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Alary J, Schaal B, Chotro G, Patris B, Destrez A. Mother’s scent for motherless neonates: Responses of artificially reared lambs to ewe’s inguinal wax odor. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Muhammad M, Stokes JE, Manning L. Positive Aspects of Welfare in Sheep: Current Debates and Future Opportunities. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233265. [PMID: 36496786 PMCID: PMC9736654 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of positive welfare is an expansion of the traditional understanding that animal welfare is defined by minimizing stress, pain, suffering, and disease. Positive welfare shifts the animal welfare narrative from a focus on reducing negative experiences to proactively providing animals with opportunities to have positive experiences and feelings. The concept, although around for several decades, is in its infancy in terms of developing ways of assessing positive welfare on farms, especially in extensive systems, and there are challenges in the adoption of positive welfare practices and the monitoring of continuous improvement at the farm level. Using an iterative approach, this critical review aims to explore the extent to which positive welfare interventions and indicators are positioned and have been developed within the animal welfare literature for sheep. This paper critiques existing positive welfare indicators, such as choices in food and the physical environment, conspecific social synchronization, maternal bonds, intergenerational knowledge transfer, positive human-animal relationships, etc., as currently assessed by the 'good life framework'. It also reviews the characteristics of scientific measures for (positive) affective states in the current sheep literature and their potential contribution to understanding positive welfare states in sheep. In conclusion, this paper provides recommendations for future research regarding sheep welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukhtar Muhammad
- Department of Agriculture Food and Environment, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK
| | - Jessica E. Stokes
- Department of Agriculture Food and Environment, Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester GL7 6JS, UK
| | - Louise Manning
- Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park, Lincoln LN2 2LG, UK
- Correspondence:
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Marquette GA, McGee M, Fisher AD, Stanger K, Earley B. Effect of age of suckler beef calves on stress indicators and growth performance in response to Burdizzo castration. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09712119.2021.1935266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela A. Marquette
- Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Meath, Ireland
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences Melbourne Veterinary School Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark McGee
- Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Meath, Ireland
| | - Andrew D. Fisher
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences Melbourne Veterinary School Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kelly Stanger
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences Melbourne Veterinary School Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Bernadette Earley
- Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Meath, Ireland
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Analysis of Hindgut Microbiome of Sheep and Effect of Different Husbandry Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2020; 11:ani11010004. [PMID: 33375098 PMCID: PMC7822195 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiome is now seen as an important resource to understand animal health and welfare in many species. However, there are few studies aiming at identifying the association between fecal microbiome composition and husbandry conditions in sheep. A wide range of stressors associated with management and housing of animals increases the hypothalamic–pituitary axis activity, with growing evidence that the microbiome composition can be modified. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to describe the core microbiome in sheep, characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and to explore whether exposure to stressful husbandry conditions changed sheep hindgut microbiome composition. Sheep (n = 10) were divided in two groups: isolated group (individually separated for 3 h/day) and control group (housed in the home pen for the entire trial period). Sheep core microbiome was dominated by Firmicutes (43.6%), Bacteroidetes (30.38%), Proteobacteria (10.14%), and Verrucomicrobia (7.55%). Comparative results revealed few operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with significantly different relative abundance between groups. Chao1, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Fisher’s alpha indices did not show differences between groups. OTU-based Bray–Curtis distances between groups were not significant (p-value = 0.07). In conclusion, these results describing the core microbiome of sheep do not suggest a strong effect of stressful husbandry conditions on microbial composition.
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Salvin HE, Lees AM, Cafe LM, Colditz IG, Lee C. Welfare of beef cattle in Australian feedlots: a review of the risks and measures. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/an19621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The rising global demand for animal protein is leading to intensification of livestock production systems. At the same time, societal concerns about sustainability and animal welfare in intensive systems is increasing. This review examines the risks to welfare for beef cattle within commercial feedlots in Australia. Several aspects of the feedlot environment have the potential to compromise the physical and psychological welfare of cattle if not properly monitored and managed. These include, but are not limited to, animal factors such as the influence of genetics, temperament and prior health, as well as management factors such as diet, pen design, resource provision, pregnancy management, and stock-person attitudes and skills. While current industry and producer initiatives exist to address some of these issues, continuous improvements in welfare requires accurate, reliable and repeatable measures to allow quantification of current and future welfare states. Existing measures of welfare are explored as well as proxy indicators that may signal the presence of improved or reduced welfare. Finally, potential future measures of welfare that are currently under development are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.
