Departamento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Colonia Chamilpa, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2021 Feb 4;53(1):150. doi: 10.1007/s11250-021-02589-3.
As during the early postpartum, ewes and their twin lambs have a weaker bond than ewes that rear single lambs; it might be expected that early artificial weaning would trigger less intense behavioral and physiological responses in mothers and their twin lambs than in mothers and their single lambs. The aim of this study was to compare the behavioral and physiological responses of ewes and their twin or single lambs to early weaning. The study was performed with 19 Saint Croix ewes: 10 bearing single lambs and nine bearing twins (data from only one sibling from each pair of twins was collected). Lambs were weaned at 43 days old. Body weight, stress-related behaviors, and blood protein concentrations were recorded in ewes and lambs before and after weaning. Single lambs were heavier and paced more frequently during the day of weaning than twin lambs (10.6 ± 0.4 vs 8.9 ± 0.4 kg; P = 0.007 and 4.1 ± 0.4 vs 1.5 ± 0.4%; P = 0.0003, respectively). In addition, ewes rearing single lambs paced and vocalized more than twin lambs' mothers the day of weaning (pacing, 42.4 ± 1.1 vs 20.0 ± 1.2%; P < 0.0001; vocalizations, 43.1 ± 2.6 vs 21.3 ± 2.7%; P < 0.0001). Litter size affected only ewes' albumin concentration, without other effects in protein concentrations in ewes or lambs. In conclusion, early weaning triggered stronger behavioral responses in mothers and their single lamb than in mothers and their twin lambs.
与产后早期一样，产双羔的母羊与其所产的双羔之间的联系比产单羔的母羊与其所产的单羔之间的联系要弱；因此，人们可能会认为，早期人工断奶会导致产双羔的母羊及其双羔的行为和生理反应不如产单羔的母羊及其单羔的反应强烈。本研究旨在比较早期断奶对产单羔和双羔的母羊及其羔羊的行为和生理反应的影响。该研究使用了 19 只圣克鲁斯母羊：10 只产单羔，9 只产双羔（每对双羔中的一只同胞的数据被收集）。羔羊在 43 日龄断奶。断奶前后记录母羊和羔羊的体重、应激相关行为和血液蛋白浓度。与双羔相比，断奶当天单羔的体重更重，且白天踱步的频率更高（10.6±0.4 比 8.9±0.4 kg；P=0.007 和 4.1±0.4 比 1.5±0.4%；P=0.0003）。此外，断奶当天，产单羔的母羊比产双羔的母羊踱步和发声更多（踱步，42.4±1.1 比 20.0±1.2%；P<0.0001；发声，43.1±2.6 比 21.3±2.7%；P<0.0001）。胎羔数仅影响母羊的白蛋白浓度，而对母羊或羔羊的其他蛋白质浓度没有影响。总之，早期断奶会引起母羊及其单羔的行为反应比母羊及其双羔更强烈。
