The influence of observing a maternal demonstrator on the ability of lambs to learn a virtual fence
Tellisa Kearton
A B , Danila Marini A B , Caroline Lee A B * and Frances C. Cowley A
A School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.
B Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Locked Bag 1, Armidale NSW 2350, Australia.
Animal Production Science 62(5) 470-481 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN21180
Submitted: 1 April 2021 Accepted: 2 December 2021 Published: 3 February 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Context: In virtual fencing, where an animal learns to remain within a set area by responding to an audio cue in order to avoid receiving an aversive electrical stimulus, maternal learning may play a role in facilitating successful learning.
Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effect of early observation of virtual fence engagement using a maternal demonstrator on the ability of lambs to later learn to respond correctly to a virtual fence.
Method: Merino lambs (n = 114) were assigned to one of three treatments prior to being trained to a virtual fence: (1) lambs from experienced demonstrators, in which the lambs observed their mothers interacting with a virtual fence having been trained prior to lambing; (2) lambs from naïve demonstrators, in which lambs observed their mothers learning the virtual fence system; and (3) unexposed lambs, in which lambs had not encountered a virtual fence prior to being trained. Following weaning, lambs were trained to a virtual fence and responses to stimuli were recorded.
Key results: The number of audio cue and electrical pulse stimuli received by the lambs did not differ across the three treatments (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the proportions of correct behavioural responses to the audio cue stimulus across the three treatment groups (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis of learning curves showed that lambs from naïve demonstrators displayed a change in behaviour and learned the correct response to the audio cue, while the unexposed lambs and lambs from pre-trained demonstrators did not.
Conclusions: These results suggest that maternal influences may be influencing the ability of lambs to learn a virtual fence, although the training protocol was limited due to time, space, equipment and environmental constraints.
Implications: This work may help to inform producers on management decisions for the application of the virtual fencing, such as enabling lambs to observe their mothers interacting with a virtual fence prior to weaning to enhance learning the virtual fence when applied later in life.
Keywords: animal learning, animal welfare, livestock management, livestock technologies, maternal learning, sheep, social learning, virtual fencing.
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