Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T03:45:40.389Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stress responses to comparative handling procedures in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2012

M. Yardimci ,
E. H. Sahin ,
I. S. Cetingul ,
I. Bayram ,
R. Aslan  and
E. Sengor
M. Yardimci*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
E. H. Sahin
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
I. S. Cetingul
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
I. Bayram
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
R. Aslan
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
E. Sengor
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare some husbandry procedures on the base of physiological stress parameters and evaluate the welfare status in sheep. Forty ewes were used as the study material. Measurements were taken during several routine husbandry procedures such as milking, shearing, weighing, loading and hoof care. Data regarding time spent for each application, as well as heart and respiratory rates were recorded during the applications. Blood samples were taken 15 min before and after each application and malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px), cortisol T3 and T4 parameters were measured. In addition, changes in the same parameters between pre- and post-application periods were evaluated. According to the results, machine milking caused less stress than hand milking. No significant difference was seen between shearing methods for hand shearer or clipper; however, both applications caused stress in animals. The results for weighing methods of animals demonstrated significant differences in cortisol, T3 and T4 values in favor of traditional method. Cortisol, T3 and T4 levels were significantly higher in manual loading compared with loading by ramp. Regarding hoof care, all the examined parameters differed in favor of modern method. On the other hand, significant differences were determined between the stress parameters regarding pre- and post-applications. All values differed for hand milking while no significant difference was observed in MDA and T3 values in machine milking group. Parameters in weighing groups changed significantly. For loading process, GSH, cortisol, T3 and T4 values differed in both treatment groups. With regard to hoof care, parameters except T4 in laying group differed significantly. An increase occurred in minute-based measurements of heart and respiratory rates parallel to physiological data. The number of the respiratory rates during the applications differed except for the shearing process. All the parameters displayed significant differences between groups in terms of heart rates. Time spent for each application also differed between groups. Time saved for milking, shearing, weighing, loading and hoof care was 3.23 min, 4.37 min, 1.71 min, 7.85 s and 1.55 min, respectively. These results appear to provide a tangible advantage of using new husbandry methods to the breeders. It was concluded that using new methods in sheep husbandry procedures provided advantages in terms of saving time and reducing labor, as well as improved conditions for welfare of animals. In addition, it facilitated the routine works and flock husbandry.

Keywords

handlingsheepstresswelfare
Type
Behaviour, welfare and health
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 143 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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

