The provision of supplementary colostrum to newborn lambs: effects on post-natal lamb and ewe behaviour

In sheep, as in many other species, the first hours following the birth of young are characterised by behavioural interactions between the mother and her young which cause the ewe and lamb to become bonded to each other, part icularly within 2-4 h of birth. The aim of this study was to determine whet her the provision of supplementary colostrum affected early mother-young be haviour. Eighteen pregnant twin-bearing Scottish Blackface hill ewes were u sed. At parturition, one lamb from each twin pair received 25 ml/kg birth w eight artificial colostrum (treatment group) while the other did not receiv e artificial colostrum (control group). Lambs and ewes were observed during four consecutive periods of 30 min immediately after birth. During these o bservation periods, ewes and lambs were undisturbed and lambs were allowed to suck. Results showed that (i) during the first 30-min period, lambs whic h received supplementary colostrum were less active than their siblings whi ch did not receive supplementary colostrum (resting time 22.3 (+/-1.10) min vs. 18.6 (+/- 1.43) min for treatment and control lambs, respectively; p = 0.05); (ii) during the first 30-min period lambs which received supplement ary colostrum were Licked for less time than their siblings (14.8 (+/-2.13) vs. 20.6 (+/- 1.22) min for treatment and control lambs, respectively; p < 0.05); (iii) at the end of the observation period, lambs from the treatmen t group had higher rectal temperatures than control lambs (39.8 (+/-0.09) d egrees C vs. 39.4 (+/-0.08) degrees C, for treatment and control lambs, res pectively; p < 0.01). It is concluded that, although the provision of suppl ementary colostrum may reduce the risk of hypothermia, it may also have a d eleterious effect on early ewe-lamb interactions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.