HABRI Central

Animal welfare is one of the most important parts of animal management. Apart from other measures of good animal welfare, like being in good health, animal behavior can be indicative of the animal’s internal state and is often one of the first signs of improper welfare. Stereotypies, or stereotypic behavior, are commonly viewed as a symptom of improper animal welfare. Unenriched, or barren, environments associated with farmed livestock have long been associated with inducing stereotypic behavior. The addition of precise enrichment to the animals’ environment is a common remedy for stereotypic behavior. With respect to stereotypic goat behavior, few empirical studies have been conducted to test the efficacy of using enrichment as a means of reducing stereotypical behavior in goats. The present hypothesis-driven study will attempt to fill this gap in the literature. The goal is to obtain video and quantify the behavior of 6 domestic goats in three conditions: outdoor pasture, an unenriched indoor pen, and an enriched indoor pen. The effect of these conditions on the frequency of presumed stereotypic behavior will be assessed.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal behavior
2. Animal roles
3. Farm animals
4. Food animals
5. Goats
6. open access