Maternal experience affects the behavioral response and the daily weight gain to weaning stress in lambs

Sheep maternal experience is of great importance for the development and welfare of their offspring. This study aimed to compare the behavioral and physiological responses to weaning stress between lambs born and reared by multiparous (with maternal experience) and primiparous (without maternal experience) dams. Twenty-three singleton lambs born to Finnish-Landrace x Polwarth dams were used: twelve lambs were born and reared by multiparous dams (LMD) and eleven lambs by primiparous dams (LPD). Before and after weaning body weight, serum proteins and the behaviors were evaluated. While the LPD group increased daily weight gain, the LMD group experienced weight loss (p = 0.0005). Most of the differences observed between groups in behavioral responses were found in the first two days after weaning, where the LMD lambs displayed lower frequency of grazing and standing behaviors (p < 0.05), but greater frequency of vocalizing, pacing, and walking behaviors (p < 0.001). Using global positioning devices, weaning affected the circadian rhythm of the distance traveled by lambs, and maternal experience afected the circadian rhythm of distance and mean daily velocity (p < 0.05). In conclusion, considering all the behaviors assessed, as well as the daily weight gain, maternal experience affected lambs' response to weaning stress.