Lamb_Sociality_RNowak

The dataset presented comes from an experimental study on the role of maternal presence or deprivation on the development of a social network in lambs and their effect on the development of an affective bond (either with their mother, or a lambs should they be deprived). The animals (11 adult Ile-de-France ewes and 22 lambs) were divided into two groups based on semi randomization criteria including birth weight, birth date, and sex of the lambs. Only single-born female lambs were included in the experiment and birthweight was taken into account to balance the two experimental group: 11 lambs were reared by their mother, 11 lambs were separated from their mother 24h after birth and reared in same-age peer group and fed with milk substitute (Subject_Data file). The animals were born at the UEPAO (Unité Expérimentale de Physiologie Animale de l'Orfrasière, INRAE, Nouzilly, doi:10.15454/1.5573896321728955E12). The study included 3 steps. (1) In the first week of life, we identified the closest companion (lamb or ewe for lambs reared by their mother, lamb for artificially fed lambs), defined by a distance of less than 1m between two individuals. Based on this, and index of association was assessed between lambs for artificially fed lambs (HWI_AF_Lambs_Data) and mothered lambs. For the latter, the index of association took into account all the possibilities of associations including the mothers (HWI_MO_Lambs_MothersIncl_Data) or excluding them in which case a strongest association between lambs could be revealed (HWI_MO_Lambs_MothersExcl_Data). The index of association was also measured between lambs and ewes (HWI_MO_LambsAndMothers_Data). Based on these values we assessed the behavioural reaction of the lambs in a separation-reunion test (rectangular corridor) where each mothered lamb was tested in the presence of its mother (closest partner) and another familiar maternal ewe (furthest partner), or only one of the two; the partners being penned at each end of the corridor. For artificially fed lambs, the comparison was made between the closest and the furthest peer lamb. The main data taken into account were, the time spent close to either stimulus partner, the vocal and locomotor activity of the test lamb (SeparationReunionTest_Data). (2) The whole procedure was repeated in the following two weeks: measurement of association index and separation-reunion test (SeparatioReunionTest_Data). (3) Finally, all the lambs were tested in a triangular arena where they had to choose between 3 familiar lambs from their home pen, and 3 unfamiliar lambs from another pen. The time spent near each set of lambs was measured as well as the vocal activity of the tested lamb (GroupChoice_Data). (4) Each data sheet is preceded by a short description of its content. The “Lamb_Sociality_RNowak” Excel document contains a total of 14 files