Comment les volailles perçoivent et interprètent leur environnement : recherche scientifique et exemples d’applications

Les capacités cognitives rassemblent l’ensemble des processus mentaux comme l’attention, la mémorisation, l’apprentissage ou encore les capacités de raisonnement. Ces capacités cognitives permettent à un animal de comprendre et s’adapter à son environnement et sont à la base de très nombreux comportements. Dans cette revue, nous proposons dans une première partie un état des lieux des connaissances actuelles sur les capacités cognitives des volailles, en nous concentrant sur la poule pondeuse et le poulet de chair qui sont les plus étudiés en cognition. Nous montrons brièvement que ces oiseaux possèdent des sens diversifiés et développés, qu’ils interagissent avec leurs congénères et qu’ils sont capables d’apprentissages, entre autres. Même s’il reste encore des recherches à mener, ces oiseaux possèdent un répertoire de capacités cognitives bien plus étendu que ce qui est souvent imaginé. Dans une seconde partie, nous illustrons en quoi ces connaissances apportent une vision nouvelle de notre compréhension de comportements observés en élevage, comme l’exploration du parcours chez le poulet élevé en plein air, ou le picage chez les poules pondeuses. La thématique d’étude de la cognition animale, qui se développe de façon croissante au niveau international, contribue à mieux comprendre la biologie de ces animaux. Sur le long terme, les recherches en cognition permettront de proposer des pistes originales pour guider les pratiques d’élevage et favoriser le bien-être des animaux d’élevage

Covid-19 and pulmonary thromboembolism: a case report

COVID-19 is an acute viral infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This pandemic disease stands out for the marked variation in the clinical characteristics of patients, ranging from asymptomatic cases to severe organ dysfunction and death. Serious complications occur in the late phase of the disease or even after viral infection, and thrombotic events are one of these complications. In this context, this study aimed to report a case of an obese, young adult female patient with a complication of pulmonary thromboembolism after infection by COVID-19

L'observation du troupeau bovin

Comment observer son troupeau ? Quels signes observer ? Quelles décisions prendre ? Grâce à cet ouvrage et les méthodes proposées, les auteurs donnent aux éleveurs des clés pour : comprendre le comportement des bovins ; améliorer leur bien-être ; garantir le maintien ou l’amélioration des performances techniques et la qualité de la production. Cette nouvelle version de l’ouvrage qui a connu un véritable succès depuis sa première parution, intègre de nouveaux chapitres et paragraphes pour mieux intégrer les enjeux des changements climatiques sur le comportement du troupeau, mais aussi mieux tenir compte des capacités cognitives des bovins dans la gestion de l’élevage au quotidien. Les apports théoriques sont très bien éclairés par des situations d’élevage permettant de déceler l’ensemble des anomalies les plus courantes (changement de comportement, perturbations métaboliques, boiteries…). Pour chaque cas, le lecteur trouvera des solutions et pourra en inventer de nouvelles grâce à des grilles d’analyse, véritable outil d’aide à la décision pour l’éleveur

Range use is related to free-range broiler chickens’ behavioral responses during food and social conditioned place preference tests

International audienceFree-range broiler chickens usually show an uneven spatial utilization of an outdoor range. Due to behavioral and cognitive between-individual differences, some animals may be driven to associate food and conspecifics more strongly to the barn, causing them to be less prone to explore the range. In this study, we aimed to understand how broiler chickens with different ranging levels (low- and high-ranging chickens) would behave under conditioned place preference (CPP) test situations. We used two cohorts conditioned to two natural rewarding stimuli: food and social companions. In a two-chambered apparatus, one cohort (n = 31, 16 high-ranging, and 15 low-ranging chickens) was conditioned to one chamber that always contained a cup with a food reward (mealworms), while the cup in the other chamber was always empty. The same design was also used with the second cohort (n = 31, 15 high-ranging and 16 low-ranging chickens), although instead of food, the reward was the physical presence of two conspecifics. During the testing trials, the animals had access to both empty chambers, and the time spent in each chamber was quantified. For the first day of the food CPP test, both the high- and low-ranging chickens spent significantly more time in the conditioned chamber, where they had previously found mealworms. During the following extinction days, the animals showed a gradual loss of their learned preference, increasing their immobility in the apparatus. High-ranging chickens were more immobile than low-ranging chickens, however, as their number of trials without moving was significantly higher. Unexpectedly, during the first day of the social CPP test, only high-ranging chickens showed a place preference. An overall place preference was observed only on the second day, with no chamber preference during the extinction days. Our results suggest that whether and how a stimulus-reward association occurs for free-range chickens may also be dependent on individual differences and the nature of the reward (food or social). Since associative learning occurs on a daily basis for farmed animals and the way individuals learn or value the reward varies, this research advanced our knowledge of animal behavior and individual cognitive differences that can be highly beneficial in improving animals' living conditions; this new understanding will allow for a more individualized approach to rearing broiler chickens in outdoor systems

