The development of harmful social behaviour in pigs with intact tails and different enrichment backgrounds in two housing systems.

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The behaviour of pigs with undocked tails housed in either a straw-bedded system or a partially slatted system enriched with a commercial device. The pigs had been introduced to different enrichment treatments either before or after weaning. Following mixing at 10 weeks of age, behavioural observations were conducted every two weeks. The pigs were mainly observed for harmful social behaviour and enrichment use. Straw bedding prevented tail biting from occurring in pigs with undocked tails. Pigs in the partially slatted housing were at higher risk for tail biting. Introducing enrichments early in life and adding a simple enrichment device to an otherwise barren environment were not sufficient enough to prevent tail biting. The author suggest that functional design of environmental enrichment is required if tail biting is to be prevented.

Leptin: A metabolic signal affecting central regulation of reproduction in the pig

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Getting to the Root of Behavior Problems in Newly Weaned Piglets

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The swine industry weans piglets at a far earlier age than nature dictates. This can lead to behavioral problems such as belly nosing and belly sucking, ingesting solid feed at an older age, or drinking excessive amounts of water. Regardless of the quality of diet pigs have difficulty initiating solid feed intake when weaned at a young age. Belly nosing involves rooting at the udder of pen-mates and can persist even through to the finisher stage. Piglets that grow faster vs. slower will perform less belly nosing while weaning weight is not a determinant of future belly nosing. Piglet hunger does not seem to be a stimulant for belly nosing, but possibly stimulates nosing and rooting at the floors. Sensory cues are important for piglets (e.g. – sow auditory signal of milk let-down) and researchers have found that playing an audio feedback of a sow grunt can result in higher average daily gain for piglets weaned at 15 days. Administration of sow pheromones (which is an olfactory cue) in a nursery pen can result in more time at the feeder (done with 18 day weaning). Feeding piglets with a nipple-based feeder also appears to significantly reduce incidence of pen-mate directed nosing or sucking. However, nipple drinkers as opposed to trough drinkers tend to increase the incidence of belly nosing. Therefore, the early-weaned piglets tend to nurse on water nipples, thereby filling their guts and reducing feed intake.

The development of feather pecking in brumese red junglefowl: the influence of early experience with exploratory-rich environments.

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This study examines the development of feather pecking and its relationship to exploration in Burmese red junglefowl. Ten groups of four chicks each were raised from hatching on wire mesh floors (home pen). Two of the four chicks in each group received experience in exploratory-rich environments four times a week for 5 weeks, and the other two chicks remained in the home pen. Observations conducted in the home pen revealed that chicks deprived of experience in exploratory-rich-environments performed significantly more gentle feather pecking, and tended to show more severe feather pecking than the experienced birds. Experience in the exploratory-rich-environments did not affect the frequency of environmental pecking or food pecking. These results suggest that chicks deprived of exploratory-rich environments may come to perceive pen mates as appropriate exploratory stimuli and subsequently direct exploratory behaviour toward conspecifics. This tendency to peck pen mates may lead to the development of feather pecking. We suggest that forceful pecks may be reinforcing, and that the more likely pecks are directed to a conspecific, the more likely feather pecking will develop.

Environmental and management factors affecting the welfare of chickens on commercial farms in the United Kingdom and Denmark stocked at five densities

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Data was collected on temperature and humidity profiles throughout the growth cycle, management practices and equipment that contributed toe variation in environmental conditions and how bird welfare was affected by environmental variables for different stocking densities (30, 34, 38, 42, and 46 kg/m2. Broiler health and welfare varied the most when the house temperature and relative humidity was maintained within limits recommended by the breeder company. During the first week of life, relative humidity was found to be very important for later health. This suggests that welfare may improve if there is better control of humidity. Welfare was also influenced by ventilation and air control, type of drinker, numbers of stockpersons and litter type. In summary, controlling environmental variables, such as temperature, humidity, air and litter quality, is very important for ensuring broiler welfare. Stocking density is also important, but the environmental variables also have to be considered if stocking density is lowered. To maximize bird welfare, standards need to be set for stocking density, environmental variables, and the genetic makeup of the birds.

