Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining
Commercial gestation housing systems for sows generally fail to cater fully for their needs in terms of comfort or the ability to perform highly motivated behaviours, which can lead to chronic stress and an impairment to welfare. We compared a typical gestation system (CONTROL) with an IMPROVED one...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Animal Welfare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000477/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797772079583461376 |
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| author | Martyna E Lagoda Keelin O’Driscoll Maria C Galli Joanna Marchewka Laura A Boyle |
| author_facet | Martyna E Lagoda Keelin O’Driscoll Maria C Galli Joanna Marchewka Laura A Boyle |
| author_sort | Martyna E Lagoda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Commercial gestation housing systems for sows generally fail to cater fully for their needs in terms of comfort or the ability to perform highly motivated behaviours, which can lead to chronic stress and an impairment to welfare. We compared a typical gestation system (CONTROL) with an IMPROVED one as regards oral stereotypies, aggressive behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining. Sows were mixed into 12 stable groups (six groups per treatment, 20 sows per group), 29 days post-service in pens with free-access, full-length individual feeding/lying stalls. CONTROL pens had fully slatted concrete floors, with two blocks of wood and two chains suspended in the group area. IMPROVED pens were the same but with rubber mats and a length of manila rope in each feeding stall, and straw provided in three racks in the group area. Direct observations of oral stereotypical (30 instantaneous scans per sow per day) and aggressive (all-occurrence sampling, 3 h per sow per day) behaviours were conducted 72 h post-mixing, in mid and late gestation. Skin lesions were counted 24 h and three weeks post-mixing, and in late gestation. Sows’ locomotion (locomotory ability) was scored using a visual analogue scale in mid and late gestation. Right and left eye tear staining was scored in late gestation. Indications of better welfare in IMPROVED sows included performance of fewer oral stereotypies in mid and late gestation, and lower tear stain scores. These sows performed more aggression in late gestation, which was associated with access to enrichment, but skin lesion counts were not affected. Thus, the changes made in the IMPROVED treatment benefitted aspects of sow welfare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:46:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a03e0164e964bd3aa17dd0e0db26ab7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:46:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Welfare |
| spelling | doaj.art-0a03e0164e964bd3aa17dd0e0db26ab72023-07-26T09:06:11ZengCambridge University PressAnimal Welfare0962-72862054-15382023-01-013210.1017/awf.2023.47Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear stainingMartyna E Lagoda0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4719-3244Keelin O’Driscoll1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0944-3732Maria C Galli2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7466-2670Joanna Marchewka3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9571-8677Laura A Boyle4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7080-1776Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Animal Behaviour, ul. Postępu 36A, Jastrzębiec 05-552Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, IrelandDepartment of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), ItalyInstitute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Animal Behaviour, ul. Postępu 36A, Jastrzębiec 05-552Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, IrelandCommercial gestation housing systems for sows generally fail to cater fully for their needs in terms of comfort or the ability to perform highly motivated behaviours, which can lead to chronic stress and an impairment to welfare. We compared a typical gestation system (CONTROL) with an IMPROVED one as regards oral stereotypies, aggressive behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining. Sows were mixed into 12 stable groups (six groups per treatment, 20 sows per group), 29 days post-service in pens with free-access, full-length individual feeding/lying stalls. CONTROL pens had fully slatted concrete floors, with two blocks of wood and two chains suspended in the group area. IMPROVED pens were the same but with rubber mats and a length of manila rope in each feeding stall, and straw provided in three racks in the group area. Direct observations of oral stereotypical (30 instantaneous scans per sow per day) and aggressive (all-occurrence sampling, 3 h per sow per day) behaviours were conducted 72 h post-mixing, in mid and late gestation. Skin lesions were counted 24 h and three weeks post-mixing, and in late gestation. Sows’ locomotion (locomotory ability) was scored using a visual analogue scale in mid and late gestation. Right and left eye tear staining was scored in late gestation. Indications of better welfare in IMPROVED sows included performance of fewer oral stereotypies in mid and late gestation, and lower tear stain scores. These sows performed more aggression in late gestation, which was associated with access to enrichment, but skin lesion counts were not affected. Thus, the changes made in the IMPROVED treatment benefitted aspects of sow welfare.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000477/type/journal_articleanimal welfarepigroperubberstrawchronic stress |
| spellingShingle | Martyna E Lagoda Keelin O’Driscoll Maria C Galli Joanna Marchewka Laura A Boyle Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining Animal Welfare animal welfare pig rope rubber straw chronic stress |
| title | Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining |
| title_full | Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining |
| title_fullStr | Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining |
| title_short | Indicators of improved gestation housing of sows. Part I: Effects on behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining |
| title_sort | indicators of improved gestation housing of sows part i effects on behaviour skin lesions locomotion and tear staining |
| topic | animal welfare pig rope rubber straw chronic stress |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728623000477/type/journal_article |
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