Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T21:14:53.934Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Effects of 24h Water Deprivation when Associated with Some Aspects of Transportation on the Behaviour and Blood Chemistry of Sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

R E Jackson ,
M S Cockram ,
P J Goddard ,
O M Doherty ,
I M McGilp  and
N K Waran
R E Jackson
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
M S Cockram*
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH, UK
P J Goddard
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
O M Doherty
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
I M McGilp
Affiliation:
Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH, UK
N K Waran
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
*
† 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.

When sheep are transported they are potentially exposed to a number of factors, including water and feed deprivation, low space allowance and elevated environmental temperature, that are not related to vehicle motion but could result in animal welfare problems, either on their own or in combination. In a 2x2 factorial experiment, groups of sheep (n = 6) were moved from individual pens where they had access to hay and water to environmental chambers kept at either 14°C or 21°C. Within each chamber, half the sheep had access to water but they were all kept at a space allowance of 041m2 sheep−1 without feed. After 24h they were returned to their individual pens and offered hay and water. Behaviour and a range of biochemical measurements of dehydration and feed restriction were recorded before, during and after the treatment period. During the treatment period there was no evidence of dehydration, and sheep with access to water drank less than they did before the treatment. The plasma concentration of free fatty acids increased during fasting and, post-treatment, the intake of hay was greater than before treatment. The rapid post-treatment intake of dry feed was associated with some evidence of dehydration, as indicated by increased plasma osmolality and plasma vasopressin concentration. This suggests that following provision and consumption of large quantities of feed after a period without access to feed and water during transportation, sheep must be allowed sufficient time to drink before a subsequent journey is undertaken.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourblood biochemistrydehydrationsheeptransport
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , August 1999 , pp. 229 - 241
Copyright
© 1999 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Footnotes

*

Current address

References

Alexander, G 1974 Heat loss from sheep. In: Monteith, J L and Mount, L E (eds) Heat Loss From Animals and Man: Assessment and Control pp 173–203. Butterworths: London, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Annison, E F 1960 Plasma non-esterified fatty acids in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11:58-64CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradshaw, R H, Hall, S J G and Broom, D M 1996 Behavioural 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
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 responses of lambs during and after transport. Animal Science 62: 461–477CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cockram, M S, Kent, J E, Jackson, R E, Goddard, P J, Doherty, O M, McGilp, I M, Fox, A, Studdert-Kennedy, T C, McConnell, T I and O’Riordan, T 1997 Effect of lairage during 24h of transport on the behavioural and physiological responses of sheep. Animal Science 65: 391–402CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Degen, A A and Shkolnik, A 1978 Thermoregulation in fat-tailed awassi, a desert sheep, and in German mutton Merino, a mesic sheep. Physiological Zoology 51: 333–339CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Council 1995 Council Directive 95/29/EC of June 1995 amending Directive 91/628/EC concerning the protection of animals during transport. Official Journal of the European Communities L148: 52–63Google Scholar
FAWC 1994 Report on the Welfare of Sheep. MAFF: Surbiton, UKGoogle Scholar
Forbes, J M 1995 Voluntary Food Intake and Diet Selection in Farm Animals. CAB International: Wallingford, Oxon, UKGoogle Scholar
Gornall, A G, Bardawill, C J and David, M M 1949 Determination of serum proteins by means of the biuret reaction. Journal of Biological Chemistry 177: 751–766CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, S J G, Schmidt, B and Broom, D M 1997 Feeding behaviour and the intake of food and water by sheep after a period of deprivation lasting 14h. Animal Science 64: 105–110CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hecker, J F, Budtz-Olsen, O E and Ostwald, M 1964 The rumen as a water store in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 15: 961–968CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, A M and Cockram, M S 1994 Effect of handling and transport on bruising of sheep sent directly from farms to slaughter. Veterinary Record 135: 523–527CrossRefGoogle 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 for up to 24 hours. Veterinary Record 136: 431–438Google ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N and Kestin, S C 1994 Long distance transport of export lambs. Veterinary Record 134: 107–110CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Kestin, S C, Edwards, J E, Perry, A M, Watkins, P E and Phillips, A J 1996 Effects of feeding, watering and resting intervals on lambs transported by road and ferry to France. Veterinary Record 139: 335–339CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T G, Warriss, P D, Brown, S N, Kestin, S C, Rhind, S M, Edwards, J E, Anil, M H and Dolan, S K 1993 Long distance transport of lambs and the time needed for subsequent recovery. Veterinary Record 133: 286–293CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laird, N M and Ware, J H 1982 Random-effects models for longitudinal data. Biometrics 38: 963–974CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noldus, L P J J 1990 The Observer, Base Package. User’s Manual, Version 2.0 Edition. Noldus Information Technology BV: Wageningen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Noldus, L P J J and Potting, R P J 1990 The Observer, Support Package for the Psion Organiser Handheld Computer. User’s Manual, Version 2.0. Noldus Information Technology BV: Wageningen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Parrott, R F, Hall, S J G, Lloyd, D M, Goode, J A and Broom, D M 1998 Effects of a maximum permissible journey time (31 h) on physiological responses of fleeced and shorn sheep to transport, with observations on behaviour during a short (1h) rest-stop. Animal Science 66: 197–207CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parrott, R F, Lloyd, D M and Goode, J A 1996 Stress hormone responses of sheep to food and water deprivation at high and low ambient temperatures. Animal Welfare 5: 45–56CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stacy, B D and Brook, A H 1964 The renal response of sheep to feeding. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 15: 289–298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ternouth, J H 1968 Changes in the thiosulphate space and some constituents of the blood of sheep after feeding. Research in Veterinary Science 9: 345–349CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P D, Bevis, E A, Brown, S N and Ashby, J G 1989 An examination of potential indices of fasting time in commercially slaughtered sheep. British Veterinary Journal 145: 242–248CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed