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Vickery HM, Neal RA, Stergiadis S, Meagher RK. Gradually weaning goat kids may improve weight gains while reducing weaning stress and increasing creep feed intakes. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1200849. [PMID: 37332741 PMCID: PMC10270287 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1200849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Most dairy goat farms rear kids on ad libitum milk replacer; calf research suggests this improves growth and welfare, but solid feed intakes are problematic. Weaning can be gradual (incremental milk reduction) or abrupt (sudden, complete milk removal, which evidence suggests reduces welfare). Three treatments were created: abrupt weaning (AW: ad libitum milk until weaning) and gradual weaning [milk ad libitum until day 35, then milk unavailable 3.5 h/day until day 45 when milk removal was a 7 h/day block (gradual weaning 1: GW1) or two 3.5 h/day blocks (gradual weaning 2; GW2)]; complete milk removal occurred at day 56 for all. Experiment 1 investigated on-farm feasibility, behavior, and average daily gain (ADG). Experiment 2 investigated feed intakes, behavior, and ADG for AW and GW2. Experiment 1 had 261 kids (nine pens of 25-32), CCTV recorded 6 h/day, and group-level scan sampling recorded target behaviors. Kruskal-Wallis tests showed GW2 kids spent more time feeding on solids during weaning (p = 0.001) and displayed lower levels of 'frustrated suckling motivation' PostWean (p = 0.008). However, feeding competition differed PreWeaning (p = 0.007). ADG data from 159 female kids analyzed by a general linear model (fixed factor: treatment; covariate: day 34 weight) found GW2 had the highest ADG from day 35-45 (p ≤ 0.001) and no differences from day 45 to 56, and AW had the highest ADG PostWean (day 56-60). Experiment 2 had two AW pens (9 kids/pen) and two GW2 pens (8 and 9 kids/pen). A computerized feeder recorded milk intakes from day 22 to 56. Pen-level solid feed/water intakes were recorded from day 14-70. General linear models (fixed factor: treatment; covariate: PreWean value) found GW2 kids had higher ADG (p = 0.046) and lower milk intake (p = 0.032) from day 45-55, and PostWean (day 56-70) trended toward GW2 higher ADG (p = 0.074). Mann-Whitney U tests showed pen-level feed intake differences: AW had higher creep and straw throughout, GW2 showed higher creep during weaning (day 35-55), and higher water PostWean (>56 d). Behavioral observations suggest that gradually weaned kids may have enhanced welfare. Pen-level gradual weaning is feasible and, while weight gain results were mixed, it reduced milk intake, increased creep intake, and therefore combined with behavioral evidence can be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M. Vickery
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael A. Neal
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Sokratis Stergiadis
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca K. Meagher
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS, Canada
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M. Abdelsattar M, Vargas-Bello-Pérez E, Zhang N. Age-related changes in blood biochemical composition of Hu sheep. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2022.2108730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud M. Abdelsattar
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez
- Department of Animal Sciences, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Naifeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Feed Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Sejian V, Silpa MV, Reshma Nair MR, Devaraj C, Krishnan G, Bagath M, Chauhan SS, Suganthi RU, Fonseca VFC, König S, Gaughan JB, Dunshea FR, Bhatta R. Heat Stress and Goat Welfare: Adaptation and Production Considerations. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041021. [PMID: 33916619 PMCID: PMC8065958 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This review attempted to collate and synthesize information on goat welfare and production constraints during heat stress exposure. Among the farm animals, goats arguably are considered the best-suited animals to survive in tropical climates. Heat stress was found to negatively influence growth, milk and meat production and compromised the immune response, thereby significantly reducing goats' welfare under extensive conditions and transportation. Although considered extremely adapted to tropical climates, their production can be compromised to cope with heat stress. Therefore, information on goat adaptation and production performance during heat exposure could help assess their welfare. Such information would be valuable as the farming communities are often struggling in their efforts to assess animal welfare, especially in tropical regions. Broadly three aspects must be considered to ensure appropriate welfare in goats, and these include (i) housing and environment; (ii) breeding and genetics and (iii) handling and transport. Apart from these, there are a few other negative welfare factors in goat rearing, which differ across the production system being followed. Such negative practices are predominant in extensive systems and include nutritional stress, limited supply of good quality water, climatic extremes, parasitic infestation and lameness, culminating in low production, reproduction and high mortality rates. Broadly two types of methodologies are available to assess welfare in goats in these systems: (i) animal-based measures include behavioral measurements, health and production records and disease symptoms; (ii) resources based and management-based measures include stocking density, manpower, housing conditions and health plans. Goat welfare could be assessed based on several indicators covering behavioral, physical, physiological and productive responses. The important indicators of goat welfare include agonistic behavior, vocalization, skin temperature, body condition score (BCS), hair coat conditions, rectal temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, sweating, reduced growth, reduced milk production and reduced reproductive efficiency. There are also different approaches available by which the welfare of goats could be assessed, such as naturalistic, functional and subjective approaches. Thus, assessing welfare in goats at every production stage is a prerequisite for ensuring appropriate production in this all-important species to guarantee optimum returns to the marginal and subsistence farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerasamy Sejian
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mullakkalparambil V. Silpa
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany;
| | - Mini R. Reshma Nair
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
- Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara 680656, India
| | - Chinnasamy Devaraj
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Govindan Krishnan
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Madiajagan Bagath
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Surinder S. Chauhan
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; (S.S.C.); (F.R.D.)
