Discrimination of merino ewes by their newborn lambs: important for survival? Sci. doi: 10.116/S0031-9384(97)00079-6, Nowak, R., and Poindron, P. (2006). 11, 2651. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.612651, Nowak, R., Murphy, T. M., Lindsay, D. R., Alster, P., Andersson, R., and Uvns-Moberg, K. (1997). Lambing ewe lambs | AHDB Agr. Behavioral pattern in Texel Corriedale terminal crossbreeding: Maternal behavior score at birth, lambs' feeding behaviors, and behavioral responses of lambs to abrupt weaning. are weaned as early as 10 weeks. As animals age, their efficiency at converting feed into growth decreases, therefore young lambs must have the best grass or feed to replace declining milk supply. Artificial weaning time varies depending on the purpose of each sheep farm and the characteristics of the lambs, including age and weight of the lambs, and their ability to eat solid food. Anim. Sci. Lambs should be drenched a week or two before weaning. Furthermore, after definitive separation, the percentages of mothers and lambs resting are higher, and ewes and lambs vocalise less after progressive than abrupt weaning (Orgeur et al., 1998). Animal Welfare Approved certification program (2018). Ass. 14, 120125. This method is based on some early studies (Owen et al., 1969a,b) that concluded that the transition from the initial to substantial consumption of solid food is strongly influenced by milk intake. 194, 362370. Does anyone do natural weaning, ie letting the lambs stay with mum until the tup goes in or until they go to the abbattoir? Influence of the climatic environment and duration of labor on the mother-offspring interaction in Morada Nova sheep. A plentiful supply of good quality spring grass can suffice, but careful ration formulation is needed if the sheep are kept indoors or if grass is in short supply. Therefore, a 70kg ewe would need to lose or gain 8.4 kg to move one score. The decision to feed ewes should be based on the cost benefit of potential condition score gains, but it is important to first understand if there are underlying reasons why ewes are lean, she says. doi: 10.1016/j.livsci.2008.06.001, Terrazas, A., Nowak, R., Serafn, N., Ferreira, G., Lvy, F., and Poindron, P. (2002). Can. In contrast, in semi-extensive systems weaning is done at an earlier age, especially when food availability after weaning does not limit lambs' growth. During these periods of contact, lambs suckle ad libitum and interact freely with their mother. How much weight does a lamb put on per day? This year the dry spell has also had a significant impact on worms. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.04.009, Freitas-de-Melo, A., Ungerfeld, R., Htzel, M., Orihuela, A., and Prez-Clariget, R. (2017). This regime varies in different farms and regions, but it may begin as early as 1 d after birth, separating ewes and lambs at evening, milking the ewes once daily in the morning, and allowing full ewe-lamb contact during the day (McKusick et al., 2001). The length of the first suckling is related to the latency for the mother to recognise her lamb (Nowak and Poindron, 2006). In the case of abrupt weaning, ideally, farmers should be giving lambs access to good-quality, leafy swards straight away after weaning, which will help the lambs to settle quickly and avoid any major dip in performance. Arnold, G. W., Wallace, S. R., and Maller, R. A. This delay in growth may be a consequence of a bad adaptation of the digestive system to the acute feeding changes, the reduced immune status, the increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal parasites, and the energy dispended in the display of costly behavioural responses. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to 168, 3136. Behav. Orihuela, A., Surez, E., and Vzquez, R. (2004). 84, 16601668. Regardless of lamb's age at weaning, the most frequently used weaning method is abrupt separation (Freitas-de-Melo and Ungerfeld, 2016a), perhaps because sheep farmers can easily apply it. As a rule of thumb, most lambs can be weaned at 60 days of age or 45 pounds, whichever comes first. They can survive on pasture. Anim. How Old Do Lambs Need To Be To Wean? - Family Farm Livestock Sci. High grass digestibility is vital to the growth potential routinely measure and control sward height. In the commercial flock, we prefer to sell finished lambs straight off their mothers - less stress all round, and no growth check. Behav. During the first 1 or 2 wk postpartum, the ewes allow their lambs to suckle as often as they want (Munro, 1956; Hinch, 1989). B., Bishop, S. C., and Lewis, M. (2003). 