Performance and welfare status of stable and regrouped beetal does fed at hexagonal vs linear feeder

GURPREET KAUR; SANDEEP KASWAN; CHANCHAL SINGH; MANDEEP SINGLA; AMIT SHARMA; JASPAL SINGH LAMBA

doi:10.56093/ijans.v91i11.118141

Authors

GURPREET KAUR Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India
SANDEEP KASWAN Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India
CHANCHAL SINGH Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India
MANDEEP SINGLA Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India
AMIT SHARMA Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India
JASPAL SINGH LAMBA Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v91i11.118141

Keywords:

Beetal, Feeder, Mixing, Wastage, Welfare

Abstract

Performance and welfare status of stable and regrouped Beetal does (N=28) was assessed at hexagonal and linear feeder (n=14 does per group, 7 lactating and 7 non-lactating). Stable groups were compared at hexagonal (DH) and linear (DL) feeders for a period of four weeks. Thereafter, does were regrouped (7 does interchanged, i.e. 4 lactating and 3 non-lactating) at hexagonal (DHM) and linear (DLM) feeder and compared as following four subgroups, i.e. hexagonal retained (DHR), linear-to-hexagonal (DLH), hexagonal-to-linear (DHL) and linear retained (DLR) does (n=7 each). Body weight, milk yield, feed intake, wastage, injuries and blood biochemical parameters were recorded. Blood samples were collected at weekly interval before regrouping and on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 after regrouping. Most of the parameters did not differ between feeder groups before as well as after regrouping. One doe received horn injury after regrouping at hexagonal feeder. Does retained at respective feeder (DHR and DLR) showed increase in plasma cortisol level after regrouping indicative of rise in stress to defend their stable position at feeder or space inside the pen. Results showed that two types of feeder had little influence on performance and welfare of stable does with marginal advantages at linear feeder in regrouped does.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Andersen I L, Roussel S, Ropstad E, Braastad B O, Steinheim G, Janczak A M, Jørgensen G M and Bøe K E. 2008. Social

instability increases aggression in groups of dairy goats, but with minor consequences for the goats’ growth, kid production and development. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 114: 132–48.

Anonymous. 2018. Goats-Code of welfare. Animal welfare act, 1999. New Zealand. Retrieved on 17/02/2020. https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1429/direct. Campbell J R and Marshall R T. 2016. Dairy production and processing: The science of milk and milk products. Waveland Press, pp. 242.

Couret D, Otten W, Puppe B, Prunier A and Merlot E. 2009. Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts. Animal 3(1): 118–27.

Durackova Z. 2007. Oxidants, antioxidants and redox stress. The activity of natural compounds in diseases prevention and therapy, pp. 11–59.

Fazio E, Medica P, Aronica V, Grasso L and Ferlazzo A. 2008. Circulating -endorphin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and

cortisol levels of stallions before and after short road transport: stress effect of different distances. Acta Veterinaria

Scandinavica 50: 6–12.

Fernandez M A, Alvarez L and Zarco L. 2007. Regrouping in lactating goats increases aggression and decreases milk

production. Small Ruminant Research 70: 228–32.

Goetsch A L. 2019. Recent research of feeding practices and the nutrition of lactating dairy goats. Journal of Applied Animal Research 47(1): 103–14.

Hasegawa N, Nisshiwaki A, Sugawara K and Ito I. 1997. The effects of social exchange between two groups of lactating

primiparous heifers on milk production, dominance order, behavior and adrenocortical response. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 51: 15–27.

Houpt K A. 2005. Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. 4th Edn. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA, USA.

Kaur G. 2019. ‘Performance and welfare assessment of Beetal goats fed on linear vis-à-vis hexagonal feeders’. M.V.Sc. Thesis, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, India. pp. 36.

Kaur G, Kaswan S, Singla M, Sharma A and Lamba J S. 2021. Behaviour of beetal does and bucks at linear vs. hexagonal feeder with special reference to homologous regrouping. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 234: 105210.

Keil N M, Pommereau M, Patt A, Wechsler B and Gygax L. 2017. Determining suitable dimensions for dairy goat feeding places by evaluating body posture and feeding reach. Journal of Dairy Science 100(2): 1353–62.

Keyserling M A G, Olenick D and Weary D M. 2008. Acute behavioural effects of regrouped dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 91: 1011–16.

Kielland C, Boe K E, Zanella A J and Osteras O. 2010. Risk factors for skin lesions on the necks of Norwegian dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93(9): 3979–89.

