Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/18902
Title: Automated measurement of sheep movement order: consistent, stable and useful to identify the risk of welfare compromise?
Contributor(s): Doughty, Amanda  (author); Hinch, Geoffrey  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2014
Open Access: Yes
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/18902
Open Access Link: http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/pdf/10.3920/978-90-8686-797-4Open Access Link
Abstract: This pilot study investigated how the movement order of a flock of sheep in an extensive environment differed over time to determine if order, as recorded by radio frequency identification tags, was stable and if deviations in position might be used to identify animals with compromised welfare state. The hypothesis was that flock 'free' movement order would be relatively stable and repeatable. Two hundred mature Merino ewes were trained to walk a distance of 1 km following a handler carrying a bucket of grain. The sheep were allowed to move at their own pace and, provided they were not grazing, were not pushed from the rear. Thirteen runs around a fenced track occurred over an eight week period during mid-pregnancy. General health (lameness, demeanour, posture) were recorded at each run, a blood sample to assess various haematological parameters (e.g. RBC, HCT, WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil concentrations) was taken from each ewe between the 12th and 13th runs and a temperament test was conducted at the completion of the runs.
Publication Type: Conference Publication
Conference Details: ISAE 2014: 48th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, 29th July - 2nd August, 2014
Source of Publication: Moving on: Proceedings of the 48th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE 2014), p. 76-76
Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers
Place of Publication: Wageningen, Netherlands
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 070203 Animal Management
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 300302 Animal management
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 830310 Sheep - Meat
830311 Sheep - Wool
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 100412 Sheep for meat
100413 Sheep for wool
HERDC Category Description: E3 Extract of Scholarly Conference Publication
Appears in Collections:Conference Publication

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