There's a Heifer in Your Tank

Are turkeys really stupid: can they really drown in a rainstorm?

An investigation into the causes of death reveals that curiosity not only kills the cat  

 

The idea that turkeys drown in a rainstorm has been heard for generations. Farmers used to report that their turkeys would hold their heads up to the sky and let the water run down their throats, eventually drowning themselves. Turkeys have often been thought of as “stupid birds” and perhaps this has contributed to the overall negative stereotype on turkeys. The question is not so much can turkeys drown in a rainstorm, but how does a turkey drown and what factors affect turkey survival?

A turkey’s brain accounts for only 2% of its body-weight putting it among the lowest of the bird brains. However, we all know that intelligence cannot be directly measured from brain size – some of the smallest brains, by percent body mass, are among the most intelligent. Turkeys are more curious than anything and as a result they often find themselves in “sticky situations,” explains Cathy Kimak, a former poultry producer. As well, turkeys can no longer reproduce naturally due to the large size of their breast. In fact, they are so out of balance, they can hardly walk! But this didn’t stop Benjamin Franklin from feeling that the turkey should be the national bird for the American emblem. And he wasn’t the only one who held a special place for the traditional turkey – Sesame Street incorporated the turkey into the making of Big Bird’s costume, which is composed of about 4000 turkey feathers dyed yellow.

By now it should be evident that the idea of turkeys drowning in a rainstorm not only sounds ridiculous, but is highly unlikely. What are the chances a turkey would stand in the rain long enough to drown itself. Even in the worst of storms, turkeys are not going to drown; they are going to die from various other factors.

 

Whether in intensive or extensive operations, “turkeys are one of the hardest animals to keep alive,” explains Darrel Ulledal, a turkey pharmaceutical sales associate with Elanco. The critical period for survival is the first two weeks following hatch – at this time the mortality rate is close to 70%. In extensive operations, weather is the key factor that influences the high mortality rate of turkeys. Poults, who have not yet fully developed their feathers, are especially susceptible to cold and wet weather because they are only covered with a soft down. Other detrimental factors include: electrocution by lightning or electric fence, suffocation or crushing by other turkeys and lack of food and clean water. Drowning, not due to the rain, may also happen. One farmer tells a story about accidentally leaving a 10-gallon bucket in his turkey pen one day. One of the birds was curious, jumped in, and was unable to get back out. Another heard the racket and jumped in to check it out. The end result when he returned? Ten gallons of dead turkey with one very confused bird on top wondering why all the gobbling had stopped! Predation is also a major factor when it comes to extensive operations. Predation increases during and after rainstorms because turkeys are extremely smelly when wet. Predators with a keen sense of smell can easily locate them because of this. Failed generators can also result in the death of turkeys; generators are responsible for the proper circulation of air, maintaining the right temperature and oxygen level, and many other variables which are critical to a turkeys’ survival.

With all of these factors influencing the survival of turkeys, it is in the farmer’s best interest to find ways to protect his livestock. The more turkeys that survive the more of a profit the farmer makes. One way of controlling factors like weather and predation is switching a livestock operation from extensive to intensive farming.

Extensive farming is essentially outdoor-raised livestock. It involves a larger amount of land but because it uses nature, it tends to be of a lower cost. The turkeys can use sunlight, which enables utilization of vitamin D, and since they are foraging birds, they can obtain nutrients naturally from the pasture, which reduces feed costs. However, some find this method of farming inhumane due to exposure to the elements, possible disease spread from wild animals, and predation. A farm like this can have mortality rates of over 30%. With management, these factors can be minimized. For example, electric fencing can be used to keep out predators.

Intensive farming uses very little land, and attempts to reproduce an ideal outdoor environment indoors. This involves controlling variables like temperature, ventilation, humidity, and photoperiod (hours of daylight). Although this gives the farmer a certain amount of control, using this method brings rise to other issues like pecking among birds, lack of activity, and behavioral issues. Intensive farming is also more expensive due to things like building and energy costs. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but both can prove to be profitable using the right management techniques.

