis of ontogenetic development of self-control in pigs. This self-control is likely to be regulated by the behavioural inhibition system and associated systems. Self-control or, more specifically the lack of it may be involved in the development of abnormal behaviours, not only in humans but also in animals. Therefore, research on self-control in decision-making might provide a new perspective on abnormal behaviours in captive animals.

Hemispheric Specialization for Processing the Communicative and Emotional Content of Vocal Communication in a Social Mammal, the Domestic Pig.

In humans, speech perception is lateralized, with the left hemisphere of the brain dominant in processing the communicative content and the right hemisphere dominant in processing the emotional content. However, still little is known about such a division of tasks in other species. We therefore investigated lateralized processing of communicative and emotionally relevant calls in a social mammal, the pig (Sus scrofa). Based on the contralateral connection between ears and hemispheres, we compared the behavioural and cardiac responses of 36 young male pigs during binaural and monaural (left or right) playback to the same sounds. The playback stimuli were calls of social isolation and physical restraint, whose communicative and emotional relevance, respectively, were validated prior to the test by acoustic analyses and during binaural playbacks. There were indications of lateralized processing mainly in the initial detection (left head-turn bias, indicating right hemispheric dominance) of the more emotionally relevant restraint calls. Conversely, there were indications of lateralized processing only in the appraisal (increased attention during playback to the right ear) of the more communicative relevant isolation calls. This implies differential involvement of the hemispheres in the auditory processing of vocalizations in pigs and thereby hints at similarities in the auditory processing of vocal communication in non-human animals and speech in humans. Therefore, these findings provide interesting new insight in the evolution of human language and auditory lateralization.

How can Cattle be Toilet Trained? Incorporating Reflexive Behaviours into a Behavioural Chain.

Untrained cattle do not defecate or urinate in defined locations. The toilet training of cattle would allow urine and faeces to be separated and stored, reducing climate-damaging emissions and improving animal health. In a proof-of-concept study, we evaluated a novel protocol for toilet training in cattle. Five heifer calves (and yoked controls) were trained in the voluntary (operant) behaviours of a toileting chain. Then, reflexive urinating responses were incorporated into the chain, with toileting signalled by a tactile (vibratory) stimulus. On 95% of occasions, the calves inhibited/interrupted urination when receiving the stimulus, and on 65% of these occasions, reinitiated urination in the latrine. Furthermore, during 63% of urinations in the latrine, the calves oriented to the reward location before any food was delivered, providing additional evidence that calves can be successfully toilet trained with food rewards. Yoked controls failed to learn most of the operant elements and all the reflexive responses of toilet training. The results show that reflexive behaviours can be incorporated into voluntary toileting sequences with cattle and extend the range of species that can be toilet trained. Future refinement of the protocol to allow training under practical farm conditions offers the potential to mitigate climate damage and improve animal health.

Conditionability of 'voluntary' and 'reflexive-like' behaviors, with special reference to elimination behavior in cattle.

Typically, cattle urinate and defecate with little or no control over time and place. The resulting excreta contributes to a range of adverse effects on the environment and the animals themselves. These adverse effects could be substantially ameliorated if livestock could be toilet trained. Toilet training requires an animal to suppress impending voiding (a reflexive-like behavior), move to a latrine (voluntary behavior) and reinitiate voiding. Here, we review the neurophysiological processes and learning mechanisms regulating toileting. The suppression and initiation of voiding occur primarily via the coordinated activity of smooth and striated anal and urinary sphincter muscles. The autonomic and somatic nervous systems, along with central processes, regulate these muscles. In several mammalian species, voluntary control of the sphincters has been demonstrated using classical and/or operant conditioning. In this review, we demonstrate that the neurophysiological and behavioral regulation of voiding in cattle is likely to be similarly conditionable. The management of excreta deposition in cattle could have major benefits for reducing livestock greenhouse gas emissions and improving animal health/welfare.

Assessing animal individuality: links between personality and laterality in pigs.

