Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Mandy Beekmans; Claudia Maureen Vinke; A. Maijer; I. de Haan; Nico Schoemaker; Bas Rodenburg; Hans Kooistra; Yvonne van Zeeland

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105986

Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Mandy Beekmans^*, Claudia Maureen Vinke, A. Maijer, I. de Haan, Nico Schoemaker, Bas Rodenburg, Hans Kooistra, Yvonne van Zeeland^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This might be related to the design of currently available foraging enrichments, which generally stimulate a subset of foraging activities rather than foraging behaviour in its entirity. We therefore designed a two-component foraging enrichment that addressed both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging. To evaluate whether foraging times would approximate those in the wild (4–8 h/day), we studied the effect of the separate and combined components on foraging behaviour in 12 healthy grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) using a balanced cross-over design. Parrots were provided food by means of the appetitive (APP), consummatory (CONS), and combined (APP+CONS) component(s) of the foraging enrichment, and in a food trough that served as a control (CTRL; no enrichment) for 30 days per test condition. The time spent on foraging was evaluated on days 2, 14 and 30 in all four test conditions using continuous focal sampling. Each of the single components (APP or CONS) increased daily foraging times from 2 to 3 h per day (CTRL: 121 ± 16 min/24 h, APP: 176 ± 31 min/24 h, CONS: 194 ± 26 min/24 h), while the combined enrichment doubled daily foraging times (APP+CONS: 234 ± 42 min/24 h), thereby approaching natural foraging time budgets. Foraging times remained steady over the 30 days, indicating no habituation or change in use of the enrichments throughout this period. These results demonstrate the importance of providing both appetitive and consummatory activities to generate effective foraging opportunities for parrots. Such a bottom-up approach could be beneficial for other (parrot) species as well.

Original language	English
Article number	105986
Number of pages	9
Journal	Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Volume	265
Early online date	10 Jun 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105986
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was made possible with grants received from (in alphabetical order) Avonturia/Bird Symposium, Dr. J.L. Dobberke Stichting, Lafeber Company, Stichting Abri voor Dieren, Stichting Animales, and Stichting Meijer Boekbinder fonds. In addition, we would like to thank Lafeber Company for donating the Nutri-Berries that were fed to the parrots throughout the study. We are furthermore grateful for the support and technical help by Arie Doornenbal, who manufactured the marble tracks and dispensers, and who was a great help whenever technical difficulties were encountered during the study. Additionally, we would like to thank Hans Vernooij for the help with the statistical analysis. Finally we would like to express our gratitude to all the students and animal care staff who where involved in the caretaking and training of the parrots, manufacturing of the capules and management of daily activities throughout the execution of the study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors

Keywords

Animal welfare
Foraging
Enrichment
Consummatory behaviour
Appetitive behaviour
Psittaciformes

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Cite this

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title = "Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)",

abstract = "Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This might be related to the design of currently available foraging enrichments, which generally stimulate a subset of foraging activities rather than foraging behaviour in its entirity. We therefore designed a two-component foraging enrichment that addressed both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging. To evaluate whether foraging times would approximate those in the wild (4–8 h/day), we studied the effect of the separate and combined components on foraging behaviour in 12 healthy grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) using a balanced cross-over design. Parrots were provided food by means of the appetitive (APP), consummatory (CONS), and combined (APP+CONS) component(s) of the foraging enrichment, and in a food trough that served as a control (CTRL; no enrichment) for 30 days per test condition. The time spent on foraging was evaluated on days 2, 14 and 30 in all four test conditions using continuous focal sampling. Each of the single components (APP or CONS) increased daily foraging times from 2 to 3 h per day (CTRL: 121 ± 16 min/24 h, APP: 176 ± 31 min/24 h, CONS: 194 ± 26 min/24 h), while the combined enrichment doubled daily foraging times (APP+CONS: 234 ± 42 min/24 h), thereby approaching natural foraging time budgets. Foraging times remained steady over the 30 days, indicating no habituation or change in use of the enrichments throughout this period. These results demonstrate the importance of providing both appetitive and consummatory activities to generate effective foraging opportunities for parrots. Such a bottom-up approach could be beneficial for other (parrot) species as well.",

keywords = "Animal welfare, Foraging, Enrichment, Consummatory behaviour, Appetitive behaviour, Psittaciformes",

author = "Mandy Beekmans and Vinke, \{Claudia Maureen\} and A. Maijer and \{de Haan\}, I. and Nico Schoemaker and Bas Rodenburg and Hans Kooistra and \{van Zeeland\}, Yvonne",

note = "Funding Information: This study was made possible with grants received from (in alphabetical order) Avonturia/Bird Symposium, Dr. J.L. Dobberke Stichting, Lafeber Company, Stichting Abri voor Dieren, Stichting Animales, and Stichting Meijer Boekbinder fonds. In addition, we would like to thank Lafeber Company for donating the Nutri-Berries that were fed to the parrots throughout the study. We are furthermore grateful for the support and technical help by Arie Doornenbal, who manufactured the marble tracks and dispensers, and who was a great help whenever technical difficulties were encountered during the study. Additionally, we would like to thank Hans Vernooij for the help with the statistical analysis. Finally we would like to express our gratitude to all the students and animal care staff who where involved in the caretaking and training of the parrots, manufacturing of the capules and management of daily activities throughout the execution of the study. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

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doi = "10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105986",

language = "English",

volume = "265",

journal = "Applied Animal Behaviour Science",

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T1 - Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

AU - Beekmans, Mandy

AU - Vinke, Claudia Maureen

AU - Maijer, A.