30, 915. A creep pen is designed for young lambs to have access to additional feed concentrates separate from their mothers and other mature sheep. doi: 10.1038/289487a0, Cockram, M. S., Imlah, P., Goddard, P. J., Harkiss, G. D., and Waran, N. K. (1993). The incidence of diarrhoea is also greater in lambs weaned at 21 than at 35 d of age, affecting the daily weight gain in the younger lambs (Wang et al., 2019). Surprisingly, and although it might have important productive and welfare implications, there is scarce, and in some cases contradictory information, on the physiological responses of ewes at weaning. Behav. in El Bfalo de Agua en las Amricas, Enfoques Prcticos y Experimentales. The most frequently used method for artificial weaning is abrupt separation of mothers and lambs (Freitas-de-Melo and Ungerfeld, 2016a). Oestrus synchronisation in postpartum autumn-lambing ewes: effect of postpartum time parity, and early weaning. Weaners from Meat and Livestock Australia notes that higher weights at weaning, meaning older lambs at weaning, correlate with the lambs better handling the stress of weaning. When weaning is performed at 143 d of age, Texel Corriedale crossbreed lambs grow faster and ruminate more frequently than purebred Corriedale lambs, and the former do not pace, while purebred Corriedale lambs do (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2019). Appl. Behav. Behav. Med. Neurobiology of maternal behavior in sheep in Advances in the Study of Behavior, eds. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.06.009, Damin, J. P., Htzel, M. J., Banchero, G., and Ungerfeld, R. (2018a). Furthermore, artificial rearing in male lambs generates long-term consequences on the response to stressors and sexual behaviour (Damin et al., 2017, 2018a,b). It is essential that weaners are provided with adequate nutrition to meet their growing needs. Behav. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(05)80071-1, Orgeur, P., Bernard, S., Naciri, M., Nowak, R., Schaal, B., and Lvy, F. (1999). Although the separation from their mother is stressful, keeping the lambs in a familiar environment with other lambs may allow them to adjust to the separation from their mother more easily than moving them to an unfamiliar pen or putting them with new conspecifics. Weaning lambs Lambs are born with an immature digestive system, so in early life they cannot digest anything but milk. 1. Weaning should take place by 12 weeks from the start of lambing, sooner if the season has been poor. Anim. A negative aspect of early weaning is the fact that it limits growth rate, as the animals require longer times to adapt their digestive system to solid food consumption due to the physiological delay in ruminal development or lack of familiarity with solid food (Lynch et al., 1992). Martnez, M. E., de la Barra, R., and de la Fuente, F. (2015). (2010). Sci. It is important to consider also the relationship with other lambs that are placed together. (1998). After this, the protein content in the creep feed can be dropped to 1516%. However, that can depend on the product design, as some farmers in Uruguay are using a commercial nose flap with apparently good results. (2016). (2020). (2010). Subtrop. Development of a preferential relationship with the mother by the newborn lamb: importance of the sucking activity. Lambs in the turnips. A. Grubb, P. (1974). The effects of alternative weaning strategies on lamb health and performance. Thus, weight gain can drop in the weeks following weaning at 45 d due to low pasture consumption and concentrate. (2016). Weaning also triggers a decrease in total protein and albumin concentration (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2017), and the haematocrit remains elevated at least 5 d after weaning (Freitas-de-Melo and Ungerfeld, 2020). The sex of the offspring affects the lamb and ewe responses to abrupt weaning. Required fields are marked *. Behav. D.C. Curch (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall), 4463. Is Raising Sheep Worth It? 199, 916. Lyford, S. J. The combination of stressors at weaning challenges the general homeostasis of the lambs, inducing high energy costs until their physiological status stabilises to the new situation. Book Abst. The behaviour of the dam (Terrazas et al., 2002; Dwyer et al., 2003) and the lamb (Alexander