Biotelemetry in physiologic research of farm animals

Biotelemetry allows the chronic recording of cardiovascular parameters without manipulating the animals which can be housed collectively during the test. This experiment investigates the importance and the physiological aspects of social stress situations using cardiovascular parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature) as indicators of physiological responses, arousal and emotional state and includes ethological criteria of adaptation during confrontations. The goal of our research is to inspect the interactions of organism and environment in the field of ethnophysiological mechanisms of adaptation. Results indicate that ethnophysiological adaptation of pigs with different rank during social stress situations (confrontation test) does not only depend on the dominance type. Stress reactions may also influenced by the situation, success, experiences and individual coping pattern