Digital Commons Network^™

The Buller-Steer Syndrome, Richard Ulbrich

Ethology Collection

Bulling among steers is an abnormal behavioral trait and is a common health and economic problem in feedlot operations. Factors associated with the buller-steer syndrome are hormonal implantation, seasonality and environmental conditions, stress, overcrowding, and social interaction between individuals. Research has examined relationships between these and other factors and buller occurrence. Boredom of feedlot cattle may contribute to buller occurrence and other undesirable behavior more than we might suspect. Research is needed to determine the feasibility of enriching the environment of penned livestock in general, the goal of which would be, in theory, the elimination of undesirable behavior as well …

Productivity And Farm Animal Welfare, Michael W. Fox

Agribusiness Collection

In the search for and debate over objective indices of farm animal welfare, productivity is regarded by many animal scientists and others in the livestock industry as the most reliable measure of an animal's overall well-being and adaptability. On the surface, this would seem to be so, as productivity--in terms of growth rate, milk yield, feed-conversion and egg production--can be easily quantified. However, there are serious flaws in this assumption.

An Overview Of Zoo Goals And Exhibition Principles, Randall L. Eaton

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

It is not uncommon among progressive-minded zoo professionals these days to hear disdain for the function of zoos as recreational. This attitude is understandable in that traditionally, zoos have done little but offer amusement along with parklands or picnic facilities. The progressive zoo person sets his or her goals above the old-fashioned recipe of crowding as many exotic animals as possible into an amusement-oriented menagerie to an authentic theme for exhibition intended to educate the public, offer research possibilities, and preserve and propagate species. Nevertheless, recreation remains a primary function of zoos. Most zoo visitors do not seek education in …

Behavior And Weight Loss Of Feeder Calves In A Railcar Modified For Feeding And Watering In Transit, T. H. Friend, M. R. Irwin, A. J. Sharp, B. H. Ashby, G. B. Thompson, W. A. Bailey

Agribusiness Collection

The behavior of 164kg Angus and Hereford calves was studied in a double deck 26m x 2.6m "jumbo" railcar equipped with feed and water. A 4,180 liter water tank positioned in the center of each deck divided the car into four compartments. Fifty head were loaded into the lower and upper forward compartment (252kg/m²floor space], each containing 675kg of hay in racks. The two rear compartments served as quarters for equipment and researchers. Two video cameras were mounted in the upper forward compartment containing calves. Behavior of the calves was monitored, with portions video taped during rail transport …

A Response To Dr. Ian Dunbar, Graham Henderson

Pets Collection

In his article, "A Strategy for Dog Owner Education," (2(1):13-15, 1981), Dr. Ian Dunbar reveals his masterplan: Pet owners are not, he claims, irresponsible, they are for the most part merely "ignorant." We must, therefor, educate them, and to do this we must somehow contrive to have potential pet owners apply for a license before they may obtain their dog. At the same time as this initial application is made, the hopeful candidate would be issued with an information package, the content of which he or she would be tested on at some indeterminate future date. Although a failure to …

Animals In Film And Television, D. B. Wilkins

Sports and Entertainment Collection

People have always had a fascination for large, "exotic" types of animals and as a result many zoos were set up all over Europe and North America. For many years there was a great deal of money to be made from exhibiting animals, and very little regard was paid to their welfare.

With the advent of cinema and television we have come to appreciate these animals in their own environment. Some modern zoos have attempted, therefore, to reproduce a type of natural surrounding for the larger species of animal, but the compromise between providing an animal with its natural environment …

People At Zoos: A Sociological Approach, Edward G. Ludwig

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

This is a participant observation study of animal/human relationships at zoos. Both zoo personnel and zoo visitors were observed intensively over a period of four months and less intensively for two years. While young zoo employees tended to be naturalistic, ecologistic and scientistic in their value orientation toward animals, these attitudes were often frustrated by the day to day routines of the job involving hosing and feeding, and the realities of limitations placed upon zoos by strained budgets and antiquated buildings. The public tended to be an additional source of frustration due to their apparent lack of sensitivity and desire …

