Journal of Animal Science, Vol 69, Issue 10 4155-4160, Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Behavioral methods to answer questions about sheep

H. W. Gonyou
Dept. of Anim. Sci. University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.

Animal behavior has been defined as the interaction of an animal with its environment. During this interaction the animal must make decisions, based on its evaluation of the environment and its needs, of whether or not the environment is adequate or appropriate for specific behaviors. The environment includes both physical and biotic components, so sheep adjust their behavior in response to such diverse characteristics as the thermal conditions of their environment, the flora present, or the characteristics of other sheep. Although an animal's subjective experiences may not lend themselves to direct evaluation, we may be able to address these questions indirectly by using behavior as an indicator of the animal's decisions. This paper reviews research on the use of space, maternal and neonatal recognition, sexual behavior, and aversiveness. The majority of methods involve preference or acceptance tests. Assumptions, which often affect how tests are conducted and results interpreted, should be made only after the alternatives are carefully considered.