Speaking from experience: Reduced dietary neophobia of lambs through early life experience

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science 2021-06, Vol.239, p.105336, Article 105336
• Main Authors: Beck, M.R., Garrett, K., Marshall, C.J., Fleming, A.E., Greer, A.W., Bunt, C.R., Olejar, K.J., Maxwell, T.M.R., Gregorini, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dietary neophobia; Foraging ecology; Grazing ruminants
• ISSN: 0168-1591; 1872-9045
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105336

•Lambs may experience food neophobia which can limit their feed intake.•We studied preference in lambs from ewes given seaweed only, a seaweed + terrestrial plant extract, or nothing (control).•Previous experience to plant extract reduces dietary neophobia of the plant species.•Despite initial dietary neophobia, lambs learn through exposure over time.•This research provides a tool for managers to reduce dietary neophobia of livestock. The objective of this experiment was to determine how early life exposure to plant extracts would influence grazing behavior and dietary preference. This experiment used ram lambs (n = 60; initial body weight = 41.8 ± 3.8 kg, mean ± standard deviation). Their dams were either provided no plant extract (CON), a seaweed (Ecklonia radiata) extract (10 mL/ram/d; SWE), or an extract of seaweed, chicory (Cichorium intybus), plantain (Plantago lanceolata), lucerne (Medicago sativa), and dock (Rumex obtusifolius; 10 mL/ram/d; SWP). Treatments were provided to the dams starting in late gestation (63.9 ± 6.5 d before lambing), through to weaning of the lambs. After weaning (94 ± 6.5 d old), lambs received the respective treatments of their dams until the initiation of the current experiment (66 d after weaning). At the initiation of the current experiment, the lambs were placed into a paddock containing spatially separated strips of ryegrass (Lolium perenne), chicory, plantain, lucerne, and dock, of which they received a fresh break, weekly. During week 1, SWP had more (P