Temperamento de cordeiros corriedale e texel com confinamento

Abstract

The development of sheep production makes its necessary to obtain more information about the behavior of this species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reactivity, adaptability and temperament of Corriedale and Texel lambs subjected to a feedcot system. Have been evaluated between March and May 2011, 37 castrated male lambs, and of these 9 Texel and 28 Corriedale, aged between five to seven months with average weight of 28 kg. The animals were kept in confinement receiving 4% of commercial food diets in the trough. The evaluation of the lambs temperament was performed three times (early, middle and end of the experiment), concurrently with the weighing. The evaluation are gone through the award of composite score (CS), walking type (WT) test and escape distance (ED) as well as measurement of temperature, heart rate and respiratory. There was no significant difference in the composite score and the walking type, however in the arena test Texel showed better adaptation than Corriedale. Regarding the physiological measurements were found averages of 78.5 beats per minute, temperature: 39.9° and 70.33 breathing movements. The breed factor appear had no effect on the lambs temperament, however in the test arena Texel shown to be more adapted to human presence than Corriedale.