Welfare evaluation of fat-rumped lambs under stall feeding condition with different feeder design

Abstract

Animal welfare is directly related to animal performance and farm profit. It is associated with their autonomy to take feed and water along with a lack of discomfort. Feeding welfare determines farm profit as major cost of a farm is associated with feed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of feeder design on lamb welfare evaluated through feeding behaviour and lamb performance. Sixteen growing fat-rumped lambs of 3-4 months of age were categorized into two groups with an average weight of 23.20±0.25 kg. Group I lambs were fed in conventional feeder, i.e. without divider and group II in designed feeder, i.e. with divider, respectively. The eating time was significantly low in group I with longer and strong agonistic behaviour suggesting intense competition within the group. This group showed minimal weight gain and maximal feed wastage due to extreme struggle for food during the period of the study. The time spent in comfort behaviours like lying rumination was more and agonistic behaviour was less in group II lambs. They showed significantly higher bodyweight gain. It can be concluded from the study that group feeding of growing lambs in feeder with divider allocates designated space for individual lamb, reduces agonistic behaviour and brings better growth in lambs under stall feeding conditions.