Equine Behavior Problems In Relation To Humane Management, Katherine A. Houpt

Equines Collection

The behavior problems of horses are frequently related to management practices. Behaviors that are termed stall vices appear to be either stereotyped behaviors that occur in reaction to stress, or patterns that emerge when natural behaviors such as grazing are prevented. The behavior cases presented to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, were tabulated: 27% were stall vices and 27% were some form of aggression. The stall vices were circling, digging, kicking the stall, chewing wood, swallowing air or self-mutilation. Management of horses on pasture rather than in stalls prevents the development of many of these …

Injuries To Birds Of Prey Caught In Leghold Traps, Katherine Durham

Conservation Collection

173 birds of prey, including 32 Bald Eagles, have been treated for trapping injuries at the University of Minnesota Raptor Research and Rehabilitation Program since 1972. These were birds caught primarily in "open" bait /eghold sets incidental to furbearer trapping in the Minnesota region. The differential outcome of the injuries with respect to crippling or mortality is presented for large versus small raptors, toe versus leg injuries, and fracture of the leg versus soft tissue damage only.

There is only limited potential for mitigating the effects of trapping injuries to raptors because of the irreversible soft tissue damage usually associated …

The Role And Responsibility Of Zoos: An Animal Protection Viewpoint, John E. Cooper

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

The aim of this paper is to look at zoological collections from the viewpoint of the animal and, in particular, to draw attention to areas where welfare considerations should be paramount. I do not intend to cover the capture and transportation of zoo animals, although this is obviously of great importance and must be included in any overall consideration of the welfare of zoo animals. In this paper, however, I shall concentrate upon the care of the animal within the zoo environment.

Conversation With Henry Spira: Draize Test Activist, Lynne Harriton

Interviews

No abstract provided.

Hs News Volume 26, Number 01

HSUS News 1979-88

• President's Perspective: Animals--it's their world, too (John A. Hoyt)
• Factory farming: and now the good news
• Sports medicine for the equine athlete
• Money talks in Oregon
• It's working! (Susan Bury Stauffer)
• Accreditation update
• HSUS Director Jacques Sichel dies
• Animals ... It's their world, too!
• 1980 Joseph Wood Krutch Medalist
• Common goals: HSUS and the RSPCA share ideas on animal welfare
• Game animals: animated targets for hunters (Guy R. Hodge)
• "In response to today's story"
• The American Seal Hunt
• Federal horse racing bill spurs state action
• Model dog and cat control ordinance
• 1980 Resolutions adopted at the 1980 Annual Conference
• Crackdown …

A Function Of The Subelytral Chamber Of Tenebrionid Beetles, Con Slobodchikoff, Kim Wisman

Entomology Collection

1. The subelytral chamber is an air space between the elytra and the dorsum of the abdomen of some Tenebrionid beetles. Postulated functions for the subelytral chamber have been a reduction of transpiratory water loss and a thermal buffer for heat flow from the elytra to the abdomen.

2. We show that there is a significant correlation between water loss and the depth of the subelytral chamber.

3. This implies that the chamber may be a structure that permits the rapid expansion of the abdomen, providing the beetles with a mechanism by which they can quickly drink large quantities of …

Shelter Sense Volume 03, Number 06

ShelterSense 1978-92

• First aid
• State developments
• Two ways to tell your story (Julie Rovner)
• PSAs available
• Fund raisers
• Congratulations!
• Holiday pets
• Oil spill!
• Photo contest extended
• Pet care
• HSUS training in 1981
• Board will arbitrate pound complaints
• Shelter Sense reproducible -- Have you seen my pet?
• Just Wright: Our friends in law enforcement (Phyllis Wright)

Beyond Conspecifics: Is Brer Rabbit Our Brother?, Gordon Burghardt, Harold Herzog