and Shillito, 1985) is essential for the recognition, highlighting the role of vision in the process. By not doing this, it can have a negative impact on both the lambs and the ewes. However, the easiness of this practise depends on the productive systems, given that in extensive grazing systems would be impractical to move all the flock every day to separate ewes and lambs, in addition to adverse consequences on their body weight and on pasture maintenance. Establishment of vocal communication and discrimination between ewes and their lamb in the first two days after parturition. Progesterona y respuesta de estrs: mecanismos de accin y sus repercusiones en rumiantes domsticos. Reducing mother young separation distress by inducing ewes into oestrous into day of weaning. Behav. by Jana Wilson July 11, 2022 PHOTO: Elsemargriet/Pixabay Sci. Dev. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Ecol. For example, twin lambs display more intensive behavioural response (greater frequency of vocalise and pace) and have poorer immunological status at weaning when housed together than separated from their sibling (Casuriaga et al., 2021). Be aware of resistance issues to wormers because if a product is not working, lambs will need more feed to achieve finishing weights. Although this treatment decreases the behavioural response (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2015b), the reduction of the negative responses is not as great as long-term treatment (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2013). The initial recognition process is under physiological control and ensures that even inexperienced ewes recognise and care their lamb(s). Therefore, this treatment can also potentially reduce susceptibility to diseases of ewes after weaning. }, Oxytocin plays a crucial role in triggering maternal behaviour and is further potentiated by other neuropeptide systems, such as opiates (Lvy and Keller, 2008). Newly weaned lambs should have a good supply of clean fresh water at all times and be closely monitored for any health problems. doi: 10.1017/S1751731120001342, Dwyer, C. M. (2014). Belanche Gracia, A., Yez-Ruiz, D. R., Detheridge, A., Griffith, G., Kingston-Smith, A., and Newbold, C. (2019). For example, lambs that are placed to graze together with adult ewes after weaning have a greater bite rate and ruminate and graze more than single weaned lambs (Youssef et al., 1995). Like most animals, sheep can go without food for up to a few weeks if they are in good health and have a decent body fat percentage. Sci. Once lambs get to between 12 and 14 weeks-of-age, farmers should be considering weaning them off the ewes. 132, 3341. Even after weaning, lambs prefer the company of their mother for more than 1 month after separation (Hinch et al., 1987; Ungerfeld et al., 2018), but after that, they do not show an important motivation to seek for their mother (Ungerfeld et al., 2018). 108, 81. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.10.016, Gaudin, S., Chaillou, E., Cornilleau, F., Moussu, C., Boivin, X., and Nowak, R. (2015). Hearing recognition of the lamb by its mother. Ewes should be monitored closely after weaning, especially udders for any signs of mastitis. But anything from 10 weeks on suits me. Mother-young bonding in grazing ewes: Effects of sex and food restriction in pregnancy. (2021) Twin lambs: emotional attachment and behavioral response at weaning. doi: 10.1093/icb/14.1.249, Turkson, P. K., and Sualisu, M. (2005). 12, 219224. There are several things that need to be done ahead of time before you . Lactation in sheep peaks at 3-4 weeks then steadily declines after than, so the older lambs are naturally getting less milk by the time they get to weaning age. Sci. Weaning at 89weeks of age should be done abruptly when at least 250g of creep is eaten per lamb/day over 34days. Although this type of weaning demands more farmers labour force, it decreases the stress response at definitive separation. 49, 745750. Early weaning is usually defined as weaning prior to 90 days of age; 60 days is most common. Lambs prevented from suckling their mothers display behavioural, immune, and endocrine disturbances. doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2012.02.004, Vatankhaha, M., and Salehi, S. A. Anim. Rev. Operations that feed a large amount of bottle lambs may be able to reduce this further, but most folks will be better served with the 45-60 days. We'll do the same this year. Parent-offspring conflict. Evolutionary theory of parental-offspring conflict. 