Maternal, Neonatal, and Play Behaviour

Question 1

What is special about the fetal environmental of precocial neonates?

Answer 1

Have already been exposed to sensory stimulation prior to birth

Question 2

In embryonic chicks, what happens at 4 days of incubated age? Just before hatching?

Answer 2

Movements of head, body, wings, and limbs begin as jerky actions
Before hatching, movements become smooth and coordinated

Question 3

How do gross fetal actions occur? E.g.

Answer 3

Result of groups of complex fetal movements quickly following one another
e.g. jaw movements in fetal lambs 40d pre-partum begins slow, becoming rapid closer to parturition. Related to vigorous sucking activity in the fetus.

Question 4

What are the principle components of righting behaviour? When does it occur?

Answer 4

1-2 days before birth
General activity, extension of carpal joints and digits towards maternal pelvis, elevation of head/neck, rotation of head towards pelvis, rotation of trunk,

Question 5

Three stages of parturition

Answer 5

1: dilation of the cervix (part of latter pre-partum period) “labour”
2: expulsion/birth of fetus
3: passage of afterbirth or fetal membranes (extends into post-partum period)

Question 6

General behaviour in late gestation (before first part of labour)

Answer 6

Generally little significance in animal’s behaviour until the onset of parturition itself is very close
Separate from group, select site for birth (sows build nests 1-3 days before)
Maintain lying posture at rest before birth, may cease to eat 1-2hrs before parturition

Question 7

Advantages of parturition in isolation

Answer 7

Risk of interference by other females in the pre-parturient state is reduced
Provides best opportunity for developing a close mother-offspring bond

Question 8

Pre-partum behaviour of sows

Answer 8

Restlessness, sow changes position every few minutes
Intermittent grunting, champing of the jaws, increased respiration rate
Phantom nest building behaviour

Question 9

Signs 24h before parturition

Answer 9

Restless, change in position/disposition
Flank licking, tail swishing in beef
Interest in recently born young of other females

Question 10

Common behaviours of dairy cows up to 6 weeks before parturition. Why?

Answer 10

Avoidance of social exchanges of butting and being butted
Cow less agile, less able to sustain social rank (rank order changes)
Tend to eat/drink when few other cows around
Stays on periphery of herd when grazing and lying

Question 11

What is birth

Answer 11

Period of fetus expulsion, pain behaviour most evident, contractions are strong and frequent

Question 12

How does fetus expulsion occur

Answer 12

Combination of voluntary and involuntary muscle contractions in the abdomen and uterus
Increases in number and recurs more regularly when second stage begins

Question 13

Describe the third stage of labour

Answer 13

Post-partum period
Expulsion of placenta and grooming of the neonate
Expulsion happens fairly effortlessly in the hours following birth

Question 14

Eating the afterbirth

Answer 14

placentophagia

Question 15

What is placentophagia related to

Answer 15

Whether species keeps young near the birth site

Question 16

Post-partum behaviour in cows

Answer 16

Licks uterine discharges before birth is complete
Rests briefly after calving, rises and licks fetal membranes and fluids from calf (get it dry, standing)
Eats placenta and sometimes the dirty bedding

Question 17

Post-partum behaviour in sows

Answer 17

Eats all or part of the afterbirth
Calls to her litter to suckle using short grunts or loud barking grunts
Rarely licks/grooms them
“Nervous sow” may engage in savaging (attack), cannibalism or piglet crushing

Question 18

Two types of maternal/neonatal behaviours? E.g.

Answer 18

Hiders (nest species): minimizes predation, especially if altricial. Keep others away so can bond. e.g. pigs, first three weeks piglets stay in nest, mother may leave

Followers (non-nest species): e.g. horse, wherever mom goes, foal is close behind, always together

Question 19

Describe the mother-offspring bond. When it develops? How?

Answer 19

Develops during sensitive period following birth, often in isolation, takes place quickly and efficiently
Aided by hormones (e.g. oxytocin)
Vocalizations, grooming

Question 20

Why put ewes in a small space

Answer 20

So when she lambs the opportunity to bond is maximized
Ewe’s can have issues with not bonding with lamb

Question 21

Describe grooming with relation to initiation of maternal behaviour

Answer 21

Influenced by prolactin
Dried saliva imparts a pheromone on offspring (olfaction (along with nursing))
Obtains information on auditory, olfactory, visual and gustatory cues of young

Question 22

Describe teat-seeking maternal behaviour

Answer 22

Dam stands stationary adjacent to the young, allows them to explore
Will re-orient herself to help them find the teat (e.g. ewes, cows, mares)
Sows lay laterally recumbant
Warmest part is mammary tissue, heat-gradient leads young to teat (pigs)

Question 23

How is cross-fostering facilitated

Answer 23

Masking odour (skinning own lamb to place on non-offspring, grafting)
Re-stretching the cervix and vaginal canal
Restraining dam and offspring (maybe tranquilizing the dam)

Question 24

Cross-fostering facilitation in ewes, specifically

Answer 24

Grafting - saline or slime (take afterbirth of stillborn, dip a triplet lamb in it)
Wearing a ‘jacket’ - dip ‘jacket’ in afterbirth
Re-stimulation
Restraint

Question 25

How does milk let down occur

Answer 25

Ejection reflex manifested by sudden rise in milk pressure after udder/teat stimulation (vigorous nosing of udder by young, time for oxytocin to circulate)

Question 26

Triggers of milk let down

Answer 26

Nosing of udder
Smells, sounds, visual cues

Question 27

What can prevent milk let down

Answer 27

Factors leading to release in adrenaline (stress/fear)

Question 28

Nursing vs suckling

Answer 28

Nursing = action of dam (adopts upright stance if one offspring, recumbent position if litter-bearing)
Suckling = action of the young (young remain stationary, rapidly gulping the milk released as a result of rise in milk pressure)

Question 29

Why is parturient synchronization common? E.g.

Answer 29

may be a form of maternal protection (either conscious or unconscious)
e.g. foaling in early summer when nutrition is at its highest

Question 30

Once the offspring is upright and steady, what happens?

Answer 30

Explore towards damn
Once teat-like protrusion encountered, grasps and sucks
Occurs for 1-2h then wanes if not rewarded. If successful = reinforced = learning

Question 31

Weaning in nature vs production

Answer 31

Nature = gradual, young become accustomed to solid feed
Intensive systems = abrupt, rapid. Temporarily hinders growth (growth check)

Question 32

Two parts of weaning

Answer 32

Removal of milk and removal of association with dam

Question 33

5 key features of play

Answer 33

1) Is not fully functional
2) Is self-rewarding
3) Differs in structure/timing from its adult or ‘serious’ form
4) Performed repeatedly but not stereotypically
5) Expressed when animal is in a ‘relaxed field’

Question 34

Benefits of play

Answer 34

• Develop physical strength, endurance, skills
• Promote/regulates developmental rates
• Develops cognitive skills necessary for beh adaptability, flexibility. inventiveness
• Strengthens social bonds/cohesion