Further quantification of pigs needs for food using operant conditioning

1989 ◽  
Vol 1989 ◽  
pp. 91-91
Author(s):  
A.B. Lawrence ◽  
A.W. Illius
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Progressive Ratio ◽  
Operant Responding ◽  
Motivational States ◽  
Feeding Motivation ◽  
Ad Libitum Intake ◽  
High Level

The study of motivational states underlying behaviour is seen as critical to understanding the implications of restricted husbandry conditions on animal welfare. Yet the measurement of the strength of motivation remains a perennial problem in welfare studies. Previous work at Edinburgh using operant conditioning identified an apparently high level of feeding motivation throughout the day in pigs fed [ARC, 1981] recommended levels for sows and boars [Lawrence et al. 1988]. Pigs trained to press a panel consistently 10 times for a food reward (fixed ratio or FR responding) maintained high levels of panel pressing across the day when offered 0.6 of their ad libitum intake approximating to ARC (1981) recommended feeding levels. However, as the level of operant responding required was not great, it is arguable to what extend these results demonstrate a strong need for food by pigs on restricted feeding. The present paper reports on an experiment to test more accutely the strength of feeding motivation in relation to food restriction by comparing responding on FR with that on a progressive ratio (PR) where the animal has to work progressively harder for successive rewards. It was hoped that PR. reputedly a sensitive measure of motivation, would indicate with greater certainty restrict fed pigs need for food.

scholarly journals Intragastric nutrient infusion reduces motivation for food in male and female rats

2018 ◽  
Vol 315 (1) ◽  
pp. E81-E90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calyn B. Maske ◽  
Gregory C. Loney ◽  
Nicole Lilly ◽  
Sarah J. Terrill ◽  
Diana L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Progressive Ratio ◽  
Test Session ◽  
Suppressive Effect ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Operant Responding ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Nutrient Infusion

The idea that gut-derived satiation signals influence food reward has recently gained traction, but this hypothesis is largely based on studies focused on neural circuitry, not the peripherally released signals. Here, we directly tested the hypothesis that intragastric (IG) nutrient infusion can suppress motivation for food. In a series of experiments, IG sucrose infusion (15 kcal) significantly and reliably reduced operant responding for a sucrose reward on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule. Moreover, food deprivation for 24 h before the test session did not prevent the suppressive effect of nutrients. The suppressive effect of IG sucrose on fixed ratio 5 (FR5) operant responding was also assessed as a comparison. The effect of IG nutrients to reduce motivation was not limited to sucrose; IG Ensure infusion (9.3 kcal) also significantly reduced PR operant responding for sucrose pellets. To verify that these effects were not secondary to the osmotic challenge of concentrated nutrients, we tested IG infusion of noncaloric saline solutions equiosmolar to 40% sucrose or Ensure and found no effect. Finally, we focused on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK) as candidate mediators for the effect of IG nutrients. Pretreatment with exendin-9, a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, delivered intraperitoneally, significantly attenuated the ability of IG nutrients to suppress PR responding and breakpoint in males, but not in females, whereas pretreatment with devazepide, a CCKA receptor antagonist, failed to do so in both sexes. Together, these data support the idea that nutrient-induced satiation signals influence food reward and may implicate GLP-1 in this process.

Food preferences of sheep

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (113) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Hutson ◽  
SCvan Mourik
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Fixed Ratio Schedule ◽  
Handling System ◽  
Preferred Foods ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Preference Tests

Sixty-two foods were offered to four sheep as a supplement to a maintenance diet of chaffed hay. The most attractive foods were grains and seeds, followed by processed cereals, fruit and vegetables, and sweets. Twelve of the most attractive foods were then offered in pairs to 12 sheep in a series of preference tests. All possible combinations of pairs were tested. The most highly preferred foods were barley, peas, wheat and a commercial horse ration. An operant conditioning technique was used to determine whether sheep would work to obtain a food reward. Six sheep were trained to press a panel to receive a food reward. The highest ratio of presses to rewards reached on a progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement was used as a measure of reward strength. The highest rates of response were obtained with barley and wheat. Both barley and wheat appear to be highly preferred foods of sheep and would be suitable reinforcements to use in the development of a reward-based handling system for sheep.

scholarly journals Sucrose self-administration and CNS activation in the rat

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (4) ◽  
pp. R876-R884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne P. Figlewicz ◽  
Jennifer L. Bennett-Jay ◽  
Sepideh Kittleson ◽  
Alfred J. Sipols ◽  
Aryana Zavosh
Keyword(s):  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Progressive Ratio ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Medial Hypothalamus ◽  
Fos Expression

