About the Book
An understanding of social behaviour is increasingly necessary in farm animal husbandry as more animals are housed in groups rather than in individual stalls or pens. There may be economic or welfare reasons for such housing. This book specifically addresses this subject. The chapters fall into three broad subject areas: concepts in social behaviour; species specific chapters; and current issues. Authors include experts from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Table of Contents:
1: Introduction Part I: Concepts in social behaviour 2: Living in groups: An evolutionary perspective, M Mendl and S Held, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol 3: Group life, C Lindberg, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol 4: Parent behaviour, P Jensen, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 5: The evolution and domestication of social behaviour, W R Stricklin, Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland Part II: The social behaviour of domestic species 6: The social behaviour of cattle, M F Bouissou, INRA, Nouzilly, France, et al 7: The social behaviour of pigs, H W Gonyou, Prairie Swine Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada 8: Social behaviour of domestic birds, J Mench, Department of Animal Science, University of California and L Keeling 9: The social behaviour of sheep, A Fisher and L Matthews, AgResearch, Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand 10: The social behaviour of horses, N Waran, Institute of Ecology & Resource Management, University of Edinburgh 11: Social behaviour of fish, E Brännäs, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea Part III: Contemporary topics in social behaviour 12: Breaking social bonds, R Newberry Washington State University and J Swanson, Kansas State University, USA 13: Individual differences and personality, H Erhard, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen and W Schouten, Wageningen University, The Netherlands 14: People as social actors in the world of farm animals, J Rushen, Agricultural & Agri-Food Canada, Lennoxville, Canada, et al 15: Social cognition of farm animals, S Millman, Humane Society of the US, Washington DC and I Duncan, Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Canada
Review :
"Contributors in agriculture, animal science, and animal rights from around the world apply social behavior findings from classical ethnology works on wild animals to animals that do not get to choose their own social groups, which individuals are housed together, and other dimensions that normally would serve as media for social interaction. The information is designed to provide insight for the management, productivity, and welfare of the animals. They begin by setting out concepts in social behavior, then concentrate on species-specific animal behavior, and conclude by taking up some contemporary topics such as personality and people as social actors in the world of farm animals."--SciTech Book News
