Genetics and Behavior During Handling, Restraint, and Herding - Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals - page 114

PANIC to describe separation distress may be confusing, excessive fear or
anxiety when an animal is separated from family members or its home envi-
ronment can be considered panic.
Highly variable results from many studies may be due to confusing fear
with separation distress and seeking behavior. These behaviors are controlled
by two separate emotional networks in the brain. Research by Faure and
Mills (1998; Chapter 8) on quail show that both fear and separation distress
are separate systems, and the emotional responses produced by these systems
are influenced by genetics. See Chapter 1 for a further discussion of the emo-
tional systems and how they motivate behavior. During our careers we have
observed thousands of animals under many different conditions. In this chap-
ter we discuss our observations under field conditions and review research
findings which affect behavior during handling, herding, or restraint.
Writing on the behavioral aspects of animal domestication for

the

Quarterly Review of Biology, Price (1984) stated:

It is difficult to generalize about the effects of domestication on either genetic or
phenotypic variability because of different selection pressures on different traits and
species. However, it is apparent that with respect to animal behavior, domestication
has influenced the quantitative rather than the qualitative nature of the response.

To put it in simpler words, domestication changes the intensity of behav-
ioral response. For example, domesticated Norway rats are less cautious than
their wild counterparts in a wide variety of situations ( Price, 1998 ). Parsons
(1988) further wrote that domestic animals are more stress resistant because
they have been selected for a calm attitude toward man. In either event, a
genetic predisposition to be fearful or calm interacts with early experience and
learning in very complex ways. We use the term temperament in this chapter
to refer to an animal's level of fearfulness, which is determined by both
genetic and environmental factors. Genetic influences on temperament inter-
act with early experience and learning to shape adult patterns of behavior.
During handling for veterinary or other husbandry procedures, fearfulness is a
major determinant of an animal's behavior. In the following sections, we will
discuss the interacting forces of genetics and experience. Some of the topics
that will be covered are flocking behavior, herding behavior, flight zone,
social behavior, attraction and reaction to novelty, effect of experiences on
ease of handling, heritability of behavior, and sire effect. Some general princi-
ples for handling domestic animals will also be discussed. There will also be a
discussion of the methods used to evaluate behavioral differences between
individual animals of the same breed and differences between breeds.

PRINCIPLES OF HERD BEHAVIOR
Herding behaviors evolved as a defense against predators. A group of ani-
mals fleeing a predator will demonstrate herd behavior for protection. Herd