@conference {79002,
	title = {The effect of training to the milking parlour on the behavioural response to milking and milk production in first lactation heifers},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {72},
	year = {2012},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {134-138},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of training on the behaviour and milk production of heifers. Approximately three weeks prior to calving, heifers from two commercial farms were either trained over three days to the rotary milking parlour (TRAIN: n = 104) or left undisturbed in the paddock (CON: n = 113). Behavioural observations of heifers during the milking process were recorded over the first week of lactation. Behaviours recorded included the performance of flinching, stepping and/or kicking and the duration to attach the cluster. Individual heifer milk yields, milking durations, average milking flow rates and reattachment count of the cluster were recorded daily for the first six weeks of lactation. During the milking process, TRAIN heifers performed more leg lifts, a greater number of backward kicks and the number of times the milking cluster had to be reattached during each milking was greater than CON heifers. There was no difference in milk production measures between TRAIN and CON heifers. These results suggest that the method of training used in this study was not adequate to reduce the behavioural response of heifers to milking during the first week of lactation.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Dowling SK and Sutherland MA}
}
@conference {75920,
	title = {Raising lambs with intact tails to meet retailer welfare requirements: on farm feasibility and farmer perspectives},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {71},
	year = {2011},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {270-274},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Invercargill},
	abstract = {The aim was to study the practical feasibility of raising lambs with intact tails to satisfy welfare concerns over tail-docking. On four farms, two groups of ewes were bred with either a farm ram (Normal) or a Dorper ram (Dorper). Lamb body weight and dag scores were monitored at weaning and before transport to slaughter. Tail length was measured at weaning. Dorper-sired lambs were not tail-docked. Farmers recorded all management procedures and participated in a post-trial questionnaire. On average, the number of handling and health treatments, farm labour and measurements at weaning and transport were similar for the Normal and Dorper-sired lambs. Dag scores averaged 1.2 and 1.3 at weaning, and 0.6 and 0.8 at transport for Normal and Dorper-sired lambs, respectively. Three farms returned a higher value/head for their Dorper-sired lambs. Three farmers stated they would not raise lambs with intact tails in the future unless they received a higher premium. One farmer reported that he would continue to raise undocked Dorper-sired lambs. These results suggest that while it is possible to meet retailer demands for higher welfare standards by raising lambs with intact tails, industry uptake may be dependent on higher premiums that satisfy the perceived extra costs of the farmers.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Rogers AR and Dowling SK and Webster JR}
}
@conference {41733,
	title = {The use of diazepam as a pharmacological method for evaluating anxiety in sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {67},
	year = {2007},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {232-236},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Wanaka},
	abstract = {The aim of this study was to examine the effects of diazepam, an anti-anxiety drug, on the fear responses of sheep and its usefulness as a pharmacological method to study welfare. Fourteen, eight month old Romney ewes were randomly assigned to two treatments and injected via jugular venepuncture with diazepam (0.37mg/kg) or saline (controls) 20 minutes before exposure to a barking dog. Heart rate (bpm) and escape attempts were recorded throughout a 10 minute period before injection (baseline), 20 minutes post injection and 15 minutes following the dog. Average heart rate was lower in diazepam-treated sheep during the first 5 minutes following injection (P<0.01) and was significantly higher (P<0.01) for both diazepam and saline-treated sheep during the 5 minutes following exposure to the dog compared to baseline (+23.1 and +21.5 bpm for diazepam and saline respectively). Heart rate then decreased back to baseline levels during the last 10 minutes. Diazepam-treated sheep tended to have a higher number of escape attempts during the 5 minutes following exposure to the dog (P=0.08) compared to controls, suggesting that diazepam may have paradoxically increased anxiety in some sheep. The lack of differences between treatments suggests that diazepam did not modify the fear response of sheep to a dog. There appear to be interpretive difficulties associated with dose rates and the appropriate fear model in the use of diazepam to study anxiety in sheep.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Stewart M and Webster JR and Dowling SK and Stafford KJ and Huddart FJ}
}