Kumari A and Patel B H M. 2015. Wastage of green fodder under different feeding systems in Rohilkhandi kids. Livestock Research International 3(3): 74–76.

Li Y Z, Wang L H and Johnston L J. 2012. Sorting by parity to reduce aggression toward first-parity sows in group-gestation housing systems. Journal of Animal Science 90(12): 4514–22.

Miranda-de la Lama G C, Sepúlveda W S, Montaldo H H, María G A and Galindo F. 2011. Social strategies associated with identity profiles in dairy goats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134(1–2): 48–55.

Miranda-de La Lama G C and Mattiello S. 2010. The importance of social behaviour for goat welfare in livestock farming. Small Ruminant Research 90(1–3): 1–10.

Nawroth C, Langbein J, Coulon M, Gabor V, Oesterwind S, Benz-Schwarzburg J and von Borell E. 2019. Farm animal

cognition—linking behavior, welfare and ethics. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 6.

Neave H W, von Keyserlingk M A, Weary D M and Zobel G. 2018. Feed intake and behavior of dairy goats when offered an elevated feed bunk. Journal of Dairy Science 101: 3303–10.

Oesterwind S, Nürnberg G, Puppe B and Langbein J. 2016. Impact of structural and cognitive enrichment on the learning performance, behavior and physiology of dwarf goats (Capra aegagrushircus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 177: 34–41.

Pakhretia S and Pirt R S. 2010. A behavioural study of the sheep and goats of the Transhumant Gaddis. Journal of Human Ecology 29(2): 93–100.

Phillips C J C and Rind M I. 2001. The effects on production and behavior of mixing uniparous and multiparous cows. Journal of Dairy Science 84(11): 2424–29.

Provenza F D, Villalba J J, Dziba L E, Atwood S B and Banner R E. 2003. Linking herbivore experience, varied diets, and plant biochemical diversity. Small Ruminant Research 49: 257–74.

Rahal A, Kumar A, Singh V, Yadav B, Tiwari R, Chakraborty S and Dhama K. 2014. Oxidative stress, prooxidants, and antioxidants: the interplay. BioMed Research International.

Rutherford K M D, Robson S K, Donald R D, Jarvis S, Sandercock D A, Scott E M, Nolan A M and Lawrence A B. 2009. Prenatal stress amplifies the immediate behavioural responses to acute pain in piglets. Biology Letters 5: 452–54.

Silva N C D, Puchala R, Gipson T A, Sahlu T and Goetsch A L. 2018. Effects of restricted periods of feed access on feed intake, digestion, behaviour, heat energy, and performance of Alpine goats. Journal of Applied Animal Research 46: 994–1003.

Soede N M, Van Sleuwen M J W, Molenaar R, Rietveld F W, Schouten W P G, Hazeleger W and Kemp B. 2006. Influence

of repeated regrouping on reproduction in gilts. Animal Reproduction Science 96: 133–45.

Stanley C R and Dunbar R I M. 2013. Consistent social structure and optimal clique size revealed by social network analysis of feral goats, Capra hircus. Animal Behaviour 85: 771–79.

Szabo S. 2011. ‘Social stress in large groups of dairy goats-Influence of presence of horns and introduction management of young goats’. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.

Szabò S, Barth K, Graml C, Futschik A, Palme R and Waiblinger S. 2013. Introducing young dairy goats into the adult herd after parturition reduces social stress. Journal of Dairy Science 96(9): 5644–55.

Tanaka M, Kamiya Y, Suzuki T, Kamiya M and Nakai Y. 2008. Relationship between milk production and plasma

concentrations of oxidative stress markers during hot season in primiparous cows. Animal Science Journal 79(4): 481–86.

Tuncer S S, ª ireli H D and Tatar A M. 2016. Behavioral patterns of goats. VII International Scientific Agriculture Symposium,” Agrosym 2016, 6–9 October 2016, Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Proceedings, University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Agriculture. pp. 2369–2374.

Upreti C R, Kuwar B S and Panday S B. 2005. Development and evaluation of improved feeders for goats suitable to stall-fed management system. Nepal Agricultural Research Journal 6: 78–83.

Zemmelink G and Mannetje L. 2002. Value for animal production (VAP): a new criterio for tropical forage evaluation. Animal Feed Science and Technology 96: 31–42.

Zobel G, Neave H W and Webster J. 2019. Understanding natural behavior to improve dairy goat (Capra hircus) management systems. Translational Animal Science 3(1): 212–24.