Sheep T Maze

Description

Features
Start Box Width: 2 meters
Start Box Length: 2 meters
T corridor Length: 2 meters
T corridor Width: 0.8 meters
T arm Length: 1.65 meters
T arm Width: 1.65 meters
Height: 1.4 meters
Mirror: 70x30cm

Introduction

The sheep T-maze is utilized to assess cognitive behavior, decision-making abilities, and spatial learning in sheep. Adapted from the rodent T-maze, this apparatus incorporates social and auditory cues in the goal arm to enhance cognitive stimulation in subjects. It is adaptable for various experimental scenarios, ranging from studying pre-adolescent brain development to adult foraging strategies, depending on the reinforcement used.

Sheep demonstrate keen visual discrimination abilities across colors, objects, and individuals. To investigate the role of visual stimuli in spatial mapping and object recognition, the sheep T-maze includes a mirror. When sheep encounter their reflection, they often perceive it as an unfamiliar presence, leading to changes in endocrine levels and influencing their social behavior (Franklin & Hutson, 1982). Responses to auditory cues vary among sheep breeds; for instance, the Dalesbred breed can differentiate between human and sheep sounds, whereas the Clun Forest breed struggles with such discrimination tasks (Kendrick et al., 1995). To explore the impact of auditory cues on cognitive functions, the sheep T-maze also incorporates a sound source.

The sheep T-maze features a T-shaped apparatus with right and left arms, including a longitudinal arm connected to a start box. The presence of the start box helps mitigate fear and stress in subjects encountering novel environments. A sound source delivers auditory cues, while a mirror serves as a social stimulus in the target zone. Other T-mazes and their variations used for testing cognitive functions across species include the rodent Y-maze, Pig T Maze, Zebrafish T Maze, Zebrafish Y Maze, and Salmon Y Maze.

Apparatus and Equipment

The T-maze comprises a longitudinal arm that is 0.7 m wide and 4 m long, with a 2 x 2 m start box (isolation box) situated at one end. At the intersection of the start box and the longitudinal arm, there is a guillotine door to regulate subject movement. The opposite end of the longitudinal arm bifurcates into right and left sides, forming the characteristic ‘T’ shape. Each side of the T-corridor measures 0.8 m wide and leads to a 1.65 x 1.65 m goal box on both sides.

A specific area on the left arm is designated as the target zone, equipped with a 70 x 30 cm mirror, a feeder, and a loudspeaker. The overall height of the maze is 1.4 m.

Training Protocol

Allow the subjects to acclimate in the holding pen for 60 minutes before introducing them to the T-maze. Thoroughly clean the apparatus before each trial to ensure cleanliness. Remove any traces of urine or feces discovered during trials to prevent disturbance cues. Maintain consistent temperature and humidity levels in the testing room throughout the experiment. Conduct the task in a controlled, soundproof environment. Use external tracking and recording systems like Noldus Ethovision XT to observe the behavior of the sheep in the T-maze.

Ensure the subject remains in the start box for 20 seconds. Close the guillotine door once the subject exits the start box and enters the T-corridor. Utilize recorded sounds as auditory cues. Record the time taken by each subject to reach the target arm. Allow the subject to explore the T-maze for a duration of 5 minutes.

Abecia et al. (2014) studied the impact of periconceptional undernutrition on the reproductive cycle of ewes and the cognitive behavior of their offspring. Fertile Rasa Aragonesa ewes were divided into groups fed diets either meeting 1.5 times the daily requirement (controls, consisting of 0.8 kg barley straw and 0.55 kg pellets) or 0.5 times the daily requirement (low diet, consisting of 0.5 kg barley straw and 0.10 kg pellets) for 7 days. The reproductive performance of the ewes was assessed based on fertility, prolificacy, fecundity, and pregnancy length. Ewes on the low diet showed significantly reduced fecundity and prolificacy, with a 10% lower fertility rate compared to the control group.