We can now see that the myth about turkeys drowning in the rain is an unlikely story that arose from the fact that turkeys are very curious creatures that tend to get themselves into life-endangering situations. Turkeys are very susceptible to extreme weather conditions, predation, and other factors; this makes it very difficult for farmers to protect their birds when they are housed in extensive operations. Therefore, intensive operations may be a better choice when deciding on proper housing to improve survival rates of turkeys. However, in either extensive or intensive farming operations, there is a huge importance placed on management and disease prevention in order to maximize survival and minimize death losses.

- Melissa Croft, Leeanne Kimak and Krissia Menjivar

A little afterbirth snack

Potential motices of the placenta-eating cow   

Placentophagia, the act of eating placenta, is observed in many placental animals including cows. There is no single, definitive reason known for why cows eat their placenta but in searching for the answer we came across four main theories: bonding, hunger, predator avoidance, and instinct. After taking a closer look at the possible reasons why cows eat their placenta we contacted a number of producers, not only cattle but also swine, horse, and sheep producers to discuss what is done with the placenta on the farm and if placentophagia has ever caused any problems.

The idea that a cow eats her placenta as a means of bonding with her calf can probably be rejected. The placenta is released a few minutes to a few hours after the calf is born and it is not usually in contact with the calf. The idea of bonding may have arisen from confusing amniotic fluid which the newborn calf is covered in with the placenta. “Most cows will pay attention to the calf while eating their placenta”, says Murray Warnke, a beef cattle producer from Wetaskiwin, AB. “But some become focused on the placenta and ignore the calf.” In these cases, removing the placenta causes the cow to return her attention to her calf. This, in conjunction with the fact that the placenta is generally not in contact with the calf, opposes the idea of bonding as a reason for cows to eat their placenta.

The second theory, hunger, is divided into two categories: general and specific hunger. General hunger indicates that the cow is just plain hungry after calving. The fact that the placenta is edible, and generally in close proximity to the calf, makes it a convenient meal.

Specific hunger refers to a craving. This theory suggests that there may be something in the placenta, for example nutrients or hormones, that the cow craves post-partum. When asked if he had ever encountered a problem as a result of a cow eating her placenta, Alberta dairy farmer, Alex Beattie, responded that he had never encountered any problems but “some people believe that eating the placenta relaxes the cow and is good for the cow”. If we take into consideration the belief that placentophagia in humans helps prevent post-partum depression, placentophagia in cows may be beneficial to their psychological health and specific hunger may help them to obtain this benefit.

The third and most popular theory for why cows eat their placenta is predator avoidance. Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Dodd admits that it is not a definite reason but describes it as “a defensive mechanism to ensure that there is no evidence of the birthing in order to protect against predators.”

The idea is that the cow eats her placenta so that the smell does not attract predators towards her and her very vulnerable calf.

The final theory concerning why cows eat their placenta, instinct, is mostly self-explanatory. They just do it, it’s instinctive. Remember, cows were not always domesticated and it is a fact that virtually all placental mammals eat their placenta with the exception of camels, Cetaceans (an order of aquatic mammals including whales and dolphins), and Pinnipeds (an order of semi-aquatic mammals including seals and walruses). Cows eating their placenta are not unique among placental mammals.

 

We corresponded with 16 livestock producers to discuss reasons for leaving or removing the placenta and potential problems resulting from allowing placentophagia. Compared with 17% of cattle producers who said they remove the placenta, 43% of other livestock producers (swine, horses, and sheep) said they remove the placenta; both for similar reasons. Overall, 11 of the producers indicated that they leave the placenta to be eaten for reasons including nutritional value, because it is natural for the animal, and/or because it is impractical to remove. The five producers who do remove the placenta said that they are doing so either to prevent attracting predators, prevent the animal from choking, and/or promote cleanliness and sanitation in the birthing area. Over 80% of the producers indicated that they have never encountered a problem as a direct result of an animal consuming her placenta (note that some of these animals were never exposed to a placenta). However, the remainder indicated encountering problems involving animals choking. In two of these cases, nothing came of the choking, it either righted itself or the producer was there to assist the animal; in the third case, two animals actually choked to death.

