WSU scientist observes closely for answers

Ruth Newberry

PULLMAN, Wash. – “We’re going to talk about a spooky subject today,” began animal scientist Ruth Newberry in her presentation at the Washington Farm Animal Welfare Symposium recently held at Washington State University.

Then she talked about barking pigs, cannibalistic chickens and a frolicking cow – and that wasn’t even the spooky part.

 

Instead, Newberry, an associate professor at WSU’s Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, was referring to the New Age-ish, pop psychology approach to communicating with animals.

“These days, everyone claims to be an animal whisperer,” said Newberry to an audience of 80 people, ranging from food-animal experts and students to veterinarians and farmers.

 

“Some people claim to communicate telepathically with animals, even dead ones,” she said. “Others judge animals’ actions and behaviors based on their own way of thinking to understand what’s going on inside the animal’s head. There’s a better approach, you know.”

 

Animal scientist Temple Grandin, who has autism, is a “true cow whisperer” said Newberry.

Analyze not from a human’s perspective, but from an animal’s, she said.

 

Newberry’s topic, “The Science of Animal Whispering: A Close Eye, Ear and Nose on Animal Behavior,” is timely, considering the surge in interest as demonstrated by a flood of books (“Animals in Translation” by Temple Grandin), TV shows (“My Cat from Hell” on Animal Planet), products (Dog Whisperer backpack designed for dogs) and websites (The Chicken Whisperer at http://www.chickenwhisperer.net).

 

So, too, exists a mounting field of animal behavior research. And that’s where Newberry’s expertise comes in. It doesn’t take special powers or the attribution of human traits to understand animal behavior and improve animals’ lives, she told the group.

 

“There’s no secret to animal whispering. The answer lies in close observation and using science to validate our interpretations,” she said.

 

By taking this approach with farm animals, it’s possible to figure out what causes behavior that impacts milk production, egg laying and overall health. Good lives in good environments not only ensure better food production but, more and more, the public is demanding it, she said.

Pigs don’t just oink. Sometimes they bark. Recent scientific observation has established that they emit different acoustic levels depending on whether they are feeling alarmed

Pigs need space to play, forage and explore.

or playful, explained Newberry.

 

Big squeal, you say?  Considering that stressed-out pigs engage in more aggressive behavior – including biting off each other’s tails, according to Newberry – paying close attention to the pitch of those barks can tell caregivers if all is right with the world or there’s trouble at the farm.

 

“Giving the pigs more room to forage, explore and play can head off stress-related behaviors that result in injuries and other health problems,” she said.
 
Why chickens occasionally eat other chickens would have befuddled Dr. Freud, but not modern-day animal welfare scientists like Newberry. By using fake chickens as props among live ones, eventually an answer emerged.

Cannibalistic behavior doesn’t happen overnight, she said. Rather, it’s a slow process that often starts with a single chicken and is learned by the other chickens as they observe it.

 

“By paying attention, you can catch it before it becomes a problem,” she said.

 

For Lee Bates, a sheep farmer from Viola, Idaho, Newberry’s presentation conveyed useful information.

 

“Sometimes my sheep carry on for reasons I can’t figure out,” she said. “I watch and I watch. Maybe if I start writing down my observations, I can connect the dots.”

 

One thing Bates doesn’t need to figure out is whether her sheep enjoy music. Without relying on the hard data of science, she knows their musical tastes by watching them as she plays tunes on a CD player.

 

“Sheep love Celtic music, especially the lambs,” she said. “They leap and frolic. Once I played a hard rock song and the male’s angry voice seemed to make them cower. Now, I only play Celtic.”

 

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