Abstract

Research in the livestock industries in which animals have frequent contact with humans has shown that human-animal interactions can limit the productivity and welfare of these farm animals. Many of these interactions are routinely and, at times, habitually used by stock-people. While these interactions may appear harmless to the animals, this research has shown that the frequent use of some of these routine behaviours by stock-people can result in farm animals becoming highly fearful of humans. It is these high fear levels, through stress, that appear to limit animal productivity and welfare. This research has also shown that one of the antecedents of stock-person behaviour is the attitude of the stock-person towards interacting with his or her farm animals. Intervention studies in the dairy and pig industries have shown the potential of cognitive-behavioural intervention techniques designed to specifically target those attitudes and behaviours of stock-people that affect animal fear and, in turn, animal productivity.

PH, Hemsworth

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 60, Hamilton, 237-240, 2000