Finishing feedlot lambs in enriched pens using feeder ramps and straw and its influence on behavior and physiological welfare indicators |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;2. Department of Animal Science, E.T.S.I.A. Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain;3. Group of Animal Welfare and sustainable Production, Department of Food Science, Metropolitan Autonomous University, UAM-Lerma, State of México, México;1. Section for Reproduction, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Sciences, Vienna, Austria;2. Centre for Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Sciences, Vienna, Austria;1. Chair of Animal Welfare, Ethology, Animal Hygiene and Husbandry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany;2. Statistical Consulting Unit (STABLAB), Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany;3. Institute of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Oberschleißheim, Germany;4. Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, DSAR Animal Research & Welfare, Frankfurt, Germany;5. Department of Comparative Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany;1. Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain;2. Department of Food Science, Group of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Livestock Production, Metropolitan Autonomous University, UAM-Lerma, México, México;3. Department of Animal Science, E.T.S.I.A. Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain;1. Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;2. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal;3. School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal;4. COPELABS—Cognition and People-centric Computing Laboratories, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon, Portugal;5. CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | Sixty lambs were placed in enriched (EE) or conventional (CO) pens (3 pens per treatment or 10 lambs per pen), in which the EE pens had a wooden platform with ramps giving access to a concentrate hopper, straw as bedding and forage, and a further ramp for play. The CO pen was barren without any enrichment. The general behavior of the lambs and the use of space were similar for both treatments; however, CO lambs developed significantly more stereotypies (P ≤ 0.05). The EE lambs resolved a T-maze more quickly (P ≤ 0.05), and their physiological adaptation response to the feedlot environment was more efficient. The CO lambs mobilized more body reserves and had lower levels of immunity (i.e., increased nonesterified fatty acid and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, respectively, P ≤ 0.05) than EE lambs at the end of the fattening period, which indicates chronic stress, probably associated with the barren environment. The EE lambs had a higher (P ≤ 0.05) average daily gain, heavier carcasses and higher fattening scores, as well as lower pHult. This study shows that enrichment can improve the welfare of feedlot lambs by reducing stereotypies and enhancing the physiological adaptation response to a novel environment. |
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| Keywords: | full environmental enrichment finishing lambs behavior animal welfare T-maze task |
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