Reproductive Behaviour
Sexual behaviour– Precopulatory behaviour (courtship)– Copulatory behaviour (act of copulation)– Post-copulatory behaviour (refractory period)
Maternal behaviour Maternal care consist of a wide range of activities
directed towards the young by the mother
Classification of Maternal behaviour
According to No. of litter/ birth– 1- Monotoccus Animals– 2- Polytoccus Animals
According to Type of youngs– 1- Altracial youngs– 2- Precocial youngs
Classification of maternal behaviour
According to the contact between them Follower animals ( Horse – Cattle- sheep ) Hider animals ( Goat – Deers )
According to the time of birth Pre-parturient behaviour Parturient behaviour Post-parturient behaviour
Foal following her mother
Introduction
What is Maternal behaviour ? How does maternal behaviour in mare
work? What do we know about the bonding
process between the mare and her foal? How does the mare and foal recognize
each other, remember each other ? What are abnormal maternal behaviour?
Concept of Maternal Behaviour
Maternal care consist of activities directed towards the young by the mother.
Maternal care represents the mother's willingness to sacrifice her time, energy and resources towards the rearing and protection of her offsping
The care that the mother gives to her young is important for physiological and psycho-logical development of the young and the survival of the young
Parameters of Maternal Behaviour
Mare-Foal bond (bonding) Suckling behaviour ( Rearing ) Guarding behaviour (protection)
Types of Arabian Mares according to Maternal degree
1- Promiscuous Mothers– Accept and Nurse alien foals easily
2- Normal Mothers– Accept and nurse only their own foals
3- Partial Rejected Mothers– Accept their own foals but not nurse them
4- Complete rejected Mothers– Neither allow nor nurse but sometimes sow aggression
towards their foals
Preparturient maternal behaviour
Mares isolate themselves from the herd mates
1 month prior: mammary gland begins to enlarge and ventral edema
2 days prior: udder distended, secretion changes to colostrum
24 hours prior: waxing of teats 4 hours prior: drips milk
Relaxation of pelvic ligament
Enlargement of udder
Distension of udder and ventral oedema
Waxy teats
Milk drip
Parturient behaviour
First stage of labor( Preparatory Stage)– Duration about 1 hour but can be over 6 hours – This stage ends with rupture of the chorioallantois (breaking
water).
Second Stage of labor (Delivery stage )– Average duration approximately 20 min. Range 10-60 mins
Third stage of labor ( Afterbirth stage)– Average duration 30 mins - 3 hours. If delayed over 6 hours
considered retained and needs urgent intervention
1st Stage ( Preparatory Stage)
Mare tries to isolate herself - leaves herd Restless - walks, lies down and gets up frequently pawing the ground, pacing uneasily looking round at the flanks Curling of the upper lip in the Flehmen patchy or profuse sweating Stretches to urinate, frequent defecation Appearance then rupture of the chorio-allantois
(breaking water).
Looking at Flank
Patchy sweating
White Amnion appears
Breaking of water sac
Second Stage
Expulsion of Foetus
Lie down and roll on side
Appearance of legs and head
Followed by legs and head Expelled
Hind legs still in vagina
Third StageThird Stage
Expulsion of placentaExpulsion of placenta
Shedding of placenta
Post-parturient Behaviour
A- Mother Behaviour
Mare- Foal Bond
1 -Licking of foal
2 -Bond formation (Recognition)
Bond formation
B- Foal Behaviour
1 -Coordinating recumbence (attempts to stand)
2 -Ambulation (attempts to walk)
3 -Ambulation behaviour
4 -Elevation (upright equilibrium and steady stand )
5 -Environmental exploration
6- Udder Searching Behaviourand recognition of mother
7 -suckling behaviour
Nursing and pushing
Peaceful suckling
High maternal Mare
Two foals nurse a mother(Promiscuous mother)
Mutual grooming during sucklingMother with high maternity
Shy foal stand out of sight behind mother
Shedding foal on mother
Abnormal Maternal Behaviour
Nursing problems Over-protectivenessLack of interest/ambivalence Fear of the foalFoal stealingFoal rejection
Foal Rejection
DefinitionCausesTreatmentProtective measures
Forms of Maternal Foal Rejection
REJECTION OF SUCKLING
MATERNAL AGGRESSION TOWARD FOAL
IATROGENIC FOAL REJECTION
REJECTION OF SUCKLING
Definition– passively walking away from the foal or kicking at the
foal Contributing Factors
– Udder pain, lack of experience, a previous painful experience, any or all of the
Recommended Treatment Preventative Measures
– wash, handle and gently squeeze teats and udder within the last month of gestation
MATERNAL AGGRESSION TOWARD FOAL
Definition The dam's aggression can be in the form of kicking
but is usually that of biting, which is primarily directed to the neck and withers.
Contributing Factors The ultimate causation of this behaviour is
unknown. factors include the general causes stated above as well as the presence of other horses, other mares in visible range, and the presence of too many people. Removal of the expelled placenta has also had implications in rejection and aggression
Recommended Treatment avoid any unnecessary human or equine
contact, and leave the placenta and fetal membranes in the stall.
Preventative Measures Within the first 2 hours after foaling the
placenta and fetal membranes should be left in the stall. For at least the first 24 hours and up to a couple of weeks, you should try to avoid visual contact with other horses and avoid having too many unfamiliar people in the stall.
IATROGENIC FOAL REJECTION
Definition This type of rejection is the result of a change in the foal's odor which is
usually caused by extensive clinical treatment, as in the case of ruptured bladder treatment
Contributing Factors the main factor here is the interference during the critical bonding period
and the change of the foal's odor. Recommended Treatment mask the altered smell of the foal by applying mentholated ointment to
both the mare's nostrils and the foal's head and perianal area Preventative Measures There are no preventative measures for this type of rejection as
emergency clinical procedures are impossible to avoid, if the foal is to survive.
Foal rejection