Amel Dhaoui(1,2)* Mohamed Chniter(3) and Mohamed Hammadi(1)
(1). Arid Area Institute, Medenine, Tunisia.
(2). Faculty of Sciences, Gabes, Tunisia.
(3). National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Tunisia.
(*Corresponding author: Amel Dhaoui. E-Mail : amel.ghiloufi@yahoo.com).
Received: 02/01/2019 Accepted: 08/02/2019
Abstract
This study was conducted at the Experimental Station (Institut des Régions Arides) Chenchou, Gabes. 213 lambs were used in this work to study the effect of birth weight on recognition of the mother by the lamb at 48 h after birth and lamb survival at 7 days age. Animals were kept under 24-video surveillance to assess parturition. Lambs birth weights were recorded. The preference for the mother by the lamb was tested at 48 h postpartum used choice test. There is significant effect of lamb birth weight on their capacity to recognize their mother from distance of 6 m. Light lambs were slower to reach the mother from distance of 6 m. They are less active and spend little time near the side on mother compared to heavy lambs. These low performances of D’man lamb at 48 h age had negative effect on lamb survival at 7 days age.
Key words: D’man lamb, Birth weight, Recognition of the mother, Lamb survival.
Full Paper in Arabic: PDF