A computer-controlled, long-term recording system for studying eating, drinking, and defecation behavior in miniature pigs

Kowalski, Axel; Enck, Paul; Kalveram, Karl Theodor

doi:10.1016/s0031-9384(99)00163-8

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Gilts spent 90% of their total time at the waterer between 0200 and 1800 h, and in turn, 90% of their total visits to the waterer occurred in this same timeframe. Though miniature pigs exposed to a 0700 to 2000 h light period showed no specific drinking pattern (Musial et al, 1999), the findings of this study agree with previous results indicating that water intake for the pig follows a drinking pattern. The miniature pigs ate as much at night as during the day and also failed to display a drinking pattern.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…These water meters repeatedly fill and empty these compartments, and flow rate is calculated accurately based on the number of times these compartments are filled and emptied. Positive displacement flow meters have been used to record water disappearance and drinking patterns of individually housed miniature pigs (Musial et al, 1999) or pigs housed in pens of 30 to 250 (Madsen and Kristensen, 2005). Mathematical models based on accurate data collection (with positive displacement flow meters) allow water consumption to be monitored and hence health status of pigs (Madsen and Kristensen, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Musial et al (1999) showed that drinking bouts ranged from 99 to 702 s, whereas Dybkjaer et al (2006) used a 10-s bout interval based on previous findings from Lehner (1979). In the present study, all drinking sessions were recorded.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: Determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers12

Meiszberg

Johnson

Sadler

et al. 2009

Journal of Animal Science

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Assimilating accurate behavioral events over a long period can be labor-intensive and relatively expensive. If an automatic device could accurately record the duration and frequency for a given behavioral event, it would be a valuable alternative to the traditional use of human observers for behavioral studies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the accuracy in the time spent at the waterer and the number of visits to the waterer by individually housed nursery pigs between human observers scoring video files using Observer software (OBS) and an automatic water meter Hobo (WM, control) affixed onto the waterline. Eleven PIC USA genotype gilts (22 ± 2 d of age; 6.5 ± 1.4 kg of BW) were housed individually in pens with ad libitum access to a corn-based starter ration and one nipple waterer. Behavior was collected on d 0 (day of weaning), 7, and 14 of the trial using 1 color camera positioned over 4 attached pens and a RECO-204 DVR at 1 frame per second. For the OBS method, 2 experienced observers recorded drinking behavior from the video files, which was defined as when the gilt placed her mouth over the nipple waterer. Data were analyzed using nonparametric methods and the general linear model and regression procedures in SAS. The experimental unit was the individual pen housing 1 gilt. The GLM model included the method of observation (WM vs. OBS) and time (24 h) as variables, and the gilt nested within method was used as the error term. Gilts consumed more water (P = 0.04) on d 14 than on d 0. The time of day affected (P < 0.001) the number of visits and the time spent at the waterer regardless of the method. However, the OBS method underestimated (P < 0.001) the number of visits to the waterer (3.48 ± 0.33 visits/h for OBS vs. 4.94 ± 0.33 for WM) and overestimated (P < 0.001) the time spent at the waterer (22.6 ± 1.46 s/h for OBS vs. 13.9 ± 1.43 for WM) compared with WM. The relationship between the 2 methods for prediction of time spent at the waterer and number of visits made by the gilts was weak (R 2 = 0.56 and 0.69, respectively). Collectively, these data indicate that the use of the traditional OBS method for quantifying drinking behavior in pigs can be misleading. Quantifying drinking behavior and perhaps other behavioral events via the OBS method must be more accurately validated. RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. ABSTRACT: Assimilating accurate behavioral events over a long period can be labor-intensive and relatively expensive. If an automatic device could accurately record the duration and frequency for a given behavioral event, it would be a valuable alternative to the traditional use of human observers for behavioral studies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the accuracy in the time spent at the waterer and the number of visits to the waterer by individually housed nursery pigs between human observers scoring...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: Determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers12

Meiszberg

Johnson

Sadler

et al. 2009

Journal of Animal Science

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“…The entire setup was computer-controlled and data can be recorded continuously for prolonged periods with a sampling rate of 1 Hz. For a detailed description of the laboratory see Musial et al (1999).…”

Section: Apparatusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since we were interested in the precise temporal structure of porcine feeding behavior in a closed economy setup without socially isolating the animal, a computer-controlled laboratory setup was developed, allowing for the exact recording of feeding behavior for two miniature pigs at a time for weeks with a sampling frequency of 1 Hz (Musial et al 1999). This laboratory setup delivers long-term time series based on a binary data structure and thus offers a tool to investigate the temporal structure of feeding behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A technique for the measurement of synchronised feeding in miniature pigs: determination by means of Walsh – Fourier spectral analysis

Kowalski¹,

Hinninghofen²,

Enck³

2005

Biological Rhythm Research

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In order to investigate feeding synchronization in miniature pigs, a computer-controlled laboratory setup has been developed, recording the feeding behavior of two pigs at a time for weeks. Since, this setup delivers time series with a binary data structure, and thus Fourier-Spectral analysis is difficult to perform, Walsh -Fourier Spectral analysis for ordinal or binary data was utilized. Synchronicity between pigs housed together was estimated by coherency values, determined for the highest sequences of the Walsh -Fourier power spectra. Feeding behavior was recorded in 12 pigs (26 -50 kg) housed in pairs, in separate, but adjacent pens. Pigs were conditioned to operate feeders and feeding was recorded for two weeks. Pigs housed adjacent to one another showed an overlap in the dominant sequencies which was confirmed by high corresponding coherency values. Furthermore, pairs of pigs were matched according to age, weight and gender, and combined by chance. Compared to these pairings, coherencies were higher and more consistent in pigs housed in adjacent pens. If the data structure is binary, WalshFourier Spectral analysis utilizing coherencies as a measure of correlation between the spectra has been shown to be a useful tool in the investigation of behavioral synchronization.

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Electrical stimulation induces propagated colonic contractions in an experimental model

Aellen

Wiesel

Gardaz

et al. 2009

British Journal of Surgery

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A computer-controlled, long-term recording system for studying eating, drinking, and defecation behavior in miniature pigs

Cited by 13 publications

References 30 publications

Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: Determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers12

Drinking behavior in nursery pigs: Determining the accuracy between an automatic water meter versus human observers12

A technique for the measurement of synchronised feeding in miniature pigs: determination by means of Walsh – Fourier spectral analysis

Electrical stimulation induces propagated colonic contractions in an experimental model

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