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Author (up) Broucek, J., Uhrincat, M., KiÅ¡ac, P., Hanus, A.. openurl 
  Title Hair Whorl Position as a Predictor of Learning Ability and Locomotor Behavior in Cattle? Type Journal Article
  Year 2004 Publication ACTA VETERINARIA BRUNENSIS Abbreviated Journal ACTA VET. BRNO  
  Volume 73 Issue 4 Pages 455-459  
  Keywords Cattle, hair whorl, reversal learning, open-field  
  Abstract The aim of our work was to investigate the hypothesis that the speed of solving the maze tests and

locomotor behavior of heifers in open-field tests are affected by the height location of facial whorl.

Fifty-eight Holstein heifers were used. Maze learning was observed at the age of 15 weeks, and an

open-field test was applied at two ages, 16 weeks and 18 months. Whorl placement was recorded by

one person as each heifer entered the scale. The hair whorl position was determined on the basis of

two patterns: A) hair whorl high, middle and low and B) hair whorl high and low. Heifers with a

high hair whorl were the fastest (77.8 ± 84.3 s) and heifers with a middle hair whorl the slowest (87.3

± 100.3 s) in the A pattern during the maze tests. In the B whorl pattern, heifers with a high hair whorl

ran across the maze in 84.5 ± 95.2 s and heifers with a low hair whorl in 84.1 ± 97.9 s. The number

of crossed squares in a 5-minute open-field test in the A pattern was the non-significantly highest in

heifers with a high hair whorl (43.4) at the age of 16 weeks. In the B whorl pattern, heifers with a

high hair whorl were also more mobile, but neither differences in individual minutes nor in the whole

5 minutes were significant. Heifers with a high hair whorl displayed the strongest locomotory

behavior (37.6 squares) and heifers with a low hair whorl (30.8) were the slowest in the A pattern at

the age of 18 months. The differences were not significant. In the B whorl pattern, heifers with a

high hair whorl crossed more squares, but the difference was not significant in comparison with

heifers with a low hair whorl. We found that the time of traversing the maze and the locomotor

activity in open-field test may not be influenced in the dairy cattle by the height facial whorl position
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4321  
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