The effect of pre-weaning housing on the play and agonistic behaviour of domestic pigs

Chaloupková, Helena; Illmann, Gudrun; Bartoš, Luděk; Špinka, Marek

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.04.020

Cited by 101 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In addition to the weekly individual inspections, all pigs were checked daily by farm and technical staff for signs of illness and tail-biting. When an acute outbreak of (Chaloupkova et al, 2007) The frequency of each behaviour was recorded. Severe wound Raw (as described above) but with puncture wounds evident and localised inflammation 6…”

Section: Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of a magnesium-rich marine extract on behaviour, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesions in growing pigs

O’Driscoll¹,

O׳Gorman²,

Taylor³

et al. 2013

Animal

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Growing pigs can display undesirable behaviours, reflecting or causing poor welfare. Addition of magnesium (Mg) to the diet could reduce these, as Mg supplementation has been associated with improved coping ability in response to stress. This study examined the effect of supplementation with a Mg-rich marine extract-based product (Supplement) on the behaviour, skin and tail lesion scores and salivary cortisol concentrations of growing pigs. At weaning (28 days), 448 piglets were assigned to either Control or Supplement (0.05%) diets in single-sex groups of 14. Four weeks later (c. 17 kg), pigs were blocked according to weight and back test scores. Seven piglets from each pen were mixed with seven from another pen of the same sex and dietary treatment to yield the following groups: control male, Supplement male, control female and Supplement female (n 5 4 of each). This marked the start of the 9-week experimental period. Instances of the following behaviours were recorded in each pen for 8 3 2 min periods 1 day/week: aggression (fight, head-knock and bite); harmful (tail-in-mouth, ear-chewing and belly-nosing); and sexual/ mounting behaviour. Four focal pigs were selected from each pen, and their behaviour was continuously recorded for 2 3 5 min periods on the same day. Saliva was collected once per week at 1000 h by allowing pigs to chew on a cotton bud for c. 1 min. Salivary cortisol was analysed in duplicate by an enzyme immunoassay. Skin and tail lesions were scored according to severity 1 day/week. There were fewer aggressive incidents in Supplement pens ( P , 0.01), and mounting behaviour (performed only by males) was almost three times lower in Supplement than in control pens ( P , 0.01). However, there was no effect of Supplement on the incidence of each of the harmful behaviours. Behaviour of the focal pigs showed no treatment effect on the duration or incidence of aggressive behaviour. However, Supplement pigs spent less time performing harmful behaviours compared with control pigs ( P , 0.001). Supplement had no effect on the occurrence or severity of tail-biting outbreaks or on tail lesion scores. However, Supplement females had lower skin lesion scores, in particular in the ears and shoulders ( P , 0.01). Finally, Supplement pigs had lower salivary cortisol concentrations ( P , 0.01). Mounting is a major welfare concern in uncastrated pigs, and therefore this represents an important welfare benefit of Supplement. Reduced salivary cortisol, in conjunction with reduced skin lesion scores in supplemented females, suggests that addition of a Mg-rich marine extract improved pig welfare in this system.

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Section: Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of a magnesium-rich marine extract on behaviour, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesions in growing pigs

O’Driscoll¹,

O׳Gorman²,

Taylor³

et al. 2013

Animal

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“…This pattern is likely caused by the difference in space allowance between the two compared rearing systems. Accordingly, Worsaae and Schmidt (1980) and reported that a reduction in space allowance for piglets weaned at the age of 3-4 weeks resulted in a decrease in play behaviour, and Chaloupková et al (2007) found that pre-weaned piglets showed a higher level of locomotor and social play when offered more space.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Play behaviour was also observed to increase again as soon as more space and environmental enrichment like straw was offered to piglets (Worsaae and Schmidt, 1980). Finally, Chaloupková et al (2007) reported that piglets provided with more space and straw in a pre-weaning housing system performed a higher level of locomotor and social play. They concluded that bedding material, in addition to pen size, may be important to elicit play behaviour, since straw can vary in position and structure due to the piglets' behaviour.…”

Section: Play-fightingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the behaviour of piglets raised in an artificial rearing system or reared by the sow

Rzezniczek

Gygax

Wechsler

et al. 2015

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…This was considered to have prevented an increase in salivary cortisol concentrations after transport and resulted in a decrease in meat pH 45 minutes post-mortem, at an age of 6 months (Chaloupková et al, 2007). However, Bärlocher et al (2008) reported that the impact of housing systems on postmortem parameters such as pH was relatively low.…”

Section: Fitness For Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific Opinion Concerning the Welfare of Animals during Transport

2011

EFSA Journal

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The Scientific Opinion on the welfare of animals during transport reviewed the most recent scientific information concerning the main farm species. New scientific evidence and consequent conclusions and recommendations were arranged following the structure of Annex I of EC Regulation 1/2005 5 . On fitness for transport, recommendations for cattle and poultry were focused on repeated humane handling and careful inspection prior to transport. On the means of transport, use of partitions in horse transport, compulsory fasting of pigs with provision of water at stops, and temperature limits for poultry were major recommendations. Maintaining stability of animal groups was recommended as good practice, with special emphasis on the need to avoid mixing unfamiliar pigs or goats. On watering and feeding intervals, journey times and resting periods, journey duration should not exceed 12 hours for horses and 29 hours for cattle. Horses should be supplied with water one hour before and one hour after transport, and for cattle there should be a 24 hour recovery period with access to food and water. For rabbits, time spent inside the containers during lairage should be considered journey time. Space allowance for horses should be given in terms of kg/m 2 instead of m 2 /animal. For cattle and sheep, it is recommended that space allowances should be calculated according to an allometric equation relating size to body weight. Limits for stocking densities of broilers in containers should be related to thermal conditions. On the navigation systems, temperature monitoring systems should be incorporated. Minimum standards should be established regarding data type to be recorded, the 4 The changes do not affect the overall conclusions of the opinion. To avoid confusion, the original version of the opinion has been removed from the website, but is available on request, as is a version showing all the changes made.

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The effect of pre-weaning housing on the play and agonistic behaviour of domestic pigs

Cited by 101 publications

References 25 publications

The influence of a magnesium-rich marine extract on behaviour, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesions in growing pigs

The influence of a magnesium-rich marine extract on behaviour, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesions in growing pigs

Comparison of the behaviour of piglets raised in an artificial rearing system or reared by the sow

Scientific Opinion Concerning the Welfare of Animals during Transport

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