Motivational aspects of animal problems

Most, if not all, problems of abnormal behaviour in animals have a motivational basis. One of the great challenges to applied ethologists is to find this basis and reveal the relevant developmental pathway (s), and the circumstance (s) and environmental deficiency (ies) that lead to the abnormality. Stereotypies in tethered sows, weaving in horses and fur sucking in calves are examples. However, in only very few cases do we know the motivational basis of the problems. Also, surprisingly few studies on abnormal behaviours have combined developmental and motivational aspects. Such studies may be very useful because if animals are observed from early on we would know when the abnormal behaviour started, in which situations it first appeared and the further course of development could be traced and described. Furthermore, the situation in which it first appeared would indicate the underlying motivation. These points can be illustrated by studies of the Red Junglefowl, in which simultaneous observations of dustbathing behaviour, allopecking and social behaviour revealed that the birds probably developed feather pecking from dustbathing behaviour. Feathers were perceived as "dust" and dominant peckers generally pecked the bodies of the subordinates, whereas some of the subordinates "misused" the allopreening system while pecking the necks of pen mates in their search for dust. Furthermore, peckers often failed to participate during dustbathing events in their group and tonic immobility tests showed that these birds were fearful. This example illustrates the usefulness of combined motivational and developmental analysis. Operant Condi t ioning as a Tool to Unders tand ing Pigs' Food Needs A.B. LAWRENCE and A.W. ILLIUS Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh (Gt. Britain) 0168-1591/90/$03.50 © 1990 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.