Sheep

Self-administration by consumption of flunixin in feed alleviates the pain and inflammation associated with castration and tail docking of lambs

It can be impractical for farmers to provide pain relief to livestock following husbandry procedures such as castration and tail-docking, particularly in pasture-based systems because animals need to be repeatedly gathered to handling facilities and restrained. We investigated whether voluntary...

Year Published: 2017Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Marini, D., Colditz, I. G., Hinch, G. et al. 2017. Self-administration by consumption of flunixin in feed alleviates the pain and inflammation associated with castration and tail docking of lambs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 188, 26-33.

Coding and quantification of a facial expression for pain in lambs

Facial expressions are routinely used to assess pain in humans, particularly those who are non-verbal. Recently, there has been an interest in developing coding systems for facial grimacing in non-human animals, such as rodents, rabbits, horses and sheep. The aims...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Guesgen, M. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Leach, M. et al. 2016. Coding and quantification of a facial expression for pain in lambs. Behavioural Processes 132, 49-56.

Animal-based measures to assess the welfare of extensively managed ewes

The reliability and feasibility of 10 animal-based measures of ewe welfare were examined for use in extensive sheep production systems. Measures were: Body condition score (BCS), rumen fill, fleece cleanliness, fleece condition, skin lesions, tail length, dag score, foot-wall integrity,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Munoz, C., Campbell, A., Hemsworth, P. et al. 2018. Animal-based measures to assess the welfare of extensively managed ewes. Animals 8(1), 2.

The use of a mechanical non-penetrating captive bolt device for the euthanasia of neonate lambs

A non-penetrating captive bolt device, powered by a 1-grain 0.22″ cartridge delivering a calculated kinetic energy of 47 Joules was tested as a euthanasia method on 200 neonate lambs (Ovis aries) of 4.464 kg (SD (Standard deviation) ± 1.056) mean...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Grist, A., Lines, J., Knowles, T. et al. 2018. The use of a mechanical non-penetrating captive bolt device for the euthanasia of neonate lambs. Animals 8(4), 49.

Lambs show changes in ear posture when experiencing pain

Ear posture, or the frequency of postural changes, may reflect various emotional states of animals. In adult sheep (Ovis aries), the 'forward' ear posture has been associated with negative experiences whereas the 'plane' posture has been associated with positive ones....

Year Published: 2016Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Guesgen, M. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Minot, E. O. et al. 2016. Lambs show changes in ear posture when experiencing pain. Animal Welfare 25(2), 171-177.

Towards a more practical attention bias test to assess affective state in sheep

Tests for attention bias potentially offer more rapid assessment of affective state in animals than existing cognitive methods. An attention bias test has previously been developed for sheep and validated as a measure of anxious states. The 3 minute test...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Monk, J. E., Doyle, R. E., Colditz, I. G. et al. 2018. Towards a more practical attention bias test to assess affective state in sheep. PLOS ONE 13(1), e0190404.

The impact of group size on welfare indicators of ewes during pregnancy

Group size (GS) and space allowance have major implications for the welfare of production species, however their effects are often confounded. In a previous study we investigated the impact of varying space allowance at constant GS. In the present work...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Averós, X., Beltrán de Heredia I., Ruiz, R. et al. 2016. The impact of group size on welfare indicators of ewes during pregnancy. PLOS ONE 11(11), e0167061.

The Sheep Grimace Scale as an indicator of post-operative distress and pain in laboratory sheep

The EU Directive 2010/63/EU changed the requirements regarding the use of laboratory animals and raised important issues related to assessing the severity of all procedures undertaken on laboratory animals. However, quantifiable parameters to assess severity are rare, and improved assessment...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Häger, C., Biernot, S., Buettner, M. et al. 2017. The Sheep Grimace Scale as an indicator of post-operative distress and pain in laboratory sheep. PLOS ONE 12(4), e0175839.

Sheep Management and Diseases, 7th Edition

Sheep have excellent long-term memory, especially of aversive situations.

Year Published: 1952Animal Type: Sheep

Citation: Belschner, H. G. 1962. Sheep Management and Diseases, 7th Edition. Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Australia.

Social Behavior, Organization and Leadership in a Small Flock of Domestic Sheep – Comparative Psychology Monographs, Volume 18, Serial No

Description of species-typical behavior of sheep.

Year Published: 1945Animal Type: Sheep

Citation: Scott, J. P. 1945. Social Behavior, Organization and Leadership in a Small Flock of Domestic Sheep - Comparative Psychology Monographs, Volume 18, Serial No.96. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.