Behavioural responses of lambs of three ages in the first three hours after three methods of castration and tail docking

Abstract

The behavioural responses of groups of seven lambs were compared with control groups after castration and tail docking by rubber rings, application of a Burdizzo clamp in addition to a rubber ring and after surgical castration at five, 21 and 42 days. All methods at all ages produced changes in behaviour which were interpreted as indicative of considerable pain. The rubber ring groups showed most changes in behaviour at all ages. The rubber ring with Burdizzo groups showed least changes and some lambs in these groups showed much less response than others. The surgical groups showed some behavioural responses which were different, both qualitatively and quantitatively to those in other groups. It is concluded that indices used for recognition and assessment of acute pain received conditional support, that modification of the rubber ring with Burdizzo may provide the least painful method without local anaesthesia and that age had little effect on the responses.