| | - Rajendran U. Suganthi
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
| | - Vinicius F. C. Fonseca
- Innovation Group of Biometeorology and Animal Welfare, Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia 58397-000, Brazil;
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, South Africa
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany;
| | - John B. Gaughan
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia;
| | - Frank R. Dunshea
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; (S.S.C.); (F.R.D.)
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Raghavendra Bhatta
- Centre for Climate Resilient Animal Adaptation Studies, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560030, India; (M.V.S.); (M.R.R.N.); (C.D.); (G.K.); (M.B.); (R.U.S.); (R.B.)
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Tölü C, Göktürk S, Sava T. Effects of Weaning and Spatial Enrichment on Behavior of Turkish Saanen Goat Kids. ASIAN-AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCES 2015; 29:879-86. [PMID: 26954169 PMCID: PMC4852256 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.15.0597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
As is in all economic activities, the highest yield per unit area is the main goal in animal production, while addressing the temperamental needs of animals often is ignored. Animal welfare is not only an ethical fact; it also has an economic value. Spatial environmental enrichment contributes positively to animal welfare by addressing their behavioral and mental requirements. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of weaning and spatial environmental arrangements on behaviors of goat-kids. Experimental groups were arranged in structured and unstructured spatial environments. Roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge, and wood block were placed in the structured environment. No equipment was placed in the unstructured environment and paddock sides were enclosed with an iron sheet to prevent bipedal stance and to provide environmental isolation. In the study 10 male and 10 female Turkish Saanen goat kids were used in each group. Spatial environmental arrangements did not have significant impacts on the growth performance of kids (p>0.05). All objects in the structured group were accepted by the kids. Average use ratios of roughage feeder, semi-automatic concentrate feeder, bunk, bridge and wood block were observed as 19.3%, 14.0%, 12.6%, 3.8%, and 0.7%, respectively. There were significant differences between before- and after-weaning in use of all objects except for underneath bridge (p≤0.05). Concentrate feed consumption, locomotion, and resting behaviors in kids showed significant differences by structural group and growth period. Roughage consumption was similar between groups, while it differed by growth period (p≤0.05). Interaction frequency was significantly higher in structured group (p = 0.0023). Playing behavior significantly differentiated based on the growth period rather than on groups (p≤0.05). Playing behavior significantly decreased after weaning. Abnormal oral activity was significantly higher in the structured group before weaning (p≤0.05). Despite there being no installations facilitating climbing and bipedal stance, the kids of the unstructured group were able to exhibit 1/3 as much bipedal stance behavior as the kids of the structured group through leaning over slippery paddock wall or over their groupmates. Bipedal stance behavior of unstructured group was similar before and after weaning, while bipedal stance behavior before weaning was about 2 times that of after weaning in structured group. It was concluded that unstructured environmental arrangement limited the behavior repertoire of the goat kids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cemil Tölü
- Department of Animal Science, Agriculture Faculty, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale 17020, Turkey
| | - Semra Göktürk
- Çanakkale Sheep and Goat Breeders Association, Çanakkale 17000, Turkey
| | - Türker Sava
- Department of Animal Science, Agriculture Faculty, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale 17020, Turkey
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