Effect of enriched housing on welfare,production performance and meat quality in finishing lambs: The use of feeder ramps |
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Authors: | LA Aguayo-Ulloa GC Miranda-de la Lama M Pascual-Alonso JL Olleta M Villarroel C Sañudo GA María |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zaragoza, Spain;2. Group of Animal Welfare and Sustainable Production, Department of Food Science, Metropolitan Autonomous University, UAM-Lerma, State of Mexico, Mexico;3. Department of Animal Science, E.T.S.I.A. Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain |
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Abstract: | This study analyses the effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare, productive traits and meat quality of lambs housed in feedlots. Sixty lambs were placed in enriched (EE) or conventional (CO) pens (3 pens for each treatment, 10 lambs/pen) where EE had a wooden platform with ramps that provided access to a concentrate hopper, cereal straw as bedding and forage, and one play ramp. The CO pen was barren, similar to commercial feedlots. The physiological adaptation response of EE lambs was more efficient than CO, since the latter mobilised more body reserves (i.e., increased NEFA, P < 0.05), and had lower levels of immunity (i.e., increased N/L, P < 0.05), which indicate chronic stress, probably associated with the barren environment. The EE lambs had a higher (P < 0.05) average daily gain, with heavier carcasses and higher fattening scores, as well as lower pHult, higher L* and b* values, and lower values of texture (P < 0.05). |
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Keywords: | Full environmental enrichment Finishing lambs Meat quality Animal welfare Productive performance |
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