Pigs
Behavior
Rooting, Chewing, Scratching, Dominant, Submissive, Play, Exploratory
Social Structure
Pigs have a clear dominant, submissive relationship. The females have a matriarchal herd with sows and offspring. Males can be solitary unless grouped with their littermates.
Abnormal Behaviors
Excessive Aggression, Pacing
Sheep
Behavior
gregarious, social, grazing, investigative, fleeing
Social Structure
Sheep have a flock instinct to protect each other from predators. Flocks consist of a couple males, multiple males and offspring. Ewes stay with the flock for life and males will wander forming other herds. Males will challenge other males for social dominance.
Abnormal Behaviors
excessive aggression
Horses
Behavior
Grazing, playing, exploratory, walking
Social Structure
Horses live in herds. Dominance is controlling movement of peers. Herd consists of one to two stallions and a group of mares and foals. Leader is the older mare.
Abnormal Behaviors
cribbing, weaving, stall kicking, wood chewing, self-biting, eating bedding
Birds
Behavior
Foraging, Pecking, Exploratory, Roosting, Vocalizing, Dusting
Social Structure
Birds are highly social especially during breeding season.
Land birds can be less gregarious, seek isolation during breeding season.
Abnormal Behaviors
Aggression, Feather Pecking, Cannibalism, Excessive, Fearfulness
Enrichment for Farm Animals
Enrichment items that promote rooting such as large balls, edible enrichment such as hay, pecking opportunities such as foraging balls edible treats and noise making enrichment work best to exhibit their natural behaviors.
Resources
Featured studies related to refinement, enrichment, handling, behavior management, and training techniques.