Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Chapters 22 & 24

Unit 4 Objectives: –Knowledge of the affects of various animal behavior on production and performance –Appreciation of inherited vs. learned behaviors –Understanding of effective management, and its relationship to profit –Comprehension of the decision-making process, and technology/tools available to assist managers in the process Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Fields of Animal Behavior –Psychology –Ethology-Instinctive & Learned Behaviors Instinct birth (Ex. Nursing in mammals) Habituation –Lack of response to a repeated stimulus –Called Conditioning »Classical-association between an unconditioned stimulus & a neutral stimulus (Pavlov’s Dogs) »Operant-learning to respond to a stimulus as a result of reinforcement Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Trial & Error –Trying different responses until the correct one is performed, tied to a reward Reasoning –Correct response to a stimulus the first time –Intelligence »Short term memory »Long term memory Imprinting –Bonding process –Mostly for recognition purposes Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Systems of Animal Behavior –Nine identified systems 1.Sexual 2.Caregiving 3.Care soliciting 4.Agonistic 5.Ingestive 6.Eliminative 7.Shelter seeking 8.Investigative 9.Allelomimetic Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Sexual Behavior –Heat or estrus –Pheromones –Used to attract the opposite sex –Flehman-curling of upper lip –Cow & Bull –Sow & Boar –Sow seeks out the boar –Mare & Stallion Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Caregiving Behavior Most is maternally oriented Stimulation to suckling Protection –Care Soliciting Behavior Young crying for help when distressed, disturbed, or hungry Vocal sounds Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Agonistic Behavior Fight or flight Aggressive or passive Interaction w/ other animals –Males always fight other strange males –Establishing social dominance »Offense »Defense »Escape »Passivity –Females usually are not as aggressive Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Social interaction plays a huge role in animal production –Age has an effect Interaction w/ humans –Disposition is formed through experience and inheritance Behavior during Handling & Restraint –Animals remember positive & negative experiences –All depends upon the handlers and the facilities –Knowing and understanding behavior will reduce stress on the producer and the animal, and prevent injury –Blood odor appears to be detectible Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Vision can be manipulated »Curves chute systems »Solid walls –Flight Zone

–Ingestive Behavior Eating & drinking Grazing behavior –Rumination –Relation to water access –How do we manage the range –Climate can have an impact on grazing –Eliminative Behavior Feces and Urine –Cattle, sheep, goats are indiscriminate –Hogs will defecate in a particular area –Horses will defecate on the scent of another horse Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Cattle defecate times daily Horses defecate 5-12 Urinate ~7-11x/d Elimination is effected by stress –Responsible for Shrink Loss in cattle transport –Shelter-Seeking Behavior Shade for rest & rumination Wet areas for cooling Crowding during cold conditions Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Investigative Behavior Curiosity Common in pigs, horses, dairy goats, and somewhat in cattle –Allelomimetic Behavior Doing the same thing at the same time Herding behavior Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

–Other Behaviors Communication –Transfer of information through any of the senses Maladaptive or Abnormal Behavior –Animals that cannot adopt to a new environment, or exhibit inappropriate behavior »Ex. Tail chewing and cannibalism in swine –Buller-steer syndrome »Steer castrated before puberty »Certain steers are more attractive for mounting »As one mounts, the others do the same »Can cause physical injury, reduced weight gain, additional labor/equipment »Can be as much as 1-3% of the feedlot steer herd Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Assignment for the first half of Unit 4 –Review questions 2-5, 9, 11, 15, 18 Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Making Effective Management Decisions –Fixed resources Land Labor Capital Management –Renewable resources Animals Plants Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management

Managing for Lower Costs & Higher Returns –Profitability Formula Profit/loss=(production X price) – cost –Production and cost include many different things Managers should focus on the optimum level of output vs. input –Primary Components of Long-term profitability Costs –Careful monitoring of input costs –Ex.?

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Production –Pounds or numbers sold Price –Amount received/lb., or /h, or /doz. –Influenced by supply/demand Resource Improvement –Land used for forage and cropping –Can easily be depleted if not cared for properly So, how do producers focus on the business side of their operation? What can they influence?

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management The Manager –Plan –Act –Evaluate –Characteristics of an Effective Manager Profit-oriented Short-term and long-term objective planning Keep up on current knowledge/technology Effective time management Attentive to physical, emotional, financial needs of the employees

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Use of incentive programs for motivation Honest business dealings Effective communication and use of employee input Prioritize duties Self-starter Prioritize resource use Risk management Be a good example

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Financial Management –Must have good records for costs, returns, and profitability Cash transactions Balance Sheet (net worth=assets-liabilities) Income Statement Cash-flow Statement Enterprise Budget Partial Budget Income Tax Forms

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management –Credit and money management is crucial to making effect management decisions, during times of inflation & high interest rates Credit must be managed carefully, and used as a tool Income Tax Considerations –Paying little or no income tax should not be a goal –Well-managed operations pay income taxes if profitability is the goal not poor management to pay income tax, but to pay more than is owed

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Estate & Gift-Tax Planning –Adequate knowledge & planning can greatly help managers pass on farms to heirs –Producers can make an annual gift of $10,000 to children/grandchildren without paying federal gift tax –1997 unified credit exemption up to $1m by 2006 –1998-family farms can use a family business exemption of an additional $300,000 –Consult a tax professional

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management People –Most widely overlooked part of management, but is the most critical –Communication is the key –Effective people managers should be able to: Determine optimum labor needs Identify, hire, and retain employees Motivate and reward employees both financially and nonfinancially Keep the focus of the mission and goals Build and enhance teams and partnerships

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management –If the operation is family-owned and operated Use sound business practices Evaluate other family operations Include all family members in written planning of responsibilities Weekly meetings for planning, evaluating, problem solving Family relationships are most important, and can be compatible w/ profitability Patience and tolerance Encourage open communication

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management Management Systems –Systematic organization of information in order to make valid management decisions –Critical thinking and assessment are key –Often, sophisticated evaluation tools are not necessary, however, they are useful for large volumes of information –Animal production has typically been maximized without consideration of cost- benefit relationships

Unit 4: Animal Behavior & Effective Management –Lets talk about some management examples, good or bad Assignment for second half of Unit 4 –Review questions on pg. 437 –There’s only 3!