Table 2.
Ethogram used to analyze the behavior in lambs using a scan sampling every 5 min over a period of 19-h.
| Category | Behavior | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Activity and lying position1 | Sternal recumbency, head up | Lamb is lying with the majority of body weight on the sternum; all limbs are under the body [25] and the head is up (above the height at the withers) |
| Sternal recumbency, head down | Lamb is lying with the majority of body weight on the sternum; all limbs are under the body [25] and the head is down (at or below the height at the withers) | |
| Sternocostal recumbency, head up | Lamb is lying with the majority of body weight on the sternum but at least one hind limb is on one side, bent but visible and the head is up (above the height at the withers) | |
| Sternocostal recumbency, head down | Lamb is lying with the majority of body weight on the sternum but at least one hind limb is on one side, bent but visible and the head is down (at or below the height at the withers) | |
| Lateral recumbency, head down | Lamb is lying with the majority of body weight on the left or right side with all limbs outstretched to respective side [25], head and neck are extended on the floor | |
| Standing, suckling/attempt to | Lamb standing on all four legs, while milk feeding or trying to reach a teat | |
| Standing, eating/attempt to | Lamb standing on all four legs, searching for forage straw in the bedding or in the fodder rake (when it was offered), chewing and eating it [26] | |
| Standing, still | Lamb standing on all four legs, without moving [26], far from the milk station | |
| Standing, walking | Lamb stands on four legs but it moves around [26] | |
| Standing, Playing | Lamb shows any locomotory play or play fighting [27] | |
| Panting1 | No | No panting, normal respiration (panting score = 0) [28] |
| Yes | Lamb shows a high respiration rate, it appears to “breath” from its flanks; the mouth could be closed (first phase, panting score = 1–2) or open (second phase, panting score > 2) [28,29] | |
| Interactions | Aggressive interaction when lying | Lamb tramples with its front legs or pushes with its head another animal which is resting [30] |
| Aggressive interactions when being active | Lamb pushes another animal with its head or other parts of its body or mount another active ewe (which is standing, eating, or moving) [30], often to reach the milk station | |
| Affiliative behavior [31] | Lamb interacts with another in a nonaggressive way (sniffing, licking, or allogrooming) | |
| Other behaviors | Trampling | Lamb climbs over another lying animal trampling it, in a nonaggressive way, often having no alternative ways |
| Drinking | Lamb drinks water from the drinker [26] | |
| Self-grooming | Lamb licks itself or lamb scratches itself against pen equipment | |
| Stretching | Lamb extends/stretches part or all of the body | |
| Shaking | Lamb performs quick sudden movements of the head or whole body | |
| Stereotypies | Lamb performing a frequent and non-functional oral manipulation (licking) of object such as pen bars, walls, fodder rake [26] |
1 mutually exclusive behaviors.