The behavioural, physiological and immunological responses of lambs from two rearing systems and two genotypes to exposure to humans

The behavioural, physiological and immunological responses of lambs from two rearing systems and two genotypes to exposure to humans was assessed during and immediately after testing in an open-field arena. Ninety-six lambs of two genotypes (Scottish Blackface: BF and Texel×(Blue-faced Leicester×Sco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied animal behaviour science 2000-03, Vol.66 (4), p.305-321
Main Authors: Goddard, P.J, Fawcett, A.R, Macdonald, A.J, Reid, H.W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal behavior
antibody formation
blood plasma
bluefaced leicester
cortisol
crossing
extensive livestock farming
fearfulness
Genetics
genotype
genotype-environment interaction
Heart rate
Human–animal relationships
Immunology
intensive livestock farming
lambs
lymphocyte proliferation
Management systems
Physiology
Scottish Blackface
Sheep-handling
Texel
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Summary:The behavioural, physiological and immunological responses of lambs from two rearing systems and two genotypes to exposure to humans was assessed during and immediately after testing in an open-field arena. Ninety-six lambs of two genotypes (Scottish Blackface: BF and Texel×(Blue-faced Leicester×Scottish Blackface): T) were used. From birth to weaning one of two management regimes was applied: extensive (E), whereby animals were handled as little as possible or semi-intensive (I), in which lambs experienced a greater level of human exposure. Eight lambs from each of the four treatment groups received an antigenic challenge ( Mycobacterium a. paratuberculosis) at 9 weeks of age to allow subsequent testing of immunological reactivity. At 1 and 3 weeks after weaning and 1 year later, lambs were tested in groups of four in a 4.5×4.5 m indoor arena, marked with gridlines at 0.75 m intervals. There were a number of occasions where testing revealed significant effects of genotype, management or their interaction, but in an approximately equal number of instances no significant effects of either genotype or management were observed. Genotype significantly influenced the number of squares occupied in the test arena over a 10-min period before the human entered (100.4 vs. 110.5; sed 2.70 for BF and T lambs, respectively, p
ISSN:0168-1591
1872-9045
DOI:10.1016/S0168-1591(99)00091-X