Enrichment devices for undocked heavy pigs: effects on animal welfare, blood parameters and production traits. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Enrichment devices for undocked heavy pigs: effects on animal welfare, blood parameters and production traits. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)
- Main Title:
- Enrichment devices for undocked heavy pigs: effects on animal welfare, blood parameters and production traits
- Authors:
- Nannoni, Eleonora
Sardi, Luca
Vitali, Marika
Trevisi, Erminio
Ferrari, Annarita
Ferri, Michela E.
Bacci, Maria L.
Govoni, Nadia
Barbieri, Sara
Martelli, Giovanna - Abstract:
- Abstract: Two independent trials were carried out to test the effectiveness of different environmental enrichments in improving Italian heavy pigs' welfare. Eighty undocked Landrace × Large White barrows (body weight range: 27.1–158.4 kg) were used. In Trial 1, group C1 received a metal chain and group WL wooden logs (placed inside a specifically designed metal rack). In trial two, the enrichments proposed were a hanging chain (C2), and a vegetal edible block (EB) inside the metal rack. General health, animal behaviour, hair cortisol, blood parameters and growth performance were recorded. In Trial 1, WL pigs interacted with the enrichment at a lower extent than C1 ( p < .01) and walked less ( p < .05). In Trial 2, EB pigs spent less time in lateral recumbency and rooting/exploring the pen floor ( p < .05 and p < .01, respectively), and interacted more with the enrichment ( p < .001) than C2. Motivation to explore both WL and EB was maintained over time, conversely to what happened to C1 and C2. No differences were observed in hair cortisol concentration, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, skin lesions and growth parameters. Tail lesions were higher in WL than in C1 ( p < .05) Minor, transient differences were found in plasma biomarkers. Overall, WL had limited effect on behaviour, whereas EB might have reduced floor over-exploration when compared to the chains. It is concluded that, although from an animal behaviour standpoint EB might be promising, regardless of the deviceAbstract: Two independent trials were carried out to test the effectiveness of different environmental enrichments in improving Italian heavy pigs' welfare. Eighty undocked Landrace × Large White barrows (body weight range: 27.1–158.4 kg) were used. In Trial 1, group C1 received a metal chain and group WL wooden logs (placed inside a specifically designed metal rack). In trial two, the enrichments proposed were a hanging chain (C2), and a vegetal edible block (EB) inside the metal rack. General health, animal behaviour, hair cortisol, blood parameters and growth performance were recorded. In Trial 1, WL pigs interacted with the enrichment at a lower extent than C1 ( p < .01) and walked less ( p < .05). In Trial 2, EB pigs spent less time in lateral recumbency and rooting/exploring the pen floor ( p < .05 and p < .01, respectively), and interacted more with the enrichment ( p < .001) than C2. Motivation to explore both WL and EB was maintained over time, conversely to what happened to C1 and C2. No differences were observed in hair cortisol concentration, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, skin lesions and growth parameters. Tail lesions were higher in WL than in C1 ( p < .05) Minor, transient differences were found in plasma biomarkers. Overall, WL had limited effect on behaviour, whereas EB might have reduced floor over-exploration when compared to the chains. It is concluded that, although from an animal behaviour standpoint EB might be promising, regardless of the device used (C, WL or EB), all experimental groups showed similar welfare parameters levels, stimulating the necessity for wider research on enrichment design and function. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Italian journal of animal science. Volume 18:Issue 1(2019)
- Journal:
- Italian journal of animal science
- Issue:
- Volume 18:Issue 1(2019)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 18, Issue 1 (2019)
- Year:
- 2019
- Volume:
- 18
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2019-0018-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 45
- Page End:
- 56
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-02
- Subjects:
- Animal welfare -- blood parameters -- enrichment -- intensive husbandry -- heavy pigs
Animal culture -- Periodicals
Livestock -- Italy -- Periodicals
Veterinary medicine -- Italy -- Periodicals
Animal culture
Livestock
Veterinary medicine
Italy
Periodicals
Periodicals
636.005 - Journal URLs:
- http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/23047 http://www.aspajournal.it/default.htm ↗
http://search.ebscohost.com/direct.asp?db=a9h&jid=783N&scope=site ↗
http://www.aspajournal.it/ ↗
http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjas20 ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjas20/current ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/1828051X.2018.1472531 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1828-051X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 17295.xml