THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND ANIMAL ETHICS COMMITTEE (AEC) STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FORM (For Domestic Fowl, Native Fauna/Wildlife, Domestic Livestock & Laboratory Animals) Title of Procedure: Guidelines for sheep which are housed on a long-term basis (long-term = longer than 2 months) (G5) General Caging Sheep may be kept in individual or group pens; Pens for individual sheep should be not less than approx 2.1m x 1.05m and group pen sizes will depend on the number and size of sheep to be held; Pens should be smooth-sided or constructed of tubular steel rails and sides should be high enough to prevent animals escaping; Pen floors may be of metal grids (mesh size 20mm) or wooden slats, cleaned daily or every second day. Where small lambs are housed on mesh and area of sold timber should be provided to help lessen the chances of their feet getting stuck in the mesh; Sheep may be kept on sawdust or straw bedding, provided the bedding is not damp and is changed as necessary; Rooms should be adequately ventilated and maintained in a clean state; normal temperatures should be within the range of 18-24 C and humidity 50-60%; Where newborn or young, unweaned lambs are being held with their dams some form of bedding (e.g. straw) would be provided for the lambs, for 10 days to 2 weeks following birth; Food and water containers should be fixed to, or in the case of demountable containers be adequately attaché to, pen walls; have suitable openings to allow access; be easily cleaned (at least every seconds day); and have no sharp or hooked edges or protuberances; Pen doors or gates must provide suitable openings for the passage of animals and attendants, be securely fastenable and sheep-proof; All penned sheep must be housed at all times with the company (at least visually) of a least one other sheep. Metabolism Cages UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE MAXIMUM PERIOD FOR WHICH SHEEP CAN BE KEPT IN METABOLISM CAGES IS 28 DAYS During this time, and any extension to it, the following must be provided: An environment, in which metabolism cages are set, which has appropriate ventilation, temperature and humidity; A high standard of cleanliness and care; Cages which are suitable constructed (e.g. tubular steel and fibreglass, plastic or sheet metal), have a grid floor (20mm mesh) and are in good repair; The drainage and removal of animal wastes form cages must be frequent, regular and effective; Sheep must have the company of, and visual access to, at least one other sheep for the duration of their confinement; Depending on the nature of the preceding experiment, sheep or goats may be returned to metabolism cages following a rest period of two weeks.
Identification Animals may be indentified by virtue of ear tattoos, purpose-made and appropriately applied metal or plastic era tags of suitable dimensions, or taps suspended on a neck pendant. In the latter case care must be taken to ensure these pendants can not be caught on feed or water troughs or any other protuberance on the pen or cage. Transport Transport of animals is best done by motor vehicle, equipped with a suitable steel mesh crate. For short distances a 4-wheeled trolley with enclosed sides, over which the animal cannot jump, is recommended. Such a trolley should have downward opening flaps at either end, and a floor covered with non-slip rubber or steel mesh. Care is needed when operating downward opening flaps and an additional/internal door may be used to increase operator safety. Exercise It is desirable that animals receive a short period of exercise, in an enclosed yard, on a daily basis or at least a weekly basis. In some instances (e.g. with some surgically modified animals and under some experimental conditions) this may not be advisable and is not recommended. Sheep should be allowed to walk and move freely in a large yard for one to several hours but should not be forced into demanding activity. Feed and Water A fresh unspoiled ration, meeting the requirements of the animals with respect to all nutrients, must be provided. It should be kept in mind that animals in different physiological states may have a variety of specific nutrient requirements. Of particular note are young, fast-growing sheep as well as pregnant or lactating ewes. Specific attention is drawn to the fact that mature, confined sheep do not require the same feeding level as similar sheep in a paddock situation. It is important that penned animals are not permitted to become over-fat and a balanced high-fibre, low energy ration is recommended. In group pen situations where dominant sheep over-eat, these, animals must be penned separately and fed a restricted ration. Specific points are that, in general, the ration should contain: A roughage component of at least 40%; 1% ground calcium carbonate (to prevent hypocalcaemia); 2mg molybdenum/kg of feed (to prevent copper toxicity); A phosphorus level not greater than 0.6%, and a Ca:P rations of 1.2:1; 3-4% added NaCl, particularly for animal receiving a concentrated based diet; An appropriate supplement of Vitamins A, B-complex, D & E It is recommended that breed predispositions be investigated in situations where sheep, particularly young growing animals, are to be housed long term. It should be noted that male ruminants are prone to urethral blockage, as a result of urinary calculi. In addition, formulated rations should be analysed on a regular basis to ensure nutrient and contaminant levels are within acceptable ranges. Sheep being housed directly from a paddock situation required a period of acclimatization. Approximately 2-3 weeks (or more) should be allowed, particularly for work involving aspects of feeding/nutrition, before trials are begun. Sheep should initially be introduced to a ration of Lucerne hay or chaff which is then altered gradually to a chaff/pelleted feed ration and thereafter to the diet appropriate to the experimental situation. Where sheep are disinclined to eat the ration offered, freshly picked
