Expanding perspectives and understanding relational potential: Are mutually beneficial human-animal relationships compatible with current animal agricultural practices?

Animal agriculture employs approximately one-eighth of world's human population and results in the slaughter of over 160 billion animals annually, representing perhaps the most extensive intertwining of human and animal lives on the planet. In principle, close, intersubjective relationships (involving shared attention and mental states) between humans and the animals in agriculture are possible, though these are infrequently studied and are unlikely to be achieved in farming, given systemic constraints (e.g.

A Diet Enriched with HN001 and Milk Fat Globule Membrane Alters the Gut Microbiota and Decreases Amygdala GABA a Receptor Expression in Stress-Sensitive Rats.

Brain signalling pathways involved in subclinical anxiety and depressed mood can be modulated via the gut brain axis (GBA), providing the potential for diet and dietary components to affect mood. We investigated behavioural, physiological and gut microbiome responses to the strain HN001 (LactoB HN001™), which has been shown to reduce postpartum anxiety and depression, and a milk fat globule membrane-enriched product, Lipid 70 (Surestart MFGM Lipid 70), which has been implicated in memory in stress-susceptible Wistar Kyoto rats. We examined behaviour in the open field, elevated plus maze and novel object recognition tests in conjunction with the expression of host genes in neuro-signalling pathways, and we also assessed brain lipidomics.

"If you were a cow, what would you want?" Findings from participatory workshops with dairy farmers.

When looking to improve animal welfare, it is essential to understand the viewpoints of stakeholders in the industry. Previous research has engaged stakeholders such as farmers, veterinarians, and the public to better understand future dairy industry directions. However, the use of perspective-taking as a tool to overcome farmer's focus on current barriers to the industry has not been explored.

Browse or browsing: Investigating goat preferences for feeding posture, feeding height and feed type.

Goats naturally browse different forages in various postures; this differs from typical farm practice, thus there are opportunities to improve goat welfare by understanding what and how they like to eat. We investigated if feeding preference was related to posture, feeder height relative to the ground, and type of feed. Sixteen adult, Saanen cross females participated in two experiments comparing a floor-level feeder (grazing posture; farm standard), with an elevated feeder (browsing posture; Exp1) and a platform-level feeder (raised, grazing posture; Exp2), when two forages (leaves, grass) were offered.

Effects of personality on assessments of anxiety and cognition.

Individual variation in responses to commonly used tests of anxiety and spatial memory is often reported. While this variation is frequently considered to be 'noise', evidence suggests that it is, at least partially, related to consistent individual differences in behavioral responses (i.e.

Toward on-farm measurement of personality traits and their relationships to behavior and productivity of grazing dairy cattle.

There is growing evidence that animal personality is linked to a range of productivity traits in farm animals, including dairy cattle. To date, the methodology for assessing personality traits of dairy cattle is time consuming and often requires a test arena, which limits the opportunity for commercial farms to use personality traits of dairy cattle for individualized management. This study investigated whether personality traits of pastured dairy cattle, scored in short behavioral tests, are associated with daily behavioral patterns and milk production.

Dairy farmers' perspectives on providing cow-calf contact in the pasture-based systems of New Zealand.

Separation of the cow and calf shortly after birth is a common practice on commercial dairy farms around the world, but there are emerging concerns about this practice among citizens and other stakeholders. Continuous improvement of on-farm management practices in collaboration with dairy sector stakeholders increases the likelihood that farming systems evolve in a way that is consistent with societal expectations. Few commercial dairy farms provide extended cow-calf contact, and there is little understanding of how dairy farmers view this practice.

Do Walking Distance and Time Away from the Paddock Influence Daily Behaviour Patterns and Milk Yield of Grazing Dairy Cows?

In pasture-based systems, cows may spend several hours away from the paddock and may also walk several kilometres to meet daily milking requirements; this could lead cows to experience time constraints for grazing, ruminating and lying time in the paddock. This study investigated how walking distance and time spent away from the paddock affected daily behavioural patterns (i.e.

Conceptualizing Indigenous Human-Animal Relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand: An Ethical Perspective.

This article considers the complexity and diversity of ethical concepts and beliefs held by Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter New Zealand), relating to animals. A combination of interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with individuals who identify as Māori and were working with wildlife, primarily in an eco-tourism and conservation context. Two main themes emerged from the data: ethical concepts relating to the environment, and concepts relating to the spiritual relationships between people, animals and the environment.

Voluntary Oral Ingestion of a Sedative Prior to Euthanasia with CO: Behavioural Responses of Mice.

Laboratory mice are commonly euthanised with carbon dioxide (CO); however, there is ample evidence that this gas is aversive. Previous work suggests that sedation achieved via injection with benzodiazepines prior to CO administration could reduce aversive behaviours during euthanasia. We explored the potential of using a voluntarily ingested sedative (tiletamine-zolazepam, Zoletil) prior to euthanasia.

Anticipatory behaviour as an indicator of the welfare of dairy calves in different housing environments.

Anticipatory behaviour occurs in the period before a reward or other positive event is presented and has been interpreted as an indicator of the welfare and emotional state of animals. The use of this indicator has received limited attention in dairy calves. Therefore, we investigated how anticipatory behaviour is affected by housing environment and reward quality, and if anticipatory behaviour changes when reward quality changes unexpectedly.

The Use of Hides during and after Calving in New Zealand Dairy Cows.

Isolation during calving is a common dairy cow behavior, however it has not been examined in large outdoor group settings. The provision of "hides" was monitored for its impact on calving location and cow-calf behavior. Stocking density and bedding management were either controlled (Phase 1) or managed according to farm practice (Phase 2).

Interactive Data-Gathering Posters as a Research Tool: A Case Study Assessing Public Opinion on Incorporation of Natural Behavior into Management Systems.

We developed a simple, interactive poster design. Via brief infographics and simple numbered stickers, participants were able to provide input about their top three areas of importance regarding a specific topic (i.e.

The Development of a Hoof Conformation Assessment for Use in Dairy Goats.

The assessment of hoof conformation is important due to its recognized relationship with the biomechanical functionality of the hoof. Hoof conformation can be assessed using objective measures or subjective scores. However, to date, there are limited data using either method in dairy goats.

Understanding natural behavior to improve dairy goat () management systems.

Public interest is stimulating farming industries to improve animal welfare in production systems. Indoor housing of ruminants has received scrutiny because of perceived intensiveness and lack of naturalness. Animal welfare has traditionally focused on health benefits (e.

Feed intake and behavior of dairy goats when offered an elevated feed bunk.

Goats are browsers and select vegetation at various heights when foraging. On commercial farms, dairy goats are typically fed from low-level feed bunks. The objective of this study was to determine how feed intake and feeding behavior vary when goats are offered feed at variable heights, with the potential of evaluating the benefits of offering an elevated feeder to dairy goats.

Calves Use an Automated Brush and a Hanging Rope When Pair-Housed.

Calf housing often only meets the basic needs of calves, but there is a growing interest in providing enrichments. This study described the behaviour of calves when they were given the opportunity to interact with two commonly available enrichment items. Female and male calves (approximately 11 days old) were pair-housed in 8 identical pens fitted with an automated brush and a hanging rope.