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152 8 Integrating Training into Animal Husbandry

Typically, when initially generated by the
VetBooks.ir and are only available to be trained before team, these lists can be long and daunting.
being released from their barn in the morn­
ing or in the evening when they are brought
ber of behaviours that need to be trained to
back inside. Their training programme may Prioritising the list can help reduce the num­
have few training goals and longer timelines make it manageable for the team.
to achieve specific behaviours. A collection Warning: it can be tempting to move for­
of crocodilians that live outdoors may be ward and start training without solidifying
trained frequently during their feeding times the desired goals with the team and agree on
when the weather is warmer, and then less training methods, particularly for those who
frequently when the temperatures are cooler, are excited about training. When this hap­
and the animals’ feeds are decreased. This pens, behaviours may be trained that are not
could result in a cyclical training programme necessarily useful to animal husbandry and
that changes according to season. are, therefore, a waste of precious resources,
including time, and does not contribute to the
overall welfare of the animal. In a worst‐case
8.3.3 Written Goals scenario, well‐intentioned team members
The desired goal for an integrated training who train outside of a ‘list’ may be training
programme is to view training as a part of behaviours that could actually end up being
husbandry for all animals in a collection. It unsafe and/or undesirable to the overall train­
must be clear to all team members what ing programme. For example, a keeper once
behaviours are going to be trained with trained a young male zebra to approach her
regards to each animal. Having a written list whilst she was unprotected in a stall with the
of goal behaviours will provide a clear direc­ purpose of getting the zebra to tolerate tactile
tion and expectation and serve as a commu­ manipulation of its head, mane, and neck for
nication tool to facilitate your training husbandry purposes. Although this behav­
programme. When developing a list of iour seemed beneficial in the short term, as
behavioural goals for an individual animal, the male zebra aged there were multiple safety
you should take into account behaviours issues with this animal approaching keepers
needed for the animal’s daily husbandry, whilst they were working in with this animal.
non‐routine husbandry, and medical care. As a consequence, this zebra was labelled as a
These lists will need to be balanced with a nuisance or aggressive animal by other keep­
realistic assessment of resources, human ers – which might not be a reflection of his
health and safety, animal safety, and a keen actual temperament – all because he was
knowledge of the needs of the collection trained to approach people. With a list of
and the individual animals. behaviours which trainers can work from,
It may be helpful for you to use a list of investment can be planned to train appropri­
questions to guide your team members’ ate behaviours identified for the individual
arrival at a set of goals (Mellen and MacPhee animal that should result in both safe and
2012). Some sample questions are as follows: beneficial long‐term husbandry of the
animal.
What is the animal’s normal daily routine? When identifying goal behaviours, it is
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What are the routine husbandry proce­ important to think about not only the imme­
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dures that are desirable for this animal to diate impact these behaviours will have on
take part in? the animal, but also how they will impact the
What procedures are necessary for an animal in accordance with your long‐term
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annual medical examination? vision and the future of the training pro­
What are some of the medical conditions gramme. In some cases, you may not have
●
common to this species that need to be specific needs that must be met now, but you
monitored? can train behaviours that provide a founda­