The Use of Feeding Behaviour in the Assessment of Animal Welfare

Summary

Feeding behaviour is an important aspect of animal production, as it constitutes the link between the feed provided and that which is consumed. Measures of feeding behaviour can be used as a tool with which to gauge how an animal perceives the diet offered, as well as its motivation to feed, i.e. its level of hunger. The feed intake of an animal may also depend on the presentation of the food, the previous experience of the animal with a given food, and to what extent other competing motivations affect the behaviour of the animal. In this chapter, examples from ruminants, pigs, and poultry are provided on how measures of feeding behaviour can be used to elucidate the constraints on feeding imposed by the nutritional, physical, and social environment of our production animals. For ruminants, the relationship between meal patterns and rumen fermentation is described, together with the effects of feed delivery and feeding frequency on the feeding behaviour, in particular the sorting of feed components. Further examples are provided on how competition at the feed trough results in higher feeding rates and can lead to uneven distribution of the feed between animals in a group, dependent on space availability, trough design, and partitioning. We describe how the provision of fibre may alleviate hunger and aggression in parent stock, such as gestating sows and broiler breeders that are restrictively fed. Examples are provided of how automatic feeders can be used to detect changes in the feeding patterns of individual animals, which in turn can be used in the detection of health problems. It is described how grazing ruminants show behavioural adaptability not only to changes in sward composition and height but also to hot and cold environments. Other examples include studies of feeding behaviour that have explored ways to reduce the stress experienced by piglets in connection with weaning, and how feather pecking in laying hens may be prevented by provision of roughage. Overall, the understanding of species-specific feeding behaviour and nutritional requirements is important for the assessment of animal welfare. It may help solve many feeding problems and allow animals to maximize the potential of the nutritional value of the feed provided to them