Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T01:45:25.488Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioural Responses to Castration in Lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

P D Thornton  and
A E Waterman-Pearson
P D Thornton
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
A E Waterman-Pearson
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
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.

We examined the effects of two different methods of castration on the behaviour of lambs of two age groups. Rubber ring castration and combined rubber ring and Burdizzo clamp castration were compared in groups of one-week-old lambs and four-to six-week-old lambs. Behaviour was assessed by examining time-lapse video recordings made continuously over four days. Postures and behavioural states were instantaneously sampled and the mean daily frequencies of these behaviours calculated. Behaviours were assigned to different groups: standing still, moving, eating, lying, playing and abnormal postures. The times spent performing each group of behaviours on the days following castration (days 2, 3 and 4) were compared to those on the day preceding castration (day 1). Castration resulted in significant reductions in the times spent performing play behaviour in one-week-old lambs and lying behaviour in four-to six-week-old lambs. There was also a significant increase in abnormal postures following castration in four- to six-week-old lambs. There were no detectable differences between castration methods. The results show that lambs exhibit changes in behaviour over the three-day observation period that are suggestive of the presence of prolonged acute pain. These results have important implications regarding the sheep welfare recommendations of the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which propose to extend the maximum legal age for rubber ring castration from one week to six weeks of age.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourcastrationlambspaintime-lapse video recording
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , May 2002 , pp. 203 - 212
Copyright
© 2002 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Dinniss, A S, Mellor, D J, Stafford, K J, Bruce, R A and Ward, R N 1997 Acute Cortisol responses of lambs to castration using a rubber ring and/or a castration clamp with or without local anaesthetic. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 45: 114–121CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) 1994 Report on the Welfare of Sheep. FAWC: DEFRA, 1A Page Street, London SW1P 4PQ, UKGoogle Scholar
Hosie, B 1996 A report on the chronic effects of castration of lambs using elastrators or a bloodless castrator. Proceedings of the Sheep Veterinary Society 20: 51–52Google Scholar
Kent, J E, Molony, V and Robertson, I S 1993 Changes in plasma Cortisol concentration in lambs of three ages after three methods of castration and tail docking. Research in Veterinary Science 55: 246–251CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kent, J E, Molony, V and Robertson, I S 1995 Comparison of the Burdizzo and rubber ring methods for castration and tail docking lambs. Veterinary Record 136: 192–196CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kent, J E, Molony, V, Hosie, B and Sheppard, B 1997 Assessment of chronic inflammatory pain after rubber ring castration of six week old lambs. Proceedings of the Sheep Veterinary Society 21: 93Google Scholar
Lester, S J, Mellor, D J, Ward, R N and Holmes, R J 1991 Cortisol responses of young lambs to castration and tailing using different methods. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 39: 134–138CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lester, S J, Mellor, D J, Holmes, R J, Ward, R N and Stafford, K J 1996 Behavioural and Cortisol responses of lambs to castration and tailing using different methods. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 44: 45–54CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mellor, D J and Murray, L 1989 Effects of tail docking and castration on behaviour and plasma Cortisol concentrations in young lambs. Research in Veterinary Science 46: 387–391CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mellor, D J, Molony, V and Robertson, IS 1991 Effects of castration on behaviour and plasma Cortisol in young lambs, kids and calves. Research in Veterinary Science 51: 149–152CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molony, V, Kent, J E and Robertson, I S 1993 Behavioural responses of lambs of three ages in the first three hours after three methods of castration and tail docking. Research in Veterinary Science 55: 236–245CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molony, V, Kent, J E and Robertson, I S 1995 Assessment of acute and chronic pain after different methods of castration of calves. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 46: 33–48CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS Institute Inc. 1988 SAS/STAT™ User's Guide, Release 6.03. SAS Institute: Cary, NC, USAGoogle Scholar
Sherwin, C M 1993 Farm Animals. In: Stephen Wratten (ed) Video Techniques in Animal Ecology and Behaviour pp 125–161. Chapman & Hall: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Shutt, D A, Fell, R, Connell, R and Bell, A K 1987 Stress responses in lambs docked and castrated surgically or by the application of rubber rings. Australian Veterinary Journal 65: 5–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, P D 1999 Quantification of the pain and distress following castration and the development of novel methods of analgesia in young lambs. PhD Thesis, University of Bristol, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, P D and Waterman-Pearson, A E 1999 Quantification of the pain and distress response to castration in young lambs. Research in Veterinary Science 66: 107–118CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vipond, J and Hosie, B D 1997 Welfare aspects of sheep production systems. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Vienna, AustriaGoogle Scholar