Influence of repeated regrouping on reproduction in gilts

Soede, N.M.; Sleuwen, M.J.W. van; Molenaar, R.; Rietveld, F.W.; Schouten, W.G.P.; Hazeleger, W.; Kemp, B.

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2005.12.004

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Such a decrease in agonistic behaviour has already been reported in growing pigs submitted to repeated groupings (Giersing and Andersson, 1998;Coutellier et al, 2007). Contrarily, Olsson et al (1999) in growing pigs and Soede et al (2006) in gilts did not show a reduction of the endocrine response to repeated grouping. However, in both studies, grouping was only performed once a week over a period of 5 weeks and this frequency might have been insufficient to induce habituation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…However, in both studies, grouping was only performed once a week over a period of 5 weeks and this frequency might have been insufficient to induce habituation. Moreover, in the study from Soede et al (2006), grouping had only minor effects on behaviour and cortisol release. The observed decline of offensive acts in our study could reflect the adoption of a new coping strategy to a changing and aversive environment (Schouten and Wiegant, 1997;Bolhuis et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…An increased cortisol response due to social stress was already reported in growing pigs submitted to repeated groupings (Olsson et al, 1999;Coutellier et al, 2007) and in pregnant sows submitted to one or two groupings (Tsuma et al, 1996;Jarvis et al, 2006). In contrast, Soede et al (2006) failed to demonstrate a clear increase in salivary cortisol in gilts submitted to repeated groupings around insemination. The increase in cortisol shortly after social grouping can be explained by the physical activity and the injuries associated with the fights and by the psychological stress associated with the appraisal of the fighting ability of the unfamiliar partner.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

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Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

Couret

Otten

Puppe

et al. 2009

Animal

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Pregnant sows are exposed to various stressors in intensive pig husbandry that may have negative consequences on their health, reproductive performances and welfare. Social stress is one of these challenges, because gestating sows have to be housed in groups according to EU guidelines (2001/88/CE). The purpose of this study was to determine the consequences of repeated social stress in pregnant female pigs on their behavioural, endocrine and immunological responses and on pregnancy outcome. Pregnant gilts were submitted to a repeated social stress procedure induced by housing unfamiliar gilts in pairs changed twice a week between days 77 and 105 of gestation (S group, n 5 18). Control gilts were housed in stable pairs during the same period (C group, n 5 18). Agonistic behaviour was observed during the first 3 h after each grouping. Skin lesions were numbered 2 h after each grouping. Salivary cortisol was measured before and repeatedly during the 4 weeks of grouping. Gilts were immunized against keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) on days 81 and 95 of gestation. Immunoglobulins G against KLH, proliferative responses to concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide, pokeweed mitogen and KLH and peripheral blood leukocyte numbers were evaluated 1 week before the first grouping and 3 days after the last one. Agonistic interactions and skin lesions were observed in S gilts at each grouping, although there was a decline between the first and the last grouping ( P , 0.05). The repeated social stress induced a sustained endocrine response as shown by elevated salivary cortisol levels from 1 to 48 h after grouping in S gilts compared to C gilts. The cellular as well as the humoral immunity and the leukocyte numbers were not influenced by social stress. Gestation length tended to be shorter in S gilts ( P 5 0.09), but litter size, piglet weight or mortality at birth were not affected. Variability of the response of S gilts to groupings was partly explained by their average success value determined according to the outcome (defeat or win) of all the groupings. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the application of repeated social stress to pregnant gilts during the last third of their gestation repeatedly activates their hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis but does not impair their immune function and pregnancy outcome.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

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Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

Couret

Otten

Puppe

et al. 2009

Animal

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show abstract

“…Although, some studies have found no difference (Gjein and Larssen, 1995;van Wettere et al, 2008) or contradictory results (Bates et al, 2003) in reproductive parameters. Soede et al (2006) found that induced stress lasting six weeks around insemination resulted in fighting, but not reproductive impairment, and this is supported in a paper by Soede et al (2007), in which stress during early pregnancy did not affect any of the reproduction parameters measured. Irrespective of these confounding results, aggression should be managed in order to insure that negative effects on reproduction are minimised.…”

Section: Stress and Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Hierarchy formation in newly mixed, group housed sows and management strategies aimed at reducing its impact

Greenwood

Plush

Wettere

et al. 2014

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…Relatively little information is available on the influence of specific management stressors on reproductive processes, let alone on farrowing rate and/or litter size. For example, in an attempt to study effects of 'real' stressors on embryo mortality, by either repeatedly applying a nose-sling fixation or repeatedly mixing gilts on a weekly basis, no effects were found on any of the parameters studied at day 35 of pregnancy (Soede et al, 2006(Soede et al, , 2007. One important aspect of stress is the fact whether the stressor has a so-called 'acute' or 'chronic' effect.…”

Section: Stressmentioning

confidence: 90%