Effect of transport period and loading density of sheep to welfare and animal welfare perception and attitude of personnel assigned in animal transport

The purpose of this study is to research welfare effects on rams in different transport periods with maximum and minimum densities (0,3-0,4 m2/animal) and 0,25 m2/animal according to the Regulation of transport of live animals and animal products in the country and animal welfare perception and attitude of personnel employeed for animal transportation. 90 rams of Akkaraman and crossbreed were loaded in 3 different densities (high-0,25 m2/animal, medium-0,30 m2/animal, low-0,40 m2/animal) and transported by land in 3 different transport times (blood samples were taken at hour 0, hour 3, and hour 15). Face to face interview had been made with 80 personnel working in animal transportation in Muş and a perception and attitude scale had been performed to them. As the transportation period of rams increases live body weight loss also increased however loading density didn?t affect the live body weight loss. Body temperature of the rams increased with the transport time. Body temperature of the rams loaded in high and medium densities increased however body temperature of the rams loaded in low density decreased. Serum cortisol level of the rams showed a linear increase with the transport time; it is understood that transportation with 0,25 m2/animal increased the serum cortisol level. Serum insulin level is affected by transport time, loading density and transport time x loading density interaction. Insulin levels in rams reached to the highest level especially at the 3rd hour of the journey and then it showed decrease. The maximum insulin values have been determined in 0,25 and 0,30 m2/animal density groups at the 3rd hour of the journey. Accordingly while maximum blood glucose results are taken at the 3rd hour of the journey these values showed decrease afterwards. Transport time and loading density didn?t affect the serum glucagon level. While the serum total protein levels do not change according to the loading density of the transported rams, slight increase at the 3rd hour of the transport and then decrease are observed. In the research serum triglyceride levels of the rams were not affected from the loading density however serum triglyceride level of the rams transported in the maximum loading density increased at the 3rd hour of the journey and afterwards it decreased. In general as the transportation extends and loading density decreases it was observed that serum MDA, AOA and GSH levels increased. Also neutrophils (lysozyme activity) made contribution to the antioxidant response. In this research hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were not affected from transport time and loading density at the statistical level, nevertheless increase in leukocyte number were observed with the transport time. While there is no affect observed for erythrocyte as the transport time increased slight increases were determined in MCV, MCH and MCHC levels. Also neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte and basophil numbers and N/L ratio were not affected from the transport time and loading density. While decrease in monocyte, lymphocyte, eosinophil and basophil numbers were observed as the loading density increases; lymphocyte, eosinophil and basophil numbers excluding monocyte increased as the transport time increases. The results obtained from the research showed that perception and attitude of the personnel assigned for animal transportation might affect the welfare of the animals during the transportation. Because these people expressed some conflicting opinions between their welfare perception and the attitude they have. While animal welfare attitude of the personnel in positive way emotionally expressed that the animals are beings those might feel, on the other hand their negative approach expressing that the animals are created for human and they cannot be accepted as an individual are in contradiction. As a result there is increase in parameters regarding with the carbohydrate metabolism in general at the beginning of the transport and within the first 3 hours afterwards decrease in these values are observed. These results show that transportation is forming stress in rams and stress is at the highest level during the loading and in the first hours of the journey. As the transport time passes it is determined that hormonal, biochemical and hematologic adaptation takes place against the transport stress so that they adapt to the effect of the stress to some extent. Nevertheless some situations is open to incoherency between the cognitive, emotional and behavioral elements of animal welfare attitude of the personnel who assigned in animal transportation; thus it is concluded that there is need for reformist approaches those will provide improvement in attitude and behavior of the personnel assigned in transportation via training applications.