

New Laboratory Designed to Study Livestock
BehaviorBy Dawn Lyons Johnson June 17, 1997WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., June 17--The newest high-tech
U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory
here looks a lot like a barn--because it is one. But this isnt any ordinary barn. The 10,000-square-foot
building is equipped with special features to help scientists with USDAs
Agricultural Research Service find out
what makes animals tick. The scientists will study how animals
perceive and interact with their environment and how environment can affect
animals behavior and reaction to stress. The scientists also will study animals environmental
preferences--all part of the research mission at the ARS Livestock Behavior
Research Unit here. Joining the ARS scientists in their studies will be Purdue
Universitys Department of Animal Science and College of Veterinary
Medicine. Our goal is to find the scientific basis for livestock
behaviors and then use that information to determine what practices are best
for livestock and for producers, says Julie Morrow-Tesch, research leader
of the ARS lab. Livestock behavior studies traditionally have taken place in
production pens and commercial facilities. But those settings pose problems
when scientists want to isolate individual animals or conduct
laboratory-quality experiments in the same tradition as other psychology
research. The sheer size and weight of cattle and hogs also made it impractical
and often expensive to design and build custom experimental pens. The new building allows researchers to conduct experiments in a
highly controlled environment that is comfortable for both researchers and the
animals, Morrow-Tesch says. We wanted a building large enough to conduct a wide range of
studies and utilize research tools like the Heb-Williams Maze, used to
determine how an animal learns about the spatial features of its
environment, she explains. The new laboratorys floor is slip-proof, providing an extra
measure of safety for its hoofed inhabitants. The building also features a
network of postholes every 8 feet so scientists can construct custom-size pens
and mazes using standard, commercially produced livestock panels, which will
save both time and money, says Morrow-Tesch. This way we dont have
to special-order materials or contract out for custom-size panels to complete
our work, she notes. The building also houses a physiology laboratory, an electronics
shop and offices. A complete report on the new building is featured in the June
issue of Agricultural Research, the monthly magazine of the Agricultural
Research Service. The story can also be viewed on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun97/barn0697.htm Scientific contact: Julie Morrow-Tesch, USDA-ARS Livestock
Behavior Research Laboratory, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1026. Phone (765)
494-8022, fax 496-1993, [email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |