INDUCTION OF CONDITIONED TASTE-AVERSION IN GOATS

The possibility of inducing conditioned taste aversion (CTA) by inject ion of apomorphine in 24 young Maltese goats and the effect of social models on the feeding behaviour of conditioned animals were evaluated. The experimental feeds were oats seed (OS) and rabbit alfalfa pellets (RP). Animals were divided into six social groups (S), including cond itioned and unconditioned subjects, and two non-social groups (NS), wi th conditioned animals only. Within the S groups each conditioned anim al stood between two unconditioned subjects while eating. When feeds w ere paired with apomorphine (APO feeds), no significant differences we re found in consumptions between conditioned animals of the S and NS g roups (P > 0.05). Unconditioned animals of the S groups did not modify their feed intakes and were not able to stimulate the intake of the A PO feeds in the conditioned subjects. Consumption of the APO feeds was significantly lower than that of the control feeds (P < 0.001). RP wa s always consumed more than OS, even when it was associated with apomo rphine, probably because of its physical similarity to the pellet of t he base diet. In the two-choice test 16 out of 24 goats chose the cont rol feed first and eight the feed associated with illness. When they c hose the latter, it was RP seven out of eight times and OS only once ( P < 0.01). The amounts of the consumed control feeds were significantl y higher than those of the APO feeds (P < 0.01). The significant reduc tion in consumption of the APO feeds in comparison with the control fe eds showed that goats can learn to avoid a feed that immediately produ ces illness. The conditioned animals did not modify their feed intakes following the influence of the unconditioned subjects.