Métodos para avaliação do temperamento de bovinos: estimação de parâmetros genéticos e relações com o desempenho

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar, dentre diferentes medidas de temperamento, a mais adequada para avaliação do temperamento de bovinos de corte, tendo em conta a praticidade de sua aplicação e possibilidade de utilização em programas de melhoramento genético. Como objetivos específicos buscamos: 1) avaliar a associação entre as escalas qualitativas de classificação do temperamento com quatro métodos tradicionalmente utilizados e, avaliar a possibilidade de uso deste método como indicador do temperamento de bovinos; 2) estimar parâmetros genéticos para diferentes indicadores do temperamento e avaliar a possibilidade de aplicação destes como critérios de seleção; 3) estimar a associação genética entre temperamento e características de crescimento na raça Nelore. O temperamento foi avaliado para 23.420 animais machos e fêmeas ao sobreano, em idade próxima aos 550 dias, nascidos entre 2002 e 2009 com uso de um escore de temperamento (TS), baseado em uma escala de 1 a 5 que considera a reação do animal, após sair do tronco de contenção. Além disso, 9.150 indivíduos nascidos em 2008 e 2009 foram avaliados para as seguintes características: escore de movimentação (MOV), em escala de 1 a 5 de acordo com a sua movimentação no tronco de contenção; escore de tronco (CS), em que são atribuídas notas de 1 a 4 para a reatividade geral do animal dentro do tronco de contenção; e velocidade de fuga (VF), que é um registro da velocidade (em m/s) com que os animais saem do tronco de contenção após a pesagem. As características de crescimento avaliadas foram peso à desmama (PD) e ganho de peso médio diário pós-desmama (GMD). Foi utilizada Inferência Bayesiana com Amostragem de Gibbs para estimar os componentes de (co) variância e valores genéticos dos animais. As estimativas de herdabilidade para VF, TS, CS e MOV foram...The aim of this study was to identify, among several indicators, the most adequate method to assess beef cattle temperament on farms, considering its feasibility and possibility of use in breeding programs. The specific objectives were: 1) to access the relationship of observer temperament ratings, the qualitative behavior assessment methos (QBA) with four others traditional methods, and to evaluate the possibility of using QBA as an indicator of cattle temperament; 2) to estimate genetic parameters of four temperament indicator traits for Nellore cattle, and to evaluate the possibility of using such traits as selection criteria in breeding programs; and 3) to estimate the genetic association between four temperament indicators and growth traits in Nellore cattle. Temperament was assessed for 23,420 male and female animals at yearling age, approximately 550 days, which were born between 2002 and 2009. A temperament score (TS) was used, which is based on a scale from 1 to 5 and considers the animal’s reaction after exiting the crush. Moreover, 9,150 individuals born between 2008 and 2009 were measured for the following traits: Movement Score (MOV), where animals were scored from 1 to 5 according to their movement inside the crush; Crush Score (CS), which assigns scores from 1 to 4 for an animal’s general reactivity inside the crush; and Flight Speed (FS), which is a recording of the speed (in m/s) at which the animals exit the crush after being weighed. The growth traits evaluated were weaning weight (WW) and post weaning average daily gain (ADG), for male and female animals born between 1990 and 2009. Bayesian Inference using Gibbs Sampling was applied to estimate (co)variance components and breeding values of the animals. Heritability estimates for FS, TS, CS, and MOV were 0.35, 0.15, 0.19, and 0.18, respectively. The genetic correlation estimates of FS with TS (0.85), CS (0.85)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below

Personalidade em animais: o que diz a ciência?

Todas as pessoasque, em algum momento da vida, tiveram estreito contato com animais são capazesde caracterizálos de acordo com aspectos do comportamento, utilizando adjetivos como ‘brincalhão’, ‘tímido’, ‘medroso’, ‘nervoso’, ‘agressivo’, ‘carente’, ‘amigável’,‘agitado’ na tentativa deexpressar a individualidade de seus animais. Mas, como a ciência vem abordando esse tema? Quais as origens destas diferenças?O conceito de personalidade é legítimo para quais animais? E, principalmente, quais são suas implicações na vida dos animais? Ao longo desse texto buscaremos responder a esses questionamentos

