Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:42:18.373Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of space allowance during transport on the behavioural and physiological responses of lambs during and after transport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. S. Cockram ,
J. E. Kent ,
P. J. Goddard ,
N. K. Waran ,
I. M. McGilp ,
R. E. Jackson ,
G. M. Muwanga  and
S. Prytherch
M. S. Cockram
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Veterinary Field Station, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG
J. E. Kent
Affiliation:
Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH
P. J. Goddard
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
N. K. Waran
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
I. M. McGilp
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Veterinary Field Station, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG
R. E. Jackson
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
G. M. Muwanga
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
S. Prytherch
Affiliation:
Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Edinburgh, School of Agriculture Building, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
Get access

Abstract

There is limited information on the behavioural and physiological responses of sheep to the components of road transport. Behavioural observations and physiological measurements of ‘stress’, injury and dehydration were made on weaned lambs (35 kg) before, during and after either stationary confinement or transport for 22 h at four space allowances (0·22, 0·27, 0·31 and 0·41 m2 per sheep). Two groups were not loaded (a control group with access to food and water, and a group with no food and no water for 12 h). During the confinement and transport period, the proportion of scans spent lying and the proportion of scans spent ruminating was significantly less than that before treatment (P < 0·01). After 3 h of transport, the proportion of scans spent lying was significantly less at the 0·22 m2 per sheep space allowance than at the other space allowances. The proportion of scans spent lying down was only significantly greater during confinement compared with transport at the 0·22 m2 per sheep space allowance and during the first 6 h at the 0·31 m2 per sheep space allowance. During transport, the heart rate and plasma cortisol concentration were greater than during stationary confinement (P < 0·05), indicating that some aspect of the journey was acting as a stressor. During transport the frequency of losses of balance and the frequency of slips was less at the 0·22 m2 per sheep space allowance than at the 0·27 and 0·41 m2 per sheep space allowances. However, there was no effect of space allowance on either plasma cortisol concentration or biochemical measures of injury. The median frequency of potentially traumatic events during transport was <5 per h and there was little evidence to suggest that increasing space allowance increased the risk of traumatic injury. During the first 12 h after treatment, the proportion of scans spent eating was greater and the proportion of scans spent lying were less than those spent before treatment (P < 0·001). Post-treatment, water intake and packed cell volume were greater in transported sheep than in control sheep (P < 0·05). However, there was no significant effect of 12 h without water on total plasma protein concentration and plasma vasopressin concentration (P > 0·05). Under the conditions of this study, sheep with a live weight of 35 kg can be transported for 12 h at space allowances of between 0·22 and 0·41 m2 per sheep without showing major physiological changes indicative of injury and dehydration. However, the sheep appeared to be hungry after 12 h without food and showed a cortisol and heart rate response to transport, indicating that some aspect of transport was acting as a stressor. A space allowance of 0·22 m2 per sheep cannot be recommended for 35 kg sheep as there is insufficient space for most of the sheep to lie down during transport. Whereas a space allowance of at least 0·27 m2 per sheep does allow most sheep sufficient space to lie down.

Keywords

behaviourblood chemistrysheeptransportwelfare
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 62 , Issue 3 , June 1996 , pp. 461 - 477
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

