Applied Animal Behaviour Science 150 (2014) 17–26 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Animal Behaviour Science jou rn al hom epage : w ww.elsevier.com/locate/applanim The behaviour of gestating dairy ewes under different space allowances Xavier Averós a , Areta Lorea a,b , Ignacia Beltrán de Heredia a , Roberto Ruiz a , Joanna Marchewka a , Josune Arranz a , Inma Estevez a,c,∗ a Neiker-Tecnalia, Department of Animal Production, 01080 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain b Navarra Public University (UPNA), Campus de Arrosadia, 31006 Pamplona, Spain c IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Accepted 6 November 2013 Available online 14 November 2013 Keywords: Dairy ewe Pregnancy Social behaviour Space allowance Welfare a b s t r a c t Provision of adequate housing is essential to assure the welfare of farm animals. One rele- vant aspect is space allowance, due to potential consequences on the behaviour and welfare of animals. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of space allowance on the behaviour and potential welfare implications of dairy ewes during gestation. With this purpose, 54 pregnant ewes were randomly allocated to groups of 6 ewes with space allowances of 1, 2, or 3 m 2 /ewe (three replicates per treatment). Behaviour was observed between gestation weeks 9 and 19. Data collection included focal observations (4 gestation periods of 2 consecutive weeks, 3 days/week) and scan samplings (twice/week during 11 gestation weeks). The effects of space allowance, point of gestation, and their interaction on the percentage of time, frequency (focal observations) and percentage of occurrence (scan samplings) of behaviours were determined with a mixed model ANOVA, with point of gestation as repeated measure. In general, less activity as indicated by reduced move- ment (P < 0.05) and higher percentages of time at the feeder (P < 0.05) were observed at 1 m 2 /ewe as compared to 2 and 3 m 2 /ewe. Occurrences of negative, and especially posi- tive social interactions, were also higher at 1 m 2 /ewe (P < 0.05), perhaps as result of the higher chances to find another individual in the path of movement rather than of increased social conflict. The initial period of study was characterized by a higher frequency of posi- tive social interactions (P < 0.001) and explorative behaviours (P < 0.005), likely due to the novelty effect. On the contrary, the decline in activity, as indicated by a reduction in the percentage of time standing (P < 0.05) and increased resting (P < 0.05), was evident as ges- tation progressed. A clear effect of space allowance was detected, although it was mostly restricted to moving and eating behaviours. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Provision of adequate housing is essential to assure the welfare of production animals, but also to maintain the ∗ Corresponding author at: Neiker-Tecnalia, Arkaute Agrifood Cam- pus, Department of Animal Production, P.O. Box 46, 01080 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Tel.: +34 945121336; fax: +34 945 281422. E-mail address: iestevez@neiker.net (I. Estevez). efficiency and assure the sustainability of any production system. Although many factors must be considered when evaluating the adequacy of housing conditions, one that is of primary relevance is the availability of space, as space limitations can have major impact in terms of welfare and performance of the animals. Space allowance is generally defined as the average area offered per animal (Petherick, 2007; Petherick and Phillips, 2009), and it is considered a defining feature of all animal production systems due to its economic 0168-1591/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.002