On-farm welfare assessment in dairy goats in the Brazilian Northeast / [Avaliação do bem-estar de cabras leiteiras em fazendas no nordeste brasileiro]

The objective of this study was to apply a modified AWIN Goat protocol to evaluate and compare the welfare of adult lactating and non-lactating dairy goats at pen and individual levels on small farms located in Ceará, Northeast, Brazil, and to take into consideration the application of this protocol on Brazilian Northeast goat farms. Five farms with Lactating goats (L) and five farms with non-lactating goats (NL) were evaluated. At the first level of welfare assessment, animals were evaluated in the pen and during the second level of welfare assessment, animals were evaluated in the pen and individually. Indicators assessed were animal and resource-based indicators. Significant difference between L and NL on farms was set at P<0.05. Only queuing at feeding indicator showed significant difference (P=0.027) between groups in pens at the first level welfare assessment. On individual assessments, there was significant difference between L and NL regarding body condition score (P=0.003), overgrown claws (P=0.001) and udder asymmetry (P=0.001). The application of a modified AWIN Goat protocol on farms in Ceará was considered positive. In general, these results demonstrated that both groups are submitted to welfare problems in Ceará, although lactating goats present more challenges to cope.(AU)

O objetivo deste estudo foi aplicar o protocolo AWIN de Cabras modificado para avaliar e comparar o bem-estar de cabras adultas lactantes e não lactantes em termos de baia e individualmente, em pequenas propriedades localizadas no Ceará, nordeste, Brasil, e levar em consideração a aplicação desse protocolo em fazendas caprinas do nordeste brasileiro. Cinco fazendas com cabras lactantes (L) e cinco fazendas com cabras não lactantes (NL) foram avaliadas. No primeiro nível de bem-estar, os animais foram avaliados nas baias e, durante o segundo nível de bem-estar, os animais foram avaliados na baia e individualmente. Os indicadores avaliados foram baseados em animais e recursos. Diferença significativa entre L e NL nas fazendas foi estabelecida em P<0,05. Apenas o indicador na fila na alimentação mostrou diferença significativa (P=0,027) entre os grupos na baia no primeiro nível de bem-estar. Nas avaliações individuais, houve diferença significativa entre L e NL com relação ao escore de condição corporal (P=0,003), sobrecrescimento das unhas (P=0,001) e assimetria do úbere (P=0,001). A aplicação do protocolo AWIN de cabras modificado em fazendas no Ceará foi considerada positiva. De modo geral, esses resultados demonstraram que ambos os grupos estão submetidos a problemas de bem-estar no Ceará, embora cabras em lactação apresentem mais desafios para enfrentar.(AU)

Photoperiod-treated bucks are equal to melatonin-treated bucks for inducing reproductive behaviour and physiological functions via the "male effect" in Mediterranean goats.

The aim of this study was to examine whether photoperiod-treated bucks have the same capacity as melatonin-treated bucks to induce reproductive responses in female goats during the spring. On 10 April, 38 anoestrous does were placed with: 1) photoperiod-treated bucks (additional light hours for 83 days from the end of the previous November; PHOTO; n = 12); 2) bucks treated with exogenous melatonin at the beginning of March (MEL; n = 13); and 3) bucks that received no treatments (CONTROL; n = 13). The bucks' sexual behaviour was assessed for 10 days, and doe oestrous behaviour was recorded for the next 32 days by checking for harness marks. Ovulation was confirmed from plasma progesterone concentration (measured twice per week) and ovulation rate was assessed by transrectal ultrasonography. Fecundity, fertility, prolificacy and productivity were also determined. The percentage of does in the PHOTO, MEL and CONTROL group: 1) having ovulations was 92%, 100% and 38% respectively; 2) expressing behavioural oestrous associated with ovulation was 92%, 100% and 31%; and 3) that became pregnant was 75%, 69% and 23%, respectively. The kids produced per doe were 1.08 ± 0.23, 1.15 ± 0.25 and 0.31 ± 0.17 for the PHOTO, MEL, and CONTROL groups, respectively with there being no differences between the PHOTO and MEL groups, however, there was a difference (P < 0.05) between PHOTO/MEL and CONTROL groups. Thus, imposing a stimulatory lighting regimen during the preceding winter period is as efficient as using subcutaneous melatonin implants in stimulating reproductive behaviours and physiological functions of bucks.

Ethogram of three genetic groups of goats confined using monitoring video images

The ethogram description of confined goats is an alternative that helps identify animals' behaviour, their main behavior and the importance of developing production systems that provide better welfare conditions. This paper aims to describe the ethogram of three genetic groups of confined goats: Azul, Moxotó and Graúna, through monitoring video images, using 9 animals kept in individual pens, monitored by video cameras mounted on the roof of each pen. As for the design and description of ethogram, 810 hours of video image were recorded and analysed, these being from being nine hours a day periods; three in the morning, afternoon and night. We identified 34 visual behaviours, which were grouped into eight categories according to their functional character: food = 4), social interaction (n = 6), displacement (n = 2), resting (n = 3), grooming (n = 4), neutral position (n = 3), bipedal (n = 5) and other activities (n = 7). In conclusion, behaviors described in the ethogram were similar for all three genetic groups. Goats conduct their daily routine with sequences of behaviour that involve eating (food intake or selection) and resting or ruminating, with social interactions and other activities having happened more frequently in the afternoon and at that time in the afternoon before being provided with food.