Comment les volailles perçoivent-elles leur environnement ?

Cognitive abilities bring together all of the mental processes such as attention, memory, and reasoning skills that allow an animal to understand and to adapt to its environment. They are the basis of many behaviours. In this review, in a synthetic way, we will first make an inventory of current knowledge on the cognitive capacities of domestic birds, such as hens or chickens. We will show that these birds have a diverse sensory universe, are capable of rich social interactions and of learning, among other capacities. Even if there is still research to be carried out, these birds probably have a repertoire of cognitive abilities much more extensive than what is though. In a second part, we will illustrate that this knowledge brings a new vision of our understanding of certain behaviours observed in farming systems, such as range exploration of free-range chickens, or injurious pecking in laying hens. This knowledge and this research theme, which are currently developing more and more at the international level, will contribute to a better understanding of the biology of these animals and could, in the long term, provide original avenues for promoting the adaptation of these birds to their rearing system and their welfare

White Leghorn and Red Junglefowl female chicks use distal and local cues similarly, but differ in persistency behaviors, during a spatial orientation task

Although there is evidence to suggest that animal domestication acts as a modulator of spatial orientation, little is known on how domesticated animals, compared to their wild counterparts, orientate themselves when confronted to different environmental cues. Here, using domesticated White Leghorn chicks, and their ancestor, the Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus), our main objective was to investigate how bird domestication influences the use of distal and local cues, during an orientation task. We also investigated the memory retention of these cues over time, and how persistent/flexible individuals from both breeds were at pecking at unreachable mealworms. Our results showed that the breeds did not differ in their use of distal or local cues, with both showing a marked preference for the use of local cues over distal ones. Over time, individual performance declined, but this was not influenced by the type of cue present during the tests, nor by the breed. Domesticated chicks showed greater signs of persistency compared to their wild conspecifics. In conclusion, domestication did not seem to alter how birds orientate spatially, but may have caused more subtle changes, such as an increase in behavioral persistency, a feature that may be adaptative in human-controlled and homogenous environments.Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council; (det, Sweden) [2019-04869]</p

White Leghorn and Red Junglefowl female chicks use distal and local cues similarly, but differ in persistency behaviors, during a spatial orientation task

International audienceAlthough there is evidence to suggest that animal domestication acts as a modulator of spatial orientation, little is known on how domesticated animals, compared to their wild counterparts, orientate themselves when confronted to different environmental cues. Here, using domesticated White Leghorn chicks, and their ancestor, the Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus), our main objective was to investigate how bird domestication influences the use of distal and local cues, during an orientation task. We also investigated the memory retention of these cues over time, and how persistent/flexible individuals from both breeds were at pecking at unreachable mealworms. Our results showed that the breeds did not differ in their use of distal or local cues, with both showing a marked preference for the use of local cues over distal ones. Over time, individual performance declined, but this was not influenced by the type of cue present during the tests, nor by the breed. Domesticated chicks showed greater signs of persistency compared to their wild conspecifics. In conclusion, domestication did not seem to alter how birds orientate spatially, but may have caused more subtle changes, such as an increase in behavioral persistency, a feature that may be adaptative in human-controlled and homogenous environments

Effects of domestication on responses of chickens and red junglefowl to conspecific calls: A pilot study.

