Biology
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether ducks exhibit a range of bathing behaviors when exposed to different water resource like baths, troughs, showers and nipples. The survey also seeks to determine wheteher any synchrony of behavior exists in duck while at a water resource.
The survey involved a total of 96 Cherry Valley Pekin stain ducks. Each pen had different treatment types in terms of the bathing resource. In the pen, the ducklings were fed on chicken finished pellets for 49 days and each treatment was replicated. Data collection started at day 47 using videos which were later analyzed for the bathing behavior. Software was used to code the behavior of the ducks during the bathing bouts where a bout was defined to be the period between when a duck approaches the resource and engage in a behavior that is part of the bathing sequence. If more than one duck was available at the resource, the bouts were divided into quadrants (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009).
The bouts were further identified and analyzed for any synchrony in bathing behavior. Also, the amount of time that the ducks spent at the water resource was recorded. The bathing behaviors were analyzed using the statistical method where the behaviors in consideration were wet preen, head roll, wing- rub, head toss, scratch, shake body, wing flap and dive. Synchrony in the bathing behavior was analyzed using ANOVA.
The results form the survey indicated that the ducks preferred to rest under the showers for a long period of time. Time spent at the nipple was minimal. There was no significant difference in the time spent in either the bath or the shower. While at the nipple, the ducks engaged in head dipping, diving, wet preening with some incidences of head toss and wing flap. At the shower, the ducks were dabbling while they spent some time in the trough dipping their heads and rubbing the wings. Head tosses and diving were common when the ducks were at the troughs and shower.
In the aspect of synchrony, there was no difference in the proportion of time spent at a water resource when a maximum of 3 ducks were present in the resource. When 4 ducks were present, significant time was spent in the shower with minimal time being spent in the nipple. Intermediate time was spent at the bath and the trough. The ducks had the tendency to bath as a group rather than individually depending on the kind of water resource (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009). With exception of the nipple, the ducks used other resources as a group.
From the results, it was evident there were variations in the behavioral patterns shown at the water resource. This was attributable to the functional differences associated with the water resource. For instance, minimal time was spent at the nipple because there was no sufficient water to wet the body or do some diving. Also, the nipple could only be accessed singly but the ducks prefer to bath as a group. Of importance to the ducks was the frequent contact with water because some would even prefer to rest in the troughs when permitted to do so.
In evaluating synchrony, the ducks showed a greater degree of social behavior when in the shower than in the bath. The time spent at a resource decreased with an increase in the number of ducks at a water resource. This indicated that, though the ducks are social animals they are not able to bath synchronously (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009).
In conclusion, the bathing behavior of the ducks relies mainly on the type of water resource. This is evident in the variations which are present in the usage of showers, troughs and nipples. Moreover, it was evident that, a water resource needs to allow for social bathing but it is not necessary to account for the synchrony while building a water resource for the ducks.
The survey involved a total of 96 Cherry Valley Pekin stain ducks. Each pen had different treatment types in terms of the bathing resource. In the pen, the ducklings were fed on chicken finished pellets for 49 days and each treatment was replicated. Data collection started at day 47 using videos which were later analyzed for the bathing behavior. Software was used to code the behavior of the ducks during the bathing bouts where a bout was defined to be the period between when a duck approaches the resource and engage in a behavior that is part of the bathing sequence. If more than one duck was available at the resource, the bouts were divided into quadrants (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009).
The bouts were further identified and analyzed for any synchrony in bathing behavior. Also, the amount of time that the ducks spent at the water resource was recorded. The bathing behaviors were analyzed using the statistical method where the behaviors in consideration were wet preen, head roll, wing- rub, head toss, scratch, shake body, wing flap and dive. Synchrony in the bathing behavior was analyzed using ANOVA.
The results form the survey indicated that the ducks preferred to rest under the showers for a long period of time. Time spent at the nipple was minimal. There was no significant difference in the time spent in either the bath or the shower. While at the nipple, the ducks engaged in head dipping, diving, wet preening with some incidences of head toss and wing flap. At the shower, the ducks were dabbling while they spent some time in the trough dipping their heads and rubbing the wings. Head tosses and diving were common when the ducks were at the troughs and shower.
In the aspect of synchrony, there was no difference in the proportion of time spent at a water resource when a maximum of 3 ducks were present in the resource. When 4 ducks were present, significant time was spent in the shower with minimal time being spent in the nipple. Intermediate time was spent at the bath and the trough. The ducks had the tendency to bath as a group rather than individually depending on the kind of water resource (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009). With exception of the nipple, the ducks used other resources as a group.
From the results, it was evident there were variations in the behavioral patterns shown at the water resource. This was attributable to the functional differences associated with the water resource. For instance, minimal time was spent at the nipple because there was no sufficient water to wet the body or do some diving. Also, the nipple could only be accessed singly but the ducks prefer to bath as a group. Of importance to the ducks was the frequent contact with water because some would even prefer to rest in the troughs when permitted to do so.
In evaluating synchrony, the ducks showed a greater degree of social behavior when in the shower than in the bath. The time spent at a resource decreased with an increase in the number of ducks at a water resource. This indicated that, though the ducks are social animals they are not able to bath synchronously (Waitt, Jones, Dawkins, 2009).
In conclusion, the bathing behavior of the ducks relies mainly on the type of water resource. This is evident in the variations which are present in the usage of showers, troughs and nipples. Moreover, it was evident that, a water resource needs to allow for social bathing but it is not necessary to account for the synchrony while building a water resource for the ducks.
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