Experimentation Collection

Today, on many fronts, there is renewed interest in our relationship with nonhuman animals. Many factors have contributed to this concern. Environmental and ecological awareness has drawn public attention to the near extermination of many species and the detrimental effects of pollution, pesticides, and habitat destruction. The inefficiency of transmuting vegetable protein to meat has added to the traditional moral arguments of vegetarians. The widespread questioning of government support for basic research has been intertwined with suspicions about the use and worth of any studies on animals, even those purporting to help understand human medical and behavioral problems. New evidence …

Amputation Of Vibrissae In Show Dogs, Thomas E. Mcgill

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

Empathy Or Anthropomorphism?, Michael W. Fox

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

Predation - The Way Of Life, James R. Rooney

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

The Clever Hans Phenomenon Conference, Susan Fowler

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

Meetings And Announcements

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

1. Meeting Report: American Society of Animal Science
2. Meeting Report: International Whaling Commission
3. Announcement: Felix Wankel Award
4. Announcement: North American Applied Animal Ethology Newsletter

News And Review

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

1. Boyhood cruelty toward animals
2. Scientists evaluate alternatives
3. Ethical principles in animal experimentation
4. Animal welfare and electro- immobilization
5. Halothane screening for stress-sensitive pigs
6. Black rhino on Endangered Species List
7. Foot-snare vs. leg-hold traps

Ethology And Laboratory Animal Welfare, James A. Cohen

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

Stress: What Is It And How Can It Be Quantified?, T. H. Friend

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

An animal may be considered to be in a state of stress if abnormal behavior or extreme adjustments in its behavior or physiology are necessary in order to cope with adverse aspects of its environment. Methods used to determine if an animal is stressed can be either behavioral or physiological. Behavioral methods may be highly erroneous due to their subjective nature since alterations in behavior do not necessarily prove that an animal is stressed. There is no single measure of stress that can be used in all situations at this time. Every measure must be critically evaluated to ensure that …

Problems With Kosher Slaughter, Temple Grandin

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

Ritual slaughter to produce kosher meat is rooted in the teachings and writings of the Talmud. However, the preslaughter handling features of modern systems, particularly the shackling and hoisting of large steers, contravene the basic message of humaneness included in the teachings. The throat-cutting of a live, conscious animal is relatively pain-free, provided that certain precautions are followed, but U.S. kosher plants need to install newly developed conveyor-restrainer systems to eliminate the abuses of shackling and hoisting. Conveyor-restrainer systems for large and small animals are discussed.

Legislation And Regulation

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

1. Farm Animal Welfare legislation in the US?
2. Model Farm Animal Protection Act

Shelter Sense Volume 03, Number 05

ShelterSense 1978-92

• Update on parvovirus
• A cough by any other name ...
• More on dog bites
• Identity crisis solved
• Shelter workers' comments studied
• Shelters go solar
• Two good efforts
• Animal torturer finally convicted
• Shelter Sense reproducible -- Which one doesn't belong?
• Just Wright: "Is my dog going to die?" (Phyllis Wright)

Humane Education Happenings Fall 1980

Humane Happenings 1975-81

No abstract provided.

Hs News Volume 25, Number 04

HSUS News 1979-88

• President's Perspective: Getting acquainted (John A. Hoyt)
• An ounce of prevention
• Returning to Eden
• Two societies receive accreditation
• The dog bite: whose fault is it?
• Zoos in transition: HSUS' efforts to improve zoos gather momentum (Julie Rovner)
• The campaign against the Draize test -- a personal view (Andrew Rowan)
• The threatened kangaroo (Wendy Boyd)
• The myth and truth of owning wild & exotic pets (Heather McGriffin)
• Two steps forward, one step back: a report on the 1980 Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (Patricia Forkan)
• Volcano destruction hurts animals, too
• Leghold trap ban progresses in Connecticut
• Trapping issues big on …

Troubled Times At The Rspca, David Wilkins

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.

The Journal And Its Organization, Andrew N. Rowan

International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems

No abstract provided.