A. Orihuela  , V. Aguirre  , C. Hernandez  , I. Flores-Perez  , R. Vazquez  , 
    Effect of Anesthesia on Welfare Aspects of Hair Sheep (<I>Ovis aries</I>) During Electro-Ejaculation,
    Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances,
    Volume 8,Issue 2,
    2009,
    Pages 305-308,
    ISSN 1680-5593,
    javaa.2009.305.308,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2009.305.308)
    Abstract: > Animal welfare concern has been expressed regarding the use of Electro-Ejaculation (EE) as a semen collection technique. In the present experiment, the effect of anesthesia on measures of welfare of hair sheep (<I>Ovis aries</I>) during EE was evaluate. Twenty intact F1 Dorper/St. Croix rams aged 12-13 months were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: Controls (T<SUB>0</SUB>) and animals receiving im injection of xylazine and ketamine (T<SUB>1</SUB>). All animals were electro-ejaculated once. Changes in cortisol concentration, Heart (HR) and Respiratory Rate (RR) were used to quantify the stress response to EE. A peak of >200 beats min<SUP>-1</SUP> was observed at the time of EE in both groups. Anesthetized rams in T<SUB>1</SUB> returned to their basal heart rate within 4 min after this peak, while the heart rate of rams in the T<SUB>0</SUB> group remained relatively high 30 min after EE. Serum cortisol levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the T<SUB>0</SUB> group than in the T<SUB>1</SUB> rams 20 min after EE (161.57±14.37 and 110.60±11.74 ng mL<SUP>-1</SUP> in T<SUB>0</SUB> and T<SUB>1</SUB>, respectively). No differences in the respiratory rate variable (p>0.05) were observed between or within groups. It was concluded that anesthetic treatment during EE improved 2 of 3 measures of welfare (heart rate and cortisol concentration). These findings provide support for the use of anaesthetics when collecting semen in hair sheep by EE.
    Keywords: Hair sheep;welfare;electro-ejaculation;cortisol;heart rate;anesthetic