Animal & Avian Sciences Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2741
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Item EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENTS ON WELL-BEING MEASURES IN COLONY-CAGED JAPANESE QUAIL (COTURNIX JAPONICA)(2022) Mathkari, Chirantana Vikas; Dennis, Rachel L; Animal Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Breeding purpose Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) are often maintained in barren cages with little environmental complexity. These conditions can lead to unwanted social interactions and stress-related behaviors that can cause serious injury, mortality, and reduce productivity. Use of environmental enrichments has shown to improve poultry well-being; however, the optimal enrichments for quail have not been widely studied. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of various enrichments on the well-being and productivity of breeding quail colonies (1 male, 2 females/cage). The enrichments studied were designed to reduce unwanted interactions and stress-related behaviors by either providing a shelter (protective enrichments) or by providing mental stimulation (stimulatory enrichments). In Experiment 1, using an incomplete Latin square design, each cage received one protective enrichment (Hut, Plastic leaves, or Grass), or one stimulatory enrichment (Mirror, Feeder toy, or Mat), or no enrichment (control) (average n=17/treatment). In Experiment 2, using an incomplete Latin square design, each cage received one of the following enrichment combinations: Hut + Mirror, Hut + Feeder toy, Hut + Mat, or only Hut (average n=14/treatment). Parameters measured included behaviors, body weight, Hen Day Egg Production (HDEP), egg weight, physical scores, and fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) levels. Measures were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA or Chi-square test on SAS 9.4. The results indicate that exposure to a single enrichment reduced stress-related damaging behaviors and increased resting; while exposure to a combination of enrichments reduced a larger variety of stress-related damaging behaviors more efficiently. Two of the three protective enrichments (Hut, Grass) exerted a notable impact on production, while combinations of protective and stimulatory enrichments were more efficient in decreasing physical scores as compared to a single enrichment. The Hut + Mat combination notably reduced the FCM levels as compared to only Hut. Our study identified enrichments which are optimal for improving breeding quail well-being, and exhibit the potential to improve the economics of the quail industry.Item Effect of grazing muzzles on grazing miniature horse behavior and physiological stress(2019) Davis, Kristina; Burk, Amy O; Animal Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Grazing muzzles are highly effective at reducing forage intake in horses and are a popular tool to control horse weight. However, grazing muzzle design may cause horses stress. The objective of these studies was to determine how grazing muzzles impact behavior and physiological stress in grazing horses. Two groups of 6 miniature horses, housed individually or in a herd, wore grazing muzzles for 0, 10, and 24 h/d. Over 9 weeks, body weight, heart rate parameters, salivary cortisol concentrations, and observations of behavior were collected. Results indicate muzzling did not seem to cause physiological stress as measured by cardiac and salivary cortisol parameters but did alter grazing and locomotive patterns. Muzzling for 24 h/d was necessary for weight loss and was associated with lower heart rate and higher heart rate variability. These findings suggest that muzzles do not cause stress in horses, even if left on for 24 h/d.Item The effects of embryonic norepinephrine on Japanese quail behavior and neurophysiology(2018) Mengers, Jasmine Nisha Parikh; Dennis, Rachel L; Animal Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Stress in poultry breeding flocks results in elevated in ovo monoamines affecting behavior and physiology. We injected Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs with 10 μl of 0.05M (n = 111) or 0.01M (n = 113) concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) or saline (n = 112) at ED1 and incubated with intact controls (n = 78) to observe the influences of elevated embryonic NE on behavior and productivity. We tested developmental memory, tonic immobility, open field isolation behaviors, home cage aggression, and novel conspecific responses. We also measured body weights, egg lay and survival-related behaviors before and after rehoming at sexual maturity. Results indicated dose and age differences between treatments. Norepinephrine birds exhibited variations in stress-coping strategies, decreased productivity, increased consumption frequencies, decreased activity levels, and changes in survival-related behaviors following rehoming. Our data suggest that elevated embryonic NE plays a role in behavioral programming with impacts on poultry well-being.Item Characterization and Control of Aggression and Reproduction in the Male Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)(2012) DeCaluwe, Heather Burton; Ottinger, Mary Ann; Animal Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Clouded leopards are a striking and elusive cat species whose secretive nature has made it difficult to gather information on population statistics and behavior in the wild, where the population is in decline. While captive populations are intended as a hedge against extinction, breeding clouded leopards ex situ has been a challenge, primarily due to extreme male aggression toward females. Despite the importance of aggression in this species, there has as yet been no systematic study characterizing the basis of aggressive episodes. Two mechanisms seem to underlie the aggressive behavior in clouded leopards: degree of anxiety and circulating testosterone levels. Three studies were conducted to characterize mechanisms modulating aggression in male clouded leopards. In Study 1, sixteen adult male clouded leopards were categorized as `anxious' or `calm' using a keeper questionnaire and fecal endocrine (androgen and glucocorticoid) profiles; these measures were correlated with behavior rates and frequencies before, during, and after a series of behavioral reaction tests aimed at assessing an individual's response to stress-inducing situations. In Study 2, the behavioral and endocrine responses to the same tests were compared in the same clouded leopards following three treatments: 1) an anxiety-reducing psychotropic drug (clomipramine, n = 4); 2) a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (deslorelin, n = 5), or 3) no treatment (n = 4). In Study 3, the long-term effects of the drug treatments on spermatogenesis and hormone concentrations were compared in clouded leopards (n = 2/treatment) and domestic cats (n = 5/treatment), a model for non-domestic felid reproduction. Studies revealed important findings about the basis of aggressive behavior in male clouded leopards. First, two of the behavioral reaction tests - `mirror image stimulation' and `unfamiliar people' - were effective tools for evaluating temperament and eliciting a behavioral response. Second, treatment with both clomipramine and deslorelin reduced anxious and aggressive behaviors (e.g. `tail flicking' and `growling') indicating multiple physiological mechanisms likely modulate aggression in this species. Finally, deslorelin temporarily suppressed hormone concentrations and reproductive function, while clomipramine had no clear effect on either. Ultimately, this information provides important tools for improving male-female pairing success and the overall management of captive clouded leopards.