A general reaction pattern across situations in prepubertal gilts

Citation
K. Thodberg et al., A general reaction pattern across situations in prepubertal gilts, APPL ANIM B, 63(2), 1999, pp. 103-119
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
ISSN journal
01681591 → ACNP
Volume
63
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
103 - 119
Database
ISI
SICI code
0168-1591(19990405)63:2<103:AGRPAS>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
situations, 56 prepubertal crossbred Landrace/Yorkshire gilts were subjecte d to a Food Competition Test, an Open Field Test, a Human Test and a Social Test. The undisturbed behaviour was video recorded in the home pen before the tests were performed. Factor analysis on open field data revealed five factors, selected by the criterium of the eigenvalue being bigger than one: (1) immobility, (2) exploratory locomotion, (3) non-exploratory locomotion , (4) object exploration, and (5) central position in the test arena. Facto r analysis on Human Test data resulted in five factors: (1) exploration, (2 ) inactivity, (3) vocalisation, (4) immobility, and (5) escape. Significant correlations were found between the Open Field Test and the Human Test, be tween the Human Test and the Social Test and between the Food Competition T est and the Human Test. Only a tendency to a correlation was found between the Open Field Test and the Social Test. In conclusion in this investigatio n the gilts showed a general, reactivity which was consistent across non-so cial situations and also tended to be so in a social situation with an unkn own pig. Future investigations of relations between social and non-social s ituation, should focus on social contexts where the individuality of the an imal can be tested, to prevent interference form group dynamics, and compar e this measure with reactivity in non-social situations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.