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Does lambing season affect mother-young relationships and lamb vigor in D’man sheep reared in oases?
- Source :
- animal, animal, Published by Elsevier (since 2021) / Cambridge University Press (until 2020), 2020, 14 (11), pp.2363-2371. ⟨10.1017/S1751731120001342⟩, Animal, Vol 14, Iss 11, Pp 2363-2371 (2020), Animal, Animal, Published by Elsevier (since 2021) / Cambridge University Press (until 2020), 2020, 14 (11), pp.2363-2371. ⟨10.1017/S1751731120001342⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- HAL CCSD, 2020.
-
Abstract
- International audience; Although sheep are known to be seasonal breeders and give birth in winter, not all of them follow this trend. A few breeds can be mated and give birth all year round, meaning that mothers and neonates will have to face contrasting climatic conditions. The aim of this study was to test whether lambing season affects maternal and neonatal behaviors in D’man sheep. During four different lambing seasons (winter, autumn, summer, spring), periparturient ewes (n = 111) and their lambs (n = 213) were kept under 24-h-video surveillance in order to record post-partum behaviors. Mother-young preference was tested around 48 h after parturition. Lamb vigor was studied by the determination of birth weight, early postnatal behavior and rectal temperature at birth and 48 h later. Litter expulsion time was not affected by lambing season but birth weight was biased against summer and winter born lambs. Ewes provided a higher intensity of care to their offspring in winter: latency for grooming was shorter and time spent grooming was longer compared to lambing in spring and summer (P = 0.01 in all cases). On the other hand, lambs were the most active in spring as they were faster to extend their hind legs (P = 0.01), stand up (P = 0.04) and reach the udder (P = 0.04). Rectal temperature at 48 h was affected by season of birth (P < 0.001) with higher values observed in summer. Glycaemia variation between birth and 48 h was the lowest in spring born lambs and plasma levels increased less in spring born lambs than in winter (P < 0.0001), autumn (P < 0.0001) and summer born lambs (P < 0.0001). In the choice test, mothers clearly preferred their own young and no season effect was detected except that in the first minute of the test they spent less time near their own young in winter than in the other seasons (P = 0.04). Lambs also chose their mother successfully without any major effect of the season however, but winter born lambs were the least vocal (P = 0.01). Overall, this study show that maternal care, lamb behavior and vigor vary lightly according to seasons, albeit not in a consistent manner. In conclusion, a season is no more detrimental than another for the onset of mother-young relationships. Keywords: parturition, maternal behavior, neonate behavior, bonding, glycaemia
- Subjects :
- Litter (animal)
Season of birth
040301 veterinary sciences
Offspring
Birth weight
Mothers
Weaning
Biology
Breeding
Affect (psychology)
bonding
SF1-1100
0403 veterinary science
Animal science
Pregnancy
Seasonal breeder
medicine
Animals
Humans
Udder
parturition
Sheep
[SDV.NEU.PC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]/Psychology and behavior
Domestic sheep reproduction
Postpartum Period
0402 animal and dairy science
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
040201 dairy & animal science
neonate behavior
Animal culture
glycemia
medicine.anatomical_structure
Animal Science and Zoology
Female
Seasons
maternal behavior
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 17517311 and 1751732X
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- animal, animal, Published by Elsevier (since 2021) / Cambridge University Press (until 2020), 2020, 14 (11), pp.2363-2371. ⟨10.1017/S1751731120001342⟩, Animal, Vol 14, Iss 11, Pp 2363-2371 (2020), Animal, Animal, Published by Elsevier (since 2021) / Cambridge University Press (until 2020), 2020, 14 (11), pp.2363-2371. ⟨10.1017/S1751731120001342⟩
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3aece966da225a661403eadf76b405dc