Influence of the mother in the development of flavored-food preference in lambs.
Title | Influence of the mother in the development of flavored-food preference in lambs. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2007 |
Authors | Saint-Dizier, H., Lévy F., & Ferreira G. |
Journal | Developmental psychobiology |
Volume | 49 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 98-106 |
Date Published | 2007 Jan |
Keywords | Animal Feed, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Choice Behavior, Conditioning (Psychology), Food Preferences, Maternal Behavior, Sheep, Taste |
Abstract | The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the mother in the development of flavored-food preference in lambs. First, we demonstrated that lambs that ate flavored food in the presence of their mothers before weaning ate more of this food 1 month after weaning than lambs that ate flavored food with other ewes or lambs exposed to nonflavored food with their mothers. Second, lambs that could only see their mothers eating the flavored food and had access to the food's olfactory cues before weaning, showed similar preference for flavored food 1 month after weaning to lambs that ate the flavored food with their mothers. However, lambs that were separated from their mothers while their mothers consumed flavored food did not reveal a preference for it. Overall these results suggest that development of food preference in lambs depends mainly on observation of the mother, provided there is also access to olfactory cues characterizing the food. |
Alternate Journal | Dev Psychobiol |
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