Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets
This study was aimed at investigating whether after weaning, piglets recognize persons that have handled them aversively during the lactation period, and whether such treatment intensifies the stress of weaning. Before weaning, five litters received aversive handling treatment involving an aggressiv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2007-12-01
|
| Series: | Biotemas |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.biotemas.ufsc.br/volumes/pdf/volume204/p91a98.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818484216403329024 |
|---|---|
| author | Renato Irgang Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Gisele Pacheco de Souza Maria José Hötzel Ricardo Probst |
| author_facet | Renato Irgang Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Gisele Pacheco de Souza Maria José Hötzel Ricardo Probst |
| author_sort | Renato Irgang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study was aimed at investigating whether after weaning, piglets recognize persons that have handled them aversively during the lactation period, and whether such treatment intensifies the stress of weaning. Before weaning, five litters received aversive handling treatment involving an aggressive and intimidating voice; six litters were treated conventionally. After weaning, the piglets’ behavior was compared in a series of tests. Compared to day 10 after weaning, in the first two days after weaning higher frequencies of escape attempts, vocalizations, and standing and sitting, accompanied by a lower frequency of feeding (p<0.05), were observed in both treatments. The piglets handled aversively showed a higher frequency of escape attempts, walking, and interaction with other piglets (p<0.05). In a test carried out individually with the piglets of the aversive treatment, an unknown experimenter was able to approach the piglets closer than the aversive experimenter (p<0.001). In a further test, only 36 % of the piglets handled aversively approached the aversive experimenter spontaneously. In contrast, 61 % approached the unknown experimenter spontaneously (p < 0.02). In conclusion, at four to five weeks of age piglets can recognize a person that has handled them aversively during the lactation period. The behavior of piglets at weaning indicates that this management is a significant source of stress and that aversive handling treatment during lactation increases this effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:52:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-203e8f28c5264a4ebe4cf13fd0fd6196 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0103-1643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:52:11Z |
| publishDate | 2007-12-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biotemas |
| spelling | doaj.art-203e8f28c5264a4ebe4cf13fd0fd61962022-12-22T01:42:45ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaBiotemas0103-16432007-12-012049198Stress and recognition of humans in weanling pigletsRenato IrgangLuiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado FilhoGisele Pacheco de SouzaMaria José HötzelRicardo ProbstThis study was aimed at investigating whether after weaning, piglets recognize persons that have handled them aversively during the lactation period, and whether such treatment intensifies the stress of weaning. Before weaning, five litters received aversive handling treatment involving an aggressive and intimidating voice; six litters were treated conventionally. After weaning, the piglets’ behavior was compared in a series of tests. Compared to day 10 after weaning, in the first two days after weaning higher frequencies of escape attempts, vocalizations, and standing and sitting, accompanied by a lower frequency of feeding (p<0.05), were observed in both treatments. The piglets handled aversively showed a higher frequency of escape attempts, walking, and interaction with other piglets (p<0.05). In a test carried out individually with the piglets of the aversive treatment, an unknown experimenter was able to approach the piglets closer than the aversive experimenter (p<0.001). In a further test, only 36 % of the piglets handled aversively approached the aversive experimenter spontaneously. In contrast, 61 % approached the unknown experimenter spontaneously (p < 0.02). In conclusion, at four to five weeks of age piglets can recognize a person that has handled them aversively during the lactation period. The behavior of piglets at weaning indicates that this management is a significant source of stress and that aversive handling treatment during lactation increases this effect.http://www.biotemas.ufsc.br/volumes/pdf/volume204/p91a98.pdffearhuman-animal interactionssocial behaviorweaningswine |
| spellingShingle | Renato Irgang Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho Gisele Pacheco de Souza Maria José Hötzel Ricardo Probst Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets Biotemas fear human-animal interactions social behavior weaning swine |
| title | Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| title_full | Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| title_fullStr | Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| title_short | Stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| title_sort | stress and recognition of humans in weanling piglets |
| topic | fear human-animal interactions social behavior weaning swine |
| url | http://www.biotemas.ufsc.br/volumes/pdf/volume204/p91a98.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT renatoirgang stressandrecognitionofhumansinweanlingpiglets AT luizcarlospinheiromachadofilho stressandrecognitionofhumansinweanlingpiglets AT giselepachecodesouza stressandrecognitionofhumansinweanlingpiglets AT mariajosehotzel stressandrecognitionofhumansinweanlingpiglets AT ricardoprobst stressandrecognitionofhumansinweanlingpiglets |