unit 4: animal behavior & effective management chapters 22 & 24

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Chapters 22 & 24

• Unit 4 Objectives:– Knowledge of the affects of various animal

behavior on production and performance– Appreciation of inherited vs. learned

behaviors– Understanding of effective management, and

its relationship to profit– Comprehension of the decision-making

process, and technology/tools available to assist managers in the process


• Fields of Animal Behavior– Psychology– Ethology-Instinctive & Learned Behaviors

• Instinct– Present @ birth (Ex. Nursing in mammals)

• Habituation– Lack of response to a repeated stimulus– Called Conditioning

» Classical-association between an unconditioned stimulus & a neutral stimulus (Pavlov’s Dogs)

» Operant-learning to respond to a stimulus as a result of reinforcement


• Trial & Error– Trying different responses until the correct one is

performed, tied to a reward

• Reasoning– Correct response to a stimulus the first time– Intelligence

» Short term memory» Long term memory

• Imprinting– Bonding process– Mostly for recognition purposes


• Systems of Animal Behavior– Nine identified systems

1. Sexual

2. Caregiving

3. Care soliciting

4. Agonistic

5. Ingestive

6. Eliminative

7. Shelter seeking

8. Investigative

9. Allelomimetic


– Sexual Behavior– Heat or estrus– Pheromones

– Used to attract the opposite sex– Flehman-curling of upper lip

– Cow & Bull– Sow & Boar

– Sow seeks out the boar

– Mare & Stallion


– Caregiving Behavior• Most is maternally oriented• Stimulation to suckling• Protection

– Care Soliciting Behavior• Young crying for help when distressed, disturbed,

or hungry• Vocal sounds


– Agonistic Behavior• Fight or flight• Aggressive or passive• Interaction w/ other animals

– Males always fight other strange males– Establishing social dominance

» Offense» Defense» Escape» Passivity

– Females usually are not as aggressive


• Social interaction plays a huge role in animal production

– Age has an effect

• Interaction w/ humans– Disposition is formed through experience and inheritance

• Behavior during Handling & Restraint– Animals remember positive & negative experiences– All depends upon the handlers and the facilities– Knowing and understanding behavior will reduce stress

on the producer and the animal, and prevent injury– Blood odor appears to be detectible


Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management– Vision can be manipulated

» Curves chute systems» Solid walls

– Flight Zone

– Ingestive Behavior• Eating & drinking• Grazing behavior

– Rumination– Relation to water access– How do we manage the range– Climate can have an impact on grazing

– Eliminative Behavior• Feces and Urine

– Cattle, sheep, goats are indiscriminate– Hogs will defecate in a particular area– Horses will defecate on the scent of another horse


• Cattle defecate 12-18 times daily• Horses defecate 5-12• Urinate ~7-11x/d• Elimination is effected by stress

– Responsible for Shrink Loss in cattle transport

– Shelter-Seeking Behavior• Shade for rest & rumination• Wet areas for cooling• Crowding during cold conditions


– Investigative Behavior• Curiosity• Common in pigs, horses, dairy goats, and

somewhat in cattle

– Allelomimetic Behavior• Doing the same thing at the same time• Herding behavior


– Other Behaviors• Communication

– Transfer of information through any of the senses

• Maladaptive or Abnormal Behavior– Animals that cannot adopt to a new environment, or

exhibit inappropriate behavior» Ex. Tail chewing and cannibalism in swine

– Buller-steer syndrome» Steer castrated before puberty» Certain steers are more attractive for mounting» As one mounts, the others do the same» Can cause physical injury, reduced weight gain,

additional labor/equipment» Can be as much as 1-3% of the feedlot steer herd


• Assignment for the first half of Unit 4– Review questions

• 2-5, 9, 11, 15, 18


• Making Effective Management Decisions– Fixed resources

• Land• Labor• Capital• Management

– Renewable resources• Animals• Plants



• Managing for Lower Costs & Higher Returns– Profitability Formula

• Profit/loss=(production X price) – cost– Production and cost include many different things

• Managers should focus on the optimum level of output vs. input

– Primary Components of Long-term profitability• Costs

– Careful monitoring of input costs– Ex.?


• Production– Pounds or numbers sold

• Price– Amount received/lb., or /h, or /doz.– Influenced by supply/demand

• Resource Improvement– Land used for forage and cropping– Can easily be depleted if not cared for properly

• So, how do producers focus on the business side of their operation? What can they influence?


• The Manager– Plan– Act– Evaluate– Characteristics of an Effective Manager

• Profit-oriented• Short-term and long-term objective planning• Keep up on current knowledge/technology• Effective time management• Attentive to physical, emotional, financial needs of

the employees


• Use of incentive programs for motivation• Honest business dealings• Effective communication and use of employee

input• Prioritize duties• Self-starter• Prioritize resource use• Risk management• Be a good example


• Financial Management– Must have good records for costs, returns,

and profitability• Cash transactions• Balance Sheet (net worth=assets-liabilities)• Income Statement• Cash-flow Statement• Enterprise Budget• Partial Budget• Income Tax Forms


– Credit and money management is crucial to making effect management decisions, during times of inflation & high interest rates

• Credit must be managed carefully, and used as a tool

• Income Tax Considerations– Paying little or no income tax should not be a

goal– Well-managed operations pay income taxes if

profitability is the goal• not poor management to pay income tax, but to

pay more than is owed


• Estate & Gift-Tax Planning– Adequate knowledge & planning can greatly

help managers pass on farms to heirs– Producers can make an annual gift of $10,000

to children/grandchildren without paying federal gift tax

– 1997 unified credit exemption up to $1m by 2006

– 1998-family farms can use a family business exemption of an additional $300,000

– Consult a tax professional


• People– Most widely overlooked part of management,

but is the most critical– Communication is the key– Effective people managers should be able to:

• Determine optimum labor needs• Identify, hire, and retain employees• Motivate and reward employees both financially

and nonfinancially• Keep the focus of the mission and goals• Build and enhance teams and partnerships


– If the operation is family-owned and operated• Use sound business practices• Evaluate other family operations• Include all family members in written planning of

responsibilities• Weekly meetings for planning, evaluating, problem

solving• Family relationships are most important, and can

be compatible w/ profitability• Patience and tolerance• Encourage open communication


• Management Systems– Systematic organization of information in

order to make valid management decisions– Critical thinking and assessment are key– Often, sophisticated evaluation tools are not

necessary, however, they are useful for large volumes of information

– Animal production has typically been maximized without consideration of cost-benefit relationships


– Lets talk about some management examples, good or bad

• Assignment for second half of Unit 4– Review questions on pg. 437– There’s only 3!

unit 4: animal behavior & effective management chapters 22 & 24

Documents

animal productionage

unconditioned stimulus

passiveinteraction w

recognition purposesunit

huge role

rest ruminationwet areas

boarmare stallionunit

water accesshow