The pros and cons of cages.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2000 | No Comments

Limb injuries, immune response and growth performance of early-weaned pigs in different housing systems.

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Using a range of indicators, the welfare of early-weaned piglets housed in different systems was examined. At 6.4 kg liveweight, piglets were allocated to either a) deep-straw; b) Straw-FlowA

Behavioural responses of broilers to different gaseous atmospheres

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This study was conducted to determine the reaction of broilers when they first come into contact with various gas mixtures, some of which can be used for stunning prior to slaughter. The birds were exposed to either air, 90% argon, 60% CO2, 40% CO2 and 30% O2, or 70% argon and 30% CO2. There were no differences in behaviour before entering the chamber or when the birds first arrived. Headshaking and gasping are typical reactions to CO2. The number of birds showing such behaviour was least in the 90% argon mixture, and was reduced in the CO2/O2 mixture compared to the other combinations that included CO2. Loss of posture (falling) is indicative of the animal loosing conciousness. Among the non-air treatments, this occurred first in the Argon/CO2 combination. In conclusion, the birds did not appear to detect or avoid increased CO2 levels when first exposed to the mixtures, high levels of O2 in the mixtures reduced the negative reactions of birds exposed to CO2, and Argon was effective in achieving rapid loss of consciousness.

Effect of male-to-male aggressiveness and feed-restriction during rearing on sexual behaviour and aggressiveness towards female by male domestic fowl.

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The present experiment was conducted as part of larger study investigating problems of aggression towards females by male broiler breeder fowl. The study investigated (1) if feed-restriction during rearing affects behaviour towards females at sexual maturity and (2) if aggressiveness towards females is correlated with general levels of aggressiveness. The study compared broiler breeder males with commercial laying strain males, which were either fed ad libitum or were feed-restricted during the rearing phase, and with game strain males, bred for fighting. Laying strain males did not behave aggressively towards females, whether feed-restricted or fed ad libitum. Game strain males also were not aggressive towards females. Broiler breeder males displayed higher levels of aggression towards females than did feed-restricted laying strain males. Females struggled more frequently during mating attempts by broiler breeder males and interfered frequently when these males attempted to mate with other females. The results of this study indicate that aggression towards females appears to be a unique problem occurring in broiler breeder male strains and not a function of feed-restriction.

Thwarting of behaviour in different contexts and the gakel-call in the laying hen.

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Earlier studies have shown that thwarting of feeding behaviour in the laying hen is expressed through a specific vocalization, the gakel-call. The first aim of this study was to investigate whether the effect of deprivation per se on the occurrence of gakel-calls can be distinguished from the effect of the additional frustration. Frustration is defined as the state of an animal that results from nonreward in the expectancy of reward. The second aim was to investigate whether the occurrence of gakel-calls is restricted to a food context or whether it can be regarded as an expression of frustration in general. For this purpose, 20 hens were deprived of food, water and dustbath. After deprivation at a fixed time, a cue was given and the hens were rewarded with access to food, water or dust during a 15-min session on 4 consecutive days. On the fifth day, they were thwarted in the associated behaviours by blocking the access to these commodities, after the hens had been presented the signal that previously preceded that reward. We then recorded behaviours that might reflect the state of frustration in three 15-min periods. The period ‘Pre-Frustration’ started 15 min before ‘Frustration’. This, in turn, was followed by the period ‘Post-frustration’ in which the hens were rewarded again. Nesting behaviour was thwarted by blocking the access to the nest (Frustration) after a hen had reached the last stage of its prelaying behaviour.In the food, water and dustbath context, deprivation elicited gakel-calls. The additional frustration resulted in a higher number of gakel-calls in all contexts except the food context. However, together with the findings of previous experiments, the results of this study suggest that frustration, in general, is expressed through the gakel-call. Frustration in the nest context elicited more gakil-calls than the other contexts. This latter finding is discussed in the light of occurrence of the gakel-call under natural circumstances.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ATOMIZATION CHARACTERISTICS OF FIFTEEN BIODIESEL FUEL TYPES

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Reducing Losses from Farm Gate to Packer

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There are a number of very obvious sources of economic loss attributed to the period from the time a producer groups his pigs for shipping until slaughter. Pig deaths, loss in carcass weight, pale, soft and exudative (PSE) or dark firm and dry (DFD) pork, and physical injury / bruising. Some pig stressors are facility designs, environment, physical abuse, stocking density, and mixing. It was found in this study that the economic impact of pig transit and lairage deaths, bruising, lost carcass yield and PSE/DFD pork can be minimized, firstly, by refraining from the use of stress susceptible pigs and, secondly, by limiting the amount and impact of stress during the 24 hours prior to slaughter. The impact of pre-slaughter stress can be limited by careful consideration of: Facility design (pens, chutes, ramps, flooring, gates, transport vehicles); pig environment (temperature, humidity, lighting, smells, sounds);
humane handling practices, as well as conditioning pigs to handling; stocking density; mixing of unfamiliar pigs; Total time of feed/water withdrawal during transport and lairage; Rest in lairage after transport; this requires that all of those who handle and/or transport pigs during the period from the farm to slaughter adhere to these principles.

RELATIVITY OF GROWTH IN LABORATORY AND FARM ANIMALS: II. BIRTH WEIGHT AS A PREDICTOR OF ANIMAL MATURITY

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Risk Factors Associated With Post-Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome of Swine (PMWS)

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Nursery pig management has become one of the major challenges of veterinarians in the past few years. The structure of the swine industry has changed such that newly weaned pigs are saleable and nursery pigs are moved and/or sold from one system to the next. With the advent of early weaning and off-site production, there are both healthier and sicker nursery pigs than there have ever been before. When the system is working, the growth rates are phenomenal. When the pigs are ill, there are significant losses due to mortality.
In the late a

Physical and Chemical Properties of Screened Flushed Pig Slurry Waste

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