Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T10:03:25.221Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioural and Physiological Responses of Suckling Lambs to Transport and Lairage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

M Ibáñez ,
J De la Fuente ,
J Thos  and
E González de Chavarri
M Ibáñez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
J De la Fuente
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
J Thos
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
E González de Chavarri*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effects on stickling lambs of two stocking densities during transport (high stocking density: eight lambs per m2; low stocking density: four lambs per m2) and two periods of lairage before slaughter (1.5 h and 3 h) were studied. The behaviour of lambs transported for short-duration journeys at the two stocking densities was recorded. At slaughter, blood samples were obtained after a lairage period and some physiological parameters related to stress were analysed: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), calcium (Ca2+), Cortisol, and packed cell volume (PCV). There was a significant effect of stocking density on lambs’ behaviour during transit. The number of lambs walking was greater at low than at high density (84 and 20 observations, respectively: P < 0.001) whilst the number standing was lower at low density (852 and 366 observations, respectively). There was a significant effect (P < 0.001) of stocking density on the plasma concentration of LDH. The length of the period of lairage significantly affected plasma concentrations of LDH (P < 0.001), CK (P < 0.05), Ca2+ (P < 0.001) and Cortisol (P < 0.05), as well as PCV (P < 0.01). The results show that stocking density affects the lambs’ behaviour during transport. After the longer lairage period, plasma Cortisol concentration is lower; meanwhile, the activity of LDH and CK is higher.

Keywords

animal welfarelairagestocking densitysuckling lambs
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , May 2002 , pp. 223 - 230
Copyright
© 2002 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Bradshaw, R H, Hall, S J G and Broom, D M 1995 Behaviour of pigs and sheep during road transport. Animal Science 60: 557 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Bradshaw, R H, Hall, S J G and Broom, D M 1996 Behaviour and Cortisol response of pigs and sheep during transport. Veterinary Record 138: 233–234CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broom, D M, Goode, J A, Hall, S J G, Lloyd, D M and Parrott, R F 1996 Hormonal and physiological effects of a 15 hour road journey in sheep: comparison with the responses to loading, handling and penning in the absence of transport. British Veterinary Journal 152: 593–604CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, S N, Knowles, T G, Edwards, J E and Warriss, P D 1999 Behavioural and physiological responses of pig to being transported for up to 24 hours followed by six hours recovery in lairage. Veterinary Record 145: 421–426CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cockram, M S, Kent, J E, Goddard, P J, Waran, N K, McGilp, I M, Jackson, R E, Muwanga, G M and Prytherch, S 1996 Effect of space allowance during transport on the behavioural and physiological response of lambs during and after transport. Animal Science 62: 461–477CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crookshank, H R, Elissalde, M H, White, R G, Clanton, D and Smalley, HE 1979 Effect of transportation and handling of calves upon blood serum composition. Journal of Animal Science 48: 430–435CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
European Communities Directive 95/29/EC of June 1995 amending Directive 91/628/EEC concerning the protection of animals during transport. Official Journal of the European Communities L 148: 52–63Google Scholar
Fordham, D P, Lincoln, G A, Ssewannyana, and Rodway, R G 1989 Plasma β-endorphin and Cortisol concentrations in lambs after handling, transport and slaughter. Animal Production 49: 103–107Google Scholar
Fraser, A F and Broom, D M 1990 Feeding. In: Tindall, B (ed) Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare pp 79–98. W S Saunders: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Gregory, N G 1998 Physiology of stress, distress, stunning and slaughter. In: Animal Welfare and Meat Science pp 64–92. CABI Publishing: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Hall, S J G, Kirkpatrick, S M, Lloyd, D M and Broom, D M 1998 Noise and vehicular motion as potential stressors during the transport of sheep. Animal Science 67: 467–473CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kent, J E and Ewbank, R 1986 The effect of road transportation on the blood constituents and behaviour of calves. II. One to three weeks old. British Veterinary Journal 142: 131–140CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Kestin, S C, Rhind, S M, Edwards, J E and Anil, M H 1993 Long distance transport of lambs and the time needed for subsequent recovery. Veterinary Record 133: 286–293CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Brown, S N, Warriss, P D, Phillips, A J, Dolan, S K, Hunt, P, Ford, J E, Edwards, J E and Watkins, P E 1995 Effects on sheep of transport by road up to 24 hours. Veterinary Record 136: 421–438CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Edwards, J E, Watkins, P E and Phillips, AJ 1997 Effects on calves less than one month old of feeding or not feeding them during road transport of up than 24 hours. Veterinary Record 140: 116–124CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N and Edwards, J E 1998 Effects of stocking density on lambs being transported by road. Veterinary Record 142: 503–509CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynch, J J, Hinch, G N and Adams, D B 1992 The Behaviour of Sheep. CSIRO: Victoria, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Moss, B W and Rob, J D 1978 The effect of preslaughter lairage on serum thyroxine and Cortisol levels at slaughter and meat quality of boars, hogs and gilts. Journal of Science Food and Agriculture 29: 689–696CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearson, A J, Kilgour, R, Langen, H and Payne, E 1977 Hormonal responses of lambs to trucking, handling and electric stunning. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 37: 243–248Google Scholar
Randall, J M 1993 Environmental parameters necessary to define comfort for pigs, cattle and sheep in livestock transports. Animal Production 57: 299–307Google Scholar
Real Decreto 1041/1997 de junio 1997 por el que se establecen las normas relativas a la protección de los animales durante su transporte. Boletín Oficial del Estado 163: 21093–21104 [Translation: Establishing norms concerning the protection of animals during transport]Google Scholar
Spoolder, HAM, Edwards, S A and Corning, S 1999 Effects of group size and feeder space allowance on welfare in finishing pigs. Animal Science 69: 481–489CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statgraphics Plus 1994 Statgraphics Plus: Reference Manual, Version 4. Statistical Graphics Corporation: Maryland, USAGoogle Scholar
Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Edwards, J E, Anil, M H and Fordham, D P 1992 Time in lairage needed by pigs to recover from the stress of transport. Veterinary Record 131: 194–196CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Knowles, T G, Edwards, J E, Kettlewell, P J and Guise, H J 1998 The effect of stocking density on the carcass quality and welfare of slaughter pigs: II. Results from the analysis of blood and meat samples. Meat Science 50: 447–456CrossRefGoogle Scholar