Animal individuality is challenging to explain because individual differences are regulated by multiple selective forces that lead to unique combinations of characteristics. For instance, the study of personality, a core aspect of individuality, may benefit from integrating other factors underlying individual differences, such as lateralized cerebral processing. Indeed, the approach-withdrawal hypothesis (the left hemisphere controls approach behavior, the right hemisphere controls withdrawal behavior), may account for differences in boldness or exploration between left and right hemispheric dominant individuals. To analyze the relationships between personality and laterality we tested 80 male piglets with established laterality patterns for 2 motor functions (tail curling direction and the side of the snout used for manipulation) and a combined classification integrating both motor functions using cluster analysis. We analyzed basal salivary testosterone and cortisol along with their behavior in standardized tests as pre-established indicators of different personality traits (Boldness, Exploration, Activity, Sociability, and Coping). We found that the direction of the single motor biases showed significant associations with few personality traits. However, the combined laterality classification showed more, and more robust, significant associations with different personality traits compared with the single motor biases. These results supported the approach-withdrawal hypothesis because right-biased pigs were bolder and more explorative in a context of novelty. Additionally, right-biased pigs were more sociable than left-biased pigs. Therefore, the present study indicates that personality is indeed related to lateralized cerebral processing and provides insight into the multifactorial nature of individuality.

Transcriptome profiles of hypothalamus and adrenal gland linked to haplotype related to coping behavior in pigs.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is an important component of neuroendocrine stress regulation and coping behavior. Transcriptome profiles of the hypothalamus and adrenal gland were assessed to identify molecular pathways and candidate genes for coping behavior in pigs. Ten each of high- (HR) and low- (LR) reactive pigs (n = 20) were selected for expression profiling based haplotype information of a prominent QTL-region on SSC12 discovered in our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) on coping behavior. Comparing the HR and LR pigs showed 692 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the adrenal gland and 853 DEGs in the hypothalamus, respectively. Interestingly, 47% (17 out of 36) of DEGs found in both tissues were located in GWAS regions identified on SSC12, indicating that there are significant functional positional candidate genes for coping behaviour. Pathway analysis assigned DEGs to glucocorticoid receptor signaling in the adrenal gland. Furthermore, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and NGF signaling as well as cholecystokinin/Gastrin-mediated were identified in the hypothalamus. We narrowed the list of candidate genes in GWAS regions by analyzing their DEGs in the HPA axis. The top identified transcripts, including ATP1B2, AURKB, MPDU1 and NDEL1 provide evidence for molecular correlates of coping behavior in GWAS regions.

Coping Style of Pigs Is Associated With Different Behavioral, Neurobiological and Immune Responses to Stressful Challenges.

Based on the animal's reaction to environmental challenges, consistent but different coping styles can be identified, which in turn may have consequences for health and welfare. Therefore, profound knowledge of the complex interrelationships between individual behavioral response patterns, underlying neurobiological mechanisms and immunological effects is required. The aim of this study was to examine whether pigs with different coping styles exhibit distinct behavioral, neurobiological and immune responses to stressful situations. Therefore, pigs (n = 40) were classified as proactive, reactive or intermediate animals according to a repeatedly-performed backtest, and behavioral, neuroendocrine and immune alterations were analyzed without any stress before weaning on day 28 and after a stress treatment on day 32. Our results show that the behavioral responses in an open-field/novel-object test characterized proactive pigs as more active. There were no significant differences in adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol concentrations between pigs with different coping characteristics. However, we found that proactive pigs displayed significantly increased plasma noradrenaline levels in response to stress, which may reflect a higher sympathetic reactivity of these animals. Furthermore, the present study revealed coping style differences in mRNA expression of mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin receptors and the immediate early gene c-fos in stress-related brain regions. While proactive pigs responded to stress with higher mRNA expression of arginine vasopressin, mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, reactive pigs displayed higher oxytocin receptor and c-fos mRNA expression, indicating different neurobiological mechanisms of distinct coping styles in response to stressful challenges. Moreover, we also found humoral immune differences between proactive, intermediate and reactive animals. Proactive pigs had a higher total serum IgA concentration before and after stress treatment, with a significant increase in response to stress compared to reactive and intermediate pigs. In contrast, stress-induced IgM concentrations only increased in reactive and intermediate animals, suggesting that the effects of coping style on humoral immunity may differ depending on the specific function of the immunoglobulin classes. In conclusion, this multidisciplinary study expands the concept of coping style in farm animals, particularly in terms of individual stress reactivity and disease susceptibility, and thus contributes to the understanding of the biology of animal welfare.

