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

Leigh Atkinson1, Rebecca E Doyle1, Andrew Woodward2

  • 1Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Building 400, Corner Park Drive and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, Australia.

Behavioural Processes
|July 25, 2022
PubMed

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 biasEarly life experienceHabituationHuman-directed fearStartle testStress Inoculation

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