Can we detect stress-induced cognitive bias in farm animals? Development of a method for sheep

Title
Can we detect stress-induced cognitive bias in farm animals? Development of a method for sheep
Publication Date
2008
Author(s)
Doyle, Rebecca E
Fisher, AD
Hinch, Geoffrey
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4731-865X
Email: ghinch@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ghinch
Boissy, A
Lee, C
Editor
Editor(s): Laura Boyle, Niamh O'Connell and Alison Hanlon
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wageningen Academic Publishers
Place of publication
online
UNE publication id
une:11519
Abstract
An individual's cognitive evaluation may be altered according to its mental state. By providing an ambiguous situation for an animal to assess, insight into their mental state may be able to be obtained. In order to test for this effect in sheep, twenty ewes were trained to learn that a feed bucket placed in one pen corner resulted in a positive reward on approach; however, when the bucket was in the alternate corner, a negative reinforcer (sight of a dog) was presented. Once reaching the learning criterion, sheep were assigned to treatment or control groups. Treatment involved a restraint and isolation stressor (RIS) for 6h/d on three consecutive days. Putative stress-induced cognitive bias was tested by providing ambiguous "probe" buckets in three positions between the positive and negative buckets. Sheep approach behaviour to the five bucket positions was recorded. Animals were tested before RIS, following daily RIS, and the day afterwards. Plasma cortisol and behavioural responses in a novel arena were also measured. A graduated response in approach behaviour to the buckets indicated that the testing scenario successfully made the animals "assess" the probe situations.
Link
Citation
Proceedings of the 42nd Congress of the ISAE: Applied ethology - Addressing future challenges in animal agriculture, p. 206-206
ISBN
9789086860814
9789086866458
Start page
206
End page
206

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