Wool cortisol as putative retrospective indicator of stress in ewes during the third trimester of pregnancy, and their newborns: effects of parity and litter size — an exploratory study

Stress is an important factor in animal welfare. Hair or wool cortisol concentrations are considered to be potential long-term indicators of stress experienced by animal. Using Swifter sheep, we investigated whether ewe parity and litter size affect the ewes their offspring. We hypothesized that multiparous offspring would have higher than primiparous offspring, with larger litters lower smaller male lambs female lambs, correlated. Lamb grows utero during third trimester pregnancy. In ewes, shave–reshave method was used so samples from also covered approximately last Our study confirmed affected concentrations: gave birth (i.e., 3 4 lambs) had 1 2 lambs). There no evidence were Neither nor lambs. confirms can reliably measured newborn suggests it may useful as a retrospective indicator