The effects of social and physical environment on social behaviour in farm animals

Abstract

The restricted conditions under which many farm animals are kept do not permit the animals to show many aspects of social behaviour. These conditions also limit what the animals can learn and hence modify their future sexual and other social behaviour. Management methods are also important sources of environmental variation which can affect social behaviour. For example, many animals have difficulties in adapting to groups whose composition is often changed. Physical conditions, such as temperature, humidity and floor conditions, can also have an effect on the occurrence and frequency of certain social interactions. Animals vary in their behavioural strategies in social situations. So it is wrong to assume that all individuals in a group will be equally affected by any imposed condition. This variation may concern the proportions of affiliative or friendly behaviour and of aggressive behaviour. Most domestic animals spend far longer showing social behaviour in which aggression plays no part than in competitive behaviour. There is also variation in the extent to which individuals become involved in social interactions or avoid them and this is affected by their previous experience as well as by their basic physiology. One theory about variation in the impact on an animal of its social world is that animals can be differentiated on the basis of how free they are to move around and to utilise resources. It seems to be correct that there is a scale ranging from very free to very much restricted by social pressures. Another theory about variation in the behaviour shown in difficult situations, including social situations, is that animals can be divided into active and passive copers or into active copers and depressed non-copers. Although both of these theories are helpful in explaining some situations, it is clear from a variety of studies that neither is correct in all situations.