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Reducing mother-young separation distress by inducing ewes into oestrus at the day of weaning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

I Pérez-León ,
A Orihuela ,
L Lidfors  and
V Aguirre
I Pérez-León
Affiliation:
Instituto Tecnológico agropecuario de Oaxaca, Ex-hacienda de Nazareno, Xoxocotlán Oaxaca 71230, México
A Orihuela*
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Apartado Postal 5-78, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62051 México
L Lidfors
Affiliation:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Environment and Health PO Box 234, SE-532 23, Skara, Sweden
V Aguirre
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Apartado Postal 5-78, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62051 México
*
* Contact for correspondence and request for reprints: aorihuela@uaem.mx
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether or not oestrus induction on the day of weaning would reduce the distress experienced by ewes upon separation from lambs. For this, 43 ewes, their eight week-old lambs and six mature rams were used. Prior to weaning, 21 of these ewes were induced to display oestrus on the day of mother-young separation (treated group [T]) while the remaining 22 untreated ewes served as controls (C). T and C ewes were housed together. Blood samples were collected on the day of weaning (prior to mother-young separation and 24 hours later) and then nine days later, for plasma progesterone (P4) and cortisol determination. Lambs were separated from their dams by a wire fence at weaning in full view of each other. Three rams were tethered to posts with 3 m plastic chains in the ewes' pen. T and C groups were simultaneously tested in identical test pens. C ewes showed a greater increase in serum cortisol concentration after separation from lambs (47.64 ± 4.26 n mol l–1) than T ewes (28.79 ± 6.29 n mol l–1). T ewes exhibited fewer vocalisations ewe–1h–1 and fewer vocalisations at 6, 12 and 18 h post separation than C ewes. On the day of weaning, more T ewes were seen to be situated away from lambs and in close proximity to the males, compared to the C group. Thus, more T than C ewes were mounted (14 as opposed to 3) and these received a greater number of mounts (1.02 ± 0.23 per hour, as opposed to 0.11 ± 0.06). It was concluded that by inducing ewes into oestrus at weaning it is possible to reduce the signs of separation distress.

Keywords

animal welfaremother-young separationproceptivitysheepstressweaning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 2006 , pp. 383 - 389
Copyright
© 2006 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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