Beyond physical and zootechnical characteristics, the process of animal domestication has also altered how domesticated individuals, compared to their wild counterparts, perceive, process, and interact with their environment. Little is known, however, on whether and how domestication altered the perception of conspecific calls on both domesticated and wild breeds. In the present work, we compared the vigilance behavior of domestic and captive-born wild fowl following the playback of chicken alarm calls and contentment calls (control). The playback tests were performed on four different breeds/lines. We first compared the behavioral reaction of domesticated White Leghorn (WL, a breed selected for egg production) and Red Junglefowl (RJF) hens (ancestor of domestic chickens). We also compared the behavior of Red Junglefowl hens selected for high or low fear of humans (RJF HF and RJF LF, respectively), a proxy to investigate early effects of domestication. Contrary to our expectations, no breed/line reacted accordingly to the calls, as the increase in vigilance behavior after the playback calls was similar for both alarm and contentment calls. Although no call discrimination differences were found, breeds did differ on how they reacted/habituated to the calls. Overall, WL were more vigilant than RJF, and birds from the RJF LF line decreased their vigilance over testing days, while this was not the case for the RJF HF line. These results suggest that birds under commercial-like conditions are unable to discriminate between alarm and contentment calls. Interestingly, domestication and selection for low fear of humans may have altered how birds react to vocal stimuli. It is important to consider that farmed animals may interpret and be affected by the vocalizations of their conspecifics in unexpected ways, which warrants further investigation

Uninhibited chickens: ranging behaviour impacts motor self-regulation in free-range broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

International audienceInhibiting impulsive, less flexible behaviours is of utmost importance for individual adaptation in an ever-changing environment. However, problem-solving tasks may be greatly impacted by individual differences in behaviour, since animals with distinct behavioural types perceive and interact with their environment differently, resulting in variable responses to the same stimuli. Here, we tested whether and how differences in ranging behaviour of free-range chickens affect motor self-regulation performance during a cylinder task. For this task, subjects must refrain from trying to reach a food reward through the walls of a transparent cylinder and detour to its open sides, as a sign of inhibition. Free-range chickens exhibited an overall low performance in the motor self-regulation task (31.33 +/- 13.55% of correct responses), however, high rangers showed significantly poorer performance than the low rangers (23.75 +/- 9.16% versus 40 +/- 12.90%, respectively). These results give further support to the impacts of individual behavioural differences on cognitive performances. This is the first demonstration to our knowledge of a relationship between exploratory tendencies and motor self-regulation for an avian species

Relation entre capacité d'exploration et performances en mémoire spatiale à court terme chez le poulet élevé en plein-air

L'élevage en plein-air des poulets procure aux animaux le choix de rester dans le bâtiment ou d'accéder au parcours (enclos extérieur), cependant les oiseaux en ont une utilisation variable. En explorant le parcours, les individus interagissent avec leur environnement et doivent traiter les informations recueillies. Nous prédisons que les oiseaux explorateurs auraient une mémoire de travail (à court terme) plus développée, car celle-ci est plus sollicitée si l'animal utilise le parcours en plus du bâtiment. Le nombre de sorties sur le parcours et l'éloignement ont été mesurés en relevant la position des individus entre l'âge de 39 et de 59 jours. Ceci a permis de classer les poulets du plus explorateur au moins explorateur (= « casanier »). Les 16 poulets les plus explorateurs et les plus casaniers ont été soumis à des tests permettant d'évaluer la mémoire de travail. Dans un labyrinthe en Y, deux pots étaient fixés à l'extrémité des bras. Les poulets étaient familiarisés en trois phases au dispositif : en binôme (un casanier et un explorateur), puis individuellement avec de la nourriture dans l'ensemble du dispositif. Enfin seuls trois vers étaient déposés dans chaque pot. Les 10 explorateurs et casaniers, qui avaient le plus d'aisance à explorer le labyrinthe, ont été sélectionnés. Chaque individu n'a d'abord accès qu'à un bras appâté pendant 1 min 30. Après un délai de 55 secondes, le poulet a accès aux deux bras : le même bras contient les vers pour la moitié des individus (matching-to-place) ou c'est le bras opposé (non matching-to-place). Les animaux étaient soumis à 4 répétitions par jour pendant 2 sessions de 5 jours consécutifs. Lors des deux premières périodes de la phase de familiarisation, les « explorateurs » étaient plus rapides à visiter les deux bras que les « casaniers » (p < 0,05). Les « explorateurs » ont également plus souvent opté pour une stratégie qui consiste à visiter toujours le même bras du dispositif (p=0,02). Les taux de succès proches de 50% indiquent un choix effectué au hasard : les poulets semblent ne pas avoir appris la tâche cognitive. D'autres tests plus adaptés pourraient permettre d'évaluer la mémoire de travail des poulets casaniers et explorateurs