Are Tail and Ear Movements Indicators of Emotions in Tail-Docked Pigs in Response to Environmental Enrichment?

Marcet-Rius, Míriam; Fàbrega, E.; Cozzi, Alessandro; Bienboire-Frosini, Cécile; Descout, Estelle; Velarde, Antonio; Pageat, Patrick

doi:10.3390/ani9070449

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In the present study, this behaviour was significantly higher after playing, not during it, which is a new finding. It has also been suggested to be an indicator of positive emotions (or an indicator of emotions with a positive valence or outcome) by several studies conducted in different conditions [ 33 – 35 , 37 , 46 , 47 ]. The present significant difference supports the previous results about the other parameters, suggesting that the pigs were in a more positive state after playing during the strange person test than after a control situation based on the increase in tail movement duration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A better understanding of animal emotions is an important goal in disciplines ranging from neuroscience to animal welfare science, but few reliable tools exist for measuring these emotions [ 4 , 10 ]. Play behaviour is generally recognised as a trigger of positive emotions in mammals [ 30 , 39 ], and previous studies consistently suggested that a high tail movement duration (a behaviour often seen during play) indicates positive emotions in pigs [ 33 – 35 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship

et al. 2020

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It is now widely recognised that a positive human-animal relationship is beneficial not only for farm animals’ welfare but also for productivity and the quality of products. A better understanding of animal emotions is an important goal in disciplines ranging from neuroscience to animal welfare science, but few reliable tools exist for measuring these emotions. In this study, whether the provision of toys to solicit play behaviour in pigs is associated with a change in the human-animal relationship and the emotional state of pigs was investigated. We involved a group of sixteen mini-pigs housed in an experimental setting and the use of a preliminary test called the ‘strange person’ test. After a Control and a Play session (with medium-sized dog toys, balls with ropes), the strange person test was performed. During the test, a person wearing a colourful overall, a hood, a mask, gloves and boots (unknown person with an odd appearance) entered the pen, where 2 mini-pigs were housed, for a 2-min video recording. The strange person test results after the Play and Control sessions were compared. The results showed that the latency to approach the person (duration in seconds) and the duration for which the pig was distant from the strange person (duration in seconds) were significantly lower after the Play session than after the Control session (Degrees of Freedom =30; Statistic of the F test =39.1; p < 0.0001 and Degrees of Freedom =15; Statistic of the F test =54.3; p < 0.0001, respectively). The duration of direct contact (duration in seconds) (Degrees of Freedom =15; Statistic of the F test =14.8; p = 0.002), the need to separate the pig from the strange person (frequency) (Degrees of Freedom =30; Statistic of the F test =9.3; p = 0.005) and the duration of tail movement (duration in seconds) (Degrees of Freedom =15; Statistic of the F test =12.6; p = 0.003) were all significantly higher after the Play sessions than after the Control sessions. Overall, the results suggest a change in the human-animal relationship after the Play sessions: the pigs seemed to be less fearful and more inclined to interact with the strange person, showing a more positive emotional state. This preliminary study suggests that the provision of toys, and more precisely, the opportunity to perform object play behaviour, and sometimes, spontaneously, social play behaviour, can improve the human-animal relationship. Additional research to explore this topic thoroughly may yield interesting results because a positive emotional state of the animals and a good human-animal relationship are essential to ensure good quality of life of farm animals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship

et al. 2020

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“…The results indicated that these behaviors are closely associated with negative emotions (Mendl et al, 1997). Numerous studies have shown that tail postures are indicators of behavioral and psychological responses (Forkman et al, 2007;Reefmann et al, 2009;Boissy et al, 2011;Jones and Boissy, 2011;Marcet-Rius et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Behavioral and physiological performance of different gilt breeds during lactation

Liu¹,

Ji²,

Wang³

et al. 2022

Revista Brasileira De Zootecnia

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Biometeorology and animal welfareFull-length research article Behavioral and physiological performance of different gilt breeds during lactationABSTRACT -We evaluated the maternal behavior, physiology, and reproductive performance of both Damin (Min-pig × Large White) and Large White gilts to identify the advantages hybrid sows offer with regard to stress relieve and improvement of the welfare level of sows during late lactation. First-parity Damin gilts (n = 40) and firstparity Large White gilts (n = 40) were farrowed in individual pens. Video surveillance was used to monitor the occurrence of lateral recumbency and compare it to other postures, such as ventral recumbency, defecation, urination, tail posture, sham-chewing, and bar-biting behaviors. Monitoring was conducted from 07:00 to 09:00 h and from 13:00 to 15:00 h on days 3 and 6 of each week from the third to the fifth week postparturition. In addition, the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and salivary α-amylase were assessed. During the fourth week postpartum, Damin gilts showed a higher frequency of postural changes from lateral recumbency to other postures and less ventral recumbency, sham-chewing, and bar-biting behavior compared with Large White gilts. However, no significant differences were found between Damin and Large White gilts with regard to urination, defecation, tail wagging, and "tail low" behaviors. The concentrations of serum interleukin-6, salivary α-amylase, and serum tumor necrosis factor-α were higher in Damin gilts than in Large White gilts during the fifth week postpartum. Damin gilts partly achieve lower stress levels during late lactation and better animal welfare than purebred Large White gilts.

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“…In the EU, over 90% of pigs are tail-docked, despite a ban on routine docking [60,61]. Tail docking means that a part of the tail is cut off, usually without pain mitigation [59,62]. It is usually performed in the course of piglet processing in the first days of life, often together with other procedures, such as teeth resection [31].…”

Section: Tail Dockingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Routine Management Procedures on the Welfare of Suckling Piglets

Schmid

Steinhoff‐Wagner

2022

Veterinary Sciences

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Piglets often undergo several painful treatments during the initial days of their lives. In this review, we investigate the acute (i.e., immediate), short-, and long-term implications of piglet processing on behavioral, physiological, clinical, and performance parameters, and how welfare impairments depend on performance instead of sham procedure, alternative techniques, or the age of the piglets. Welfare indicators that have been used to determine the least distressing procedures and knowledge gaps with regard to the procedures are identified and discussed. Tail docking and especially piglet castration have been the most researched topics, whereas marking for identification has been rarely addressed. Few or no studies have investigated the effects of teeth resection and tail docking on piglets of different age groups. Additionally, results are often found to be inconsistent, highlighting the need for additional research to determine the optimal age for processing. Studies comparing different processing techniques have produced contradictory results, but ear notching, teeth clipping, hot cautery tail docking, and tearing during castration have been determined to result in increased pain. Generally, a shorter procedure duration can reduce stress, with operator training having a distinct impact on piglet welfare during processing. As such, these topics should be further investigated.

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Are Tail and Ear Movements Indicators of Emotions in Tail-Docked Pigs in Response to Environmental Enrichment?

Cited by 10 publications

References 31 publications

The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship

The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship

Behavioral and physiological performance of different gilt breeds during lactation

Impact of Routine Management Procedures on the Welfare of Suckling Piglets

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