Day to day operation of the pecking test

Jump straight to Troubleshooting if something's broken and you are trying to fix it. Detailed notes of the setup and configuration of the pecking test in NAF 125 is here.

These are instructions for running an experiment using the operant boxes for sound discrimination in zebra finches, as see in previous work from the lab such as this one by Julie. The original version of this page is on our Google Drive.

Preparing the pecking testhas more information about how to set up the hardware and software at the beginning of an experiment.

Table of Contents

1. Daily checks

2. Running the Test

3. Ending the Test

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1 Daily checks

1. Double-check that the subject names and stimulus directories are correct in the configuration files

   pecking-test edit-config
   

2. Ensure that each box has a fresh water container and that the feeders have sufficient seed level

3. Weigh each feeder and note their starting weights in the lab notebook.

4. Run the diagnostic tests

   pecking-test diagnostics
   

   During the interactive portion of the diagnostics, verify that the sound is coming out of the speakers and that the microphones are picking up the audio for the correct box.

2 Starting the tests

When starting the tests, do the process for each bird one by one to minimize handling of the birds and the amount of time the test is on without the subject in the operant box.

1. Start the webcams for all boxes and arrange them to your liking on the monitor

   pecking-test webcam
   

2. Do the following for each subject/box (replace BOX with the corresponding box number)

   • Weigh the subject on the scale and note the weight in the lab notebook. To help catch the birds, turn the lights off (and monitors) in room 125, which settles the birds and keeps them from wanting to fly. Birds should not lose more than 10% of their initial weight and should never go below 10g. Reach out immediately if a bird is in the range 10-11g.

   • Run the following command. Omit the --preference flag if we are not running preference tests

   peckd start BOX --preference
   

   • Place the subject in the operant chamber and close the door

3. When all subjects are in their boxes, run the following command to view the live log outputs on all boxes simultaneously

   peckd log all
   

4. Monitor subjects

   • Watch each subject on the webcams long enough to verify the box is working.
   • Ideally someone will continuously watch the birds all day (either via webcam or in person), but they should at least be checked on every couple hours to make sure the box hasn't crashed
   • The notebook can be loaded at http://localhost:8888 on the Optiplex computer. If its not loading, use systemctl stop|start|restart notebook to reset the notebook server. More info (link TODO)

3 Ending the test

1. Check the status of the tests

   peckd status
   

2. Prepare the scale with a nest box (hole taped closed) and zero it.

3. For each subject:

   • Stop the test with the following command (replace BOX with the box number)

   peckd stop BOX
   

   • Remove the bird from the operant box, weigh it, and put it into its home cage. Note the weight and change in weight in the lab notebook.

4. For each box, sweep up seed that has fallen out around the feeder, weigh it along with the feeder, and note the total and daily change.

5. (If the birds will be run tomorrow) Use the values from step 4 to determine how much feed to supplement each subject so that they receive 3g. However, each subject should receive a max of 1.5g of seed. If the birds are being housed together, you may need to separate them at first if there is a large discrepancy between the feed required for each.

6. (If the birds will be run tomorrow) Sign the yellow cage card with your initials and today's date. This is required to notify OLAC that the birds are supposed to be fasted. Make sure the cage card is prominently displayed on the cage.

7. (If the birds will not be run tomorrow) Place a feeder in each subject's cage and remove the yellow cage card.

8. Return the subjects to the colony room.

9. (If end of week) Clean the pecking test boxes and sign the cleaning log by the door of 125.