1. Spatial distance and reactivity traits alter the positive perception of brushing by ewes
- Author
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Stéphane Andanson, Xavier Boivin, Cesar Augusto Taconeli, E. Delval, Alain Boissy, Herve Chandeze, Dominique Hazard, Priscilla Regina Tamioso, Carla Forte Maiolino Molento, Instituto Federal do Paraná, Unité Mixte de Recherche sur les Herbivores - UMR 1213 (UMRH), VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Génétique Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage (GenPhySE ), Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-École nationale supérieure agronomique de Toulouse [ENSAT]-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), and VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)
- Subjects
sheep ,040301 veterinary sciences ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Posture ,Spatial Behavior ,emotional reactivity ,Positive perception ,Biology ,SF1-1100 ,[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences ,0403 veterinary science ,Animal science ,Heart Rate ,Orientation ,positive handling ,Heart rate ,Animals ,[INFO]Computer Science [cs] ,Session (computer science) ,Reactivity (psychology) ,Sheep, Domestic ,[SDV.GEN]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics ,autonomic nervous system ,0402 animal and dairy science ,Feeding Behavior ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,040201 dairy & animal science ,Animal culture ,behaviour ,[SDV.GEN.GA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Animal genetics ,Social Isolation ,Female ,Perception ,Animal Science and Zoology ,France - Abstract
International audience; Gentle handling seems to elicit positive states in sheep. The study investigated whether spatial distance alters sheep responses to brushing and whether spatial distance is influenced by reactivity. Twenty Romane ewes were assessed in three sessions: in Sessions 1 and 3, one grid separated the test animal from pen mates, with no distance between them, and in Session 2 two grids separated the test animal from pen mates by a distance of about 1.7 m. Ewes had been genetically selected for low (R−) or high (R+) behavioural reactivity to social isolation. Body postures, head orientation, ear postures, closed and half-closed eyes, tail wagging and feeding behaviour, in addition to heart rate (HR) and HR variability, as the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), standard deviation of all normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), RMSSD/SDNN ratio and ratio between low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) powers (LF/HF) were assessed. Data were analysed using generalized linear models and linear mixed models. Session, genetic line and phase (pre-, brushing and post-brushing) were considered fixed effects. Increased distance in Session 2 might not have influenced ewes’ responses. Fewer changes in ear postures were noted in Session 3 than 1 (P
- Published
- 2020
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