| Autor: |
Leif Lau Jeppesen, Knud Erik Heller, Anne-Line Brink |
| Rok vydání: |
2004 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 89:131-137 |
| ISSN: |
0168-1591 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.applanim.2004.06.007 |
| Popis: |
Mortality in mink kits held under conventional farm conditions is believed to be related to dehydration and at least partially to thereby associated competitive aggression. In this study we demonstrated that licking saliva from the commissure of the dam's lips might serve to complement the kits’ fluid supply in a period of relative water deficit and that increasing drinking activity is correlated with reduced aggression. Moreover, we found that easier accessibility of drinking water under farm conditions decreases saliva licking. We suggest that measuring enhanced saliva licking may be used as a possible parameter to detect the risk for dehydration in an early stage. Herewith possible competitive aggressive interactions between the kits for water can be reduced. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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Full Text from ScienceDirect