Hair whorl position as a predictor of learning ability and locomotor behavior in cattle?
Broucek, J.(Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic))E-mail:broucek@vuzv.sk | Uhrincat, M.(Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic)) | Kisac, P.(Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic)) | Hanus, A.(Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic))
The aim of our work was to investigate if the speed of solving the maze tests and locomotor behavior of heifers in open-field tests were affected by the height location of facial whorl. Maze learning was observed in 58 Holstein heifers at the age of 15 weeks, an open-field test was applied at 16 weeks and 18 months of age. The hair whorl position was determined as follows: A) high, middle and low; B) high and low. Heifers with a high hair whorl were the fastest (77.8+/-84.3 s) and heifers with a middle hair whorl the slowest (87.3+/-100.3 s) in the A pattern during the maze tests. In the B pattern, heifers with a high hair whorl ran across the maze in 84.5+/-95.2 s and heifers with a low hair whorl in 84.1+/-97.9 s. At the age of 16 weeks, heifers in both patterns with a high hair whorl were more mobile (not significantly) than heifers with a low hair whorl. Heifers with a high hair whorl displayed the strongest locomotory behavior (37.6 squares) and heifers with a low hair whorl (30.8) the slowest in the A pattern at the age of 18 months. In the B whorl pattern, heifers with a high hair whorl crossed more squares than did heifers with a low hair whorl. Both results were not significant. We found that the time of traversing the maze and the locomotor activity in open-field test may not be influenced by the facial whorl position.
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