uncontaminated grass must be offered twice daily. A grass-hay mixture may also be acceptable. Animals which refuse to eat the ration offered make poor experimental subjects and should be returned to the paddock or otherwise disposed of. Clean uncontaminated water should be available tat all times, and fore housed sheep must be completely free of copper. Automatic drinkers should be checked daily to ensure they are functional. Where a manually filled water supply is provided, clean 5-6 litre containers of a suitable diameter and shape should be fixed to a pen wall. These should be emptied and refilled with fresh water each day. Shearing All sheep must be shorn at least annually and crutched and wigged as necessary (e.g. 6 monthly, between shearing). Such procedures should be organised to occur at times suited to experimental protocol and animals well-being. Alternatively shearing events could occur between experiments/trials. Hooves and Teeth Hooves should be checked and pared (if necessary) by experienced personnel each month; Mouths should be inspected at least annually and any sheep losing condition due to overgrown, warn or missing teeth, culled. Ewes in Lamb Should, particularly in their last 6 weeks of pregnancy, be handled only when absolutely necessary, and then with care. Should be checked frequently (twice a day) for signs of pregnancy toxemia or dystocia and treated or assisted as necessary. General Health Prior to, or upon arrival all sheep should be adequately vaccinated with 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 vaccine. Adequate vaccination entails: 2 vaccinations 4-6 weeks apart from about 8-12 weeks of age, followed by an annual booster; in breeding ewes the annual booster is best given 3 weeks prior to lambing. On arrival all sheep should be treated with an effective broad spectrum anthelmintic, and under warm conditions, or if necessary, jetted with an appropriate solution to control lice, ked and fly strike. The need for follow-up treatment for internal or external parasites must be kept in mind. All sheep should be monitored daily for signs of good health and any sudden change or prolonged (2 or more days) less acute illness should be reported to the academic staff member responsible for the animals, or the Manager of the Animal House. Blood Collections Single, occasional samples: Can be obtained from the external jugular vein using simple needle puncture and minimal restraint;
The following should be noted: Aseptic technique should be used such that: The wool over and immediately around the vein is clipped back to the skin; Skin disinfection with 70% alcohol or is performed; A sterile (18g) needle and syringe, or vacutainer, are used for each sheep; Where large samples (more than 30mls) are required, a sterile large bore (14g) needle or catheter should be used. Repeated sampling over 12-48 hours: Where more than approximately 6 samples/animals are required it is necessary to temporarily catheterize the external jugular vein using aseptic technique, local anaesthesia and a sterile heparinised catheter with a sterile 3-way tap or bung? The latter and free end of the catheter should be stitched or taped to the skin or fleece; Broad spectrum antibiotic cover is desirable during and following catheterisation. Care of gastrointestinal cannulae with particular reference to ruminal cannulae All the above sections apply to sheep with cannulae, but the following matters must also be attended to: Whether sheep are penned indoors or grazing outdoors, every effort must be made to prevent the possibility of cannulae being caught in or on fixed objects or the bungs being lost from cannulae animals must be inspected at lest twice daily and should not be accommodated in, or visually adjacent to, public areas; For any cannulated animal at least 2 consecutive weeks must elapse between the end or one experiment and the start of the next; Cannulated animals must be permanently tagged to allow lifelong identification in order that adequate records of their use can be kept. The following specific care routine is recommended: Each week: The fistula should be thoroughly checked for leakage of rumen contents; The presence of flystrike, pus, blood or other body exudates: Where any discharge is present: The outer plate should be removed; The wool under and adjacent to the plate clipped back to skin level; The fistula and surrounds cleaned with a saline solution (5g salt/250mls warm water), or appropriate disinfectant; Any maggots removed; The area treated with an iodine solution or Terramycin antibiotic spray; And The cleaned plate replaced. Where infection is present the above procedure should be carried out every second day, and the animal should receive systemic antibiotics (e.g. Terramycin L/A) for a least 7 days duration. Where the fistula and cannula are clean and the surround area uncontaminated, no specific procedures need to be undertaken.
Each month: The outer plate of the cannula should be removed, the fistula checked and the wool around the fistula clipped back; Immediately prior to replacing the plate the fistula edges should be sprayed with a Terramycin antibiotic spray. The above routine is the responsibility of the academic staff member in charge of any current experiment including cannulated animal(s). The cleaning duties may be delegated to associates involved with the experiment or Animal House staff provided they are made familiar with the procedures required (consult the Animal House staff). When animals are not involved with a particular experiment, Animal House staff are responsible for maintaining the fistulae and their cannulae in a fit state. For details on the pre-operative, operative and post-operative procedures associated with ruminal Cannulation, the reader s attention is drawn to the UNE Manual of Standard Procedures. Reviewed by: Dr Ian Godwin, Animal Phys - Environmental and Rural Science, UNE, 2006