Habituation of common eland (Taurotragus oryx) to intensive routine handling, and the effect of immunocastration thereon

Effects of temperament during handling and social rank on the blood biochemical parameters of common eland (Taurotragus oryx)

“…The research was conducted at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) Common Eland Research Facilities. Animals are managed in an intensive system in a 450 m 2 barn with free access to 2.25 ha paddocks (low stocking density) and a complete feed mixture diet provided ad libitum inside the barn throughout the year (Musa et al 2021 ). The animals in this study were managed in the same herd throughout the study.…”

“…CZU 20/19). Routine handling in a custom-designed squeeze chute system with a raceway involved body weight and condition measurement, blood collection, recording of the temperament (as described in Musa et al 2021 ), and recording social interactions two days after the handling. Twelve healthy animals with 135.1 ± 2.25 kg initial body weight, 3.8 ± 0.1 body condition score (BCS, following the 1 to 5 scale for red deer; Audigé et al 1998 ), and age 9.2 ± 1.5 months, consisting of six females six and males, were chosen for this study.…”

“…The stress during handling was measured as the behavioural response during handling by a trained researcher (temperament score, a proxy for handling stress; Mahre et al 2015 ; Musa et al 2021 ; Parham et al 2021 ). The final score is the sum recorded at each step of the handling, being 0 for the less stressed animals and 17 for the most stressed ones.…”

Carcass and Offal Yields of Farmed Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx) Males, as Affected by Age and Immunocastration

“…Such adaptability has motivated the argument that large megafauna, such as the common eland, may be a suitable alternative to traditional livestock, thereby playing a role in addressing the effects of meat production on global warming [ 19 ]. Common eland also habituate well to intensive handling [ 20 ], facilitating more intensive production and record-keeping, further supporting its commercial meat production potential.…”

“…Recent research has shown that common eland meat flavor resembles that of beef [ 23 ], but that its tenderness should be improved through processing techniques such as pelvic-suspension and wet-ageing before commercial sale [ 24 ]. Immunocastration has also been utilized as a management strategy in mixed-sex eland herds [ 20 ], with little effect seen on the physical and sensorial meat quality [ 24 ]. However, the effect of decreased androgen production due to immunocastration on the slaughter performance and cutting yield of common eland males has not yet been described.…”