The changes seen in animal behaviour are a measure of the reaction of the animal to a given environment: examples of them are found in husbandry, in connection with both social and physical factors of the environment. Disorders of behavior occurring in intensive farms pose still unresolved theoretical problems, especially in the realm of possible analogies with displacement activities. The control of behaviour reactions is possible by manipulating the environment, or the animals themselves, by genetic selection or by means of tranquillizers. A better knowledge of the effects of management methods on the behaviour of livestock is needed, however, especially if precise recommendations relating to animal welfare are to be formulated.