Weighing the costs and benefits of allowing a cow to eat her placenta comes down to the producer’s individual situation and experiences. In free-range operations for example it may not be practical to be out monitoring each and every calving in order to remove the placenta. Dr. Dodd says that “there may be some minor nutritional value including proteins in the placenta but the cow will survive well without eating it.” So for those who are choosing to- and able to- regularly remove the placenta, there are no detrimental effects associated with disallowing placentophagia.

So, why do cows eat their placenta? By eliminating bonding as a possible reason we have narrowed it down to three main theories; hunger, predator avoidance, and instinct. Each has its own appeal and all seem equally probable not only as a reason for cows but also for why other mammals eat their placenta. Suffice it to say that some combination of hunger, predator avoidance, and instinct drives cows to partake of the afterbirth snack.

Do hens listen when a rooster crows?

 

You may know how annoying it is to be woken up at the crack of dawn by the rooster’s familiar crow but there is so much more to chickens than clucks and cock-a-doodles. Contrary to the traditional view of the simple-minded chicken, they do indeed, have a complex communication system. For example, the typical “cock-a-doodle-doo” is thought to be a call that tells other chickens about the individual’s social rank and is also used to claim territory. The hen listens to a rooster, especially when he has something useful to say, usually about food, mating, and danger. Humans should also listen to the rooster because “vocalizations can be an indicator or diagnostic tool for evaluating quality of welfare,” says Dr. Paul Siegel PhD (Animal and Poultry Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic and State University). So the next time you hear a rooster crow, do not think of him as another simple farm animal because he is probably saying something important.

Life, for all species, revolves around food and roosters use this to their advantage. They can produce characteristic food calls to get hens to approach, who find it hard to turn down the opportunity for a free meal. Roosters deliver many quick calls if favored food is found and make slower, less frequent calls if non-favored food is present. Hens are more likely to approach when good food, like mealworms and peas, are offered and are more likely to ignore the calls if the rooster finds lower quality food, like peanuts or nutshells. Roosters call more when hens are present but will call less if another male is around. Other males are just competition so sharing with them is not necessary. Basically, the rooster searches for food, calls the hens over, refrains from eating to let the hens have it, and in return, establishes social bonds with them. What a gentleman!

Have you ever seen a rooster waltz? He performs elaborate mating displays and dances that can also elicit a response from the hen. The “waltz” is a courtship dance where the male drops one wing and approaches the hens with short, shuffling side steps. Wing flapping, strutting, head shaking, feather-ruffling, tail-wagging, and a whining vocalization are also used to get the hen’s attention. The hen will either run away if she is not interested or crouch to allow the rooster to mate with her.

Hens, like most animals, are picky when it comes to mating and they will choose the rooster with the most desirable characteristics. Hens will mate with dominant males most of the time. Dominant males crow more than subordinates, crow at a higher frequency than subordinates, have a higher weight, and have the longest and brightest combs. Roosters guard their flocks and produce different types of alarm calls depending on whether a predator is in the air or on the ground. These calls are very different from one another and the hens respond by showing different types of behavior. Hens will crouch when given an aerial alarm call, whereas they will stand erect when given a ground alarm call. Even though hens respond to both types of calls by surveying the area, they are more likely to look upwards and run for cover when given an aerial call. In these types of circumstances, listening to the rooster may be vital for the hens’ survival.

It is known that chicken communication is beneficial to both the hens and roosters, but why should humans study chicken calls? Michelle Jendral is a graduate student from the University of Alberta, researching how different environments impact the quality of life for layer hens. She believes that “increasing our knowledge and understanding of behaviors, such as vocalizations, will improve our ability to assess welfare, and therefore clarify how welfare can be improved.” She also states that “since behavior is how animals cope with their environment, and many natural behaviors are affected by intensive housing systems, vocalizations (a behavior) are affected too.” Chickens show complex social organization, learning capabilities, and a diverse communication system; performing more than 30 vocalizations. We are starting to realize that chickens are smarter than we originally thought and welfare concerns pressure the poultry industry to provide mental stimulation in their current housing systems. Roosters do more than just cock-a-doodle-doo and wake you up in the morning. They will make different calls about food, mating, and danger which the hens will respond to. Therefore, hens do listen when a rooster crows.

- Gita Gunson, Steve Koeckhoven and Renee Leduc

Not scaredy cats...Scaredy goats.

Would you like to learn more about fainting goats?

 

Yes, there are fainting goats. No, they are not a mythical creature from an island far away or a trained circus animal. You can find them right here in Alberta. Just a change in a single nucleotide can make a goat can end up with this interesting ability.

Any sudden change in the environment that causes a goat to be nervous, scared, or excited can cause their external muscles to stiffen up. Do you REMEMBER the part in Jurassic Park where the raptors pop out in the kitchen? Did you jump as high as I did? My whole body stiffened right up. Then, in a split second, I was relaxed and checking to see if anyone saw me jump.

These goats are easily scared, but when their external muscles contract they lack the ability to relax again immediately. This gives the appearance of fainting. Technically the goats have what is called myotonia congenita. An autonomic recessive gene causes this. A recessive gene takes second fiddle to the more dominant gene when the

two of them are present. This double recessive trait causes a malfunction of the chloride ion channels in the skeletal muscles. Chloride ions are important for relaxation and contraction of muscle. When these goats get scared, these chloride channels maintain muscle contraction longer than usual.

It is an hereditary trait, meaning even if the parents do not show symptoms they can pass it along to their offspring. Adults can sometimes learn to brace themselves instead of falling over and will even try to run with a stiffened sawhorse appearance. Generally as the animal gets warmed up from exercise the stiffening lessens temporarily. The same is true of people with this condition, and is referred to as “the warm-up phenomenon.”

Since discovery in the 1880s, farmers have found many uses for these goats. The history surrounding these goats is a mystery and not well documented. What is known is that a stranger, John Tinsley, wandered into a town in Tennessee with a couple of fainting goats and a cow. He then sold them to a local veterinarian named Dr. Mayberry before leaving the area. The vet then took it upon himself to breed them to research their strange condition.

Sheep farmers used them to distract predators from their flocks, as a goat flat on its back is a much easier target, nearly leading to extinction by the 1970. If it were not for the people who keep them for pets, the breed would be extinct. Fainting goats have a reputation for being mild mannered, friendly, easily kept animals. Susan White from Faint Hope Acres in Nanton, Alberta told us “they are excellent 4-H projects due to their medium size…less intimidating for children.” Plus, they provide great entertainment for hours on end.

So if you’re driving down the highway and see goat legs sticking up through the blades of grass, relax: you don’t have to rush out of your car to give the goat CPR. You can think of this article and know that in just a few seconds that it will be back up and at ’em. Just remember…“They can be like a problem with a car, when you specifically want to show them fainting to someone, that’s when they will not do it.” (Douglas Scott, Poplar Ridge Farm, Kitscoty, Alberta)

-Jocelyn Babin, Dani Paron and Kim Christie

The colour red, is it just for bulls or do chicks dig it too?

 

Have you ever wondered about the favourite colour of the chicken sitting on your table? It might not seem all that important to you, but for the farmer managing 10,000 birds it might become much more of an issue. Many farm supply producers have attempted to solve that very question. Their answer: Red. If you can get it for chickens you can get it in red.

But what about their competition? As any cartoon watching child will tell you, our feathered friends are not the only clucks in the coop digging red. That’s right, at over 1500lbs, snorting fire , with smouldering eyes, and lance sharp horns, can our common chicken compete with a raging bull? Does the common hen have what it takes to challenge the massive mammal for the rights to red? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Science, you see, is considerably more complicated than Wile E. Coyote would like to admit. For example, chickens can see a broader range of the light spectrum than humans can due to the fact that chickens have four types of cones in their eyes and humans only have three, while our friend the bull is essentially colour blind. The dramatic red of the matadors cloak is more for the human audience than the bull who is "more about texture and speed than colour" says Laura Bluck, assistant of Agricultural Production at Olds College. The bull cannot be attracted to a colour it cannot see. So the chicken wins a major victory for the rights to its favourite colour, right?

Well no, not so much.

