The effect of weaning method on stress and the welfare in early weaned lambs

The aim of the study to evaluate the effect of weaning method on stress and welfare in lambs based on their growth, locomotor activity, behavior and hematological parametrers. The experiment was conducted with 45 lambs born from 63 4-year-old Lacaune sheep. Three weaning methods were applied, abrupt weaning (AW, control, n=15), versus two preweaning separation strategies, separation of lambs from mothers at night (NS, n=15) and preweaning separation of lambs during the day (DS, n=15). During the pre-weaning period (PWP) the BW of NS and DS lambs was lower compared to that of animals that are not separated from mothers (P<0.05).Throughout the entire study period, NS lambs had the highest average daily gain and at the same time the lowest in DS (P<0.05). Before weaning, DS lambs spent more time moving (08:36 min/h) from NS and AW (P<0.05) and NS lambs spend more time lying down (39:59 min/h, P<0.05). After weaning, NS lambs spent less time moving (04:50 min/h), standing (04:17 min/h) and more time passive (01:35 min/h) and consuming concentrate (02:52 min/h) than the other two groups (P<0.05). Hematological variables showed that before weaning, AW and DS lambs had the highest cortisol and glucose (P<0.05). At, day 25 AW lambs had the highest values of cortisol, glucose and albumin and the lowest total protein (P<0.05). This study indicates that NS as a preweaning conditioning method is a clear advantage as a management strategy to prepare animals for the transition to weaning.