Assessment of surface temperature, vocalization, and body weight of lambs and goat kids subjected to ear tagging and umbilical cord care

This study aimed to evaluate the physiological, behavioral, and productive responses of goat kids and lambs to zootechnical management practices – specifically navel healing and ear tagging – using infrared thermography (IRT) as a non-invasive diagnostic tool. The relevance lies in understanding species-specific responses to routine procedures affecting animal welfare. The research was conducted at the Small Ruminants Sector of the Federal University of Uberlândia, in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fifty crossbred animals (13 goat kids and 37 lambs) were evaluated from birth to 60 days old. Umbilical cord care was performed with 10% iodine solution during the first 3 days of life, and IRT was evaluated at 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 days of age. Ear tagging was conducted on the third day using earrings and assessed using IRT at several intervals (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 days after the earring application). Behavioral responses (vocalizations) were evaluated during the first minute after ear tagging, and body weight was measured at birth and every 15 days until 60 days of age. IRT revealed peak umbilical temperatures on day 5 (35.89 °C), with a reduction by day 20 (33.14 °C) for goat kids, and reduced temperature at day 20 (34.06 ºC) and 30 (33.30 ºC) for lambs. Goat kids showed higher ear temperatures than lambs throughout the period, with a peak at day 20 (36.89 °C). All goat kids vocalized during ear tagging, compared to only 35% of lambs. Lambs exhibited higher weight gain from day 30 onwards, potentially due to lower physiological stress. Goat kids showed higher temperatures and frequency of vocalization responses than lambs, highlighting the need for species-specific welfare considerations in livestock practices.