Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:07:59.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Individual Variation in Response to Stressors in Farm Animals: Implications for Experimenters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

X Manteca  and
J M Deag
X Manteca*
Affiliation:
Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, Universität Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
J M Deag
Affiliation:
Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, Universität Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Physiological and behavioural responses to stressors may affect experimental results. Since individual animals differ in their pattern of response to stressors, it is suggested that stress during experiments has the potential for increasing variability in responses to experimental treatments. Evidence supporting this is given from experiments carried out on farm animals. The main factors accounting for individual differences in response to stressors such as handling are habituation, early experiences and genetic background. Several ways of reducing stress during experiments are suggested and the need for skilful and humane handling is emphasized. It is concluded that reducing stress during experiments will have welfare benefits and may reduce the number of animals that need to be used.

Keywords

animal welfarefarm animalsindividual differencesstressvariability
Type
Short Communication
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 213 - 218
Copyright
© 1994 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

van Adrichem, P W M and Vogt, J E 1993 The effect of isolation and separation on the metabolism of sheep. Livestock Production Science 33: 151–159CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K L 1962 The Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. Hutchinson & Co: LondonGoogle Scholar
Bleby, J 1987 The selection and supply of laboratory animals. In Poole, T B (ed) The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals, 6th edition pp 8–17. Longman Scientific & Technical: HarlowGoogle Scholar
Broom, D F 1991 Foreword. In Anderson, R S and Edney, A T B (eds) Practical Animal Handling. Pergamon Press: OxfordGoogle Scholar
Dantzer, R, Mormède, P and Henry, J P 1983 Physiological assessment of adaptation in farm animals. In Baxter, S H, Baxter, M R and MacCormack, JAD (eds) Farm Animal Housing and Welfare pp 8–19. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers: BostonGoogle Scholar
Dickson, D P, Barr, G R, Johnson, L P and Weickert, D A 1970 Social dominance and temperament of Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 53: 904–907CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, J A 1991 The Psychology of Fear and Stress, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press: CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Hemsworth, P H, Barnett, J L, Treacy, D and Madgwick, P 1990 The heritability of the trait fear of humans and the association between this trait and subsequent reproductive performance of gilts. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 25: 85–95CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hennessy, M B, Heybach, J P, Vernikos, J and Levine, S 1979 Plasma corticosterone concentrations sensitively reflect levels of stimulus intensity in the rat. Physiology and Behaviour 22: 821–825CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hessing, M, Coenen, G, Hagelso, M, Schouten, W and Wiepkema, P 1992 Individual behavioral characteristics in swine. Journal of Animal Science 70 (Supplement 1): 167 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Karsh, E B and Turner, D 1988 The human-cat relationship. In Turner, D and Bateson, P (eds) The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour pp 159–177. Cambridge University Press: CambridgeGoogle Scholar
Kerr, S G C and Wood-Gush, DGM 1987 The development of behaviour patterns and temperament in dairy heifers. Behavioural Processes 15: 1–16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klasing, K C 1985 Influence of stress on protein metabolism. In Moberg, G P (ed) Animal Stress pp 269–280. American Physiological Society: BethesdaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawrence, A B 1991 Introduction: the biological basis of handling animals. In Anderson, R S and Edney, A T B (eds) Practical Animal Handling pp 1–13. Pergamon Press: OxfordGoogle Scholar
Lawrence, A B, Terlouw, AMC and Illius, A W 1991 Individual differences in behavioural responses of pigs exposed to non-social and social challenges. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 30: 73–86CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lay, D C, Friend, T H, Randel, R D, Bowers, C L, Neuendorff, D A, Grissom, K K and Jenkins, O C 1992 Does maternal deprivation affect a calf’s physiological and behavioral reactions to later stress? Journal of Animal Science 70 (Supplement 1): 162 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Levine, S 1985 A definition of stress? In Moberg G P (ed) Animal Stress pp 51–69. American Physiological Society: BethesdaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyons, D M, Price, E O and Moberg, G P 1988a Individual differences in temperament of domestic dairy goats: constancy and change. Animal Behaviour 36: 1323–1333CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lyons, D M, Price, E O and Moberg, G P 1988b Social modulation of pituitary-adrenal responsiveness and individual differences in behavior of young domestic goats. Physiology and Behavior 43: 451–458CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, G, Hattingh, J and Ganhao, M 1988 Stress in cattle assessed after handling, after transport and after slaughter. Veterinary Record 123: 201–205CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moberg, G P 1985 Biological response to stress: key to assessment of animal well-being? In Moberg G P (ed) Animal Stress pp 27–49. American Physiological Society: BethesdaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moberg, G P 1991 How behavioral stress disrupts the endocrine control of reproduction in domestic animals. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 304–311CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Niezgoda, J, Wronska, D, Pierzchala, K, Bobek, S and Kahl, S 1987 Lack of adaptation to repeated emotional stress evoked by isolation of sheep from the flock. Journal of Veterinary Medicine A (Animal Physiology, Pathology and Clinical Veterinary Medicine) 34: 734–739CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, J M and Payne, S 1987 The Metabolic Profile Test. Oxford University Press: OxfordGoogle Scholar
Poole, T B 1987 Raising and defining laboratory animals. In Poole, T B (ed) The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals, 6th edition pp 2–7. Longman Scientific & Technical: HarlowGoogle Scholar
Remfry, J 1987 Ethical aspects of animal experimentation. In Tuffery, A A (ed) Laboratory Animals: An Introduction for New Experimenters pp 5–19. John Wiley & Sons Ltd: ChichesterGoogle Scholar
Roth, J A 1985 Cortisol as mediator of stress-associated immunosuppresion in cattle. In Moberg, G P (ed) Animal Stress pp 225–243. American Physiological Society: BethesdaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seabrook, M F and Bartle, N C 1992 Human factors. In Phillips C and Piggins D (eds) Farm Animals and The Environment pp 111-125. CAB International: WallingfordGoogle Scholar
Siegel, B J and Moberg, G P 1980 The influence of neonatal stress on the physiological and behavioural responses of lambs during active-avoidance conditioning. Hormones and Behaviour 14: 136–145CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Syme, L A 1981 Social disruption and forced movement orders in sheep. Animal Behaviour 29: 283–288CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Syme, L A and Elphick, G R 1982 Heart rate and the behaviour of sheep in yards. Applied Animal Ethology 9: 31–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar