Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T02:17:49.702Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effects of pasture availability for twin- and triplet-bearing ewes in mid and late pregnancy on ewe and lamb behaviour 12 to 24 h after birth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2009

R. A. Corner ,
P. R. Kenyon ,
K. J. Stafford ,
D. M. West ,
S. T. Morris  and
M. H. Oliver
R. A. Corner*
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
P. R. Kenyon
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Sheep Research Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
K. J. Stafford
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand Sheep Research Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
D. M. West
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand Sheep Research Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
S. T. Morris
Affiliation:
Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand Sheep Research Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
M. H. Oliver
Affiliation:
National Research Centre for Growth and Development, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of offering ewes two different feeding levels, during mid and late pregnancy, on ewe and lamb behaviour 12 to 24 h after birth. Romney ewes, bearing twin (n = 80) or triplet foetuses (n = 56), were allocated to a pasture sward height of 2 or 4 cm between 70 and 107 days of pregnancy. In late pregnancy (day 107 to 147), half of the ewes were reallocated the alternate sward height, which produced four treatments: 2-2, 2-4, 4-2 and 4-4. Ewes were weighed on days 65, 92, 107 and 130 of pregnancy and lamb live weights were recorded 12 to 24 h after birth. Twelve to 24 h after birth the maternal behaviour score (MBS) of the ewes were determined, whilst their lambs were tagged. After the lambs were released, the behaviour of each ewe and her lambs was observed for 5 min. Ewe treatment and litter size had no effect on ewe MBS. However, as MBS increased (ewes stayed closer to lambs during tagging), ewes bleated less in a high-pitch and were quicker to make contact with their lamb. During the observation period, ewes in the 4-4 treatment had a greater percentage of their bleats in a low pitch (P < 0.05) than ewes in the 2-2 and 4-2 treatment (61.3% v. 41.3% and 38.8% low bleats, respectively) and more lambs born to 4-4 ewes (95%) bleated than lambs born to 2-2 ewes (84%; P < 0.05). However, lambs born to ewes in the 2-2 treatment bleated earlier than lambs in all other treatments (P < 0.05). Lambs born to 4-4 ewes were less likely (P < 0.05) to move towards their dam in order to make contact than lambs born to 2-2 or 4-2 ewes (3.1% v. 16.9% and 16.7%, respectively). These findings suggest that under the conditions of the present study, ewe nutrition had little effect on maternal behaviour. However, lambs born to ewes offered 2 cm pasture sward heights during mid and/or late pregnancy (2-2, 2-4 and 4-2 treatments) displayed behaviour that demonstrated greater ‘need’ whereas lambs born to ewes offered 4 cm during mid and late pregnancy sought less attention from their dam.

Keywords

maternal behaviour scoreshigh- and low-pitched bleatssward height
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , January 2010 , pp. 108 - 115
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, G 1988. What makes a good mother? Components and comparative aspects of maternal behaviour in ungulates. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 17, 25–41.Google Scholar
Alexander, G, Stevens, D, Mottershead, B 1983. Problems in the accurate recording of lambing data. Australian Journal of Experimental Animal Husbandry 23, 361–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amer, PR, McEwan, JC, Dodds, KG, Davis, GH 1999. Economic values for ewe prolificacy and lamb survival in New Zealand sheep. Livestock Production Science 58, 75–90.Google Scholar
Banchero, GE, Quintas, G, Vasquez, A, Gigena, F, La Manna, A, Lindsay, DR, Milton, JTB 2007. Effect of the supplementation of ewes with barley or maize during the last week of pregnancy on colostrum production. Animal 1, 625–630.Google Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, KJ, West, DM, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Morris, ST, Oliver, MH 2008. The effect of nutrition from mid to late pregnancy on the performance of twin- and triplet-bearing ewes and their lambs. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 666–671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, KJ, West, DM, Morris, ST, Blair, HT 2005. The effect of ewe nutrition during gestation on the maternal behaviour of their ewe lambs. Proceedings of the Australian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand 65, 163–167.Google Scholar
Corner, RA, Kenyon, PR, Stafford, KJ, West, DM, Oliver, MH 2006. The effect of mid pregnancy shearing or yarding stress on ewe post-natal behaviour and the birth weight and post-natal behaviour of their lambs. Livestock Science 102, 121–129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwyer, CM, Lawrence, AB 1998. Variability in the expression of maternal behaviour in primiparous sheep: effects of genotype and litter size. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 58, 311–330.Google Scholar
Dwyer, CM, Lawrence, AB 2005. A review of the behavioural and physiological adaptations of hill and lowland breeds of sheep that favour lamb survival. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 92, 235–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwyer, CM, Lawrence, AB, Bishop, SC, Lewis, M 2003. Ewe-lamb bonding behaviours at birth are affected by maternal undernutrition in pregnancy. The British Journal of Nutrition 89, 123–136.Google Scholar
Dwyer, CM, McLean, KA, Deans, LA, Chirnside, J, Calvert, SK, Lawrence, AB 1998. Vocalisations between mother and young in sheep: effects of breed and maternal experience. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 58, 105–119.Google Scholar
Everett-Hincks, JM, Blair, HT, Stafford, KJ, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Kenyon, PR, Morris, ST 2005a. The effect of pasture allowance fed to twin- and triplet-bearing ewes in late pregnancy on ewe and lamb behaviour and performance to weaning. Livestock Production Science 97, 253–266.Google Scholar
Everett-Hincks, JM, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Blair, HT, Stafford, KJ 2005b. The effect of ewe maternal behaviour score on lamb and litter survival. Livestock Production Science 93, 51–61.Google Scholar
Everett-Hincks, JM, Dobbs, KG 2007. Management of maternal-offspring behaviour to improve lamb survival in easy care sheep systems. Journal of Animal Science 86, E259–E270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hinch, GN, Crosbie, SF, Kelly, RW, Owens, JL, David, GH 1985. Influence of birth weight and litter size on lamb survival in high fecundity Booroola-Merino crossbred flocks. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 31–38.Google Scholar
Hinch, GN, Lynch, JJ, Nolan, JV, Leng, RA, Bindon, BM, Piper, LR 1996. Supplementation of high fecundity Border Leicester x Merino ewes with a high protein feed: its effects on lamb survival. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, 129–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kerslake, JI, Kenyon, PR, Morris, ST, Stafford, KJ, Morel, PCH 2008. Effect of concentrate supplement and sward height on twin-bearing ewe body condition and the performance of their offspring. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 988–994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, DR 1996. Environment and reproductive behaviour. Animal Reproduction Science 42, 1–12.Google Scholar
Lindsay, DR, Nowak, R, Putu, I, McNeill, D 1990. Behavioural interactions between the ewe and her young at parturition: a vital step for the lamb. In Reproductive physiology of Merino sheep: concepts and consequences (ed. CM Oldham, GB Martin and IW Purvis), pp. 191–205. School of Agriculture (Animal Science) University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia.Google Scholar
Meat and Wool New Zealand Economic Service 2006. Livestock numbers report – sheep. Statistics New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Morris, ST, Kenyon, PR 2004. The effect of litter size and sward height on ewe and lamb performance. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 47, 275–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nicol, AM, Brookes, IM 2007. The metabolisable energy requirement of grazing livestock. In Pasture and supplements for grazing animals, Occasional Publication No. 14 (ed. PV Rattray, IM Brookes and AM Nicol), pp. 151–172. New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Hamilton, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Nowak, R 1996. Neonatal survival: contributions from behavioural studies in sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 49, 61–72.Google Scholar
O’Connor, CE 1996. Ewe maternal behaviour score and lamb growth: 10 years on. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 56, 107–109.Google Scholar
O’Connor, CE, Jay, NP, Nicol, AM, Beatson, PR 1985. Ewe maternal behaviour score and lamb survival. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 45, 159–162.Google Scholar
O’Connor, CE, Lawrence, AB 1992. Relationship between lamb vigor and ewe behavior at parturition. Animal Production 54, 361–366.Google Scholar
Poindron, P, Lévy, F, Keller, M 2007. Maternal responsiveness and maternal selectivity in domestic sheep and goats: the two facets of maternal attachment. Developmental Psychobiology 49, 54–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Putu, IG, Poindron, P, Lindsay, DR 1988. A high level of nutrition during late pregnancy improves subsequent maternal behaviour of Merino ewes. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 17, 294–297.Google Scholar
Scales, GH, Burton, RN, Moss, RA 1986. Lamb mortality, birth-weight, and nutrition in late pregnancy. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 29, 75–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weary, DM, Fraser, D 1995. Calling by domestic piglets – reliable signals of need. Animal Behaviour 50, 1047–1055.Google Scholar