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Woodrum Setser MM, Neave HW, Vanzant E, Costa JHC. Development and Utilization of an Isolation Box Test to Characterize Personality Traits of Dairy Calves. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2022.770755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of an isolation box test (IBT) to characterize personality traits has been used in non-bovine species with success. We aimed to develop an IBT for dairy calves and determine if the behavioral responses to an IBT were associated with personality traits found from traditional tests (novel person, novel object, and a startle tests) and average daily gain (ADG; Kg/d) through weaning. Calf movement while in the IBT was measured via accelerometers attached to 5 locations on the exterior of the box. A total movement index (TMI) was calculated based on accelerometer readings during the IBT. We performed a principal component analysis on the traditional tests and identified 3 influential factors that we labeled as “fearful,” “bold,” and “active.” Calves were weighed biweekly to track liveweight ADG. Factor scores and ADG were regressed against TMI. A significant negative association was found between the TMI and the factor “active,” indicating the validity of IBT as a tool for assessing some personality traits of dairy calves. Furthermore, TMI had a positive association with ADG through the entire experimental period and thus has potential to help predict performance through weaning. IBT has potential to be used as a personality test in research scenarios. Further development is needed to produce an IBT that would be appropriate to measure animals' responses reliably in production settings. An automated test that can accommodate a wide range of ages and developing a computer learning model to interpret output from the IBT would be a possible option to do so.
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Zhang J, Qian S, Chen J, Ding L, Wang M, Maloney SK, Blache D. Calm Hu ram lambs assigned by temperament classification are healthier and have better meat quality than nervous Hu ram lambs. Meat Sci 2021; 175:108436. [PMID: 33524918 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of temperament classification (assessed using an arena test) on health and productivity of Hu ram lambs. In experiment one, eight ram lambs classified as calm and eight classified as nervous (selected from 100 ram lambs) were fed individually for 60-days to compare food intake, food digestibility, weight gain, and biochemical indices of health. In experiment two, nine ram lambs classified as calm and nine classified as nervous (selected from 150 ram lambs) were fed in a group and slaughter traits, meat quality, and muscle histology were compared. Calm lambs had higher dry matter digestibility, lower serum TNF-α, higher total antioxidant capacity, higher total superoxide dismutase activity, higher dressing percentage, higher cross-sectional area of loin, higher myofibre density, lower ultimate pH of the meat, and higher meat redness, than nervous lambs. Selection for calm temperament could be beneficial to health, slaughter, and carcass traits in Hu ram lambs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinying Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Shuhan Qian
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China
| | - Luoyang Ding
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China; School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia.
| | - Mengzhi Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, PR China.
| | - Shane K Maloney
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia
| | - Dominique Blache
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia
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Behavioural reactivity of two lines of South African Merino sheep divergently selected for reproductive potential. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Rietema SE, Blackberry MA, Maloney SK, Martin GB, Hawken PAR, Blache D. Twenty-four-hour profiles of metabolic and stress hormones in sheep selected for a calm or nervous temperament. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2015; 53:78-87. [PMID: 26143303 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2015.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Revised: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Even in the absence of stressors, temperament is associated with changes in the concentration of stress-responsive hormones and, possibly because of such changes, temperament can affect metabolism. We tested whether, in sheep bred for temperament for 14 generations, "nervous" females have greater concentrations of stress-responsive hormones in the absence of stressors than "calm" females, and whether these differences are associated with changes in the concentrations of metabolic hormones. In resting "calm" (n = 8) and "nervous" (n = 8) sheep, concentrations of cortisol, prolactin, leptin, and insulin were measured in blood plasma sampled via jugular catheter every 20 min for 24 h. The animals were individually penned, habituated to their housing and human handling over 7 wk, and fed before sampling began. Diurnal variation was evident for all hormones, but a 24-h cortisol pattern was detected in only 7 individuals. There was no effect of temperament on any aspect of concentrations of cortisol or prolactin, but "calm" animals had greater concentrations of insulin in the early afternoon than "nervous" animals (14.5 ± 1.1 vs 10.0 ± 1.6 μU/mL; P = 0.038), and a similar tendency was seen for leptin (P = 0.092). We conclude that selection for temperament affects the concentration of metabolic hormones in the absence of stressors, but this effect is independent of stress-responsive hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Rietema
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - M A Blackberry
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - S K Maloney
- The School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - G B Martin
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - P A R Hawken
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - D Blache
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; The School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
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Gavojdian D, Cziszter LT, Budai C, Kusza S. Effects of behavioral reactivity on production and reproduction traits in Dorper sheep breed. J Vet Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Colpoys JD, Abell CE, Young JM, Keating AF, Gabler NK, Millman ST, Siegford JM, Johnson AK. Effects of genetic selection for residual feed intake on behavioral reactivity of castrated male pigs to novel stimuli tests. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2014.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Dodd C, Hocking Edwards J, Hazel S, Pitchford W. Flight speed and agitation in weaned lambs: Genetic and non-genetic effects and relationships with carcass quality. Livest Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Measures of behavioural reactivity and their relationships with production traits in sheep: A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Hawken P, Williman M, Milton J, Kelly R, Nowak R, Blache D. Nutritional supplementation during the last week of gestation increased the volume and reduced the viscosity of colostrum produced by twin bearing ewes selected for nervous temperament. Small Rumin Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Schwartzkopf-Genswein KS, Shah MA, Church JS, Haley DB, Janzen K, Truong G, Atkins RP, Crowe TG. A comparison of commonly used and novel electronic techniques for evaluating cattle temperament. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2012. [DOI: 10.4141/cjas2011-040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. S., Shah, M. A., Church, J. S., Haley, D. B., Janzen, K., Truong, G., Atkins, R. P. and Crowe, T. J. 2012. A comparison of commonly used and novel electronic techniques for evaluating cattle temperament. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 92: 21–31. The temperament of steers (n=28) was assessed using five quantitative techniques including: flight time, flight distance, electronic (strain-gauge and accelerometer) tests, and three visual scores (VS) made during entry, restraint and exit from a squeeze chute. The objective of this study was to determine the most important predictive parameters based on those measurements and evaluate the relationship between the techniques. Flight time and distance were correlated with exit VS (r=−0.51, and 0.41, P<0.05; n=56), but were not related to restraint VS. Data from strain-gauge and accelerometer sensors were used to generate parameters such as peak response and area under the curve that were correlated with all three VS. Regression models using VS as the dependent variable and a combination of 2 to 5 parameters from the strain-gauge and accelerometer tests as independent variables predicted temperament with values of 29 to 65 or 41 to 57%, respectively. When all techniques, excluding VS, were used as independent variables, model accuracy increased to 72, 81 and 77% for restraint, exit and the sum of all VS, respectively. These findings suggest the objective measures of temperament assessed in this study could be used to identify highly reactive animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, 5304-1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1
| | - M. A. Shah
- Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
| | - J. S. Church
- Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada
| | - D. B. Haley
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - K. Janzen
- AgTech Centre, 3000 College Drive South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 1L6
| | - G. Truong
- AgTech Centre, 3000 College Drive South, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 1L6
| | - R. P. Atkins
- Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - T. G. Crowe
- Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5A9. Lethbridge Research Centre contribution number 38706039
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