Castration or sterilisation: a basic research oriented study to the effects of animal welfare and mate choice in guinea pigs

阉割或绝育：一项以基础研究为导向的关于豚鼠福利和择偶影响的研究应避免圈养动物的无节制繁殖。为了实现这一目标，通常会对动物进行阉割，即完全切除性腺。由于这一程序，有时也可以减少动物表现出的不受欢迎的攻击性以及求偶和性行为。这些行为变化符合人类利益。然而，从动物S的角度来看，问题来了：绝育是否会比阉割更好：与绝育相比，阉割减少了自然行为模式的显示。绝育是一种不那么剧烈的程序，因为不是切除性腺，而是阻止卵子和精子细胞的运输。该项目是有关动物福利的基础研究的一部分。总体目标是分析阉割和绝育这两种手术对动物福利的不同影响。这是在豚鼠身上进行的研究，这是一个非常适合的动物模型，因为对社会行为、社会组织和动物福利进行了全面的研究。我们将采用以下基本实验策略：建立由一只雄性和两只完整雌性组成的小组，并对四组不同的雄性进行比较：去势、绝育、假手术和完整雄性。此外，我们将调查雌性，与不同处理的雄性生活在一起。作为雄性和雌性动物福利的指标，我们将调查社会积极、争斗和游戏行为以及血浆皮质醇浓度。此外，我们将调查雌性是否更喜欢绝育的雄性或去势的雄性。在这个项目中，生成了数据，这些数据允许对应该进行哪种手术(去势或绝育)做出基于证据的决定。因此，该项目的结果将对如何处理圈养动物的问题做出至关重要的贡献。

Castration or sterilisation: a basic research oriented study to the effects of ani-mal welfare and mate choice in guinea pigsAn uncontrolled reproduction of animals kept in captivity should be avoided. To meet this goal generally animals are castrated, i.e. the gonads are completely removed. Because of this procedure, sometimes also undesirable aggressive as well as courtship and sexual behaviour displayed by the animals can be reduced. These behavioural changes are in human interest. From the animal´s point of view, the question arises, however, whether sterilisation (a much less intense procedure, since gonads not removed, but only the transport of egg and sperm cells are prevented) could be better than a castration: in contrast to a sterilisation, a castration reduced the display of natural behavioural patterns. The project is part of basic research regarding animal welfare. The overall aim is to analyse the different effects of the two operations, castration and sterilisation on animal welfare. This is investigated in guinea pigs, a very well suitable animal model because of comprehensive studies in social behaviour, social organisation and animal welfare. We will work with the following basic experimental strategy: Groups consisting of one male and two intact females will be established and four different groups of males will be compared: castrated, sterilized, sham-operated and intact males. Furthermore, we will investigate the females, living together with the different treated males. As indicator for animal welfare of males and females, we will investigate socio-positive, agonistic and play behaviour as well as plasma cortisol concentrations. Additionally we will investigate whether females prefer sterilized or castrated males. In this project data are generated, which allow evidence based decisions regarding the question which operation (castration or sterilisation) should be conducted. Thus, the results of this project will contribute crucially to the question how to handle animals in captivity.