reproductive behaviour 2-maternal behaviour in animals
TRANSCRIPT
Definition (Concepts) of maternal behaviour That behaviour exhibited by mothers towards
their young to aid their survival, growth and development, both physically and behaviorally. I t is inherited behaviour
Maternal behaviour in mammals (suckling animals) exhibited by mother toward their young, including feeding, protection, warming growth, development and survival.
Parental behaviour exhibited by both male
and female as in pigeons and other birds .
Classifications of Maternal behaviour
1-According to No.of youngs / birth Polytocus Animals Monotocus Animals
2- According to Nature of youngs: Precocial young Altracial young
Classifications of Maternal behaviour
3- According to Following dams : Follower Animals Hider Animals Intermediate Animals
4- According to stage of parturition:
Pre-parturient behaviour Parturient behaviour Post-parturient behaviour
Polytoccus Animals Mother give birth to more than one or
two youngs e.g. dog, cat, rate, mice, hamster.
Characters of their young ( altracial young ) 1- immature young 2-helpless at birth 3-sealed eye and 4- Sealed ears until 2-3 weeks
Characters of their young ( altracial young (
5-imobile( crawl around the dam) 6-cannot eliminate them selves 7-cannot regulate their body temp. 8-They have no teeth (smooth gum) 9-hairless 10-depend completely on their dam in
feeding, warmth, protection and elimination.
Monotoccus Animals Mother give birth to one or two young e.g. cattle, horses, sheep, goat, camel. Characters of their young (precocial young)
relatively mature young opened eye opened ears
Characters of their young (precocial young(
4- can move, and stand 5- can eliminate themselves 6- can regulate their body temp. 7- they have a teeth 8- body covered with hair 9- depend partially on their mother in
feeding and protection.
Follower Animals
Young spent most of time within a very short distance of the mother to be more safe
e.g. cattle, sheep, horses in horse the young follow their mother
until grow older
Hider Animals
The kid is hidden for as long as eight hours while the mother feed. after 5 days the kid stay with mother when she feed
e.g. goat
A- Maternal behaviour in Monotoccus Animals Pre-parturient behaviour Parturient behaviour Post-parturient behaviour
Pre-parturient behaviour Restlessness Signs of pain looking and kicking at the flank (Mare) In Ewe vicious, pawing to the ground Vocalization increased Isolation from the herd to avoid disturbance Early maternal interest( lamb and calf stealing) Getting up and lying down Rolling on the ground (Mare and cats) Rubbing to any fixed objects Cessation of rumination (Cow-ewe)
Lamb or calf stealing It is high maternity It occurs in group housing animals as the parturition approached the
pregnant female showing early maternal interest to the young of other females that give birth in vicinity she may care it and this called lamb stealing
Pre-parturient behaviour in mare
Mares isolate themselves from the herd mates
1 month prior:mammary gland begins to enlarge and ventral edema
2 days prior: udder distended, secretion changes to colostrum
24 hours prior: waxing of teats 4 hours prior: drips milk
udder distended
waxing of teats
Parturient behaviour
1 s t stage ( preliminary stage) 2 n d stage ( expulsion of the fetus) 3 r d stage (after birth stage)
1st stage ( preliminary stage(
Contraction of the abdominal muscle, straining and pain
Alternative standing and lying down Appearance of water sac It ends with rapture of the chorio-allantoic
membrane and straw colored fluid Accompanied by urination and defecation
2nd stage ( expulsion of the fetus(
• begin with the rapture of water sac and end with the expulsion of the fetus
3rd stage (after birth stage(
• Expulsion of placenta take 30 min. to six hours.
• Eating of placenta called
Placento-phagia.
• Eaten in cow and buffalo
• Mares doubtful
• Not occur in she camel
Post-parturient behaviour
Mother (dam) behaviour Newly born behaviour Mother-infant bond Recognition
Behaviour of the dam Standing of dam immediately after
birth Maternal grooming of newly born Maternal imprinting and recognition Eating placenta (placento-phagia)
Maternal imprinting and recognition Rapid, stable, irreversible learning
occur shortly after birth ( immediately) within a period called
critical period or sensitive period . The young follow its mother and the
mother- young bond is formed through labeling and recognition.
Maternal grooming of newly born
immediately, begins by the head, body then limbs and hind parts
Functions of licking 1-dryness of young body. 2-removal of fetal fluid from nostril and
mouth to stimulate respiratory center 3-stimulation of cut, blood, lymph
circulation.
Functions of licking (cont.(
4- help to stand. 5- facilitate urination and defecation. 6- increase muscular tone. 7- labeling of young and recognition. 8- aid in the formation of maternal filial
bond.
Licking Behaviour
• Social Licking
1. Promotes maternal-offspring bond and social bond among herd members
2. Directed mainly to the head and neck of the calf
• Maternal Licking
1. It is designed to stimulate calves to eliminate wastes (Urination and/ or defecation(
2. Directed mainly to the perineum region of the calf
Eating placenta (placento-phagia(
Function of Placentophagia :1-Contain hormones as estrogen, progesterone and
prolactine that important for milk yield 2-defence against predators by removing the odour
3-hygienic measures prevent micro-organism4- affect on maternal immune response as it contain
factors prevent the formation of antibodies against fetal antigen which might impair subsequent pregnancies.
