Many chicken bullies peck weaker chickens to death! That's how the term pecking order came about—the larger, stronger ones picking on the smaller, weaker ones. We know the behavior can apply to other animals, including people. Pigs sometimes go after each other and so do cows, as two other examples. Scientists in the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) Livestock Behavior Research Unit at West Lafayette, Indiana, want to help these farm animals get along better. Why? Because, just like people, a happier animal is usually a healthier one. For chickens, the scientists' strategy is to identify hens and roosters that aren't so hot-tempered and mate them. Earlier breeding efforts by others may have been too focused on developing birds that produced lots of eggs. The breeders may also have allowed traits for aggression to show up in the breeds. The scientists' focus now is on breeding birds that are gentle but still great egg layers. Play Is Good For pigs, one way to reduce pecking-order activity is to redesign pig stalls so that piglets from different families can meet 10 days or sooner after birth. That way, they learn to play and get along without fighting. This is a lot like the way kids learn how to get along. They go outside and play with their friends. They learn how to spot bullies and avoid fights. Just as less fighting among pigs, chickens, or cows is good for the animals and farmers, so is less fighting good for children and their parents. But every time you change schools or move to a new neighborhood, there's a new pecking order to deal with. Moving may be even more stressful for animals than people! On the Road Again When cows are herded into trucks and driven to various markets, they have to meet new cows and sort out who is boss all over again. This can happen several times before they're actually sold—all in a matter of days. ARS scientists are looking for ways to lower the animals' stress during this time. One solution is to avoid shipping young calves when they're 4days old. They stress out more on that day than when they're 2 or 3 days old, or when they're 5 days or older. The scientists think this may happen because the calves' bodies are making the switch from mother's first milk to regular milk on day 4. They tested their hunch by taking calves on weekly, 6- to 8-hour rides. They drove them in trucks like the ones normally used to ship calves to market. But the trucks the scientists used had cameras, thermometers, and other instruments to check the calves' stress levels while they traveled. They found they could ease the pain of travel with a stress-buster drink. It restores calves' appetites so they feel better quicker. The ARS scientists at West Lafayette are in their 11th year of researching ways to "listen" to farm animals and figure out how to ease their stress. For consumers, this will mean more, better, and safer food. By Don Comis, Agricultural Research Service, Information Staff | Sci4Kids: Bridging the gap between science, agriculture, and you. ARS: Solving agricultural problems with science. |
