Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:10:09.621Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reducing mother-young separation distress by inducing ewes into oestrus at the day of weaning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

I Pérez-León ,
A Orihuela ,
L Lidfors  and
V Aguirre
I Pérez-León
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico agropecuario de Oaxaca, Ex-hacienda de Nazareno, Xoxocotlán Oaxaca 71230, México
A Orihuela*
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Apartado Postal 5-78, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62051 México
L Lidfors
Affiliation:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Environment and Health PO Box 234, SE-532 23, Skara, Sweden
V Aguirre
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Apartado Postal 5-78, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62051 México
*
* Contact for correspondence and request for reprints: [email protected]
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 aim of this study was to determine whether or not oestrus induction on the day of weaning would reduce the distress experienced by ewes upon separation from lambs. For this, 43 ewes, their eight week-old lambs and six mature rams were used. Prior to weaning, 21 of these ewes were induced to display oestrus on the day of mother-young separation (treated group [T]) while the remaining 22 untreated ewes served as controls (C). T and C ewes were housed together. Blood samples were collected on the day of weaning (prior to mother-young separation and 24 hours later) and then nine days later, for plasma progesterone (P4) and cortisol determination. Lambs were separated from their dams by a wire fence at weaning in full view of each other. Three rams were tethered to posts with 3 m plastic chains in the ewes' pen. T and C groups were simultaneously tested in identical test pens. C ewes showed a greater increase in serum cortisol concentration after separation from lambs (47.64 ± 4.26 n mol l–1) than T ewes (28.79 ± 6.29 n mol l–1). T ewes exhibited fewer vocalisations ewe–1h–1 and fewer vocalisations at 6, 12 and 18 h post separation than C ewes. On the day of weaning, more T ewes were seen to be situated away from lambs and in close proximity to the males, compared to the C group. Thus, more T than C ewes were mounted (14 as opposed to 3) and these received a greater number of mounts (1.02 ± 0.23 per hour, as opposed to 0.11 ± 0.06). It was concluded that by inducing ewes into oestrus at weaning it is possible to reduce the signs of separation distress.

Keywords

animal welfaremother-young separationproceptivitysheepstressweaning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 2006 , pp. 383 - 389
Copyright
© 2006 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Alexander, G 1977 Role of auditory cues in mutual recognition between ewes and lambs in Merino sheep. Applied Animal Ethology 3: 65–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allison, AJ and Davis, GH 1976 Studies of mating behaviour and fertility of Merino ewes. II. Effects of age of ewe, live-weight and paddock size on duration of oestrus and ram-seeking activity. New Zealand Journal of Experimental Agriculture 4: 269–274CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arnold, GW, Wallace, SR and Maller, RA 1979 Some factors involved in natural weaning processes in sheep. Applied Animal Ethology 5: 43–50CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avdi, M and Chemineau, P 1998 Reproductive and productive performance in Chios ewes managed in spring or in autumn. Reproduction Nutrition Development 38: 551–558CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartlewski, PM, Beard, AP and Rawlings, NC 1999 Ovarian function in ewes during the transition from breeding season to anoestrus. Animal Reproduction Science 57: 51–66CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beach, FA 1976 Sexual attractivity, proceptivity and receptivity in female mammals. Hormones and Behavior 7: 105–138CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fabre-Nys, C and Martin, GB 1991 Hormonal control of proceptive and receptive sexual behavior and the preovulatory LH surge in the ewe: reassessment of the respective roles of estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone. Hormones and Behavior 25: 295–312CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, IC and Lindsay, DR 1968 Sensory involvement in the mating behaviour of domestic sheep. Animal Behaviour 16: 410–414CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geist, V 1971 Mountain Sheep: A Study in Behaviour Evolution. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, USAGoogle Scholar
Gill, LH 1978 Design and Analysis of Experiments in the Animal and Medical Sciences. The Iowa State University Press: Ames, Iowa, USAGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, RW, Gray, ML and Collins, JR 1998 The effect of ram exposure on uterine involution and luteal function during the postpartum period of hair sheep ewes in the tropics. Journal of Animal Science 76: 3090–3094CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Godfrey, RW, Collins, JR, Hensley, EL and Wheaton, JE 1999 Estrus synchronization and artificial insemination of hair sheep ewes in the tropics. Theriogenlology 51: 985–997CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grubb, P 1974 Social organization of Soay sheep and the behaviour of ewes and lambs. In: Jewell, P, Milner, C and Boyd, J (eds) Island survivors pp 131–159. Athlone Press: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Hulet, CV, Blackwell, RL, Ercanbrack, SK, Price, SA and Wilson, LO 1962 Mating behaviour of the ewe. Journal of Animal Science 21: 870–874CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hulet, CV 1980 Techniques for early weaning on lambs. In: Backer, FH and Miller, ME (eds) Sheep and Goat Handbook pp 353–359. Westview Press: Colorado, USAGoogle Scholar
Jephcott, EH, McMillen, JC, Rushen, J, Hargreaves, A and Thurburn, GD 1986 Effect of electro-immobilization on ovine plasma concentrations of β-endorphin / β-lipotrophin, cortisol and prolactin. Research in Veterinary Science 41: 371–377CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lida, K, Kobayashi, N, Kohno, H, Miyamoto, A and Fukui, Y 2004 A comparative study of induction of estrus and ovulation by three different intra-vaginal devices in ewes during the non-breeding season. Journal of Reproduction and Development 50: 63–69Google Scholar
Lindsay, DR 1996 Mating behaviour of ewes and its effect on mating efficiency. Animal Behaviour 14: 419–424CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, DR and Fletcher, IC 1972 Ram-seeking activity associated with oestrous behaviour in ewes. Animal Behaviour 20: 452–456CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, GB, Okdham, CM, Cognié, Y and Pearce, DT 1986 The physiological response of anovulatory ewes to the introduction of rams – a review. Livestock Production Science 15: 219–247CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behaviour. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mormède, P 1995 Le stress: interaction animal-homme-environ-nement. Agriculture 4: 275–286Google Scholar
Orgeur, P, Mavric, N, Yvore, P, Bernard, S, Nowak, R, Schaal, B and Levy, F 1998 Artificial weaning in sheep: Consequences on behavioural, hormonal and immuno-patho-logical indicators of welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 58: 87–103CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orihuela, A, Suárez, E and Vázquez, R 2004 Effect of restricting suckling on the social bond between ewes and their 10-week-old lambs. Livestock Production Science 87: 259–264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parrot, RF, Houpt, KA and Mission, BH 1988 Modification of the responses of sheep to isolation stress by the use of mirror panels. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 19: 331–338CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, EO, Harris, JE, Borgwardt, RE, Sween, ML and Connor, JM 2003 Fenceline contact of beef calves with their dams at weaning reduces the negative effects of separation on behavior and growth rate. Journal of Animal Science 81: 116–121CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rawlings, NC, Jeffcoate, IA and Reinger, DL 1984 The influence of oestradiol 17-β and progesterone on peripheral serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone in the ovariectomized ewes. Theriogenology 22: 473–488CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ross, CV 1989 Sheep Production and Management, Prentice Hall: New Jersey, USAGoogle Scholar
Siegel, S and Castellan, NJ 1988 Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. McGraw-Hill: New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Tomkins, T and Bryant, MJ 1972 Mating behaviour in a small flock of lowland sheep. Animal Production 15: 203–210Google Scholar
Torres-Hernández, G and Hohenboken, W 1979 An attempt to assess traits of emotionality in crossbred ewes. Applied Animal Ethology 5: 71–83CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Westhuysen, JM 1971 Observations on the effects of season and age of ewe on the mating behaviour of Merino rams. Agroanimalia 3: 111–112Google Scholar