Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T22:37:08.396Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Post–lambing maternal behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

M. A. Sharafeldin  and
A. A. Kandeel
M. A. Sharafeldin
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University
A. A. Kandeel
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

A study was carried out on the post-lambing normal and abnormal maternal behaviour of sheep using 237 Barki ewes of 2, 3, 4 and 5 years of age and their newborn single lambs.

Normal maternal behaviour was observed in 64·5% of the ewes as they immediately recognized their lambs after birth, readily accepted them and started grooming and helping them to suckle. The overall average time-interval from parturition until ewes stood, started cleaning and until lambs started suckling was 2·9 ± 0·5, 4·0 ± 0·8 and 20·5 ± 2·0 min respectively. The 2-year-old ewes and the ewes weighing 30 kg and less took longer to accept and nurse their new-born lambs than older and heavier ones.

Post-lambing abnormal maternal behaviour was observed in 30·4% of the ewes, among which 43·1, 45·8 and 11·1% were classed as fair, poor and very poor mothers respectively. Fair mothers failed to nurse their lambs, poor mothers deserted them and very poor mothers permanently deserted their lambs and were aggressive to them. The post-lambing abnormal maternal behaviour was more frequent among 2-year-old maiden ewes than older ewes.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 77 , Issue 1 , August 1971 , pp. 33 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, G. (1960). Maternal behaviour in the Merino ewe. Proa. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. 3, 105–14.Google Scholar
Fraser, A. F. (1968). Parturition in the ewe. In Reproductive Behaviour in Ungulates. London and New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Moule, G. R. (1954). Observations on mortality amongst lambs in Queensland. Aust. vet. J. 30, 153–71Google Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. (1961). Statistical Methods, 5th ed.Ames, Iowa, U.S.A.: The Iowa State College Press.Google Scholar
Sharafeldin, M. A., Ragab, M. T. & Kandeel, A. A. (1971). Behaviour of ewes during parturition. J. agric. Sci. Camb. 76, 419–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, F. V., Van-Toller, G. & Boyes, T. (1966). The critical period in the attachment of lambs and ewes. Anim. Behav. 14, 120–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, R. H. (1957). Wastage in reproduction in Merino sheep. Aust. vet. J. 33, 307–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar