Social preference and diet learning in goat kids at pasture

Sammanfattning: AbstractHerbivores can be classified into either hiders or followers depending on their postpartum behaviour. The two behaviour types affect the spatial relationship between the mother and her infant. Goats are seen as hiders, although the environment plays a central role when it comes to the behaviour. Therefore, in the first part of this study the aim was to investigate how the goat kids’ spatial relationship changed in the transition from indoor housing to pasture. The aim was to compare the time spent with the mother while in the stable compared to the time spent with the mother while at pasture. The experimental herd consisted of six goats, seven female yearlings and eleven goat kids of the Swedish Domestic goat (Capra hircus). The observations were performed using a check sheet where the social interactions of the goat kids were noted. Our hypothesis was that the goat kid changes from hider at stable to follower at pasture, and thereby spending time together with its mother at pasture. The results showed a significant increase in the time spent with the mother at pasture then in the stable. A similar significant increase could be found in the time spent near other adult goats. The other part of this study was about diet learning. Goats learn what to eat through postingestive feedback; here the focus was on the social aspect of the learning process. Therefore the aim of the second part of this study was to find out if the mother’s feed choice influences the feed choice of the goat kid. Our hypothesis was that there is an influence from the mother. Thus the feed choice of 5 goats, 5 yearlings and 5 young kids at pasture were studied, to investigate if such an influence exists. The observations were performed using focal animals and a check sheet where the feed choices were noted. The result showed that there seemed to be a maternal influence on the feed choice of the goat kid. Conclusively the increased time spent with the mother while at pasture offers testimony to our hypothesis that the goat kid changes from hider to follower behaviour when at pasture. As for the feed choice study, the results support that the mothers feed choice influence the feed choice of the goat kid.