Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs

Leigh  Atkinson; Rebecca Doyle; Andrew  Woodward; Ellen C.  Jongman

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709

Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs

Leigh Atkinson, Rebecca Doyle, Andrew Woodward, Ellen C. Jongman

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Human-directed fear in extensively reared sheep is often high due to the aversive nature of common husbandry procedures and infrequent interactions with humans. This study investigated whether additional human exposure provided to weaned lambs reduced human-directed fear and behavioural reactivity. Ninety Merino lambs were either exposed to low or moderately stressful human exposure sessions, or had no additional human contact, and their fear responses and behavioural reactivity to humans, a startle stimulus and confinement were tested. Overall, the imposed interventions did not reduce behavioural reactivity during these tests, suggesting
fear towards humans had not been altered.

Original language	English
Article number	104709
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Journal	Behavioural Processes
Volume	201
Early online date	22 Jul 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709
Publication status	Published - 20 Sept 2022

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Attention bias
Early life experience
Habituation
Human-directed fear
Startle test
Stress Inoculation

Access to Document

10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709

pagination_BEPROC_104709Accepted author manuscript, 1.19 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{30f625c2775e48fbbde7c5fc4e120e6e,

title = "Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs",

abstract = "Human-directed fear in extensively reared sheep is often high due to the aversive nature of common husbandry procedures and infrequent interactions with humans. This study investigated whether additional human exposure provided to weaned lambs reduced human-directed fear and behavioural reactivity. Ninety Merino lambs were either exposed to low or moderately stressful human exposure sessions, or had no additional human contact, and their fear responses and behavioural reactivity to humans, a startle stimulus and confinement were tested. Overall, the imposed interventions did not reduce behavioural reactivity during these tests, suggesting fear towards humans had not been altered. ",

keywords = "Attention bias, Early life experience, Habituation, Human-directed fear, Startle test, Stress Inoculation",

author = "Leigh Atkinson and Rebecca Doyle and Andrew Woodward and Jongman, {Ellen C.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by a Meat and Livestock Australia Postgraduate Scholarship/Study Award (North Sydney, NSW, Australia) and an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship . The funders had no involvement in the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; or the decision to submit the article for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709",

language = "English",

volume = "201",

pages = "1--10",

journal = "Behavioural Processes",

issn = "0376-6357",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs

AU - Atkinson, Leigh

AU - Doyle, Rebecca

AU - Woodward, Andrew

AU - Jongman, Ellen C.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a Meat and Livestock Australia Postgraduate Scholarship/Study Award (North Sydney, NSW, Australia) and an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship . The funders had no involvement in the study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; or the decision to submit the article for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2022/9/20

Y1 - 2022/9/20

N2 - Human-directed fear in extensively reared sheep is often high due to the aversive nature of common husbandry procedures and infrequent interactions with humans. This study investigated whether additional human exposure provided to weaned lambs reduced human-directed fear and behavioural reactivity. Ninety Merino lambs were either exposed to low or moderately stressful human exposure sessions, or had no additional human contact, and their fear responses and behavioural reactivity to humans, a startle stimulus and confinement were tested. Overall, the imposed interventions did not reduce behavioural reactivity during these tests, suggesting fear towards humans had not been altered.

AB - Human-directed fear in extensively reared sheep is often high due to the aversive nature of common husbandry procedures and infrequent interactions with humans. This study investigated whether additional human exposure provided to weaned lambs reduced human-directed fear and behavioural reactivity. Ninety Merino lambs were either exposed to low or moderately stressful human exposure sessions, or had no additional human contact, and their fear responses and behavioural reactivity to humans, a startle stimulus and confinement were tested. Overall, the imposed interventions did not reduce behavioural reactivity during these tests, suggesting fear towards humans had not been altered.

KW - Attention bias

KW - Early life experience

KW - Habituation

KW - Human-directed fear

KW - Startle test

KW - Stress Inoculation

U2 - 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709

DO - 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104709

M3 - Article

SN - 0376-6357

VL - 201

SP - 1

EP - 10

JO - Behavioural Processes

JF - Behavioural Processes

M1 - 104709

ER -

Exposure to humans after weaning does not reduce the behavioural reactivity of extensively reared Merino lambs

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this