Role of mother-young interactions in the survival of offspring in domestic mammals

Nowak, Raymond; Porter, Richard H.; Lévy, Frédéric; Orgeur, P.; Schaal, Benoı̂st

doi:10.1530/ror.0.0050153

Cited by 248 publications

(139 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…The neonatal lamb will not survive (without human intervention) if females do not nurse and care for their young (Nowak et al, 2000;Dwyer, 2008). In this study, the results suggest that maternal experience plays an important role in the maternal behaviour expression of Chinese ewes, and that multiparous ewes had a higher faecal concentration of oestradiol than primiparous ewes during lactation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep

Yang

Dwyer

et al. 2015

Animal

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The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of pen size and parity on maternal behaviour of twin-bearing Small-Tail Han ewes. A total of 24 ewes were allocated to a 2 × 2 design (six per pen), with parity (primiparous or multiparous) and pen size (large: 6.0 × 3.0 m; small: 6.0 × 1.5 m) as main effects at Linyi University, Shandong Province, China. Behaviour was observed from after parturition until weaning. All ewes were observed for 6 h every 5 days from 0700 to1000 h and from 1400 to 1700 h. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify the duration of maternal behaviours: sucking, grooming and following as well as the frequency of udder accepting, udder refusing and low-pitched bleating. Oestradiol and cortisol concentrations in the faeces (collected in the morning every 5 days) were detected using EIA kits. All lambs were weighed 24 h after parturition and again at weaning at 35 days of age. The small pen size significantly reduced following ( P < 0.005), grooming ( P < 0.001) and suckling durations ( P < 0.05), as well as the frequency of udder refusals ( P < 0.001). However, there was a significant interaction with ewe parity, with decreased grooming and suckling in the small pen largely seen in the multiparous ewes ( P < 0.001). Independent of pen size, multiparous ewes accepted more sucking attempts by their lambs ( P < 0.05) and made more low-pitched bleats than primiparous ewes ( P < 0.001). Multiparous ewes had higher faecal oestradiol concentrations than primiparous ewes ( P < 0.001), and ewes in small pens had higher faecal cortisol levels compared with ewes in larger pens ( P < 0.001). As lambs increased in age, the duration of maternal grooming, following and suckling as well as frequency of udder acceptance and lowpitched bleating all declined, and the frequency of udder refusing increased ( P < 0.001 for all). Ewe parity, but not pen size, affected lamb weight gain during the period of observation ( P < 0.001). This is the first study to show that pen size, interacting with parity, can affect the expression of maternal behaviour in sheep during lactation. The study is also the first to report on the maternal behaviour of Chinese native sheep breeds (Small-Tail Han sheep), with implications for the production of sheep in China.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep

Yang

Dwyer

et al. 2015

Animal

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“…Neonatal piglets are highly dependent upon the sow for vital colostral milk gamma globulins (Curtis & Bourne, 1971), ambient body heat for temperature regulation, and protection from predators (Hartsock & Graves, 1976;Nowak, Porter, Lévy, Orgeur, & Schaal, 2000). The sow also serves as an important source of various environmental stimuli for the piglets.…”

Section: Social Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nosing Around: Play in Pigs

Horback¹

2014

ABC

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-The predominant method of measuring welfare in swine focuses on overt physical ailments, such as skin lesions, lameness, and body condition. An alternative metric for assessing welfare in swine can be to measure the frequency and duration of positive behavioral states, such as play. Given that play occurs only when an animal's primary needs (food, comfort, safety, etc.) have been satisfied, it has been suggested that play may be a sensitive indicator for assessing the welfare of non-human animals. Play has primarily been described in young piglets and is assessed via the occurrence of specific play markers. These play markers include overt bursts of energy like scamper, or more subtle social behaviors like nose-to-body contact. This review describes four areas of play for swine: locomotor, object, sow-piglet, and, peer play. From sporadic leaping to combative wrestling, play behavior allows for the fine-tuning of reflexive behavior which can enhance physical development, enrich cognitive abilities, and facilitate the maintenance of social bonds.

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“…This is well recognized in sheep (Nowak et al, 2000). However, the possible impact of undernutrition during pregnancy on this specific aspect of bonding remains largely unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effects of undernutrition during pregnancy on the behaviour of does and their kids at parturition and on the establishment of mutual recognition

Terrazas

Robledo

Serafín

et al. 2009

Animal

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We investigated whether undernutrition during the second half of pregnancy impaired the behaviour of does and their kids at parturition and early mutual recognition. Twenty-two control and 22 underfed mixed-breed, multiparous dairy goats were used, together with their respective kids (control,n= 31: nine singles, 16 twins and six triplets; underfed,n= 32: 11 singles, 18 twins and three triplets). Undernutrition involved limiting protein and energy intake at 70% of the nutritional requirements for maintenance and foetal growth from day 70 of pregnancy until birth. The behaviour of mothers and their two first-born kids was observed for 90 min from the birth of each kid. Maternal olfactory recognition of the kid was assessed at 4 hpost partumby testing selective nursing behaviour. Non-olfactory recognition was assessed at 8 h in a two-choice test excluding olfactory cues. In kids, preference for the mother was assessed in a two-choice test at either 12 or 24 hpost partum. Bodyweight of does and kids were lower in the underfed group up to 2 weekspost partum. At parturition, licking, maternal bleating frequency and latency to nursing did not differ between nutritional groups. Control kids were faster than underfed kids to stand, search for and reach the udder, but underfed kids bleated more and tended to spend more time at the udder. Both control and underfed does accepted their own kid and rejected the alien in the selectivity test at 4 h. In contrast, at 8 hpost partum, only control goats showed a significant preference for their own kid in the non-olfactory recognition test. Both control and underfed kids showed a preference for their own mother at 12 and 24 h and undernutrition during pregnancy had little influence on the performance of kids. However, 12 h-old underfed kids tended to be less active than control kids and visited their own mothers less than control kids. There were no significant correlations between the behaviour of the mother or of the kid at parturition and their performance in the discrimination tests. Overall, undernutrition in the second half of pregnancy appears to be more detrimental for the behaviour of the mother than for the kid. Furthermore, it has more impact on the establishment of maternal non-olfactory recognition than on maternal care at parturition or the establishment of maternal selectivity.

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Role of mother-young interactions in the survival of offspring in domestic mammals

Cited by 248 publications

References 16 publications

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep

Nosing Around: Play in Pigs

Differential effects of undernutrition during pregnancy on the behaviour of does and their kids at parturition and on the establishment of mutual recognition

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