EI comportamiento previo y posterior a la esquila de vicuñas del Criadero Coquena (Molinos, Salta).

MOSCA TORRES, M.E.; PUIG, S.

ANDES

CENTRO PROMOCIONAL DE LAS INVESTIGACIONES EN HISTORIA Y ANTROPOLOGÍA. UNIVERSIDAD NAC- DE SALTA. SALTA

Año: 2003 p. 7 - 24

0327-1676

Regular observations were carried out about the behavior of two family groups of vicunas under semi-captive management in the Coquena breeding place (Molinos, Salta), before and after their vaccination and shearing. Two complementary sampling methods were applied: scan-sampling and animal-focal sampling methods. These methods allowed  analyzing the distribution of individuals and of times among activities. Increases in the proportions of individuals walking, watching, attentive and burnishing were detected, while the proportion of resting animals decreased after been vaccinated and sheared. These changes would express increases in the levels of nervousness and inquietude as a response to the drive, handling and loss of thermal cover. Both familiar groups coincided in a reduction of the repose and in an increase of stress expressions, though some differences between groups were detected. Territorial behavior, which was observed in the males of both groups before as well as after vaccination and shearing, would put in evidence that the semi-captive conditions under which they live have not modified this innate behavior. Neither the feeding behavior was modified as a consequence of these tasks. The adequate conditions of installations and the careful management of individuals before, during and after vaccination and shearing, evidently contributed to that welfare condition. None of the sheared animals was hurt during the tasks done and no deaths were recorded during the whole study. To advance in these investigations is considered valuable in order to analyze, among other issues, the behavioral changes in the family group when the removal of expelled calves from the paddocks occurs.