The effects of diet and weaning method on the behaviour of young horses

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Increasing evidence suggests that dietary factors influence the development of abnormal behaviours. In this study, the behaviour of 17 foals from the age of 2 to 40 weeks was examined. Each foal received either a conventional starch and sugar (SS) diet or a fat and fibre (FF) diet. The two diets differed in the fat and non-structural carbohydrates balance. The baseline behaviour of the foals was observed every 2 weeks and additional behavioural observations were conducted when the foals were weaned by one of two methods (i.e. paddock-weaning or barn-weaning). Approximately 2 months after weaning the temperament and tractability of the young horses was assessed using standard tests. Responses to a novel object, to a novel person, and during a handling test were observed and quantified. The horses grew well on both diets with no apparent effects of diet on growth rate or baseline behaviour. Immediately after weaning, horses received the FF diet cantered less frequently, for a shorter duration and appeared to be more settled. Foals that were barn-weaned appeared more stressed than foals that were paddock weaned. In the temperament tests, horses receiving the FF diet spent significantly more time investigating, and less time looking at, the novel object than horses receiving the SS diet. They also spent less time walking away from the novel person and their time taken to complete the handling test was significantly lower. Overall, the horses that received the FF diet appeared less distressed immediately after weaning and seemed calmer and more inquisitive during a range of temperament tests.

Production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone deformities of laying hens housed in furnished cages with different group sizes.

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The effects of three different furnished cage systems on the production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone status traits for two different laying hen strains were examined. Brown hens had significantly higher egg production per hen housed, cracked eggs, feed conversion, egg weight and humerus breaking strength than white hens. Also, brown hens had shorter claws than white hens. White hens had more dirty eggs, higher shell density, and fewer keel bone deformities than brown hens. With respect to the cage system, the egg production per average hen housed was higher in the Aviplus system compared to the other systems. However, shell thickness and density were lower in the Aviplus system. Humerus strength was higher in the Aviplus system compared to the Eurovent 625a system; but tibia strength did not differ among the three systems. The shortest claws occurred in the Aviplus system, and the fewest keel bone deformities occurred in the Eurovent 625a system. In summary, the furnished cages showed similar results as conventional cages with respect to production and egg quality. Bone strength was significantly greater in conventional cages. The claw shortening devises in the furnished cages worked to keep claws short. However, the extensive use of perches in the furnished cages seem to have caused an increase in keel bone deformities.

The effect of feeding strategy during the pre-follicular phase on subsequent follicular development in the pig

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Effect Of Diet On The Behaviour And Welfare Of Pigs

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Professor Peter H. Brooks looks at diet in relation to the gestating sows behaviour and diet salt content in relation to tail biting. It has been determined that feeding sows on high density, low fibre diets has a major effect on behavior and welfare and that providing sows with more bulky diets can have very positive effects on their well-being.

Today, bar biting in farrowing crates is attributed to hunger rather than the stress from inactivity. Researchers found that confined gilts who’s feed was increased from 1.25 to 4.00 kg/day showed almost no signs of these stresses. These gilts were motivated to a very high degree to work for their food. This was determined by making the gilts work for amount of food, and then increase the amount of work required to obtain the same reward. Gilts eventually spent more energy to get the food than the food provided them in return. When it comes to sow housing, sows housed individually and fed high-density diets meet their nutrient requirements but suffer welfare issues due to their inability to satisfy gut fill. Nutritionists now have to formulate diets to not only supply the sow with nutrient requirements but also to satisfy gut fill, which will satisfy their feeding motivation. Feeding sows with a high fibre diet will result in less stress and less fighting at feeding time while group housed. Feeding sows ad libitum with high fibre (unmolassed sugar beet pulp is suggested) will not compromise productivity. Tail biting is a serious occurrence as it can become infected, form abscesses in the spine, and lead to condemnation of the carcass. Simple practices such as adding straw to pens is shown to reduce tail biting, but there may be nutritional factors present as well. Salt is suspected and it is found that spreading salt on the floor of pens and feeding diets with higher than usual salt content reduces incidence. More salt results in more water consumption and urination, which helps maintain mineral balance. This could contribute to the reduction in tail biting.

Responses of horses to novel visual, olfactory and auditory stimuli.

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An experiment was conducted examining heart rate and behavioural responses of previously unhandled horses to novel visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli. The horses were taught to expect a food reward from a container in a test arena, in addition to either a two minute visual test (using a traffic cone), a two minute auditory test (using white noise), or a two minute olfactory test (conducted by applying eucalyptus oil to the inside of the food container). Less time was spent eating during each test, when compared to the eating time of control horses. Locomotion activities were unaffected by the tests, but presentation of the traffic cone and white noise elicited increased heart rates in test horses compared to control horses. Addition of eucalyptus to the food container did not elicit a heart rate response, but test horses did have an increased number of eating bouts and became more watchful towards their surroundings. Horses used for the visual and auditory tests spent more time alert towards the stimulus rather than towards their surroundings, and horses used in the auditory test took more steps backwards in response to the test. There was a correlation in the heart rate responses between tests, which reflected a non-differentiated activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Behavioural responses were linked to the type of stimulus.