We have previously reported that administration of insulin into the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus decreases motivation for sucrose, assessed by a self-administration task, in rats. Because the pattern of central nervous system (CNS) activation in association with sucrose self-administration has not been evaluated, in the present study, we measured expression of c-Fos as an index of neuronal activation. We trained rats to bar-press for sucrose, according to a fixed-ratio (FR) or progressive-ratio (PR) schedule and mapped expression of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the CNS, compared with c-Fos expression in handled controls. We observed a unique expression of c-Fos in the medial hypothalamus (the arcuate, paraventricular, retrochiasmatic, dorsomedial, and ventromedial nuclei) in association with the onset of PR performance, and expression of c-Fos in the lateral hypothalamus and the bed nucleus of stria terminalis in association with the onset of FR performance. c-Fos expression was increased in the nucleus accumbens of both FR and PR rats. Our study emphasizes the importance of both hypothalamic energy homeostasis circuitry and limbic circuitry in the performance of a food reward task. Given the role of the medial hypothalamus in regulation of energy balance, our study suggests that this circuitry may contribute to reward regulation within the larger context of energy homeostasis.

A note on the preference of sheep for whole or crushed grains and seeds

1984 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Hutson ◽  
P. N. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Fixed Ratio Schedule ◽  
Schedule Of Reinforcement ◽  
Preferred Foods ◽  
Reinforcement Value ◽  
To Receive

ABSTRACTAn operant conditioning technique was used to determine whether the reinforcement value of grains and seeds preferred by sheep could be increased by crushing the food. Five sheep were trained to press a plate to receive a food reward. The rate of pressing on a progressive fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement was used as a measure of reinforcement value. Five foods were tested: barley, wheat, oats, lupins and peas. Crushing the foods had no effect on rate of pressing, whereas there was a great deal of variation between sheep and between foods. The preferred foods were wheat and barley.

Measuring hunger in the pig using operant conditioning: The effect of food restriction

1988 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. Lawrence ◽  
M. C. Appleby ◽  
H. A. Macleod
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Operant Response ◽  
Large White ◽  
Post Feeding ◽  
Feeding Motivation ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractOperant conditioning techniques were used to measure the feeding motivation (hunger) of pigs restricted to the low food levels used under certain commercial conditions. Six Large White × Landrace boars were maintained in individual pens where they received their daily food allowance. Initially food was available ad libitum; subsequently boars were restricted proportionately to 0·8, 0·6 and 0·4 of their ad libitum intake in a Latin-square design. Finally boars were again offered their previously measured ad libitum intake (treatment 1·0). Hunger was measured by conditioning boars to press a panel 10 times to receive a 7-g reward of food. Operant response rates were measured over 20-min sessions during each of the treatments and at three times of day (pre-feeding, immediately post feeding and 5 h post feeding).Operant response rate was strongly affected by restricting food allowance (means: treatment 1·0, 42 panel presses; 0·8, 212; 0·6, 266; 0·4, 320). There was a signficant interaction between food allowance and time of day (P < 0·001). Treatments did not vary in response rate before feeding. Treatments 1·0 and 0·8 depressed response rate post feeding (P < 0·001) and treatment 1·0 also 5 h post feeding (P < 0·001). Response rates on treatments 0·6 and 0·4 did not vary significantly from one another or with time of day.Restricting pigs to low food levels resulted in a high level of hunger throughout the day. This was so even for food allowances that met current recommended feeding levels sufficient for maintenance and low weight gain (treatment 0·6 equivalent to 1·3 times maintenance). Commercial levels of feeding for the pig breeding population whilst meeting production needs do not satisfy feeding motivation. The hunger resulting from low food levels may act as a major source of stress under certain husbandry conditions such as tether and stall systems for dry sows, where sows are subject to both physical and food restriction.

