Effect of gentle physical contact on behavioural indicators in sheep.

The available literature provides ample evidence for the importance of gentle treatment and handling of farm animals for the establishment of relationships with humans. The present study is an attempt to verify the assumption that massage can be a tool for building sheep-human relationships and to determine the impact of this technique on the behaviour of lambs. In total, 40 3-week-old lambs (20 ewes of the synthetic prolific-meat line (BCP) and 20 Swiniarka breed ewes) were assigned to two control groups (BCP, Swiniarka) and two experimental groups (BCP, Swiniarka). The lambs from the experimental groups received modified Shantala massage. During each session, the zoophysiotherapists massaged the chest, forelimbs, abdomen, hindlimbs, back, and face always in the same way and the same order. The massage was applied three times a day (at fixed times) for 21 consecutive days. Based on the behaviour manifested by the lambs during the massage sessions, a 2-point scale was developed for assessment of the animals from the research groups. After the massage, behavioural tests with the participation of a human, a dog, and a novel object were carried out for three consecutive days. Behaviours indicating curiosity (frequency of interaction, time of direct contact, latency) and fear (frequency of climbing and attempts to escape, duration of vocalisation) were assessed. The behavioural tests revealed significant differences in the behaviour of massaged and non-massaged lambs of both breeds, which confirms that the massage has a modifying effect on the behaviour of these animals. The influence of the applied technique was reflected by an increase in curiosity and a reduced level of fear.

Heritability of individual egg hatching success versus hen hatchability in layers.

The purpose of the study was to test the genetics of individual egg hatchability. Hatching outcome (0,1) of each of the eggs (126,430) laid during hatching seasons of 5 generations of a Rhode Island White population was analyzed with models that attributed the direct additive effect either to an egg or to a hen. A Gibbs sampling procedure, accounting for dichotomous nature of the trait, was employed for variance component estimation. The egg/embryo direct additive component was negligibly small (h(2) = 0.007) from the point of view of the accuracy of the hatchability proof. The hen direct additive component, though more than 12 times higher (h(2) = 0.087) than that of the egg, was still more than 2 times smaller than the component because of her permanent environment (p(2) = 0.221). More accurate definition of hens' environmental needs may prove to be more effective for hatching outcome improvement than increasing the accuracy of the reproduction proof, because current selection has to be performed before the individual hatchability record is known.