Effects of Elevated Grids on Growing Male Chickens Differing in Growth Performance.

Pullets, i. e., chickens of layer lines are often raised in housings equipped with perches. In contrast, broiler chickens most often are raised in a barren environment that lacks any three-dimensional structures, even though broilers also are motivated to use elevated structures. In addition, environmental enrichment may improve welfare problems in broiler chickens, such as skeletal disorders or contact dermatitis. Due to ethical reasons, currently there are attempts to fatten the male chickens of layer strains or to use dual purpose strains. However, there is only limited knowledge on the behavior of these chickens until now. The aim of this study was to test the use of elevated grids and their effect on animal-based indicators (e.g., physical condition). In two successive trials, we kept a total of 1,217 male chickens from three strains (Lohmann Dual, Lohmann Brown Plus, Ross 308) that show differences in growth performance in 24 pens (two trials × three strains × eight pens). In half of the pens, grids were offered at three different heights (enriched groups); in the other half of the pens, no elevated structures were installed (control groups). We recorded the number of birds using the grids at the different heights as well as locomotor activity, walking ability, plumage cleanliness, and the footpad health of chickens. Chickens with low and medium growth performance preferred the highest grids during both the light and dark periods. In contrast, fast-growing chickens used the lowest grid more frequently. Fast-growing chickens kept in the enriched pens tended to have a higher level of locomotor activity and reduced chest cleanliness. Chickens from the medium growth performance strain showed better walking ability when kept in the enriched pens. Enrichment did not affect any of the welfare measures in the slow-growing chickens. These findings suggest that elevated structures may improve chicken welfare, particularly for medium growing chickens. For fast-growing chickens we found evidence for an improvement of animal-based indicators although they used the elevated structures less. However, regardless of growth performance, elevated grids offer the birds an opportunity to rest in a species-specific manner.

Haplotypes of coping behavior associated QTL regions reveal distinct transcript profiles in amygdala and hippocampus.

Stress response and coping behavior in pigs are largely shaped by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympatho-adrenomedullary system action. However, the dynamic interaction between amygdala and hippocampus crucially modulates the behavioral response towards significant emotional events. While this functional relationship is well documented, the molecular underpinnings still remain insufficiently understood. Our study used transcriptome profiling of porcine amygdala and hippocampus to identify molecular pathways that are differentially activated depending on the haplotype of a significantly coping behavior-associated region on pig chromosome 12 (SSC12). The pigs were classified into two groups based on the haplotype information of this QTL-region discovered in our previous genome-wide association study. Ten each of high- (HR) and low- (LR) reactive pigs (n = 20) were selected for differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression analysis with subsequent pathway analysis. Differentially expressed genes identified in the amygdala include SELL, CXCR7 and NTS, while TRAF3, PTGS2 and CFI were detected in the hippocampus indicating a role of neuroinflammation and immunological processes. Pathway analysis revealed IL-8 signaling, NF-κB signaling, glutamate and GABA metabolism, glucocorticoid receptor signaling and chemokine signaling in the amygdala and ephrin receptor signaling, as well as NF-κB signaling in the hippocampus. We discovered candidate genes in regions detected by genome-wide association study including ARRB2, ADRBK2, THRB, NEK7 and ACVR2B, which relate to dopaminergic and other monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems, neuroimmunomodulation, neuroinflammation and GABA-ergic neurotransmission. These findings provide insights into the molecular underpinning of divergent coping behavior and associated haplotypes in limbic forebrain system in pig.

Better, Not Just More-Contrast in Qualitative Aspects of Reward Facilitates Impulse Control in Pigs.

