title: The effects of an oral distraction on cattle during a painful procedure.
abstract: An oral distraction was investigated as a way to reduce struggle and heart rate of beef cattle undergoing freeze branding. Oral distraction reduced the struggle of steers, regardless of branding treatment. No effect on heart rate was found. Distractions may provide a way to reduce struggle by animals during restraint.
authors.affiliation: University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Aitken, Stookey, Noble, Watts); Gelorup, Western Australia, Australia (Finlay).
authors.forename: Brooke L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stookey
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000823:Animal Identification Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004924:Escape Reaction; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000662:veterinary*