کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
5535853 1551598 2017 7 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Exotic and Wildlife ResearchTraining Rhea americana chicks to walk voluntarily across a scale; effect on the handler's time and the chicks' weight gain compared with traditional techniques: A pilot study
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علوم کشاورزی و بیولوژیک علوم دامی و جانورشناسی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Exotic and Wildlife ResearchTraining Rhea americana chicks to walk voluntarily across a scale; effect on the handler's time and the chicks' weight gain compared with traditional techniques: A pilot study
چکیده انگلیسی

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if Rhea americana chicks could be trained to walk voluntarily across a scale to be weighed. If the chicks were trainable, the following questions would be investigated: the amount of time required to teach the chicks to walk voluntarily across a scale; the feasibility of this process in the production setting; and whether training chicks to walk voluntarily across a scale would lead to increased weight gain when compared with chicks weighed using traditional methods. The hypotheses were that chicks could be trained to walk voluntarily across the scale; the process would be feasible in a production setting; and trained chicks would experience an increased weight gain and decreased mortality compared with chicks weighed in the traditional manner. Thirty-five chicks were included in the study and randomly separated into 2 groups matched for hatch date and breeder group. Chicks in the control group were weighed in the traditional manner by being picked up and placed in a bucket on the scale. Chicks in the treatment group were trained to walk down a chute and onto a scale. Weighing occurred every other day for both the control and treatment groups. Training Rhea americana chicks to walk voluntarily across a scale required only 2 people and less than 1 minute per chick per day for 5 days for the treatment group, suggesting this training method would be feasible to implement. There was no difference in percentage weight gain or mortality between the control and treatment groups.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Volume 18, March–April 2017, Pages 69-75
نویسندگان
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