As it turns out, despite the commercial pressures which say otherwise, red is not a chicken's preferred colour. One experiment involving different coloured nest boxes showed that 50.5% of chickens showed preference to yellow for nesting. Also, blue and green stimulate the hypothalamus of a chicken the most. However, although red is not the most attractive colour to chickens, the light wavelengths penetrate the skull and feathers more effectively and stimulate the hypothalamus. Studies have shown that this stimulation can lead to decreased aggression, decreased consumption, and increased production. Hence the abundance of red chicken squiptment found with suppliers. Jim Weiss, a farmer by Mundare Alberta explains, "Red light sources are used in chicken coops for three months. The red light prevents the chickens from pecking each other which increases productivity. Also, the red light sources are needed longer for laying hens."

One man even develiped red contacts for chickens, a venture which failed since it was found that the chickens struggled to put them in, also, the dust and other particles floating around in a barn would get in the contacts damaging the chicken's eys.

In conclusion, red may not be as popular as blue, green or yellow which chickens, however, the significant effects of the red wavelengths dominate the chicken's preferences to you and your wallet!

- Dustin Banks, Ryan Achtymichuck, Caitlin Edwards and Airell DesLauriers

 

Free-run vs. Free-range; Myth vs. Truth

There seems to be a common misconception that free-range and free-run chickens are the same thing. Although there are similarities between the two, there is one major factor that differentiates one from the other. While both free-range and free-run chickens live in open-concept barns, free from living in a battery cage, only free-range chickens have any access to the outside. In theory this will allow a chicken to live a more "natural" life but in Canada there is little to no requirements regarding the size or conditions of the outside enclosure. It is encouraged that free-run chickens get 144 square inches per chicken but farmers must meet the regular standards of 67 square inches per chicken. This means that there is often no shade from the sun or barricades against cold winds and the flock may never utilize their access to the outdoors.

Laura Bluck, a teacher of Agricultural Production at Olds College, says when the free-range chickens do take advantage of their outdoor pass, their eggs tend to be a little more orange than others due to ingestion of bugs and dirt that free-run or caged birds would not have access to. Hence, a major issue for producers of free-range chickens is biosecurity. When allowed outside, exposure to diseases such as Newcastle Disease or Avian flu carried in wild bird droppings increases.

Within the barns, chickens have nesting boxes where they can lay their eggs privately; a natural tendency for laying hens. They also have increased mobility around the barn contrary to a battery cage, leading to the occasional hen laying eggs on the ground. "Ground eggs" cannot go to market, and thus production costs increase. This increase in costs are the why 97% of eggs are from chickens housed in battery cages.

There is also no finite proof that the nutrient content of the eggs is any different when comparing free-range/free- run eggs to those from caged hens. The main selling point of free-range/free-run farming focuses around the welfare and treatment of the birds. Susan Gall of the Alberta Egg Producers says "A lot of time and money has been put towards bringing to the forefront how the chickens are raised. PETA being a huge driver in this agenda, more so in Ontario than Alberta though." And despite higher production costs, Gall states the "reasons for changing an operation are to follow market signals and pressure from activist groups and graders."

An additional problem found within an open-concept barn is that chickens have been bred to live within battery cages. The environment within the barn can be highly stressful if the producer does not create an adaptable atmosphere. In some cases high stress levels have lead to low growth rates and cannibalism.

Although there are various housing styles for poultry, animal welfare is taken into account no matter how the chickens are raised. And no one can deny how good it tastes to have a healthy egg in the morning whether it’s from a free-run chicken, a caged hen or a free-range chicken.

-Mark Lyseng, Chelsea Geiger, Heather de Boer and Charissa Scott

What can pedometers do for your dairy herd?

 

by Hilary Baker, Russell Osborne, Lindsay Howes, Hans Reimert, Piper Whelan and Paul Zimmerman

Why are some rooster combs more attractive than others?

 

by Marie-Laure De Witte, Xiaojun Gao, Greg Glenn, and Shuhuai Li

What is a remote control sheep dog?

 

by Lucas Bell, Brittany Henng, Deandra Tonn, Kaitlyn Matters and Bailee Stenton