Effect of castration and docking of lambs on maintenance behaviour and cortisol level

Abstract EN

Thirty apparently healthy lambs with average weight and age of 5.8 ± 0.5 kg and 15 ± 1.6 days respectively were chosen in Sides Agricultural Research Station belonging to Animal Production Research Institute in Beni-Suef governorate to investigate the effect of castration and docking on maintenance behavior and blood cortisol level during and after such operations.

Lambs were classified into castration (n = 10), docking (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups.

The results revealed that castration and docking could significantly affect the behaviors of standing idle, recumbence, sleep, suckling and ingestion in lambs.

Moreover, blood cortisol level was significantly (p < 0.05) increased after operation in castrated and docked lambs as compared to the time before, at operation and 3 hours after operation.