Avaliação do comportamento social e alimentar de ovinos jovens, com e sem as matrizes

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the social and feeding behavior of young sheep with and without the matrices. Eight male and female animals, three and fiverespectively, with no defined racial pattern (SPRD), with ages ranging from six to seven months of age, were used. Behavioral observations occurred for eight hours daily, from 6 am to 2 pm for three consecutive days, with a five-minute record, using a stopwatch. For the identification of the animals were used yarns for making necklaces with different colors (blue, dark blue, yellow, orange, green, white, silver and pink). The variables related to social behavior, vocalization, integration with the environment, jokes and fights; and feeding, feeding time, rumination time, standing leisure, lying leisure and water consumption were recorded in an etogram. During the days of observation, two observers write the records of the behavioral variables and the third (fixed during the days of observations), to identify and record the other social and food activities. It is concluded that the separation of young sheep from their matrices can modify the social and feeding behaviors of the animals. Among the results obtained the social variables as interaction with the environment and vocalization; (P> 0.0001), between the treatments (animals raised jointly (mother and offspring) and offspring separated from their mothers and put in an attached picket), probably due to climatic conditions and the environment, separation of the offspring from their mothers, formation of a new social organization, etc. However, some variables such as total rumination time and total leisure time, there was no significant difference between the treatments, probably due to the preference on the side of lying down or the position of limbs and trunks, selection capacity.