engleski

RUMINANTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT

Environmental enrichment usually refers to modification of the animals’ environment, thus improving biological function by increasing the number and range of the type of normal behaviour, preventing the occurrence and development, the frequency and severity of abnormal behaviour, or increasing the available space and reducing stress. “Social” enrichment involves contact with individuals of the same species or humans. “Occupational” enrichment challenges animals and gives them an opportunity to experience control, as well as encouraging them to exercise ; “Physical” enrichment involves changing the size or complexity of the animal’s enclosure, or adding objects or substrates to the structure ; “Sensory” enrichment implies visual, auditory, or other forms of enrichment (olfactory, tactile, tastes) and “Nutritional” enrichment involves giving new, different types of food, or changing the method of food delivery. Poor environment, qualitatively and quantitatively inadequate nutrition and lack of movement may be triggers for behavioral changes. In cattle, tongue rolling, licking and biting the stall equipment, non-nutritional suckling and extensive urine drinking may occur. Cattle should preferably be provided with visual or auditory contact with a conspecific or human, daily pasture, different scratching roller brushes, etc. The abnormal behaviour of sheep could be wool-sucking, intersucking, and selfsucking, and in goats mostly self-sucking. It is not recommended to keep sheep and goats separate from the herd. Environmental enrichment for sheep could be provided by hanging ceiling chains over the pens, as well as by giving them a basketball ball or increasing the amount of fiber food. Goats prefer different types of objects that can be climbed on. Objects for enrichment should not be dangerous to the animal (poisonous, sharp edges, etc.) and should be in accordance with the environmental enrichment strategies, based on an understanding of the highly specific behaviour and physiology of each species.

Ruminants ; Environment ; Enrichment

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