Characteristics of immediately weaned Awassi lambs’ early behaviour in a herd
Preliminary paper
Keywords:
immediate weaning, artificial lamb rearing, behaviour of lambs, Awassi sheepAbstract
This study was conducted at the Bakonszeg Awassi Ltd. in 2005. The following objects were investigated: the daily activity, development of biorhythms, presence of abnormal oral behaviour (cross-sucking and pen-sucking) and early ranking of immediately separated Awassi lambs (n = 24), during the first 3 days after grouping. Comparing the three daily graphs of lambs’ activity it was found that there was no unambiguous repetition (periodicity) in the behaviour of the animals on the first day. We can say that on the 2nd and 3rd day of the investigation the lambs conformed themselves to the different technological steps (e.g. preparing for feeding, cleaning, scaling) to a certain extent, and their activity was changing according to the stockpersons’ operations. Two very intensive periods (87–92% of the animals were active) soon before feeding (7.15 and 12.15), and two passive periods after feeding (0% activity) were observed on both days.
Investigation of abnormal oral behaviour showed a relatively high frequency of cross-sucking (each other’s hair and umbilical stump) and pen-sucking before feeding. Obviously, a clear hierarchy does not exist among these young animals; however, bigger and more active lambs did have an advantage during feeding towards their pen-mates with no doubt.
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