Wie nah sind Wachteln gern ihren Artgenossen? Und wieso ist das interessant?

Katja interessiert sich neuerdings für Wachteln. (Wie das kam,
erzählt sie hier). Miriam hat also natürlich Studien über
Wachteln gelesen! Wir besprechen:


D.A. Guzmán, S. Pellegrini, J.M. Kembro, R.H. Marin:
Social interaction of juvenile Japanese quail classified
by their permanence in proximity to a high or low density of
conspecifics. Poultry Science, Volume 92, Issue 10,
2013, Pages 2567-2575, ISSN 0032-5791,
https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2013-03206.


Frei verfügbar (das berichte ich im Podcast falsch!) unter
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119383658?
.


ABSTRACT


One challenge faced by ethologists in poultry welfare is helping
birds to form functionally successful groups over time through
the expression of appropriate behaviors. Searching for phenotypic
variability, we developed in Japanese quail a density-related
permanence (DRP) test that enables us to classify young birds
(while in groups) according to their individual permanence in
boxes containing a high or low density of confined conspecifics
(HD or LD, respectively). This study addressed the question of
whether contrasting DRP quail behavior may reflect underlying
differences in social responses. Birds were classified at 11 d of
age in an apparatus consisting of 2 boxes interconnected by a
central region delimited by sliding doors. Each box contained at
its distal end either 12 or 3 conspecifics confined behind a
glass (high or low density, respectively). The doors were closed
9 times every 1 h, and positioning of 36 experimental birds was
registered. If birds were found in the box containing high
density, low density, or in the central region, they received a
1, −1, or a 0 score, respectively. Birds with final summed scores
of ≥3 or ≤−3 were categorized as HD or LD, respectively. Same
category groups (HD or LD) were evaluated in their home box
(undisturbed) and in a resident/intruder test when 38 d old. A
higher proportion of LD than HD groups (5/6 vs. 1/6,
respectively) showed at least one aggressive pecking event during
a 1-h trial. The LD groups also showed a higher number of
aggressive pecking events than HP groups. When an unfamiliar
intruder (either HD or LD) was incorporated during 5 min in the
HD or LD box, LD resident quail showed shorter latencies and a
higher number of aggressive pecking events toward the intruder
bird than their HD counterparts. The early individual permanence
in the DRP test could be considered a consequence of a different
adaptability strategy for group living. This novel test could be
relevant for selection programs aiming to obtain birds better
suited for rearing in high-density conditions.


Keywords: stocking density test; agonistic behavior; social
interaction