Delay-of-gratification paradigms, such as the famous "Marshmallow Test," are designed to investigate the complex cognitive concepts of self-control and impulse control in humans and animals. Such tests determine whether a subject will demonstrate impulse control by choosing a large, delayed reward over an immediate, but smaller reward. Documented relationships between impulsive behavior and aggression in humans and animals suggest important implications for farm animal husbandry and welfare, especially in terms of inadequate social behavior, tail biting and maternal behavior. In a preliminary study, we investigated whether the extent of impulse control would differ between quantitatively and qualitatively different aspects of reward in pigs. Twenty female piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with 10 piglets each. After a preference test to determine individual reward preference among six different food items, a discrimination test was conducted to train for successful discrimination between different amounts of reward (one piece vs. four pieces) and different qualitative aspects of reward (highly preferred vs. least preferred food item). Then, an increasing delay (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 s) was introduced for the larger/highly preferred reward. Each piglet could choose to get the smaller/least preferred reward immediately or to wait for the larger/highly preferred reward. Piglets showed clear differences in their preference for food items. Moreover, the "quality group" displayed faster learning in the discrimination test (number of sessions until 90% of the animals completed the discrimination test: "quality group"-3 days vs. "quantity group"-5 days) and reached a higher level of impulse control in the delay-of-gratification test compared to the "quantity group" (maximum delay that was mastered: "quality group"-24 s vs. "quantity group"-8 s). These results demonstrate that impulse control is present in piglets but that the opportunity to get a highly preferred reward is more valued than the opportunity to get more of a given reward. This outcome also underlines the crucial role of motivation in cognitive test paradigms. Further investigations will examine whether impulse control is related to traits that are relevant to animal husbandry and welfare.

Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare.

Measuring and understanding personality in animals is a rising scientific field. Much research has been conducted to assess distinctive individual differences in behavior in a large number of species in the past few decades, and increasing numbers of studies include farm animals. Nevertheless, the terminology and definitions used in this broad scientific field are often confusing because different concepts and methods are used to explain often synonymously applied terms, such as personality, temperament and coping style. In the present review we give a comprehensive overview of the concepts and terms currently used in animal personality research and critically reveal how they are defined and what they measure. First, we shortly introduce concepts describing human personality and how these concepts are used to explain animal personality. Second, we present which concepts, methods and measures are applied in farm animal personality research and show that the terminology used seems to be somehow species-related. Finally, we discuss some findings on the possible impact of personality on the welfare of farm animals. The assessment of personality in farm animals is of growing scientific and practical interest. Differences in theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches may also entail the diverse use of the different concepts between basic and applied research approaches. We conclude that more consistency is needed in using different theoretical concepts, terms and measures, especially in farm animal personality research. The terms coping style and temperament, which are used in different ways, should not be examined as independent concepts, but rather should be considered as different aspects of the whole personality concept. Farm animal personality should be increasingly considered for the improvement of animal housing, management, breeding and welfare.

Voluntary locomotor activity promotes myogenic growth potential in domestic pigs.

Self-determined physical activity is an essential behavioural need and can vary considerably between individuals of a given species. Although locomotion is suggested as a prerequisite for adequate function of skeletal muscle, domestic pigs are usually reared under limited space allowance. The aim of our study was to investigate if a different voluntary locomotor activity leads to altered properties in the muscle structure, biochemistry and mRNA expression of selected genes involved in myogenesis and skeletal muscle metabolism. Based on a video tracking method, we assigned pigs to three categories according to their total distances walked over five observed time points: long distance, medium distance, and short distance. The microstructure and biochemistry parameters of the M. semitendinosus were unaffected by the distance categories. However, we found distance-dependent differences in the mRNA expression of the genes encoding growth (IGF2, EGF, MSTN) and transcription factors (MRF4, MYOD). In particular, the IGF2/MSTN ratio appears to be a sensitive indicator, at the molecular level, for the locomotor activity of individuals. Our results indicate that the myogenic growth potential of pigs under standard rearing conditions is triggered by their displayed voluntary locomotor activity, but the covered distances are insufficient to induce adaptive changes at the tissue level.

Vocalization as an indicator of estrus climax in Holstein heifers during natural estrus and superovulation.

The reliable detection of estrus is an important scientific and practical challenge in dairy cattle farming. Female vocalization may indicate reproductive status, and preliminary evidence suggests that this information can be used to detect estrus in dairy cattle. The aim of this study was to associate the changes in the vocalization rate of dairy heifers with behavioral estrus indicators as well as test the influence of the type of estrus (natural estrus vs. superovulation-induced estrus). We analyzed 6 predefined estrus-related behavior patterns (standing to be mounted, head-side mounting, active mounting, chin resting, being mounted while not standing, and active sniffing in the anogenital region) and vocalization rates in the peri-estrus period (day of estrus ± 1 d) of 12 German Holstein heifers using audio-visual recordings. Each heifer was observed under natural estrus and a consecutive superovulation induced by FSH and cloprostenol. Estrus was determined by behavioral patterns and confirmed by clinical examination (vaginoscopy and ultrasound imaging of the ovaries) as well as by the concentration of peripheral progesterone. Estrus behavior and vocalization rates were analyzed in 3-h intervals (an average of 19 intervals for each heifer), and an estrus score was calculated based on the 6 behaviors. The interval with the highest estrus score (I0) was considered the estrus climax. We demonstrated similar time courses for the estrus score and vocalization rate independent of estrus type. However, in natural estrus, the maximum vocalization rate (±SE) occurred in the interval before estrus climax (I-1; 42.58 ± 21.89) and was significantly higher than that in any other interval except estrus climax (I0; 27.58 ± 9.76). During natural estrus, the vocalization rate was significantly higher within the interval before estrus climax (I-1; 42.58 ± 21.89 vs. 11.58 ± 5.51) than under superovulation. The results underscore the potential use of vocalization rate as a suitable indicator of estrus climax in automated estrus detection devices. Further studies and technical development are required to record and process individual vocalization rates.

Psychosocial stress sensitizes neuroendocrine and inflammatory responses to Escherichia coli challenge in domestic piglets.

Exposure to psychosocial stress can have a profound impact on immune reactivity and health mediated by hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis activation. However, current knowledge regarding the mechanisms involved in cross-sensitization between stress and the immune system is limited. Here, we investigated the effects of a single social isolation followed by repeated oral Escherichia coli (E. coli) applications on cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), haptoglobin and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in the blood; on clinical signs of disease; and on mRNA expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2), TNF-α and IL-6 in the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and spleen of 7-, 21- and 35-day-old piglets. Additionally, the protein levels of splenic TNF-α and IL-6 were analyzed. Non-isolated, E. coli-challenged piglets served as a control. Social isolation for 4 h induced a rise in the plasma cortisol concentrations immediately after social treatment and after repeated E. coli applications in isolated compared to non-isolated piglets. The circulating TNF-α concentration was not affected by social treatment. Furthermore, previously isolated piglets showed a higher frequency of signs of disease in response to E. coli challenge than non-isolated piglets, while the haptoglobin and CRP concentrations did not significantly differ between social treatments. In the brain, 11ß-HSD1, 11ß-HSD2 and IL-6 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus and GR, and 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2 mRNA expression in the PFC were higher in isolated, E. coli-challenged piglets than in the corresponding controls. Moreover, isolated piglets also displayed higher MR, 11ß-HSD1 and IL-6 mRNA expression levels and TNF-α concentrations in the spleen. The stress-induced alterations in the hypothalamus and spleen were particularly pronounced in younger piglets. The present findings may contribute to a better understanding of the complex interplay between early psychological stress and an increased risk of disease and might also have implications on aspects of the health and welfare of farm animals and humans.

Behavioural lateralization in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa)-variations between motor functions and individuals.

Motor lateralization is hypothesized to depend on the complexity of the motor function, but it might at the same time reflect hemispheric dominance within an individual across motor functions. We investigated possible motor lateralization patterns in four motor functions of different complexity (snout use in a manipulative task, foot use in two-stepping tasks and tail curling) in the domestic pig, a tetrapod species relevant as farm animal but also as a model in human neuroscience. A significant majority of our sample showed individual biases for manipulation with their snout and for curling their tail. Interestingly, the tail curling was lateralized towards the right at the population level and showed stronger lateralization patterns than the snout. Using a cluster analysis with combined tail and snout laterality, we identified groups of individuals with different lateralization patterns across motor functions that potentially reflect the individuals' hemispheric dominance. To conclude, our results suggest that pigs show lateralization patterns that depend on the motor function and on the individual. Such individual lateralization patterns might have broader implications for animal personality and welfare. Our study lays the methodological groundwork for future research on laterality in pigs.