Exploratory and dust-bathing behaviour in laying hens kept in commercial aviaries and furnished cages

The aim of the present thesis was to identify management factors that affect the extent of exploratory behaviour (ground pecking, scratching) as well as quantitative and qualitative as-pects of dust-bathing behaviour in laying hens kept in commercial furnished cages (‘small group housing’) and aviaries. Based on the results, it should be considered which management measures can be recommended for farmers to enhance hen welfare. The feasibility of direct observations of dust-bathing behaviour as well as video observations of exploratory and dust-bathing behaviour was tested in two aviaries. The direct observations were judged to be unfeasible under the conditions encountered. For the analysis of the video recordings, different sampling intervals for instantaneous scan sampling, different extents of observation time, and intra- and inter-observer reliabilities were compared and the most ap-propriate observation scheme selected. Applying the selected scheme (observing the first 16 minutes of every hour distributed over two consecutive light days with a sample interval of two minutes), within the range of environmental conditions found in 22 aviaries, pecking, scratching and dust-bathing behaviour was performed on average 25, 2 and 7 % of the obser-vation time. Hen numbers in the litter were positively associated with stocking density and group size. More scratching was performed with increasing litter height as well as in humid litter. If no litter had been provided, thus substrate consisted of dust and faeces, a reduced proportion of dust-bathing was found. The same method was then used in 16 furnished cage systems. On average 12 % of the total hen number were found on the scratching mats. The hens spent 8 % of the observed time pecking at the mat, 4 % dust-bathing and 0.4 % scratch-ing. Higher proportions were found on the mats and more dust-bathing behaviour occurred, if substrate was provided. Also with increasing light intensity and stocking density more hens were observed on the mats. More pecking and scratching occurred in conditions of higher stocking density, probably due to social facilitation, and of increased mat area per hen. With increasing mat numbers per cage less pecking was observed. Wider mats led to increased dust-bathing behaviour. Finally, 129 dust-baths recorded in 17 aviaries were analysed in detail. On average they lasted 17 minutes, with the tossing phase taking 69 % of this time, including on average 2 vertical wing shakes and 3 scratches with one leg per minute tossing phase. Dust-bath duration de-creased with increasing litter height. Litter type influenced all recorded parameters: dust-bath duration was highest on straw and lowest on fine material and fine material mixed with straw, where on both also the proportion of the tossing phase was lowest. The number of vertical wing shakes during the dust-bath was highest on straw and lowest on fine material mixed with straw as against the frequency of vertical wing shaking that was lowest on straw and highest on fine material. If dust-bathing hens were disturbed twice or more, dust-bathing duration decreased. With increasing light intensity a decreased proportion of the tossing phase as well as a reduced number of vertical wing shakes were recorded. Possibly the light stimulated the hens to dust-bath more often with less tossing behaviour per performance. The observed variation of the dust-bathing parameters could reflect successful adaptation or frustration of the hens. The litter and light conditions on the investigated farms were predominantly restrictive in terms of stimulation of exploration and dust-bathing behaviour. Thus, it was only possible to analyse possible associations between these factors and exploration and dust-bathing behav-iour within the range found. Based on the results the following management recommendations can be given: To allow hens in furnished cages more normal activity, substrate availability should be improved and mat space and light intensity increased. With regard to aviaries as well litter availability should be improved. Litter height should not be too low. Disturbances during dust-bathing should be prevented, but no influencing factors could be identified.

Automatic Analysis and Synthesis of Controllers for Dynamical Systems Based On P

I present a novel design methodology for the synthesis of automatic controllers, together with a computational environment---the Control Engineer's Workbench---integrating a suite of programs that automatically analyze and design controllers for high-performance, global control of nonlinear systems. This work demonstrates that difficult control synthesis tasks can be automated, using programs that actively exploit and efficiently represent knowledge of nonlinear dynamics and phase space and effectively use the representation to guide and perform the control design. The Control Engineer's Workbench combines powerful numerical and symbolic computations with artificial intelligence reasoning techniques. As a demonstration, the Workbench automatically designed a high-quality maglev controller that outperforms a previous linear design by a factor of 20.

A Dynamical Systems Model for Language Change

Formalizing linguists' intuitions of language change as a dynamical system, we quantify the time course of language change including sudden vs. gradual changes in languages. We apply the computer model to the historical loss of Verb Second from Old French to modern French, showing that otherwise adequate grammatical theories can fail our new evolutionary criterion.

An Introduction to Behaviour Analysis

Behaviour Analysis is a distinct philospophy of science. Individuals new to the approach often find difficulty in understanding the basic principles involved. This presentation, aimed at Final Year undergraduates, is designed to provide an introduction to the principles of operant conditioning (e.g., reinforcement, punishment, and extinction), making clear that these words describe functional, rather than structural, relations.

An Introduction to Verbal Behaviour

Skinner's approach to verbal behaviour (language) is central to behaviour analysis, as a philosophy of science, and, increasingly in application, including interventions for autism and challenging behaviour. This PowerPoint show provides an advanced undergraduate level introduction to the basic concepts of Skinner's functional approach to understanding verbal behaviour.

Individuals, Behaviour Change and the Web

A psychologist's description of the Web as an effective channel for inducing and promoting changes of behaviour in individuals. Demonstrates an experimental system called "LifeGuide".

Discrete Dynamical Systems

Exercises and solutions for a third or fourth year maths course. Diagrams for the questions are all together in the support.zip file, as .eps files

Molecular basis of circadian behaviour Lecture

For BIOL2040. Originally in Blackboard and uploaded to Edshare for linking in Efolio site.

Gender differences on sexual behaviour and school inputs: evidence from Bogota.

This thesis explores the correlation between school factors and the differentiated results on sexual behaviour between boys and girls in Bogota. A school stratified propensity score matching was performed to match each boy of the sample with the most similar girls in individual, household and school characteristics. A regression analysis was performed to estimate the correlation between the five school factors evaluated with four main outcomes: have had sexual intercourse, condom use in the last sexual intercourse, incidence of teenage childbearing and age at first intercourse. Boys - in relation to girls - begin earlier their sexual life, more of them reported have used condom in their last sexual intercourse and have a lower incidence of teenage childbearing. These differences are correlated with have reported the school as main source of knowledge about reproductive health and contraceptive methods, a larger proportion of teachers with a graduate or postgraduate degree, a larger proportion of teachers with a related pedagogy degree and to the average age of teachers in the school. The results suggest that the content of the message about sex that is delivered to girls at school is not complete or accurate and that the competences of the school teachers in charge of this task should be improved to reach equally boys and girls.

Relationship among children’s perception of parental relationship and parental empathy and prosocial behaviour during childhood

The objective of this work is to study if children’s perception of parental relationship and parental empathy can predict prosocial behaviour during childhood. The sample was composed of 934 Argentine children, aged 9 to 12, of middle socio-economical level. The participants completed Argentine scale of Children Perception of Parental relationship (richaud de Minzi, 2007), an Argentine adaptation of scale of Prosocial Behaviour (Caprara and Pastorelli, 1993) and a questionnaire to measure children’s perception of parental empathy (richaud de Minzi, 2006). structural equations modelling (sEM) analyses were conducted to explore our hypotheses. Six theoretical models fit the data very well. The results showed that parental styles of acceptance and pathological control impact on children prosocial behavior. Children’s perception of parental empathy was positively associated with children prosocial behavior. Finally, parental acceptance and pathological control were associated with children’s perception of parental empathy, but negligent parental behaviour did not.  

Ciencias de la complejidad: estado actual

Los aportes teóricos y aplicados de la complejidad en economía han tomado tantas direcciones y han sido tan frenéticos en las últimas décadas, que no existe un trabajo reciente, hasta donde conocemos, que los compile y los analice de forma integrada. El objetivo de este proyecto, por tanto, es desarrollar un estado situacional de las diferentes aplicaciones conceptuales, teóricas, metodológicas y tecnológicas de las ciencias de la complejidad en la economía. Asimismo, se pretende analizar las tendencias recientes en el estudio de la complejidad de los sistemas económicos y los horizontes que las ciencias de la complejidad ofrecen de cara al abordaje de los fenómenos económicos del mundo globalizado contemporáneo.

101 essential lists on managing behaviour in the primary school.

Trata sobre la forma de hacer frente a los problemas relacionados con la conducta de los alumnos, tales cómo los comportamientos desafiantes, la intimidación, las rabietas y otros más graves como las drogas, así como sus causas. También, incluye temas sobre el desarrollo de una comunicación eficaz en el aula, el fomento del buen comportamiento de los alumnos, la imposición de sanciones y la utilización de sistemas de recompensa.

Classroom behaviour : a practical guide to effective teaching, behaviour management and colleague support.

Trata el comportamiento difícil dentro y fuera del aula. Explora cómo manejar la conducta, la disciplina de niños desafiantes, estudiantes con trastornos emocionales , la gestión de clases difíciles y el manejo de la ira.