I hold a Bachelor's degree in Biology-Ethology (University of Rennes 1, France), a Master's degree in Animal and Human Behavior (University of Rennes 1, France), and a PhD in Ethology (University of Rennes 1, France). I am currently a researcher in ethology at INRA (National Institute for Agricultural Research, France) in the UMRH unit and the CARAIBE team.
My research focuses on the behavioral robustness of cattle, sheep, and goats and the factors that influence its development. I am particularly interested in factors related to early influences, especially the mother (or equivalent), and the development of behavior and personality. These are events that have a strong and lasting impact on the individual and on which, as breeders, we can easily act. I am also interested in factors that can influence the motivation, anticipation, and frustration of adult animals based on their expectations (needs and desires) and that can modulate behavioral robustness. By helping to better understand how these animals perceive their environment, how they can adapt to it, and how to adapt their environment to them, I hope to contribute to improving the welfare of these animals for more sustainable production
I am currently working in collaboration with Canada within the Well-E Chair on the use of AI to help understand and improve the living conditions of dairy cows (https://wp.well-e.org/fr/).
I am also working on several projects focusing on the presence of a mother or adult role model at a young age and its impact on the development of the young animal: CABRIOLAIT (dairy goats), SEBEA (nurses/mothers dairy calves), SMARTER (suckler lambs).
A new project is coming up on the impact of the return of wolves on the stress levels of farm animals (cows, sheep, goats) and telemetric monitoring in high and medium mountain ranges, in collaboration with the University of Mont Blanc: to be continued...
Marjorie Cellier, Elise Shepley, Nadège Aigueperse, Marianne Villettaz Robichaud, Elsa Vasseur. Enhancing movement opportunity to support behavioral needs for movement-restricted cattle through different conditions of access to exercise. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15 (1), pp.5917. ⟨10.1038/s41598-025-89891-4 ⟩ ⟨hal-04970864 ⟩
Aigueperse, N., Boyer, V., & Vasseur, E. How outing conditions relate to the motivation of movement-restricted cattle to access an outdoor exercise yard. Behavioural Processes, 2023, 213, 104957. ⟨10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104957 ⟩. ⟨hal-04277903⟩
C. Houdelier, M. Charrier, O. Le Bot, Nadège Aigueperse, V. Marasco, et al.. The presence of a mother counteracts prenatal stress in a precocial bird. Animal Behaviour, Elsevier Masson, 2022, 194, pp.89-100. ⟨10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.015⟩. ⟨hal-03818711⟩
Nadège Aigueperse, Elsa Vasseur. Providing an Outdoor Exercise Area Affects Tie-Stall Cow Reactivity and Human-Cow Relations. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Frontiers Media, 2021, 7, ⟨10.3389/fvets.2020.597607⟩. ⟨hal-03154781⟩
Joseph S Lonstein, Thierry D Charlier, Jodi L Pawluski, Nadège Aigueperse, Maryse Meurisse, et al.. Fos expression in the medial preoptic area and nucleus accumbens of female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) after maternal induction and interaction with chicks. Physiology & behavior, Elsevier, 2021, 234, pp.1-8. ⟨10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113357⟩. ⟨hal-03169613⟩
Nadège Aigueperse, Cécilia Houdelier, Céline Nicolle, Sophie Lumineau. Mothers provide similar care to related and unrelated chicks in quail. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Elsevier, 2020, pp.105107. ⟨10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105107⟩. ⟨hal-02947958⟩
Nadège Aigueperse, Cécilia Houdelier, Océane Le Bot, Emmanuel de Margerie, Sophie Lumineau. Chicks from stressed females elicit overprotective behaviour in adoptive mother quail. Behavioural Processes, Elsevier, 2020, 179, pp.104193. ⟨10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104193⟩. ⟨hal-02891636⟩
Pitel, F., Calenge, F., Aigueperse, N., Fabrellas, J. E., Coustham, V., Calandreau, l., ... & Ginane, C. Rôle de l'environnement précoce dans la variabilité des phénotypes et l’adaptation des animaux d’élevage à leur milieu. INRA Productions Animales, 2019, 32(2), 247-262.
Sophie Lumineau, Jodi Pawluski, Thierry Charlier, Amandine Beylard, Nadège Aigueperse, et al.. High social motivation induces deficits in maternal behavior but not plasticity of the subventricular zone in Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ). Journal of Neuroendocrinology, Wiley, 2019, pp.e12716. ⟨10.1111/jne.12716⟩. ⟨hal-02088773⟩
Nadège Aigueperse, Cécilia Houdelier, Céline Nicolle, Sophie Lumineau. Mother‐chick interactions are affected by chicks’ sex and brood composition in Japanese quail. Developmental Psychobiology, Wiley, 2019, ⟨10.1002/dev.21848⟩. ⟨hal-02075625⟩
Nadège Aigueperse, Florent Pittet, Céline Nicolle, Cécilia Houdelier, Sophie Lumineau. Maternal care affects chicks’ development differently according to sex in quail. Developmental psychobiology, 2018.
Nadège Aigueperse, Florent Pittet, Emmanuel de Margerie, Céline Nicolle, Cécilia Houdelier, Sophie Lumineau. Brood size can influence maternal behaviour and chick’s development in precocial birds. Behavioural Processes, 2017, 138, 96-104.
Nadège Aigueperse, Ludovic Calandreau, Aline Bertin. Maternal diet influences offspring feeding behavior and fearfulness in the precocial chicken. PLoS ONE, Public Library of Science, 2013, 8 (10), pp.1-11. <10.1371/journal.pone.0077583>. <hal-01129781>
Behavioural development, mother-young relationship, personnality, animal welfare
Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, Saint Genès-Champanelle63122, France
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aigueperse-Nadege?ev=hdr_xprf
www.linkedin.com/in/nadège-aigueperse-513aa716b
