Back test to measure fear Two behavioural tests, a novel object and a test to measure fear, were carried out on pure-bred male piglets. Behavioural data have been analysed and related to data regarding growth rate and lean meat percentage observed in the same animals. The results will be presented at the 41st congress of the ISAE in Mexico in August 2007. Data on functional traits collected during the past two years are currently being analysed using survival analysis to study the effect on sow productive life expentancy. For dairy cattle, data collection is still in progress. The observations include physiological and behavioural responses among 9-month-old calves, behavioural reactions to human approach, a rising test, and 24-hour activity patterns in lactating heifers and cows. So far, data were obtained for calves and heifers in the Netherlands, and for cows in Denmark. These data will be subjected to quantitative genetic analyses and linked with production and health data of the same subjects.