45, 163173. 39, 231244. doi: 10.1051/rnd:19990208, Orgeur, P., Mavric, N., Yvore, P., Bernard, S., Nowak, R., Schaal, B., et al. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Iran. doi: 10.1017/S1751731116001427, Freitas-de-Melo, A., Ungerfeld, R., and Orihuela, A. Terms & Conditions | Ewes require 7 MJ/day more energy to rear twins than one lamb. 183, 5158. 35, 1620. Effect of starter diet supplementation on rumen epithelial morphology and expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and metabolism in pre-weaned lambs. Agroecosyst. 15, 113128. Cookie Settings | 34, 6174. Livestock Sci. doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.07.009, Ungerfeld, R., Freitas-De-Melo, A., Nowak, R., and Lvy, F. (2018). Poindron, P., and Neindre, P. L. (1980). doi: 10.1079/BJN2002743, Enrquez, D., Htzel, M. J., and Ungerfeld, R. (2011). However, natural weaning rarely occurs in a production setting and early weaning (i.e. For example, lets look at lambs born about as far apart as you could get in the lambing season. Appl. Weaning age varies greatly in sheep and goats, from as early as 14 days to natural weaning, at more than four months of age. Food restriction during gestation negatively affects the lambs' birth weight, the mother-lamb bond at lambing (Dwyer et al., 2003; Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2015a), and reduces the number of rejecting behaviours towards alien lambs by selective mothers (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2018b). We don't creep feed either. Effect of weaning age and slaughter weight on carcass and meat quality of Talaverana breed lambs raised at pasture. Usually, these behavioural changes are rapidly triggered, peaking in few hours and lasting not more than 2 to 3 d (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2013, 2017, 2019). The leaves are high in protein. Anim. Cortisol concentration is lower in lambs, and body weight is greater after progressive weaning from 39 to 45 d than abrupt weaning at 45 d (Henrique et al., 2017). (2017). Role of auditory cues in mutual recognition between ewes and lambs in Merino sheep. This year has been far from normal, we have been challenged by a global pandemic, ongoing Brexit negotiations, an extremely dry spring and now, so far, a wet summer. Lambs identify their mothers' bleats but not a picture of her face. In sheep milk production systems, artificial weaning is done early to increase the amount of milk collected by the farmer and thus, obtain more dairy products; however, it requires the artificial rearing of lambs with milk substitutes (Napolitano et al., 2008). 37, 4964. This lack of knowledge limits recommending these strategies due to the possibility that the stress response is redistributed over time but not necessarily decreased. Weaning is a very useful management tool, allowing allocation and prioritisation of the dry matter available, but it has to be weighed up against potential pitfalls such as the challenge they could face from worms She adds. Prez-Len, I., Orihuela, A., Lidfors, L., and Aguirre, V. (2006). Physiol. 5, 4350. Anim. doi: 10.1071/AN14643, PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar. Nature 376, 133138. I'm taking my ewes away from the lambs in mid July this year, having read a study that recommends weaning at 13 weeks - I'll give it a try and see how well everything does. doi: 10.1016/0304-3762(77)90072-4, Alexander, G., Poindron, P., Le Neindre, P., Stevens, D., Lvy, F., and Bradley, L. (1986). Orihuela, A., Mota-Rojas, D., Ungerfeld, R., Napolitano, F., Strappini, A., Giuseppe, R., et al. In general, it seems that regardless of the system used, practises such as inducing oestrous in ewes, and promoting early consumption of solid food in lambs, and the inclusion of strategies of social facilitation and environmental enrichment in the postweaning allocation of lambs, reduce the stress caused by weaning. Now all breeding sheep are dipped annually in an automatic mobile dipping truck, and last year, all lambs were dipped too 6,500-head in total. Behaviour. Appl. Anim. Strictly speaking, the lamb is not really a functional ruminant until it is 50-60 days old, after which it needs some time to work up to being able to support itself on forage without nursing. 92, 41234129. Age of Weaning Lambs. 