Links between behavioural and physiological parameters during adaptation to stress

Abstract

The scientific study of livestock management issues that have a significant animal welfare component has long included the measurement of both behavioural responses and physiological effects. One of the recurring problems in this area of research is a failure to adequately link these two fields of measurement. In order to do this, a model is required that allows incremental increases of the intensity of the stressor, so that behavioural and physiological adaptive responses can be monitored at the different levels, and the links between those two responses can be used as a measure of animal welfare. The first in a series of five experiments with Merino sheep investigated the individual differences between 24 ewes in their motivation to work for food, using a behavioural demand methodology. ... It was concluded that measuring the physiological adaptive responses of animals to a stressor challenge, combined with the behavioural motivation to avoid or alleviate the stressor, provides a novel and objective approach to the measurement of welfare in farm animals. In addition, a need was identified to determine which responses to a particular stressor are influencing the animal's behavioural motivation being measured, in order to confirm that the physiology - behaviour links being identified are genuine.