Components of predation defense behavior in chickens: Evidence for endogenous rhythmicity

Behavioral thermoregulation in chicks: The best nest

“…During the hour-long daily maintenance periods when the experimenter was fully visible through the clear Plexiglas nest, chicks with unheated nests ran vigorously and continuously in their running wheels. A considerable portion of their daily running-wheel behavior, therefore, appears to have been an antipredator response elicited by the experimenter (see also Rovee, Kaufman, & Collier, 1977;Rovee-Collier, Kaufman, & Farina, 1980;Rovee-Collier et al, 1991). Whatever initiated it, however, their running activity was energetically costly and drained off calories that otherwise could have fueled growth (see Figure 1).…”

Prehatch entrainment of circadian rhythms in the domestic chick using different light regimes

“…Rovee, Kaufman, Collier, and Kent (1976) found that when tonic immobility was induced in chicks at 1 of 13 clock hours, durations of tonic immobility peaked early in the night and were briefest at the beginning of the day. Furthermore, Rovee et al (1977) demonstrated that these rhythms are endogenous: Chicks given constant light from prehatch Day 19 onward showed longer durations of tonic immobility posthatch during their subjective night as compared to their subjective day. This demonstrates that by prehatch Day 19, domestic chicks have developed a mature circadian oscillator.…”

“…Tonic immobility, also known as death feigning or animal hypnosis, is an antipredator behavior characterized by a state of motor inhibition and ''waxy flexibility'' which may last for a few minutes to several hours (Rovee et al, 1977;Rovee-Collier, Capatides, Fagen, & Negri, 1983;Suarez & Gallup, 1983). Tonic immobility can be induced in the laboratory by physical restraint as well as tactile pressure (Gallup, 1974;Ratner, 1967;Rovee-Collier et al, 1983).…”

“…Rovee, Kaufman, & Collier (1977) found that even when chick embryos are incubated in constant light during the last 3 days of incubation (Days 19-21), they express rhythms at hatch. This provides evidence that their endogenous clock was set prior to Day 19.…”

Tonic immobility in Japanese quail can reduce the probability of sustained attack by cats

“…This pattern of responses by the birds, especially the association between TI induction and the locus of the normal felid predatory bite (Ewer, 1973), confirms that TI is a terminal defensive reaction that occurs only after other defenses have failed but the animal has survived the initial contact (cf. Ratner, 1976;Rovee, Kaufman, & Collier, 1977). The probability of survival following the initial attack may be affected by other factors, such as the eat's hunger and past predatory experience (Biben, 1979;but cf.…”