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Aguayo-Ulloa LA, Pascual-Alonso M, González-Lagos C, Miranda-de la Lama GC, Villarroel M, Asenjo B, Resconi V, María GA. Behaviour and welfare of fattening lambs supplemented with varying sizes and types of straw. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2019; 103:1747-1757. [PMID: 31498497 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The aim was to evaluate the effect of size (long or chopped wheat straw), type (barley or wheat) and presence/absence (1 week) of straw supplementation on behaviour and welfare of fattening lambs. Sixteen lambs (65 days) were individually housed to be used in two simultaneous experiments (8 lambs each) for 5 weeks of fattening. After a habituation period, they were offered straw that differed either in size (Experiment 1) or type (Experiment 2), which was followed by a week without straw and then reallocation of straw. Maintenance behaviours, play and stereotypies were analysed using video recording. Physiological stress responses were measured using blood samples taken at the end of the week without straw and after the reallocation of the straw. A preference test was performed during the last week. Concentrate and roughage consumption, average daily gain and conversion index were estimated. Lambs provided with long straw spent more time eating forage, playing and performed fewer stereotypies (Experiment 1). Lambs given wheat straw increased their play behaviour compared with those given barley straw, without affecting stereotypies (Experiment 2). When the straw was removed, lambs performed more behaviours associated with stress; however, this was not reflected in blood stress indicators. Lambs clearly preferred long straw over chopped straw, but no clear preference was observed between wheat and barley straw. The amount of forage intake was consistent with the time spent eating forage, but the amount of concentrate intake did not vary with eating concentrate behaviour, since the amount of concentrate intake was higher when the straw was removed, especially in Experiment 2. Our results show that size more than type of straw supplement impact the behaviour of lambs. Long straw reduces the stereotypies and increases play. This may improve the welfare and performance of fattening lambs, adding ethical value to a highly appreciated product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena A Aguayo-Ulloa
- Department of Animal Production & Food Science, Agroalimentary Institute of Aragón (IA2), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Maria Pascual-Alonso
- Department of Animal Production & Food Science, Agroalimentary Institute of Aragón (IA2), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - César González-Lagos
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O`Higgins, Santiago, Chile.,Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, CAPES, Santiago, Chile
| | - Genaro C Miranda-de la Lama
- Department of Animal Production & Food Science, Agroalimentary Institute of Aragón (IA2), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Department of Food Science, Metropolitan Autonomous University, UAM, Lerma, México
| | - Morris Villarroel
- Department of Animal Science, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Begoña Asenjo
- College of Agricultural Engineering of Soria, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Virginia Resconi
- Department of Animal Production & Food Science, Agroalimentary Institute of Aragón (IA2), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Gustavo A María
- Department of Animal Production & Food Science, Agroalimentary Institute of Aragón (IA2), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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Pullin AN, Pairis-Garcia MD, Campbell BJ, Campler MR, Proudfoot KL. Technical note: Instantaneous sampling intervals validated from continuous video observation for behavioral recording of feedlot lambs. J Anim Sci 2018; 95:4703-4707. [PMID: 29293740 DOI: 10.2527/jas2017.1835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When considering methodologies for collecting behavioral data, continuous sampling provides the most complete and accurate data set whereas instantaneous sampling can provide similar results and also increase the efficiency of data collection. However, instantaneous time intervals require validation to ensure accurate estimation of the data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to validate scan sampling intervals for lambs housed in a feedlot environment. Feeding, lying, standing, drinking, locomotion, and oral manipulation were measured on 18 crossbred lambs housed in an indoor feedlot facility for 14 h (0600-2000 h). Data from continuous sampling were compared with data from instantaneous scan sampling intervals of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min using a linear regression analysis. Three criteria determined if a time interval accurately estimated behaviors: 1) ≥ 0.90, 2) slope not statistically different from 1 ( > 0.05), and 3) intercept not statistically different from 0 ( > 0.05). Estimations for lying behavior were accurate up to 20-min intervals, whereas feeding and standing behaviors were accurate only at 5-min intervals (i.e., met all 3 regression criteria). Drinking, locomotion, and oral manipulation demonstrated poor associations () for all tested intervals. The results from this study suggest that a 5-min instantaneous sampling interval will accurately estimate lying, feeding, and standing behaviors for lambs housed in a feedlot, whereas continuous sampling is recommended for the remaining behaviors. This methodology will contribute toward the efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of future behavioral data collection in lamb behavior research.
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Williams J, Randle H. Is the expression of stereotypic behavior a performance-limiting factor in animals? J Vet Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2017.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Jaborek J, Lowe G, Fluharty F. Effects of pen flooring type and bedding on lamb growth and carcass characteristics. Small Rumin Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Muñoz-Osorio GA, Aguilar-Caballero AJ, Sarmiento-Franco LA, Wurzinger M, Gutiérrez-Reynoso GA. The effect of two housing systems on productive performance of hair-type crossbreed lambs in sub-humid tropics of Mexico. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09712119.2016.1200979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Germani Adrián Muñoz-Osorio
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Armando Jacinto Aguilar-Caballero
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Luis Armando Sarmiento-Franco
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Maria Wurzinger
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Aguayo-Ulloa L, Pascual-Alonso M, Villarroel M, Olleta J, Miranda-de la Lama G, María G. Effect of including double bunks and straw on behaviour, stress response production performance and meat quality in feedlot lambs. Small Rumin Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Aguayo-Ulloa L, Pascual-Alonso M, Olleta J, Sañudo C, Miranda-de la Lama G, María G. Effect of a screen with flaps and straw on behaviour, stress response, productive performance and meat quality in indoor feedlot lambs. Meat Sci 2015; 105:16-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Measuring stress, safety, and outcomes: Which measures are “good?”. J Vet Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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