An enriched arena for lamb - anticipation behaviour before entering the arena, effects of skipping the anticipation phase and effects of being denied access to the arena
This study aimed to investigate whether lambs show anticipatory behaviours in a holding pen prior to entering a known arena, whether the holding pen experience prior to the arena exposure affects their play expression in the arena and whether their behaviour (in home pen) is affected if arena access is denied. Twenty pair-housed male lambs (average 14 weeks old), were exposed, in chronological order, to five treatments. Holding pen treat-ment (HP-control): Each pair was led into a holding pen (2.7 m2) and remained there for 5 minutes before returning to their home pen (6 m2). Holding pen ? arena treatment (HP-A): Each pair was led into a holding pen for 5 min and then was allowed access into the arena (22 m2, containing two hanging chains, one ball and one platform) for 15 min before re-turning to their home pen. Arena treatment (A): Each pair was led into the arena for 15 min before returning to their home pen (without spending time in the holding pen). HP-A(2) treatment: Same as HP-A. Home pen treatment (H): Same as HP-control but under the as-sumption that lambs anticipated arena access. Prior to HP-control, lambs were habituated to enter the holding pen. Prior to HP-A, A, HP-A(2) and H, lambs were habituated to antic-ipate entering the arena. Observations were conducted over three days for HP-control, HP-A, HP-A(2) and A treatments and one day for H treatment. Behaviours were video record-ed and analysed (Observer XT 11.5, Noldus Technology) for percentage of duration. Ex-tracted behaviour data were analysed using Wilcoxon Signed ranks test. In the holding pen, no differences were found between HP-control and HP-A for total play, exploring, walking and number of behavioural transitions. In the enriched arena, significantly higher total play was expressed in treatment A compared to treatment HP-A (P