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Original article
Austral J. Vet. Sci.
Vol 57, e5712 (2025)
DOI: 10.4206/ajvs.57.12

Acute stress response to winter pre-lambing shearing in ewes with and without maternal experience

1 Departamento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
2 Departamento de Clínicas y Hospital Veterinario, Facultad Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
3 Centro Universitario de la Región Este, Universidad de la República, Treinta y Tres, Uruguay.
4 Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, CENUR-LN, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, Uruguay.
5 Unidad de Ovinos, INIA “La Estanzuela”, Colonia, Uruguay.
6 Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Estación Experimental Facultad de Agronomía, Salto, Uruguay.
7 Departamento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; Núcleo de Bienestar Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Keywords: animal welfare biochemistry cortisol sheep temperature

Submitted: 2025-05-02

Accepted: 2025-06-25

Published: 2025-08-08

*Corresponding author:
jpdamian@adinet.com.uy

How to Cite

Nusspaumer, A., Suárez, G., Claramunt, M., Pons, V., Gil, J., González, D., van Lier, E., Banchero, G., & Damián, J. P. (2025). Acute stress response to winter pre-lambing shearing in ewes with and without maternal experience. Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 57(1), e5712. https://doi.org/10.4206/ajvs.57.12

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Copyright (c) 2025 Adriana Nusspaumer, Gonzalo Suárez, Martín Claramunt, Victoria Pons, Jorge Gil, Damian González, Elize van Lier, Georgget Banchero, Juan Pablo Damián

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the acute stress response to winter pre-lambing shearing between ewes with and without maternal experience. Twenty-four Finnish Landrace x Polwarth ewes in the last month of gestation were used. Twelve ewes had previous maternal experience (ME), and 12 ewes were undergoing their first pregnancy and were therefore considered without maternal experience (WME). Heart rate, rectal temperature, and eye temperature were recorded immediately before shearing (0 min) and immediately after shearing (5 min). Blood samples were collected, and hormonal (cortisol) and biochemical (total protein, albumin, globulin, and glucose) indicators were determined. Heart rate, rectal temperature, eye temperature, serum cortisol concentration, and plasma glucose level increased after shearing (P < 0.05). Eye temperature significantly increased after shearing only in WME ewes (P = 0.004). The rectal temperature tended to be higher in WME ewes than in ME ewes (P = 0.07). WME ewes had higher serum cortisol concentrations after shearing than ME ewes (P = 0.049). Biochemical indicators did not vary according to the ewes’ maternal experience. In conclusion, ewes’ maternal experience influenced the acute stress response to shearing during late gestation. WME had a greater stress response to shearing than ME, which was evidenced by a higher increases in serum cortisol concentration and eye temperature.

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