The offspring from both groups underwent behavioral testing. During the isolation test, lambs born to control group ewes spent more time walking, while lambs from the low diet group tended to stand more in novel environments. A novel object test was also conducted, showing no performance differences between the two groups. Cognitive and memory tests were carried out using the sheep T-maze equipped with sound and social cues. Lambs from undernourished dams exhibited reduced physical activity, covering fewer areas in the T-maze, although their performance did not significantly differ from that of the control group.

Johnson, Stanton, Goodlett, and Cudd (2012) assessed the learning and memory capabilities of weanling lambs from Suffolk ewes through a series of T-maze tasks. These tasks included matching-to-place (MTP), non-matching-to-place (NMTP), position habit (PH), and position habit reversal (PHR). The T-maze provided subjects with options based on memory recall. Results across different tasks showed that lambs demonstrated enhanced performance during NMTP training, with correct choice percentages increasing from 48% to 95%. Conversely, there was a notable decline in correct choices observed during MTP training. The percentage of correct responses rose from 60% to 100% during PH training without NMTP. During PHR training, correct response percentages dropped to 0% on day 1 but significantly increased to 88% by day 5.

Data Analysis

Following parameters can be calculated by using sheep T-maze

Latency to leave the start box
Time spent in reaching target arm
Number of areas traversed
Time spent in the right arm
Time spent in the left arm

Strengths and Limitations

The sheep T-maze is a straightforward and efficient apparatus, highly adaptable to experimental needs. The inclusion of a start box helps reduce stress from novelty, minimizing its impact on task performance. A guillotine door allows control over movement and the introduction of task delays. The apparatus can be customized for advanced research protocols by incorporating positive and negative reinforcements. A sound source provides auditory cues, while a mirror serves as a social cue, encouraging complex cognitive behaviors in subjects. Unlike some setups, the sheep T-maze does not require prior subject training, making it versatile for a wide range of analytical procedures.

Proper handling of sheep is crucial when utilizing the sheep T-maze. Mishandling can lead to stress or fear among subjects during task performance. The presence of unnecessary olfactory or visual cues and other lingering stimuli can also affect subject performance, underscoring the importance of thorough apparatus cleaning. Factors such as age, gender, and strain may also influence task behavior. Maintaining consistent temperature and humidity levels during trials in the sheep T-maze is essential for reliable results.

Summary

The sheep T-maze is used to analyze the cognitive functions, social interaction, learning and memory behavior in sheep.
The target arm of the sheep T-maze contains a sound source for auditory cues and mirror for providing the social cue.
The simple yet versatile design of the T-maze allows the creation of different experimental scenarios.
Factors such as age, gender, and strain of the species can significantly impact the task performance.
Mishandling or overtraining may induce stress in subjects; therefore, proper handling is necessary.

References

Abecia, J. A., Casao, A., Pascual-Alonso, M., Lobón, S., Aguayo-Ulloa, L. A., Meikle, A., Maria, G. A. (2014). The effect of periconceptional undernutrition of sheep on the cognitive/emotional response and oocyte quality of offspring at 30 days of age. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 5(2), 79–87.
Franklin, J.R. and Hutson, G.D. (1982). Experiments on attracting sheep to move along a laneway. III. Visual stimuli. Animal. Ethology., 8: 457-478.
Johnson, T. B., Stanton, M. E., Goodlett, C. R., & Cudd, T. A. (2012). T-Maze Learning in Weanling Lambs. Developmental Psychobiology, 54(8), 785–797. doi:10.1002/dev.20624
Kendrick, K. M., Khia Atkins, R.Hinton, M., Broad, K. D., Fabre-Nys, C., & Keverne, B. (1995). Facial and vocal discrimination in sheep. Animal Behaviour, 49(6), 1665-1676. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(95)90088-8
Abecia, J. A., Casao, A., Pascual-Alonso, M., Lobón, S., Aguayo-Ulloa, L. A., Meikle, A., Maria, G. A. (2014). The effect of periconceptional undernutrition of sheep on the cognitive/emotional response and oocyte quality of offspring at 30 days of age. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 5(02), 79–87. doi:10.1017/s2040174414000051

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Description

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Apparatus and Equipment

Training Protocol

Data Analysis

Strengths and Limitations

Summary

References

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