Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET-UNC) and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 (5000), Córdoba, Argentina; and.
Poult Sci. 2013 Oct;92(10):2567-75. doi: 10.3382/ps.2013-03206.
One challenge faced by ethologists in poultry welfare is helping birds to form functionally successful groups over time through the expression of appropriate behaviors. Searching for phenotypic variability, we developed in Japanese quail a density-related permanence (DRP) test that enables us to classify young birds (while in groups) according to their individual permanence in boxes containing a high or low density of confined conspecifics (HD or LD, respectively). This study addressed the question of whether contrasting DRP quail behavior may reflect underlying differences in social responses. Birds were classified at 11 d of age in an apparatus consisting of 2 boxes interconnected by a central region delimited by sliding doors. Each box contained at its distal end either 12 or 3 conspecifics confined behind a glass (high or low density, respectively). The doors were closed 9 times every 1 h, and positioning of 36 experimental birds was registered. If birds were found in the box containing high density, low density, or in the central region, they received a 1, -1, or a 0 score, respectively. Birds with final summed scores of ≥3 or ≤-3 were categorized as HD or LD, respectively. Same category groups (HD or LD) were evaluated in their home box (undisturbed) and in a resident/intruder test when 38 d old. A higher proportion of LD than HD groups (5/6 vs. 1/6, respectively) showed at least one aggressive pecking event during a 1-h trial. The LD groups also showed a higher number of aggressive pecking events than HP groups. When an unfamiliar intruder (either HD or LD) was incorporated during 5 min in the HD or LD box, LD resident quail showed shorter latencies and a higher number of aggressive pecking events toward the intruder bird than their HD counterparts. The early individual permanence in the DRP test could be considered a consequence of a different adaptability strategy for group living. This novel test could be relevant for selection programs aiming to obtain birds better suited for rearing in high-density conditions.
行为生态学家在研究家禽福利时面临的一个挑战是，通过表达适当的行为，帮助鸟类随着时间的推移形成功能上成功的群体。为了寻找表型变异性，我们在鹌鹑中开发了一种与密度相关的持久性（DRP）测试，该测试使我们能够根据个体在包含高或低密度同种限制的盒子中的持久性，对年幼的鸟类（在群体中）进行分类（分别为 HD 或 LD）。这项研究探讨了具有挑战性的 DRP 鹌鹑行为是否可能反映出其社交反应的潜在差异。在由 2 个盒子组成的设备中，将 36 只实验鸟在 11 天大时进行分类，这 2 个盒子通过由滑动门限定的中央区域相互连接。每个盒子的远端都有 12 或 3 只同种被关在玻璃后面（高密度或低密度，分别）。每小时关闭 9 次门，记录 36 只实验鸟的位置。如果鸟被发现在包含高密度的盒子、低密度的盒子或中央区域，则它们分别获得 1、-1 或 0 分。总分≥3 或≤-3 的鸟被归类为 HD 或 LD。当 38 天大时，对具有相同类别组（HD 或 LD）的鸟在其家盒（未受干扰）和居民/入侵者测试中进行评估。在 1 小时的试验中，与 HD 组相比，LD 组中表现出至少一次攻击啄食事件的比例更高（5/6 对 1/6）。LD 组的攻击啄食事件也比 HP 组多。当一个陌生的入侵者（无论是 HD 还是 LD）在 5 分钟内在 HD 或 LD 盒中时，LD 居民鹌鹑向入侵者鸟显示出更短的潜伏期和更多的攻击啄食事件，比它们的 HD 对应物多。DRP 测试中的早期个体持久性可以被认为是群体生活适应策略不同的结果。这种新的测试可能与旨在获得更适合高密度饲养的鸟类的选择计划相关。
