Je. Kent et al., CHANGES IN PLASMA-CORTISOL CONCENTRATION IN LAMBS OF 3 AGES AFTER 3 METHODS OF CASTRATION AND TAIL DOCKING, Research in Veterinary Science, 55(2), 1993, pp. 246-251
Lambs were handled only or castrated and tail docked at five, 21 and 4
2 days of age by either surgery, rubber ring or rubber ring and Burdiz
zo. Plasma cortisol was measured in blood samples taken before and at
12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 138 and 180 minutes after castration a
nd docking. Pre-treatment and peak cortisol values were highest in fiv
e-day-old lambs. The peak cortisol values, at each age, were similar f
or surgery and rubber ring groups. However, the peak occurred earlier
after surgery and rubber ring Burdizzo than after rubber ring only tre
atment. The cortisol peak was 28 nmol litre-1 lower after rubber ring
Burdizzo than surgery or rubber ring only. Plasma cortisol returned to
pretreatment values within 84 minutes after rubber ring Burdizzo, 96
to 138 minutes after rubber ring only but not within 180 minutes after
surgery. The changes in plasma cortisol together with the changes in
behaviour suggest that the rubber ring Burdizzo method of castration a
nd docking of lambs at all ages, was probably the least painful of the
methods tested.