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Heart rate responses and plasma cortisol concentrations in ewes: comparison between cervical and laparoscopic intrauterine insemination and their associated handling procedures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. Khalid ,
W. Haresign  and
D. G. Bradley
M. Khalid
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Welsh Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth SY23 3AL
W. Haresign
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group, Welsh Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth SY23 3AL
D. G. Bradley
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Sutton Bonnington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD
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Abstract

This study consisted of two experiments. In experiment 1, stress responses of sheep which were restrained either in a laparoscopy cradle or a roll-over cradle were compared. The results of this experiment indicated that restraint in roll-over cradle is less (P < 0·05) stressful than that in a laparoscopy cradle when assessed in terms of the elevation and duration of both the mean heart rate and plasma cortisol responses. Experiment 2 compared the stress responses of sheep subjected to restraint in a laparoscopy cradle, restraint in a laparoscopy cradle with intrauterine artificial insemination (AI) by laparoscopy, minimal restraint with cervical AI or restraint in a roll-over cradle plus foot-trimming. All treatments resulted in significant elevations in both heart rate and plasma cortisol concentrations (F < 0·001). The peak heart rate was significantly (P < 0·05) higher in ewes subjected to cervical AI than in those subjected to intrauterine insemination, with other treatments intermediate. The peak cortisol response did not differ among different treatments. The duration over which both the mean heart rate and -plasma cortisol concentrations remained significantly elevated above pre-treatment concentrations did not differ among treatment groups. The results of this study suggest that while restraint using a laparoscopy cradle is more stressful than that using a rollover cradle, the stress inflicted by intrauterine insemination by laparoscopy itself is no greater than that due to restraint using the laparoscopy cradle alone, cervical AI or the management practice offoot-trimming using a rollover cradle.

Keywords

cortisolheart raterestraintsheepstress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 66 , Issue 2 , April 1998 , pp. 383 - 387
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

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