Sexual attractivity and receptivity in tailed and docked ewes
Data files
Jul 08, 2025 version files 209.46 KB
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Mating_behavior_data_250612.xlsx
189.20 KB
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Mating_RTLS_data_250612.xlsx
13.49 KB
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README.md
6.77 KB
Abstract
Removing a portion of the tail, also known as tail docking, is commonly performed in sheep. However, there is evidence that females of small ruminant species use their tails to communicate in sexual contexts. The objective of this study was to test whether a ewe’s tail status affected the mating behavior of ewes and rams. Within 18 Polypay female twin pairs, one lamb was docked between 24-36 hours of age by placing a constrictive rubber ring on the tail while her sister’s tail was left undocked (n=18 lambs/treatment). The estrous cycles of the ewes were synchronized when they reached 7-8 months of age, and 9 groups of 4 ewes (2 twin pairs/group) were each exposed to a single unfamiliar virgin ram (n=9; 7-8 months of age) for 48 hours. Behavioral interactions were video recorded over the first 2 hours and analyzed to determine the ram’s latency to investigate each ewe’s perineal region and to mount her, the duration of perineal investigation, the number of headbutts and mounting attempts towards the ewe, and the proportion of mounts that the ewe accepted out of the total attempted mounts. We used real-time location sensors to record the x, y location of ewes and rams every second, from which we determined each ewe’s total distance traveled and average distance to the ram. Undocked ewes tended to be mounted sooner by the ram and, when mounted, tended to accept more mounts compared to docked ewes. No differences were observed between docked and undocked ewes in any of the other behaviors. These findings suggest that tail docking neonatal ewe lambs may reduce sexual attractivity and receptivity later in life, with potential implications for reproductive success.
This repository contains the data and R scripts used in the experiment described in the paper of the same name. The materials support analyses examining whether a ewe’s tail status (docked or undocked) affected the mating behavior of ewes and rams during a 2-hour mating event.
Study Overview
We tested the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal tail docking in ewes by evaluating:
- Behavioral interactions of docked or undocked ewes with a ram during the first 2 hours of a mating period
- Real-time location data of ewes and rams
Subjects:
Polypay virgin ewe lambs were randomly assigned to a tail docking treatment:
- Docked using the rubber ring method at 24–36 hours old (n = 18)
- Left undocked (n = 18)
Observation Schedule:
The estrous cycles of the ewes were synchronized when they reached 7-8 months of age, and 9 groups of 4 ewes (2 twin pairs/group) were each exposed to a single unfamiliar virgin ram (n=9; 7-8 months of age). During the first 2 hours of exposure, all animals wore real-time location system sensors to continuously record their spatial positions (x, y coordinates).
Behavioral data from video recordings were coded using BORIS (Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software).
Files and Descriptions
Mating_behavior_analysis_250612.nb.html
- Description: This R script analyzes mating behavior recorded from video observations during the first 2 hours of ram exposure.
- Input:
Mating_behavior_data_250612.xlsx - Output: Figures 3-6
- Use: Open in any web browser or in RStudio (File → Open File)
Mating_behavior_data_250612.xlsx
- Description: Behavioral observations from video recorded during the first 2 hours of the mating period.
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
eweid |
Unique identifier for each ewe (n=36) |
treatment |
The ewe's tail docking status (docked or undocked) |
ramid |
Unique identifier for the ram assigned to each ewe (n=9) |
twinid |
Unique identifier for each twin pair (n=18) |
pen |
Identifier for the pen in which the trial occurred (Pen 1, 2, or 3) |
testdate |
Date that each trial occurred, in which the ewes were exposed to their assigned rams (Oct 24, 26, or 28) |
observationid |
Unique identifier for each BORIS observation (n=9) |
behavior |
Behavior recorded for the ewe at the specified time point (4 possible behaviors) |
behavior_type |
Indicates whether the behavior is a state (occurs over a duration) or a point (occurs at a single moment) |
start_s |
Time in seconds from the start of the video when the behavior began |
stop_s |
Time in seconds from the start of the video when the behavior ended. For point behaviors, start_s and stop_s will be the same. |
duration_s |
Duration of each state behavior in seconds. Blank for point behaviors. |
duration_min |
Duration of each state behavior in minutes. Blank for point behaviors. |
Mating_RTLS_analysis_250612.nb.html
- Description: This R script analyzes positional data from real-time location sensors worn by ewes and rams during the first 2 hours of exposure.
- Input:
Mating_RTLS_data_250612.xlsx - Output: Figure 7
- Use: Open in any web browser or in RStudio
Mating_RTLS_data_250612.xlsx
- Description: Real-time location sensor data from the first 2 hours of the mating period.
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
eweid |
Unique identifier for each ewe (n=36) |
treatment |
The ewe's tail docking status (docked or undocked) |
ramid |
Unique identifier for the ram assigned to each ewe (n=9) |
twinid |
Unique identifier for each twin pair (n=18) |
pen |
Identifier for the pen in which the trial occurred (Pen 1, 2, or 3) |
testdate |
Date that each trial occurred, in which the ewes were exposed to their assigned rams (Oct 24, 26, or 28) |
total_dist_traveled_m |
Total distance traveled (in meters) by each ewe over a 2-hour period, calculated by summing the Euclidean distance between consecutive x,y coordinates recorded every second |
avg_dist_toram_m |
Average distance (in meters) between each ewe and her assigned ram over a 2-hour period, calculated using the Euclidean distance between their positions at each second |