PSIII-A-7 - Conditioning of Goats to Livestock Trailer: Effects on Physiological Stress Responses During Long-distance Transportation

Abstract: Meat goats are often transported long distances under commercial situations in the US. In a split-plot design, 168 twelve-month-old male Spanish goats were used to determine the effects of habituation to trailers on behavior and stress responses when transported for long periods. Animals were separated into two treatment (TRT) groups and maintained on two different paddocks. Concentrate supplement was fed to one group inside two livestock trailers (5.0 × 2.3 m each; habituated group, H), while the other group received the same quantity of concentrate, but not inside the trailers (non-habituated, NH). After 4 weeks of habituation period, goats were subjected to a 10-hour transportation stress in 4 replicates (n = 21 goats/replicate/TRT). Blood samples were collected prior to loading (Preload), 20 min after loading (0 h), and at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h of transportation (Time). Behaviors of goats after loading were not affected by treatment. Plasma cortisol, glucose, and urea nitrogen concentrations and creatine kinase (CK) activities were significantly influenced by Time (P < 0.01). Plasma cortisol was not affected by TRT; however, glucose and CK in the H group tended to be lower than the NH group. Plasma non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the H group than the NH group, likely in response to epinephrine release. There was a TRT × Time effect (P < 0.05) on CK activities, with the values increasing in the NH group and decreasing in the H group during the first two hours of transportation. Lymphocyte to neutrophil ratio also increased (P < 0.01) over transportation time. Habituation to trailer may be beneficial during long distance transportation of goats as indicated by certain physiological stress responses. Habituation may also facilitate the loading process, based on behavioral observations.