Punishment Training of Mock-fighting Behaviour to Human in Calves

Abstract

Punishment training of 16 trials was done to control mock fighting behaviour (MF) with the handler in 12 cross bred (Holstein×Japanese black breed) calves. All calves caressed for 5 minutes/day, totaling 120min over 24 days, performed MF with the handler during the caressing period. After the caressing period, the the calves were punished by an electric goad (direct current 9,000V, 480mA). Almost all the calves except one calf completely stopped MF with the handler (less than 4 trials out of 16 trials) after the punishment (chi-square test, P<0.05). Calves then never performed MF even to an experimenter wearing different colored clothing from the handler, which suggests that punishment training may be effective. The punishment training established at 4.0±2.3 trials of the person giving the punishment with the different clothing from the caretaker, which was earlier than 7.4±1.9 trials of the person giving the punishment with the same clothing and the caretaker (P<0.05). Acceptance score of calves to human touch was larger after the punishment training than before it (P<0.01). In addition, the flight distance to human approach of calves shortened from 0.99±0.48m to 0.37±0.30m (P<0.01). These results indicate that MF with the handler of caressed calves can be controlled through the punishment training, without the reduction of tractability.