Abstract:
Animal Science curricula were originally designed for students having considerable experience with different species of livestock, students from the diversified family farm. However, in recent years the background of students has changed dramatically with the specialization of farming and the influx of students from non-farm backgrounds. Even students from rural backgrounds usually have experience with only one or two species. The present trend toward confinement and more intensive management is further reducing experiences which give students an understanding of the ethogram (behavioral repertoire) of a species. Paradoxically, the trend toward larger herds or flocks, increased confinement, and more intensive management requires an increased knowledge of behavior to avoid costly problems. The traditional curriculum offers students little exposure to the behavior of domestic animals. As G.C. Anderson (1974) observed,
"the pragmatic aspects of behavior are an integral part of classic and contemporary production and management courses. This treatment cannot, however, provide an understanding of the basis of behavior and accordingly imposes a constraint on a student's ability to anticlpate and solve problems. More importantly, the integrative potential in the study of behavior is largely denied."
Keywords:
domestic animals, animal behavior, animal management
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