Xiao Jin, Han Zhipeng, Li Xintong, Phillips Clive J C, Shi Binlin
College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2024 May 16;14(10):1482. doi: 10.3390/ani14101482.
Transport is a high-risk time for sheep, especially if the distances are long and sheep are fasted for a long time beforehand. Two experiments were conducted to compare transport durations of 1 hour (1 h) and 3 hours (3 h) and the effects of feeding before transport using Dorper × Mongolian sheep, which are typical of the region and may be tolerant of the high temperatures in the Inner Mongolian summer. Thirty 4-month-old male sheep were randomly divided into two treatment groups, with 15 sheep/treatment in each experiment, to evaluate the effects on blood biochemical indicators, stress hormone levels, rectal temperatures, and antioxidant status of lambs in summer. In Experiment 1, the levels of triglycerides and free fatty acids after 3 h transport were significantly lower than after 1 h transport ( < 0.05). The levels of thyroxine and malondialdehyde in blood were greater after 3 h transport than 1 h transport ( < 0.05). Creatine kinase levels after 3 h transport tended to be lower than after 1 h transport ( = 0.051). In Experiment 2, the levels of urea and superoxide dismutase in the group fasted pre-transport was significantly lower than those of the group fed pre-transport ( < 0.05). The serum cortisol level in the pre-transport fed group was higher compared to the group fed pre-transport ( = 0.04). Total antioxidant capacity in the pre-transport fasted group tended to be lower compared to that in the pre-transport fed group ( < 0.0001). We conclude that the reduction in nutritional status of sheep transported for longer and without feed pre-transport suggests that transporting sheep in hot conditions in northern China after fasting for a long period should be restricted. However, a decrease in the stress induced by transport following fasting is worthy of further study.
运输对绵羊来说是一个高风险时期，尤其是当运输距离长且绵羊在此之前长时间禁食时。进行了两项实验，以比较1小时（1h）和3小时（3h）的运输时长以及运输前喂食的影响，实验使用杜泊×蒙古杂交绵羊，这种绵羊是该地区的典型品种，可能耐受内蒙古夏季的高温。30只4月龄雄性绵羊被随机分为两个处理组，每个实验每组15只绵羊，以评估对夏季羔羊血液生化指标、应激激素水平、直肠温度和抗氧化状态的影响。在实验1中，运输3小时后的甘油三酯和游离脂肪酸水平显著低于运输1小时后（P<0.05）。运输3小时后血液中的甲状腺素和丙二醛水平高于运输1小时后（P<0.05）。运输3小时后的肌酸激酶水平趋于低于运输1小时后（P=0.051）。在实验2中，运输前禁食组的尿素和超氧化物歧化酶水平显著低于运输前喂食组（P<0.05）。运输前喂食组的血清皮质醇水平高于运输前禁食组（P=0.04）。运输前禁食组的总抗氧化能力趋于低于运输前喂食组（P<0.0001）。我们得出结论，运输时间较长且运输前未喂食的绵羊营养状况下降，这表明在中国北方炎热条件下长时间禁食后运输绵羊应受到限制。然而，禁食后运输诱导的应激降低值得进一步研究。
