Publications by authors named "Suzanne D E Held"
Article Synopsis
- Parrots, particularly cockatoos, exhibit dance behaviors in response to music, which suggests complex cognitive skills like imitation and vocal learning.
- An online study identified 17 new dance movements from social media videos of different cockatoo species, showing a wide range of behaviors that aren't necessarily related to their genetic similarities.
- A playback experiment revealed that while all tested cockatoos danced to music, there was no significant difference in dance behavior based on the type of audio played, indicating the need for further research on music's impact on these birds' entertainment and welfare.
Unlabelled: Calves are expected to play less when in pain, and more pessimistic individuals may be more affected by painful events, such as hot-iron disbudding (i.e., horn-bud removal).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFarming non-typical sentient species: ethical framework requires passing a high bar.
J Agric Environ Ethics
May 2024
More widespread farming of species not typically used as livestock may be part of a sustainable approach for promoting human health and economic prosperity in a world with an increasing population; a current example is peccary farming in the Neotropics. Others have argued that species that are local to a region and which are usually not farmed should be considered for use as livestock. They may have a more desirable nutrient profile than species that are presently used as livestock.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObject Play as a Positive Emotional State Indicator for Farmed Spotted Paca ().
Animals (Basel)
December 2023
We aimed to assess whether object play can be used as a positive emotional state indicator for farmed spotted pacas () by examining its association with other positive welfare markers including affiliative behavior and low-amplitude vocalizations. We submitted six groups of spotted pacas (one male/two females per group) (N = 18) to an ABA experimental design (A/A: without ball; B: with three boomer balls). Object play behavior occurred only during phase B (mean = 35.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Understanding grazing animal behavior is essential for developing management strategies that enhance productivity and reduce environmental impacts.
- This review analyzes 84 studies from 2000-2020, examining cattle site preferences using GPS technology across varied global contexts.
- Key factors influencing grazing behavior include stocking rates, availability of water and shade, weather conditions, and pasture characteristics, suggesting that modifying management practices could lead to more sustainable livestock systems.
Background: The welfare of pet rabbits is an area of growing interest in Europe and the UK. This study analyses questionnaire results from a diverse population of 1254 rabbit owners from three different geographical areas in England with the aim of providing an accurate representation of how pet rabbits are currently housed and cared for and key aspects of their health and welfare.
Results: Rabbits were kept in a variety of different housing types, the most common being a traditional hutch/cage (59%).
Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy alters the physiology, behaviour and cognitive abilities of the offspring in sheep. Undernutrition restricted to the time around conception alters the physiology of the offspring, but effects on the behaviour and cognitive abilities are unknown. We studied the effects of mild periconceptional undernutrition in sheep on side preference and cognitive flexibility in the offspring.
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