Behavior of lambs in rest pens during long-distance transport.
The aim of this study was to determine how one group of lambs utilized 2 consecutive rest periods in novel environments with access to food and water that occurred during 22 hr of motor transport. The 18.5 +/- 0.6 kg lambs (n = 15) were transported for 8 hr and then unloaded for a 6-hr rest period. After 6 hr, the lambs were reloaded for another 8 hr of transport followed by a 24-hr rest period. Reloading for a second 8 hr of transport followed the initial rest period. The percentage of lambs engaged in drinking, eating, lying, playing, or "other" was determined at 15-min intervals. During the 6-hr rest period, peak lying behavior occurred during the 2nd and 6th hr of the period. During the first 6 hr of the 24-hr rest period, the percentage of lambs lying increased while the percentage of lambs eating decreased. In addition, the percentage of lambs lying during the first 6 hr of the 24-hr rest period was greater than during the 6-hr rest period. Lying down had a greater priority than eating during the second (24-hr) rest period.
Krawczel
Peter D
PD
Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2471, USA.
Friend
Ted H
TH
Archer
Greg S
GS
D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation