Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep
Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep
复制标题
栏位大小和胎次对小尾寒羊母性行为的影响
DOI：
10.1017/s175173111500052x
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发表时间：
2015-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.6
通讯作者：
Li, F. -K.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lv, S. -J.;Yang, Y.;Li, F. -K.
本试验的目的是研究围栏大小和胎次对双胎小尾寒羊母羊行为的影响。24只母羊按2×2设计(每栏6只)，产次(初产或经产)和围栏大小(大：6.0x3.0m，小：6.0x1.5m)为主要影响因素，山东临沂大学，中国。从分娩后到断奶，观察其行为。从0700~1000h和1400~1700h，每隔5天观察一次母羊的行为，用连续的焦点动物取样来量化母体行为的持续时间：吮吸、梳理和跟随，以及接受乳房、拒绝乳房和低声啼叫的频率。用EIA试剂盒检测粪便中雌二醇和皮质醇的浓度(每隔5天早上收集一次)。所有羔羊在分娩后24小时称重，35日龄断奶时再次称重。随着哺乳时间的延长(P<；0.005)、梳理时间(P<；0.001)和哺乳时间的延长(P<；0.001)，小围栏的大小显著减小。然而，与母羊胎次有显著的交互作用，在小围栏中梳理和哺乳的减少主要见于经产的母羊(P<；0.001)。与围栏的大小无关，经产的母羊比初产的母羊接受更多的哺乳尝试(P<；0.001)，并发出更多的低声哀鸣(P<；005)。经产妇的粪便雌二醇浓度高于初产母羊(P<；0.001)，小围栏的母羊粪便皮质醇水平高于大围栏的母羊(P<；0.001)。随着羔羊年龄的增长，母体梳理、跟踪和哺乳的持续时间以及接受乳房和低声啼叫的频率都减少了，而拒绝乳房的频率增加(P<；0.001)。母羊胎次，而不是围栏大小，影响了观察期内羔羊的体重增加(P<；0.001)。这是第一项研究表明，羊圈大小与产次的相互作用，可以影响绵羊哺乳期间母性行为的表现。这项研究也是第一次报道中国地方绵羊品种(小尾寒羊)的母性行为，这对中国的绵羊生产有意义。
The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of pen size and parity on maternal behaviour of twin-bearing Small-Tail Han ewes. A total of 24 ewes were allocated to a 2 x 2 design (six per pen), with parity (primiparous or multiparous) and pen size (large: 6.0 x 3.0 m; small: 6.0 x 1.5 m) as main effects at Linyi University, Shandong Province, China. Behaviour was observed from after parturition until weaning. All ewes were observed for 6 h every 5 days from 0700 to 1000 h and from 1400 to 1700 h. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify the duration of maternal behaviours: sucking, grooming and following as well as the frequency of udder accepting, udder refusing and low-pitched bleating. Oestradiol and cortisol concentrations in the faeces (collected in the morning every 5 days) were detected using EIA kits. All lambs were weighed 24 h after parturition and again at weaning at 35 days of age. The small pen size significantly reduced following (P < 0.005), grooming (P < 0.001) and suckling durations (P < 0.05), as well as the frequency of udder refusals (P < 0.001). However, there was a significant interaction with ewe parity, with decreased grooming and suckling in the small pen largely seen in the multiparous ewes (P < 0.001). Independent of pen size, multiparous ewes accepted more sucking attempts by their lambs (P < 0.05) and made more low-pitched bleats than primiparous ewes (P < 0.001). Multiparous ewes had higher faecal oestradiol concentrations than primiparous ewes (P < 0.001), and ewes in small pens had higher faecal cortisol levels compared with ewes in larger pens (P < 0.001). As lambs increased in age, the duration of maternal grooming, following and suckling as well as frequency of udder acceptance and low-pitched bleating all declined, and the frequency of udder refusing increased (P < 0.001 for all). Ewe parity, but not pen size, affected lamb weight gain during the period of observation (P < 0.001). This is the first study to show that pen size, interacting with parity, can affect the expression of maternal behaviour in sheep during lactation. The study is also the first to report on the maternal behaviour of Chinese native sheep breeds (Small-Tail Han sheep), with implications for the production of sheep in China.