AU - de Haan, I.

AU - Schoemaker, Nico

AU - Rodenburg, Bas

AU - Kooistra, Hans

AU - van Zeeland, Yvonne

N1 - Funding Information: This study was made possible with grants received from (in alphabetical order) Avonturia/Bird Symposium, Dr. J.L. Dobberke Stichting, Lafeber Company, Stichting Abri voor Dieren, Stichting Animales, and Stichting Meijer Boekbinder fonds. In addition, we would like to thank Lafeber Company for donating the Nutri-Berries that were fed to the parrots throughout the study. We are furthermore grateful for the support and technical help by Arie Doornenbal, who manufactured the marble tracks and dispensers, and who was a great help whenever technical difficulties were encountered during the study. Additionally, we would like to thank Hans Vernooij for the help with the statistical analysis. Finally we would like to express our gratitude to all the students and animal care staff who where involved in the caretaking and training of the parrots, manufacturing of the capules and management of daily activities throughout the execution of the study. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/8

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N2 - Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This might be related to the design of currently available foraging enrichments, which generally stimulate a subset of foraging activities rather than foraging behaviour in its entirity. We therefore designed a two-component foraging enrichment that addressed both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging. To evaluate whether foraging times would approximate those in the wild (4–8 h/day), we studied the effect of the separate and combined components on foraging behaviour in 12 healthy grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) using a balanced cross-over design. Parrots were provided food by means of the appetitive (APP), consummatory (CONS), and combined (APP+CONS) component(s) of the foraging enrichment, and in a food trough that served as a control (CTRL; no enrichment) for 30 days per test condition. The time spent on foraging was evaluated on days 2, 14 and 30 in all four test conditions using continuous focal sampling. Each of the single components (APP or CONS) increased daily foraging times from 2 to 3 h per day (CTRL: 121 ± 16 min/24 h, APP: 176 ± 31 min/24 h, CONS: 194 ± 26 min/24 h), while the combined enrichment doubled daily foraging times (APP+CONS: 234 ± 42 min/24 h), thereby approaching natural foraging time budgets. Foraging times remained steady over the 30 days, indicating no habituation or change in use of the enrichments throughout this period. These results demonstrate the importance of providing both appetitive and consummatory activities to generate effective foraging opportunities for parrots. Such a bottom-up approach could be beneficial for other (parrot) species as well.

AB - Foraging enrichment is considered one of the most effective ways to enhance expression of species-typical behaviours and prevent the development of abnormal (repetitive) behaviours in captive animals. However, foraging enrichments for parrots have thus far not been able to approximate natural foraging time budgets nor completely eliminate abnormal behaviours such as feather damaging behaviour. This might be related to the design of currently available foraging enrichments, which generally stimulate a subset of foraging activities rather than foraging behaviour in its entirity. We therefore designed a two-component foraging enrichment that addressed both the appetitive and consummatory phases of foraging. To evaluate whether foraging times would approximate those in the wild (4–8 h/day), we studied the effect of the separate and combined components on foraging behaviour in 12 healthy grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) using a balanced cross-over design. Parrots were provided food by means of the appetitive (APP), consummatory (CONS), and combined (APP+CONS) component(s) of the foraging enrichment, and in a food trough that served as a control (CTRL; no enrichment) for 30 days per test condition. The time spent on foraging was evaluated on days 2, 14 and 30 in all four test conditions using continuous focal sampling. Each of the single components (APP or CONS) increased daily foraging times from 2 to 3 h per day (CTRL: 121 ± 16 min/24 h, APP: 176 ± 31 min/24 h, CONS: 194 ± 26 min/24 h), while the combined enrichment doubled daily foraging times (APP+CONS: 234 ± 42 min/24 h), thereby approaching natural foraging time budgets. Foraging times remained steady over the 30 days, indicating no habituation or change in use of the enrichments throughout this period. These results demonstrate the importance of providing both appetitive and consummatory activities to generate effective foraging opportunities for parrots. Such a bottom-up approach could be beneficial for other (parrot) species as well.

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KW - Enrichment

KW - Consummatory behaviour

KW - Appetitive behaviour

KW - Psittaciformes

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DO - 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105986

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ER -

Increasing foraging times with appetitive and consummatory foraging enrichment in grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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