Development of social familiarity in ewes.

We assessed the development of individual discrimination resulting from direct contact/familiarization in ewes. Unfamiliar ewes were introduced during 6, 24 or 72 h in groups of already familiarized ewes. At the end of this contact period, the development of social recognition with the animal that has been introduced was assessed using two different types of tests: a Y-maze preference test and a delayed paired close encounters test where tested ewes are successively and randomly interacting with the familiar animal and an unfamiliar conspecific. The results of both tests showed that ewes developed a recognition of the familiar animal in comparison to a completely unfamiliar female. However, this preference was evidenced after 24 h of contact when using the paired close encounters test whereas it appears only after 72 h when using the Y-maze test, suggesting that the paired close encounters test is a more sensitive methodology to assess the development of social familiarization. The importance of estrogens, in the formation of social familiarization was also evaluated. To this end, social recognition in the paired close encounters test was compared between ovariectomized animals receiving estrogen implants or not. Despite significant high levels of estradiol in estrogen implanted females, no major differences in recognition appeared between groups, suggesting that in our conditions estrogens do not have major influence on social familiarization.

Partner preference: assessing the role of the female goat.

For domestic ruminants, the male is thought to have the control over mate choice. The aim of this study was to assess the potential role the female goat plays in choosing a sexual partner. Approach frequency and proximity time to various social or sexual stimuli in a Y-maze apparatus were used as partner preference assessment parameters. Ovariectomized females were either induced into estrus (n=8) or induced into anestrus (n=8) and exposed to various goal stimuli - intact unfamiliar females (estrous and diestrous), intact males, and neutral (empty) in six separate trials. Total arm entries and time spent within one body length of the goal (proximity time - used to calculate preference scores) were recorded for subjects. With a male present, anestrous subjects had significantly more total arm entries than estrous subjects. Estrous subjects showed a significant preference for the male goal (M) versus the estrous female (ES), diestrous female (DS), and empty goals, respectively. Estrous subjects also showed a preference for the ES and DS goals when one goal was left empty. Anestrous subjects showed a preference for the goal containing ES, DS, and M compared to empty goals. They also showed a preference for ES vs. DS. The Y-maze is a tool that can be used to assess sexual and social partner preferences in female goats. The role the female plays in choosing a partner may be much greater than previously considered.

Social dominance and breeding activity in Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) maintained in captivity.

The relationship between ovulatory activity and social dominance was determined in 10 Spanish ibex females by recording their plasma progesterone and plasma cortisol levels. In a second experiment, the influence of dominance status on the establishment of pregnancy after introduction to males during late anoestrous (late October) was evaluated in another nine females. Dominance hierarchies were established in both groups by noting agonistic interactions between the individual females. Six high-ranking females of the 10 ibexes without male contact showed ovulatory activity with 1-3 progesterone cycles. The first progesterone cycle appeared in December (18 December +/- 4 days). Dominance status correlated with age (R = 0.86, P < 0.01), bodyweight (R = 0.96, P < 0.001) and the number of progesterone cycles (R = 0.82, P < 0.01). Cortisol differences were associated with differences in reproductive function rather than social status per se. Introduction to males during late anoestrous brought forward the initiation of ovulatory activity (14 November +/- 5 days) and resulted in three pregnancies in females with higher dominance ranks. The results suggest that social interactions are important in the control of ovulatory activity in the Spanish ibex.

Isolation stress in desert sheep and goats and the influence of pretreatment with xylazine or sodium betaine.

We studied some behavioural, clinical, biochemical and haematological variables in Desert (Najdi) sheep and goats subjected to the acute stressful stimulus of isolation from the flock, and the influence of pretreatment with xylazine (n = 6) or sodium betaine (n = 6). The isolation stress resulted in increased vocalization and in variable and statistically nonsignificant increases in heart, pulse and respiratory rates. Isolation caused significant increases in the plasma concentrations of cortisol (from about 35.2 to about 83.8 mmol/L) and glucose (from 3.1 to 4.2 mmol/L), and a decrease in that of magnesium (from 0.82 to 0.65 mmol/L). The endogenous thiocyanate concentration was unaffected. The isolation stress also significantly decreased the haematocrit (PCV), and the number of lymphocytes, and increased the concentration of haemoglobin. Pretreatment of sheep and goats with xylazine at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg by the intravenous route significantly ameliorated the effects induced by the stressful stimulus. The effects of pretreatment of the two species with sodium betaine (10 mg/kg) produced variable and nonsignificant effects. There were no significant differences between sheep and goats in the responses to the isolation stress, except in vocalization, which was greater in sheep than in goats.