Human intervention in dairy kids weaning process: physiological parameters and animal behavior

Abstract

Human intervention in breeding and rearing processes may have different impact in animals related to the type, moment and duration. The aim of the study was to evaluate if there are changes in physiological, blood and behavioral parameters in Saanen kids according to type of type of breeding, 10 raised with their mothers (CT) vs. 10 artificially reared (CA), in pre-weaning and post-weaning stages. Heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (TR), respiratory frequency (FR), predisposition to be caught and kicking attitude were measure once a week. Prevously, 10 ml of blood was collected for leukogram determination. Experimental design was repeated measurements in CRD. Data were analyzed by InfoStat program. Neither between periods nor between treatments were significant differences detected for HR as TR. CT animals were more difficult to catch in both periods (pre-weaning: p <0.0001, post-weaning: p <0.0020). In pre-weaning stage the number of animals that kicked was higher (p <0.05) in CT, whereas during rearing period there were no differences. During pre-weaning, neutrophil counts of the CT group were higher (p <0.0001) and lymphocytes lower (p <0.0001) than in rearing stage. During rearing differences were found (p <0.0001) between groups and the neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio was higher (p <0.0001) by 50% in the TC. It is possible to conclude that although animals can become stressed when caught; contact with humans in early stages allows increasing the level of docility and, at the same time, facility the execution of routine tasks.

Keywords

• type of breeding
• behavioural response
• physiological parameters
• leukogram
• goats