Beutler, E, Olga, D, Barbara, MR 1963. Improved method for the determination of blood glutathione. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 61, 882–888.Google ScholarPubMed
Blokhuis, HJ, Hopster, H, Geverink, NA, Korte, SM, van Reenen, CG 1998. Studies of stress in farm animals. Comparative Haematology International 8, 94–101.Google Scholar
Correa-Calderon, A, Armstrong, D, Ray, D, DeNise, S, Enns, M, Howison, C 2004. Thermoregulatory responses of Holstein and Brown Swiss heat-stressed dairy cows to two different cooling systems. International Journal of Biometeorology 48, 142–148.Google Scholar
Dantzer, R, Mormede, P 1983. Stress in farm animals: a need for re-evaluation. Journal of Animal Science 57, 6–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deger, S, Deger, Y, Bicek, K, Ozdal, N, Gul, A 2009. Status of lipid peroxidation, antioxidant and oxidation products of nitric oxide equine babesiosis: status of antioxidant and oxidant in equine babesiosis. Journal of Equine Veterinary Sciences 29, 743–747.Google Scholar
Draper, HH, Hadley, M 1990. Malondialdehyde determination as index of lipid peroxidation. Methods in Enzymology 186, 421–431.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dwyer, CM, Bornett, HLL 2004. Chronic stress in sheep: assessment tools and their use in different husbandry conditions. Animal Welfare 13, 293–304.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, J, Scott, M, Nolan, A 2006. Assessment of pain and welfare in sheep. Small Ruminant Research 62, 55–61.Google Scholar
Goddard, P, Waterhouse, T, Dwyer, C, Stott, A 2006. The perception of the welfare of sheep in extensive systems. Small Ruminant Research 62, 215–225.Google Scholar
Grandin, T 1997. Assessment of stress during handling and transport. Journal of Animal Science 75, 249–257.Google Scholar
Grandin, T 1998. Review: reducing handling stress improves both productivity and welfare. The Professional Animal Scientist 14, 1–10.Google Scholar
Hashizume, T, Haglof, SA, Malven, PV 1994. Intracerebral methionine-enkephalin, serum cortisol, and serum β-endorphin during acute exposure of sheep to physical or isolation stress. Journal of Animal Science 72, 700–708.Google Scholar
Halliwell, B, Gutteridege, JMC 2007. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, 4th edition. Oxford University Press, Grune Strottan, New York.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, AL, Hutson, GD 1990a. The stress response in sheep during routine handling procedures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 26, 83–90.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, AL, Hutson, GD 1990b. The effect of gentling on heart rate, flight distance and aversion of sheep to a handling procedure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 26, 243–252.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, AL, Hutson, GD 1990c. Changes in heart rate, plasma cortisol and haematocrit of sheep during a shearing procedure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 26, 91–101.Google Scholar
Kilgour, R 1978. The application of animal behaviour and the humane care of farm animals. Journal of Animal Science 46, 1478–1486.Google Scholar
Lay, DC, Friend, TH, Bowers, CL, Grissom, KK, Jenkins, OC 1992. A comparative physiological and behavioral study of freeze and hot-iron branding using dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science 70, 1121–1130.Google Scholar
Le Neindre, P, Boivin, X, Boissy, A 1996. Handling of extensively kept animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 49, 73–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lykkesfeldt, J, Svendsen, O 2007. Oxidants and antioxidants in disease: oxidative stress in farm animals. Veterinary Journal 173, 502–511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mateo, JM, Estep, DQ, McCann, JS 1991. Effects of differential handling on the behavior of domestic ewes. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 32, 45–54.Google Scholar
Marai, IFM, El-Darawany, AA, Fadiel, A, Abdel-Hafez, MAM 2007. Physiological traits as affected by heat stress in sheep. Small Ruminant Research 71, 1–12.Google Scholar
Mears, GJ, Brown, FA, Redmond, LR 1999. Effects of handling, shearing and previous exposure to shearing on cortisol and β-endorphin responses in ewes. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 79, 35–38.Google Scholar
Moberg, GP, Wood, VA 1982. Effect of differential rearing on the behavioral and andrenocorticol response of lambs to a novel environment. Applied Animal Ethology 8, 269–279.Google Scholar
Moolchandani, A, Sareen, M, Vaishnav, J 2008. Influence of restraint and isolation stress on plasma cortisol in male karakul sheep. Veterinarski Archiv 78, 357–362.Google Scholar
Murray, RK, Mayes, AA, Granner, DK, Rodwell, VW 1993. Harper's biochemistry (in Turkish). Translated by G Menteş and B Ersöz. Barış Printing House, İstanbul, Turkey, p. 183.Google Scholar
Paltrinieri, S, Panelli, S, Comazzi, S, Sartorelli, P 2002. Effect of 1-24 ACTH administration on sheep blood granulocyte functions. Veterinary Research 33, 71–82.Google Scholar
Parrott, RF, Hall, SJG, Lloyd, DM 1998. Heart rate and stress hormone responses of sheep to road transport following two different loading procedures. Animal Welfare 7, 257–267.Google Scholar
Pamplona, R, Costantini, D 2011. Molecular and structural antioxidant defenses against oxidative stress in animals. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative Comparative Physiology 301, 843–863.Google Scholar
Scott, SL, Schaefer, AL, Jones, SDM, Mears, GJ, Stanley, RW 1993. Stress indicators and lean tissue yield in transported cattle treated with electrolytes. Proceedings of the 39th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 52, 22.Google Scholar
Shan, XO, Aw, TY, Jones, DP 1990. Glutathione dependent protection against oxidative injury. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 47, 61–71.Google Scholar
Sies, H 1991. Oxidative Stress: oxidants and antioxidants. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.Google Scholar
Srikandakumar, A, Johnson, EH, Mahgoub, O 2003. Effect of heat stress on respiratory rate, rectal temperature and blood chemistry in Omani and Australian Merino sheep. Small Ruminant Research 49, 193–198.Google Scholar
Wingfield, JC, Kitaysky, AS 2002. Endocrine responses to unpredictable environmental events: stress or anti-stress hormones? Integrative and Comparative Biology 42, 600–609.Google Scholar
Zhang, H, Forman, HJ, Choi, J 2005. Glutamyl transpeptidase in glutathione biosynthesis. Methods in Enzymology 401, 468–483.Google Scholar