5- Recycling of nutrients (Protein and minerals(
Behaviour of the Newly born 1- Standing behaviour 2- Udder searching or Teat seeking Suckling behaviour
Standing behaviour 1- coordinating recumbence behaviour 2- elevation behaviour 3- ambulation behaviour 4- environmental exploration 5- udder searching behaviour 6- suckling behaviour
Udder searching or Teat seeking Newly born directed to the wrong parts
of the body in the 1st attempts of suckling
Guides of the calf to find teat may be 1- the pendulus shape of the udder 2- the movement of udder (udder tilting) 3- temperature between thighs
(thigmotaxis)
Udder searching behaviour The mother also help the calf to find
teats by: 1- rotating her body 2- abduction the hind legs 3- moving forward bringing the udder
closer to the calf 4- licking the perineal region to stimulate
the calf to suckle
Suckling behaviour
Posture of suckling Mechanism of suckling Rate and frequency of suckling Non-nutritional suckling Difference between sucking and
suckling behaviour
Posture of suckling
• Typical posture is the young stands alongside the mother facing caudally
• There is often no teat preferences for front or hind teats
• Abnormal posture may be– 1- rear suckling– 2- the calf stay in right angle with mother body
( perpendicular suckling)
Mechanism of suckling The calf grasp the teat with its mouth and
sucks vigrously It develops negative pressure by warping
thetongue around the teat It forms an air- tight compartment in oral
cavity which is necessary for milk flow - the calf butts the udder with its head in
buffalo - tail wagging and peaceful suckling
B-Maternal behaviour of Poly-toccus animals Pre-parturient behaviour Parturient behaviour Post-parturient behaviour
Pre-parturient behaviourIn dogs and cats
- Licking of genital and abdominal areas 12-24 hours before labour.
- drop in body temp - squatting posture as in defecation Scratching of ground - nest building is not pronounced - bedding for kittening or whelping is provided by
owner While in dogs it scratch rugs or towels and blanket
In rodents (Rat & mice) & Rabbits self Licking of genital and abdominal areas
during the last week of pregnancy. Nest building rabbits (straw nest) Plucking Hair from body (neck, thigh,
abdomen and back) to build maternal nest few days before part. to maternal nest
- increase restless, vocalization. - increase respiratory rate. Loss Appetite
2nd stage
-abdominal contraction - the mother consume the fetal membrane
as the fetus passed and licking them.
3rd stage
- delivering of placenta and readily eaten by mother
Functions of placentophagia
-keep the nest clean and free from material which may attract bacteria. 2-Some nutritive value to the mother protein
and water allow her to stay in nest with her young.
Post-parturient behaviour
Grooming of the young Nursing- sucking development Nipple exploratory movement Retrieving behaviour. Protection of young
Grooming of the young 1st three weeks of life the dam licks
and grooming each new born . grooming directed to ano-genital region
to stimulate urination and defecation . Fecal material consumed by mother to
keep nest clean
1st stage from birth to 2.5 weeks (14 to 17 days) mothers play the major role in nursing,
licking ,nursing and suckling of young Mother initiates nursing by hovering
over the litter & arousing them to nursing by licking them
The young nuzzle into fur of mother, find a teat & nurse
2nd stage From 3 weeks –5 weeks of age open eye and ears can leave the nest, recognize and
interact with mother outside the nest young here initiate suckling While mother facilitate suckling by
exposure nipple
3rd stage From 5 weeks – weaning young are able to take food from other
source nursing initiated and completed by
young
Nipple exploratory behaviour
tactile cues (Texture of nipple ) olfactory cues
In dog, cat through saliva
Retrieving behaviour
Stimuli from young outside nest female grasping, each young with
incisors at mid dorsal region & transport them back to the nest
This occur at first week after birth.
Stimuli elicit maternal behaviour
odour and taste: the presence of birth fluid Stimulate licking
Vocalization (distress calls) mother distinguish young from calls altracial inaudible calls while Precocial
audible calls. Stimuli emanating at suckling :
thermal contact or tactile stimuli Sniffing & licking them at suckling due to butting
nuzzling by young.
Stimuli elicit maternal behaviour
Movement : newly born activity specially during suckling Vigor or strong newborn stimulate dam to
lick him ● shape of the young (visual stimuli) ●protective response: defence against
predators to protect young.
Abnormal maternal behaviour Suckling behaviour
1- Cow suckle itself 2- cow suckle another cow
Abnormal suckling posture A- Perpendicular suckling B- Rear suckling
3- Calf or foal rejection
Abnormal maternity Delay of standing of the dam Delay of licking the newly born Cow step on its calf or foal Eating of placenta
Abnormal maternal behaviour Early maternal interest
early maternal interest to the young of other females that give birth in vicinity she may care it and this called lamb stealing or calf stealing
Cross licking behaviourCow licks alien calf
Abnormal maternal behaviour Cross suckling behaviour Cross fostering behaviour Inter-suckling behaviour Cow suckle an alien calfOr A calf suck alien cow (mother)
Abnormal maternal behaviourMiss-mothering behaviour
This may be due to the mother having suffered a long and difficult birth and not being able to stand up for suckling. The calf may also be too weak to suckle. Cases of mismothering are common with cows calving in synchrony in intensively managed maternity groups.
Abnormal maternity in poly-toccus Animals
• 1- Cannibalism (Eating litters(
• 2- Scattering behaviour
• 3- Dam failed to build the nest (nestless dam(
• 4- miss-mothering
• 5- Pseudo-pregnancy