1. Anim. There are also some postweaning treatments that facilitate the transition of the lambs to their new status, especially considering the social environment. Effects of weaning and 48 h transport by road and ferry on some blood indicators of welfare in lambs. In order to increase the milk yield,age at weaning should be reduced in It is characterised by affiliative behaviours such as licking, provision of food, warmth and protection, rest in company, synchronisation of many activities, and maintenance of closeness and body care (Newberry and Swanson, 2008). Weaning lambs should not be done on impulse, but should be a well-planned activity. Ewes and lambs weaned by fence-line separation vocalise more and eat less than those weaned abruptly (Orgeur et al., 1999). Figure 1. Dev. Anim. Early motheryoung interactions in California bighorn sheep, Ovis Canadensis californiana. Minimal number of conspecifics needed to minimise the stress response of isolated mature ewes. Sci. Theriogenology 100, 134138. Behav. Two-step weaning in beef calves: permanence of nose flaps for 7 or 21 days does not influence the behaviour response. Before any lambs are weaned, they need to be well adjusted to eating on their own. Go to Training Resourcesto find information in a downloadable format or Contactif you have any questions. doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.10.028. 98, skz356. Understanding the physiological and behavioural consequences of these conditions, how they synergise with each other, and how they can be changed with management is essential to increase lambs' survival probability. Immediately after ewes and their lambs notice the separation, both increase the frequency of behaviours displayed to search each other and decrease the frequency of feeding and resting behaviours (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2013, 2017). 156, 57. doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2017.09.006, Caeque, V., Velasco, S., Daz, M., Prez, C., Huidobro, F., Lauzurica, S., et al. If grass is scarce, feed hay or silage to appetite, along with concentrate feed (ME 12.5MJ/kg dry matter [DM], crude protein [CP] 18%) at a daily rate per head of 0.5kg and 0.7kg for ewe lambs suckling singles and twins, respectively. Weaning as early as 10 weeks allows lambs at Innoviss farming enterprise in Ceredigion to hit liveweight targets because they can utilise the best quality pasture without competition from ewes. However, this system is often associated with poor performance of the lambs (Napolitano et al., 1995), in addition to the need to use artificial suckling and milk substitutes, which increase digestive problems such as diarrhoea (Wang et al., 2019). Once established, the mother-young bond lasts for months. For example, Merino lambs have a greater body development and vocalise less than Rhoenschaf lambs after being weaned at 8 or 16 wk of age (Schichowski et al., 2008). The meat quality ram lambs will be ready to go in November, at minimal cost, and any ewe lambs unsuitable for breeding will go as hoggett lamb in February. In humans, that would be: 5.5-6.0 years. *Correspondence: Aline Freitas-de-Melo, alinefreitasdemelo@hotmail.com, Minimally Invasive Monitoring of Stress in Farm Animals, Volume I, View all
Behav., 57, 97104. doi: 10.1016/0168-1591(87)90154-7, Hgberg, N., Hessle, A., Lidfors, L., Enweji, N., and Hglund, J. Prod. 21, 43604377. According to Fazio et al. eds. doi: 10.1093/beheco/7.1.60, Bimczok, D., Rhl, F. W., and Ganter, M. (2005). Sheep naturally wean their lambs at four to six months, depending on the breed, the ewe's condition, and the climate. Lambs can be weaned as early as 90 days if they are on forage or pasture, 60 days if they are well established on creep feed, hay and water (usually inside lambs) and after 45 days for bottle lambs, who also need to be well adjusted to feed and water before weaning. doi: 10.1016/S0003-3472(76)80073-5, Poindron, P., Lvy, F., and Keller, M. (2007). Even though ewes were at target condition score 3 at lambing, they will struggle to hit peak lactation at three weeks because of challenging conditions this spring, he says. Lambs from feed-restricted ewes during gestation vocalise and pace less, and the variation of albumin concentration before and after weaning is lower than that of lambs from well-fed ewes (Freitas-de-Melo et al., 2017). Behav. Sci. Your email address will not be published. The results of these investigations should be discussed with the vet and the appropriate action undertaken. In effect, the response is not triggered simultaneously in all