Reducing stress in individually housed sheep (2004)

McLean, C. B., Swanson, L. E.

Abstract

Occasionally, it is necessary to individually house and separate those sheep that need to fast prior to surgery .. or due to specifics in a research protocol. .. At our facility, an isolated sheep would become extremely agitated and skittish, show an increase in respiratory effort and becoming uncontrollably vocal for hours. .. We have found that the incorporation of mirrors greatly reduced the stress of this isolation. A large mirror .. was mounted on the sidewall of each isolation housing unit. The transfer of sheep into this mirrored enclosure had demonstrable changes in behavior. Vocalization stops completely and the sheep remains completely calm. It seeks out its own mirrored image, stands close and occasionally nudges at its mirrored partner. Consumption of food and water remains unchanged and the risk of injury has been eliminated, as the sheep no longer tries to jump or escape the enclosure. This change in behavior occurs consistently among all isolated sheep. Upon returning to group housing, the animal acclimates with the rest of the flock without incident.