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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
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Abstract

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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

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