Welfare evaluation of fat-rumped lambs under stall feeding condition with different feeder design

ARPITA  MOHAPATRA; SHILPI  KERKETTA; VIJAY  KUMAR; KALYAN  DE; S S  DANGI; RAGHVENDAR  SINGH

doi:10.56093/ijans.v94i8.150308

Authors

ARPITA MOHAPATRA ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
SHILPI KERKETTA ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Barhi, Hazaribag, Jharkhand
VIJAY KUMAR ICAR- Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan
KALYAN DE ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig, Rani, Assam
S S DANGI ICAR- Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan
RAGHVENDAR SINGH ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v94i8.150308

Keywords:

Behaviours, Feeding trough, Group feeding, Growth performance, Lambs

Abstract

Animal welfare is directly related to animal performance and farm profit. It is associated with their autonomy to take feed and water along with a lack of discomfort. Feeding welfare determines farm profit as major cost of a farm is associated with feed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of feeder design on lamb welfare evaluated through feeding behaviour and lamb performance. Sixteen growing fat-rumped lambs of 3-4 months of age were categorized into two groups with an average weight of 23.20±0.25 kg. Group I lambs were fed in conventional feeder, i.e. without divider and group II in designed feeder, i.e. with divider, respectively. The eating time was significantly low in group I with longer and strong agonistic behaviour suggesting intense competition within the group. This group showed minimal weight gain and maximal feed wastage due to extreme struggle for food during the period of the study. The time spent in comfort behaviours like lying rumination was more and agonistic behaviour was less in group II lambs. They showed significantly higher bodyweight gain. It can be concluded from the study that group feeding of growing lambs in feeder with divider allocates designated space for individual lamb, reduces agonistic behaviour and brings better growth in lambs under stall feeding conditions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmed S, Rakib M R H, Hemayet M A, Roy B K and Jahan N. 2020. Effect of complete pellet feed on commercial goat production under the stall feeding system in Bangladesh. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research 7(4): 704–09. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2020.g471

Broom D M. 2010. Animal welfare: An aspect of care, sustainability, and food quality required by the public. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 37: 83–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.37.1.83

Costa R G, Ribeiro N L, Nobre P T, Carvalho F F R, Medeiros A N and Martins F E. 2019. Ingestive behaviours and efficacy of male sheep housed in different stocking densities. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 48: e20180219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/rbz4820180219

De K, Kumar D, Mohapatra A and Saxena V K. 2019. Effect of bedding for reducing the post shearing stress in sheep. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour 33: 27–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2019.04.003

De K, Kumar D, Saxena V K, Thirumurugan P and Naqvi S M K. 2017. Effect of high ambient temperature on behaviour of sheep under semi-arid tropical environment. International Journal of Biometeorology 61(7): 1269–77.doi: 10.1007/s00484-016-1304-y. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1304-y

Devi I, Shinde A K, Kumar A and Sahoo A. 2020. Stall feeding of sheep and goats: An alternative system to traditional grazing on community lands. Indian Journal of Animal Research 90: 318–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v90i3.102317

DeVries T J and Keyserlingk M A G. 2009. Feeding method affects the feeding behaviour of growing dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 92: 1161–68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1314

Dias-Silva T P and Filho A L A. 2020. Sheep and goat feeding behaviour profile in grazing systems. Acta Scientiarum. Animal Sciences 43: e51265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4025/actascianimsci.v43i1.51265

Gonyou H W and Keeling L J. 2001. Social Behaviour in Farm Animals. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK. 130. http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/3107/1/7.pdf.

Hoffman P C, Simson C R and Wattiaux M. 2007. Limit feeding of gravid Holstein heifers: Effect on growth, manure nutrient excretion, and subsequent early lactation performance. Journal of Dairy Science 90: 946–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(07)71578-3

Leme T M C, Titto E A L, Titto C G A, Pereira A N D and Ntc M C. 2013. Influence of stocking density on weight gain and behaviour of feedlot lambs. Small Ruminant Research 115: 1–6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2013.07.010

Lukuyu B, Ravichandran T, Maass B, Laswai G, Duncan A and Bwire J. 2015. Enhancing livestock productivity through feed and feeding interventions in India and Tanzania. 26: ILRI Project report https://cgspace.cgiar.org%2Fhandle%2F10568%2F68753

Mattiello S, Battini M, De Rosa Gnapolitano F and Dwyer C. 2019. How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants? Animals 9(10): 758. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9100758

Martin P and Bateson P. 1993. Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide. Cambridge University Press, UK. https://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/28680/frontmatter/9780521828680_frontmatter.pdf

Mohapatra A, De K, Saxena V K, Mallick P K, DeviI and Singh R. 2021. Behavioural and physiological adjustments by lambs in response to weaning stress. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour 41: 47–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2020.07.009

Nielsen B L, de Jong I C and De Vries T J. 2016. The use of feeding behaviour in the assessment of animal welfare. Nutrition and the Welfare of Farm Animals; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland 16: 59–84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27356-3_4

Phillips C. 2002. The welfare of dairy cows, pp. 19-20. Cattle Behaviour and Welfare. (Ed) Phillips C. Second Edition, Blackwell Science Ltd. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470752418

Sahoo A, Bhatt R S and Tripathi M K. 2015. Stall feeding in small ruminants: emerging trends and future perspectives. Indian Journal of Animal Research 32(4): 353–72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5958/2231-6744.2015.00001.8

Sastry N S R and Thomas C K. 2021. Livestock Production Management. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi.

Sevi A, Casamassima D, Pulina G and Pazzona A. 2009. Factors of welfare reduction in dairy sheep and goats. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8: 81–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2009.s1.81

Titto E A L, Titto C G, Gatto E G, Noronha C M S, Mourão G B, Nogueira Filho J C M and Pereira A M F. 2010. Reactivity of Nellore steers in two feedlot housing systems and its relationship with plasmatic cortisol. Livestock Science 129: 146–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2010.01.017

Tuomisto L, Huuskonen A, Jauhiainen L and Mononen J. 2019. Finishing bulls have more synchronized behaviour in pastures than in pens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 213: 26–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.02.007

Webb L E, Engel B, Berends H, van Reenens C O M, Gerrit, J, de Boer I J M and Bonkers E A M. 2014. What do calves choose to eat and how do preferences affect behaviour? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 161: 7–19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.09.016