The effects of food level and a foraging device on the behaviour of sows

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 85-85
Author(s):  
Robert J. Young ◽  
Alistair B. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Food Level ◽  
Food Ration ◽  
Breeding Stock ◽  
Feeding Motivation ◽  
Stereotypic Behaviour ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Poor Welfare

Economic and production reasons dictate that the breeding stock of domestic pigs are normally fed a food ration less than their ad libitum intake (Whittemore 1987), and commercial levels of food restriction have been shown using operant conditioning to result in sustained feeding motivation (Lawrence et al 1988). However, operant conditioning procedures can be criticised on the basis that they impose artificial conditions on the animal.The practice of food restriction with dry sows has been directly linked to the performance of stereotypic behaviour (Appleby and Lawrence 1987) which maybe interpreted as an indicator of poor welfare (Mason 1991). Stereotypies in sows have often been associated with physically restrictive housing such as stalls and tethers. However, stereotypies can also develop in loose housed sows if they are also food restricted (Terlouw et al 1991). The performance of stereotypies may then reflect underlying feeding motivation and the subsequent potentiation foraging behaviour (Hughes and Duncan 1988). Stereotypies may arise where restrictive housing in some way interferes with the expression of that foraging behaviour perhaps by modifying or channelling complex and variable foraging behaviour into more simple and often repeated forms (Lawrence and Terlouw, in press.

scholarly journals Ethanol-Related Behaviors in Mouse Lines Selectively Bred for Drinking to Intoxication

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
Bryan E. Jensen ◽  
Kayla G. Townsley ◽  
Kolter B. Grigsby ◽  
Pamela Metten ◽  
Meher Chand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Progressive Ratio ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Blood Alcohol Levels ◽  
Drinking In The Dark ◽  
Mouse Lines

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder that has significant wide-reaching effects on individuals and society. Selectively bred mouse lines are an effective means of exploring the genetic and neuronal mechanisms underlying AUD and such studies are translationally important for identifying treatment options. Here, we report on behavioral characterization of two replicate lines of mice that drink to intoxication, the High Drinking in the Dark (HDID)-1 and -2 mice, which have been selectively bred (20+ generations) for the primary phenotype of reaching high blood alcohol levels (BALs) during the drinking in the dark (DID) task, a binge-like drinking assay. Along with their genetically heterogenous progenitor line, Hs/Npt, we tested these mice on: DID and drinking in the light (DIL); temporal drinking patterns; ethanol sensitivity, through loss of righting reflex (LORR); and operant self-administration, including fixed ratio (FR1), fixed ratio 3:1 (FR3), extinction/reinstatement, and progressive ratio (PR). All mice consumed more ethanol during the dark than the light and both HDID lines consumed more ethanol than Hs/Npt during DIL and DID. In the dark, we found that the HDID lines achieved high blood alcohol levels early into a drinking session, suggesting that they exhibit front loading like drinking behavior in the absence of the chronicity usually required for such behavior. Surprisingly, HDID-1 (female and male) and HDID-2 (male) mice were more sensitive to the intoxicating effects of ethanol during the dark (as determined by LORR), while Hs/Npt (female and male) and HDID-2 (female) mice appeared less sensitive. We observed lower HDID-1 ethanol intake compared to either HDID-2 or Hs/Npt during operant ethanol self-administration. There were no genotype differences for either progressive ratio responding, or cue-induced ethanol reinstatement, though the latter is complicated by a lack of extinguished responding behavior. Taken together, these findings suggest that genes affecting one AUD-related behavior do not necessarily affect other AUD-related behaviors. Moreover, these findings highlight that alcohol-related behaviors can also differ between lines selectively bred for the same phenotype, and even between sexes within those same line.

scholarly journals Effects of Exposure to 56Fe Particles or Protons on Fixed-ratio Operant Responding in Rats

2002 ◽  
Vol 43 (S) ◽  
pp. S225-S228 ◽  
Author(s):  
BERNARD M. RABIN ◽  
LYNN L. BUHLER ◽  
JAMES A. JOSEPH ◽  
BARBARA SHUKITT-HALE ◽  
DANIEL G. JENKINS
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Operant Responding

Operant Conditioning of Virginia Opossum

1970 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Cone ◽  
Donna M. Cone
Keyword(s):  
Operant Conditioning ◽  
Lever Press ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Fixed Interval ◽  
Response Style ◽  
Water Reinforcement ◽  
Deprivation Schedule ◽  
Limited Hold ◽  
Virginia Opossum

Laboratory-raised Virginia opossum have been found to readily acquire a lever-press response for water reinforcement. Fixed ratio behavior is comparable to that observed in other species. Fixed interval behavior, however, tends to move fairly rapidly toward an economical response style in which very few responses are emitted per reinforcement. Neither introduction of limited hold procedures nor lengthening of the deprivation schedule had any effect upon the FI responding.

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