The effect of road transport in comparison to a novel environment on the physiological, metabolic and behavioural responses of bulls

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• 作者：Bernadette Earley ; Michael Drennan ; Edward G. O¡¯Riordan
• 关键词：Transport ; Animal welfare ; Immunology ; Behaviour ; Physiology
• 刊名：Research in Veterinary Science
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：October, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：95
• 期：2
• 页码：811-818
• 全文大小：443 K

文摘

The objective was to investigate the effect of 18 h road transport with a 12 h mid-journey rest period in comparison to the exposure of bulls to a novel environment on physiological, metabolic and behavioural responses of beef bulls. Thirty Charolais sired crossbred beef bulls (mean 486.0, s.d. 57.0 kg) were assigned by live weight to one of the two treatments, transport (T) (9 h + 9 h) (n = 15) and not-transported (NT) (n = 15) on day 0. The bulls were transported at a spatial allowance of 1.3 m²/animal by road for 9 h, unloaded and rested for a 12 h rest period, re-loaded and transported for a further 9 h journey by road followed by a 2 h rest period on the transporter, then unloaded and rested in a lairage for 24 h with access to hay and water. Plasma albumin and urea concentrations increased (P < 0.05) after the first 9 h journey with values returning to baseline at the end of the 24 h recovery period. There was a transient increase in haematocrit % in T and NT at sampling time points corresponding to the completion of the first 9 h journey. Bulls spent longer time lying (P < 0.05) during the first 9 h journey compared with the percentage time spent lying during the second 9 h journey. Differences in live weight, behaviour, and some blood variables show that transport is more stressful for bulls than being subjected to a novel environment and management, and while some biological variables returned to baseline values, others require a longer time (plasma haptoglobin, total protein, glucose and NEFA concentrations). Thus, the effective recovery of bulls exposed to an 18 h transport journey by road would suggest that a rest period of at least 24 h with access to feed and water is required before further transport.