Síndrome de Ansiedade por Separação em Animais de Companhia: Uma Revisão

Entende-se por síndrome de ansiedade por separação (SAS) o conjunto de respostas fisiológicas e comportamentais, exibidas isoladamente ou em associação, por um dado animal quando na ausência de uma figura de apego. A SAS tornou-se um problema comportamental comumente reportado nos animais de companhia, sendo descritos sérios impactos sobre a qualidade da interação humano-animal e o bem-estar animal, em especial, dos cães. Por sua vez, para os gatos, tal temática tem sido abordada ainda de forma muito tímida, embora existam relatos de sua ocorrência na literatura científica. Os sinais comportamentais frequentemente relacionados à SAS são: reatividade anômala, vocalização excessiva, eliminação de fezes e / ou de urina em locais inadequados, comportamentos destrutivos e autolimpeza excessiva. A identificação e compreensão dos sintomas relacionados a este distúrbio, bem como, dos fatores que predispõe os animais a desenvolverem SAS, são de suma importância. Neste artigo será apresentada uma revisão sobre os principais fatores de risco já relacionados com a ocorrência de ansiedade por separação em cães e gatos domésticos, dentre eles, algumas características do próprio animal, do tutor e do ambiente de criação. Serão apontadas lacunas no conhecimento atual sobre a SAS, a fim de estimular mais pesquisas sobre este tema, que possam contribuir para a melhoraria do bem-estar, tanto dos animais, quanto das pessoas que com eles convivem.

Percepção de ordenhadores sobre a interação-humano animal em fazendas leiteiras

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a percepção dos ordenhadores em relação às suas interações com as vacas leiteiras. A interação humano-animal foi classificada segundo a adoção de ações positivas (interações táteis agradáveis, escovação do pelo e presença enquanto os animais se alimentam) e negativas durante o manejo (gritos, ruído intenso durante a ordenha, batidas, uso de objetos impróprios para condução das vacas, como ferrões e paus). Foram entrevistados 55 ordenhadores, de 37 propriedades rurais, por meio de um questionário compreendendo 17 perguntas. A grande maioria (90,9%) dos ordenhadores demonstrou ter noção de que práticas negativas direcionadas às vacas no momento da ordenha podem aumentar o leite residual. No entanto, a maioria (mais de 80%) também declarou praticar algum tipo de ação negativa e, pelo menos, 30% deles declarou utilizar estas práticas mesmo sabendo que podem ser prejudiciais aos animais. O nível geral de saber dos ordenhadores variou em função do sistema de produção (P = 0,051), da raça do animal (P = 0,005), do tipo de ordenha em que trabalhavam (P = 0,005) e do sexo do ordenhador (P = 0,048).  De modo geral, a percepção dos ordenhadores sobre suas ações durante o manejo foi considerada inadequada, refletindo um nível de conhecimento insuficiente para que apliquem boas práticas de manejo e de bem-estar das vacas leiteiras. Tais resultados alertam para a necessidade de treinamento desta importante categoria de trabalhadores com relação ao comportamento e boas práticas de manejo de vacas leiteiras

Genome-Wide Association Study between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Flight Speed in Nellore Cattle.

INTRODUCTION:Cattle temperament is an important factor that affects the profitability of beef cattle enterprises, due to its relationship with productivity traits, animal welfare and labor safety. Temperament is a complex phenotype often assessed by measuring a series of behavioral traits, which result from the effects of multiple environmental and genetic factors, and their interactions. The aims of this study were to perform a genome-wide association study and detect genomic regions, potential candidate genes and their biological mechanisms underlying temperament, measured by flight speed (FS) test in Nellore cattle. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using a single-step procedure (ssGBLUP) which combined simultaneously all 16,600 phenotypes from genotyped and non-genotyped animals, full pedigree information of 162,645 animals and 1,384 genotyped animals in one step. The animals were genotyped with High Density Bovine SNP BeadChip which contains 777,962 SNP markers. After quality control (QC) a total of 455,374 SNPs remained. RESULTS:Heritability estimated for FS was 0.21 ± 0.02. Consecutive SNPs explaining 1% or more of the total additive genetic variance were considered as windows associated with FS. Nine candidate regions located on eight different Bos taurus chromosomes (BTA) (1 at 73 Mb, 2 at 65 Mb, 5 at 22 Mb and 119 Mb, 9 at 98 Mb, 11 at 67 Mb, 15 at 16 Mb, 17 at 63 Kb, and 26 at 47 Mb) were identified. The candidate genes identified in these regions were NCKAP5 (BTA2), PARK2 (BTA9), ANTXR1 (BTA11), GUCY1A2 (BTA15), CPE (BTA17) and DOCK1 (BTA26). Among these genes PARK2, GUCY1A2, CPE and DOCK1 are related to dopaminergic system, memory formation, biosynthesis of peptide hormone and neurotransmitter and brain development, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings allowed us to identify nine genomic regions (SNP windows) associated with beef cattle temperament, measured by FS test. Within these windows, six promising candidate genes and their biological functions were identified. These results may contribute to a better comprehension into the genetic control of temperament expression in Nellore cattle

Identification of separation-related problems in domestic cats: A questionnaire survey.

Identifying and preventing the occurrence of separation-related problems (SRP) in companion animals are relevant to animal welfare and the quality of human-pet interactions. The SRP are defined as a set of behaviors and physiological signs displayed by the animal when separated from its attachment person. In cats, SRP has been insufficiently studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire for cat owners which identifies behaviors that may indicate SRP, as well as relates the occurrence of SRP to the management practices applied in the sampled cats. The associations of SRP with cats' characteristics, as well as owner, environmental, and management traits were investigated. The questionnaire was developed based on the scientific literature about separation anxiety syndrome in dogs and a few papers in cats, and it was completed by 130 owners of 223 cats. Analysis of owners' answers was done through categorization and acquisition of relative frequencies of each response category, followed by Fisher's exact test, chi-square tests in contingency table and Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Among the sampled animals, 13.45% (30 / 223) met at least one of the behavioral criteria we used to define SRP. Destructive behavior was the most frequently reported behavior (66.67%, 20 / 30), followed by excessive vocalization (63.33%, 19 / 30), urination in inappropriate places (60.00%, 18 / 30), depression-apathy (53.33%, 16 / 30), aggressiveness (36.67%, 11 / 30) and agitation-anxiety (36.67%, 11 / 30) and, in lower frequency, defecation in inappropriate places (23.33%, 7 / 30). The occurrence of SRP was associated with the number of females living in the residence (P = 0.01), with not having access to toys (P = 0.04), and no other animal residing in the house (P = 0.04). Separation-related problems in domestic cats are difficult to identify due to the limited amount of knowledge regarding the issue. The questionnaire developed in this study supported identification of the main behaviors likely related to SRP in cats and could be used as a starting point for future research

Genome-Wide Association Study between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Flight Speed in Nellore Cattle.

INTRODUCTION:Cattle temperament is an important factor that affects the profitability of beef cattle enterprises, due to its relationship with productivity traits, animal welfare and labor safety. Temperament is a complex phenotype often assessed by measuring a series of behavioral traits, which result from the effects of multiple environmental and genetic factors, and their interactions. The aims of this study were to perform a genome-wide association study and detect genomic regions, potential candidate genes and their biological mechanisms underlying temperament, measured by flight speed (FS) test in Nellore cattle. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using a single-step procedure (ssGBLUP) which combined simultaneously all 16,600 phenotypes from genotyped and non-genotyped animals, full pedigree information of 162,645 animals and 1,384 genotyped animals in one step. The animals were genotyped with High Density Bovine SNP BeadChip which contains 777,962 SNP markers. After quality control (QC) a total of 455,374 SNPs remained. RESULTS:Heritability estimated for FS was 0.21 ± 0.02. Consecutive SNPs explaining 1% or more of the total additive genetic variance were considered as windows associated with FS. Nine candidate regions located on eight different Bos taurus chromosomes (BTA) (1 at 73 Mb, 2 at 65 Mb, 5 at 22 Mb and 119 Mb, 9 at 98 Mb, 11 at 67 Mb, 15 at 16 Mb, 17 at 63 Kb, and 26 at 47 Mb) were identified. The candidate genes identified in these regions were NCKAP5 (BTA2), PARK2 (BTA9), ANTXR1 (BTA11), GUCY1A2 (BTA15), CPE (BTA17) and DOCK1 (BTA26). Among these genes PARK2, GUCY1A2, CPE and DOCK1 are related to dopaminergic system, memory formation, biosynthesis of peptide hormone and neurotransmitter and brain development, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings allowed us to identify nine genomic regions (SNP windows) associated with beef cattle temperament, measured by FS test. Within these windows, six promising candidate genes and their biological functions were identified. These results may contribute to a better comprehension into the genetic control of temperament expression in Nellore cattle

Using an observer rating method to assess the effects of rotational stocking method on beef cattle temperament over time

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to propose behavioral-based definitions for the adjectives used in an observer rating method, and to use this approach to characterize temperament over time in cattle kept under rotational stocking method. We also analyzed the feasibility of the rating method under commercial cattle farming conditions. We evaluated the temperament evolution of 1,979 pure and crossbred Nellore young bulls over time on three commercial farms located in Northeastern Pará State, Brazil. All animals were kept under a rotational stocking method. The observer rating method included 14 behaviorally predefined adjectives for which we defined the minimum and maximum scores. The first factor was considered a qualitative temperament index (QTI) ranging from 'relaxed'/'calm'/'comfortable' to 'fearful'/'agitated'. According to the QTI, cattle temperament improved over time. For Farms A and B, QTI decreased over evaluations, and for Farm C, QTI did not differ from the first to the second evaluations, but decreased from the second assessment onwards. The observer rating method consisting of behaviorally pre-defined adjectives is an adequate indicator of cattle temperament that may be feasible under farm conditions. The method captures different aspects of cattle temperament and distinguishes between slight variations in cattle body language that successfully reveal temperament changes over time