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

Baldock, N. M. and Sibly, R. M. 1990. Effects of handling and transportation on the heart rate and behaviour of sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28:15–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bassett, J. M. 1974. Diurnal patterns of plasma insulin, growth hormone, corticosteroid and metabolite concentrations in fed and fasted sheep. Australian journal of Biological Sciences 27:167–181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyd, J. W. 1976. Creatine phosphokinase in normal sheep and in sheep with nutritional muscular dystrophy, journal of Comparative Pathology 86:23–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyd, J. W. 1988. Serum enzymes in the diagnosis of disease in man and animals, journal of Comparative Pathology 98:381–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, A. N. and White, A. 1990. Activation of pituitary-adrenal function in fetal sheep by corticotrophin-releasing factor and arginine vasopressin. Journal of Endocrinology 124:27–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carlson, G. P. 1989. Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance. In Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals (ed Kaneko, J. J.), pp. 535–575. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Christopherson, R. J. and Webster, A. J. F. 1972. Changes during eating in oxygen consumption, cardiac function and body fluids of sheep. Journal of Physiology 221:441–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Connell, J. 1984. International transport of farm animals intended for slaughter. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels.Google Scholar
Coolens, J., Baelen, H. Van and Heyns, W. 1987. Clinical use of unbound plasma cortisol as calculated from total cortisol and corticosteroid-binding globulin, journal of Steroid Biochemistry 26:197–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1994. Report on the welfare of sheep. MAFF, London.Google Scholar
GB Parliament. 1975. The transit of animals (road and rail) order 1975. Statutory instrument 1975 no. 1024. HMSO, London.Google Scholar
GB Parliament. 1994. Welfare of animals during transport order. Statutory instrument 1994 no. 3249. HMSO, London.Google Scholar
Goddard, P. J., Gordon, I. J. and Diverio, S. 1994. Remote blood sampling of red deer. In Proceedings of the fifth FELASA Symposium (ed Bunyon, J.), pp.98-102. Royal Society of Medicine, London.Google Scholar
Hammond, G. L. and Lahteenmaki, P. L. A. 1983. A versatile method for the determination of serum cortisol binding globulin and sex hormone binding globulin binding capacities. Clinica Chimica Ada 132:101–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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 135:523–527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaneko, J. J. 1989. Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Kenny, F. J. and Tarrant, P. V. 1987. The reaction of young bulls to short-haul road transport. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 17:209–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, F. B., Jackson, R. E., Gordon, G. D. H. and Cockram, M. S. 1994. Resting behaviour of sheep in a slaughterhouse lairage. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 40:45–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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 136:431–438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T. G., Warriss, P. D., Brown, S. N. and Kestin, S. C. 1994. Long distance transport of export lambs. Veterinary Record 134:107–110.CrossRefGoogle 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 133:286–293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laird, N. M. and Ware, J. H. 1982. Random-effects models for longitudinal data. Biometrics 38:963–974.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macfarlane, W. V., Morris, R. J. H., Howard, B., McDonald, J. and Budtz-Olsen, O. E. 1961. Water and electrolyte changes in tropical merino sheep exposed to dehydration during summer. Australian journal of Agricultural Research 12:889–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mclntosh, N., Stephen, R. I., Arkley, M. M. and Smith, A. 1991. Immunoreactive [arginine] vasopressin (AVP) in human fetal and neonatal muscle. Biochemical Society Transactions 19:175S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNeilly, A. S. and Andrews, P. 1974. Purification and characterization of caprine prolactin. journal of Endocrinology 60:359–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meissner, H. H. and Belonje, P. C. 1972. Preliminary study on water and electrolyte metabolism during thermal and dehydrational stress in two breeds of sheep. South African journal of Animal Science 2:97–100.Google Scholar
Noldus, L. P. J. J. 1990. The observer, base package. User's manual, version 2.0. Noldus Information Technology b.v., Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Noldus, L. P. J. J. and Potting, R. P. J. 1990. The observer, support package for the psion organiser hand-held computer. User's manual, version 2.0. Noldus Information Technology b.v., Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Parrott, R. F., Misson, B. H. and Riva, C. F. de la. 1994. Differential stressor effects on the concentrations of cortisol, prolactin and catecholamines in the blood of sheep. Research in Veterinary Science 56:234–239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Randall, J. M. 1993. Environmental parameters necessary to define comfort for pigs, cattle and sheep in livestock transporters. Animal Production 57:299–307.Google Scholar
Siegal, S. and Castellan, N. J. 1988. Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.Google Scholar
Smith, A., Prakash, P., Nesbitt, J. and Mclntosh, N. 1990. The vasopressin response to severe birth asphyxia. Early Human Development 22:119–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, A., Stephen, R. I., Arkley, M. M. and Mclntosh, N. 1992. Immunoreactive arginine vasopressin in human fetal and neonatal skeletal muscle. Early Human Development 28:215–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1989. SAS user's auide version 6. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Tarrant, P. V., Kenny, F. J. and Harrington, D. 1988. The effect of stocking density during 4 hour transport to slaughter on behaviour, blood constituents and carcass bruising in Friesian steers. Meat Science 24:209–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tarrant, P. V., Kenny, F. J., Harrington, D. and Murphy, M. 1992. Long distance transportation of steers to slaughter: effect of stocking density on physiology, behaviour and carcass quality. Livestock Production Science 30:223–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ternouth, J. H. 1968. Changes in the thiosulphate space and some constituents of the blood of sheep after feeding. Research in Veterinary Science 9:345–349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thornton, S. N., Parrott, R. F. and Delaney, C. E. 1987. Differential responses of plasma oxytocin and vasopressi not dehydration in non-stressed sheep. Acta Endocrinologica 114:519–523.Google Scholar
Till, A. R. and Downes, A. M. 1962. The measurement of total body water in the sheep. Australian journal of Agricultural Research 13:335–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, A. W. and Hodgetts, V. E. 1959. The dynamic red cell storage function of the spleen in sheep. I. Relationship o t fluctuations of jugular haematocrit. Australian journal of Experimental Biology 37:399–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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 145:242–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed