Studies on social hierarchy and agonistic behaviours in goats

ABSTRACT STUDIES ON SOCIAL HIERARCHY AND AGONISTIC BEHAVIOURS IN GOATS This project involved four seperate studies using 1 to 7 years old of 55-62 Turkish Saanen dairy goats located at Yahya Çavuş Research and Training Centre. In this project, formation of social hierarchy in the herd, factors affecting social hierachy resistance, agonistic behaviours and their effects on some performance traits in various activities and places throughout the day were investigated. In the first study where factors that may affect formation and resistance of social hierachy were investigated, horn, age and live weight were found to affect the order of social hierachy. Animals with high live weight and horns were in the upper places in the order of the herd. In addition, it was found that social hierachy in this herd was more dinamic as opposed to that in wild animals. In the second study where year, birth type, buck effect and age of mother in addition to the order in social hierachy of goats were investigated. It was found that the probability of giving male kids likely increased in animals with an upper place in the social hierachy of the herd. In the third study where agonistic behaviours in Turkish Saanen goats, which were associated with different activities and places were investigated, goats generally displayed aggresive biting behaviour in addition to butting. Aggresive biting behaviour was more apparent in old animals without horns. Agonistic behaviours were observed more in the queing place for milking and milking parlour than in other places (pasture, resting area, roughage consumption). They were increased in feeding area and places where the distance between animals was short. The inclusion of young goats in the herd increased uncomfort, but agonistic behaviours decreased in time. In the last study where the effects of social hierarchy and agonistic behaviors on some performance traits in Turkish Saanen goats were investigated, social hierachy had no effect on pregnancy rate in first eustrus, kidding rate and daily milk yield. However the probability of giving twins in aggresive animals increased, but daily milk yield in these animals significantly decreased. inIn conclusion, the results of the present project suggest that attention should be paid to imbalances caused by social hierarchy in the use of resources and effective measures should be taken to control agonistic behaviours in the herd in order to decrease uncomfort, injury problems and economic losses. Key Words: Turkish Saanen, Dominance rank, Horn, Age, Sex ratio, Butting, Agressiwe bitting, Escaping, Individual distance IV