ewes, as many of them respond to separation until the udder is full and produces pain. Med. Twenty-four-hour-old lambs rely more on maternal behavior than on the learning of individual characteristics to discriminate between their own and an alien mother. The models are based in the data of Freitas-de-Melo and Ungerfeld (2020). Effects of weaning on total and free iodothyronines in lambs. Behavioral and physiological adjustments by lambs in response to weaning stress. Lynch, J. J., Hinch, G. N., and Adams, D. B. Look at dry matter available, ewe condition etc. doi: 10.1163/156853999501379. Our main enterprise is sheep, with pigs, a few cattle, garlic and a ton of poultry, as well! Behav. doi: 10.17221/255/2014-VETMED. Behav. Minimising the stress of weaning of beef calves: a review. 62, 681688. 137, 13911413. 53, 2836. Anim. While there may be a surplus of grass at the moment, the competition between ewe and lamb must be monitored. Sci. However, precocious weaning may also be performed from one day until just before the age of early weaning (Table 1). The immune capacity is also affected after weaning (Napolitano et al., 1995), which together with the decrease in IGF-1 (McCoard et al., 2020) and the increase in cortisol concentrations, probably increase lambs' susceptibility to different diseases. Low pasture allowance until late gestation in ewes: behavioural and physiological changes in ewes and lambs from lambing to weaning. Do Lambs Need Creep Feed? A lamb creep pen should be set up to allow the lambs continuous access to fresh creep feed and a clean and dry environment. doi: 10.1016/0168-1591(89)90078-6, Hinch, G. N., Lecrivain, E., Lynch, J. J., and Elwin, R. L. (1987). This effect might be due to a lack of adaptation to solid food as a unique food resource. Even when the rumen is sufficiently developed, withdrawing nutrient dense-milk could affect lamb growth. The volatile compounds of the amniotic fluid attract the ewe and initiate the bonding and recognition process. Advice for weaning lambs to help reduce stress - Farmers Weekly Meat and wool sheep farms commonly use early, traditional or late weaning, which is done after the lactation peak, coinciding with enough solid food consumption of lambs (Freitas-de-Melo and Ungerfeld, 2016a). Some can be applied in lambs around weaning to promote an earlier maturation of the digestive system. doi: 10.1016/0168-1591(91)90156-R, Smeaton, D. C., Sumner, R. M. W., Knight, T. W., and Wadams, T. K. (1983). Besides, postweaning social enrichment also improves lambs' welfare (Pascual-Alonso et al., 2015). 2012-2023 On Secret Hunt - All Rights Reserved 5, 2127. Thermal Biol. Therefore, there is room to study the conditioning factors that might modify the ewe and lamb responses to separation. 44, 159169. Here we examine when to wean and other weaning management issues. A delay in this process has negative consequences on lambs' metabolic and hormonal status (Alexander et al., 1986; Nowak et al., 1997, 2021). (2014). Investigate why a ewe is lean with faecal egg counting for worm burdens, or consider fluke, Johnes or Maedi Visna as causes. Anim. It takes time to slowly add different forages to their gut to get it up and running well enough to give them all the calories they need without the supplemental energy coming in from nursing. J. Anim. The loss of the mother as a result of weaning is the main factor involved in lambs' behavioural changes. J. Anim. Appl. Behav. Mastitis is also a concern after weaning in wool and meat sheep, and it is more commonly observed in early weaning systems as lambs are separated from their mothers when milk yield is still high (Animal Welfare Approved certification program, 2018). When we lambed the crossbreds in March, I would routinely wean in early June, with the lambs going onto fresh silage aftermath and the ewes staying put on old river meadows (no creep feeding). Sci. Sowinska, J., Brzostowski, H., Tanski, Z., and Czaja, K. (2001). Int. After lambs are habituated to consume solid foods, solid supplements can be offered during periods of separation. Options include areas grazed by cattle grazing this spring or silage aftermaths (hay later on). These types of weaning can be done abruptly, progressively, or in steps (see section WEANING METHODS). How often should lambs be wormed? doi: 10.1038/376133a0, Godfrey, R. W., and Weis, A. J. 2, 281. doi: 10.1016/0168-1591(95)92372-Z, Zhang, Q., Chong, L., Xiaolin, N., Zhian, Z., Fadi, L., and Fei, L. (2018).