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da Silva GV, Lopez-Soriano M, Pairis-Garcia MD, Trindade PHE. Less experienced observers assess piglet castration-induced acute pain differently than experienced observers: A pilot study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0309684. [PMID: 39231102 PMCID: PMC11373819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioral pain scales have been helpful for standardized swine pain assessment. However, it is still unknown if observers' experience influences the scale score. We conducted a pilot study to investigate how three different levels of swine experience influenced how observers scored castration pain in piglets using Unesp-Botucatu Pig Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS). We used a database from UPAPS scores from pigs undergoing surgical castration in a previous study. Scores were attributed by six observers with Little to no experience (n = 2), Some experience (n = 2) and Extensive experience (n = 2). Reliability was estimated using the intraclass correlation coefficient, agreement was investigated by Bland-Altman analysis, predictive capacity was estimated using the area under the curve (AUC), and statistical differences were tested using a regression model. We found that intra-experience levels reliability were satisfactory (Little to no: 0.72, Some: 0.81, Extensive: 0.84), but inter-experience reliability was lower (0.42). Little to no experience observers had poor agreement with other observers, with a bias toward underscoring UPAPS (bias of 0.94 vs. Some, 1.17 vs. Extensive). Predictive capacity was similar between all observers (AUC, Little to no: 71.94%, Some: 76.10%, Extensive: 79.09%, p > 0.05). Regression model confirmed underscoring of Little to no experience observers (mean ± standard error; Little to no: 1.09 ± 0.14; Some: 2.02 ± 0.23; Extensive: 2.25 ± 0.22; p < 0.05). We concluded that minimal experience, as Some experience observers have in the swine industry, is sufficient for them to score UPAPS in a similar way than more experienced observers. The present pilot study supports the enhancement and implementation of UPAPS on farm and laboratory settings by minimally qualified observers, improving swine welfare in the short and long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Venâncio da Silva
- Laboratory of Applied Artificial Intelligence on Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Magdiel Lopez-Soriano
- Extension Department, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia
- Global Production Animal Welfare Laboratory, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade
- Laboratory of Applied Artificial Intelligence on Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Production Animal Welfare Laboratory, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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2
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Gábor A, Pérez Fraga P, Gácsi M, Gerencsér L, Andics A. Domestication and exposure to human social stimuli are not sufficient to trigger attachment to humans: a companion pig-dog comparative study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14058. [PMID: 38977716 PMCID: PMC11231355 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63529-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Dogs exhibit human-analogue attachment to their owners, with similar function and mechanisms to that of infant-mother bond, but its origin is unclear. Comparative studies on socialised wolves and dogs emphasise genetic influence in dogs' preparedness for attachment to humans. We aimed to reveal if this genetic effect stems from general domestication or artificial selection that increased dogs' dependence on humans. We assessed and compared behavioural patterns of young companion pigs and dogs using a Strange Situation Test. Dogs but not pigs exhibited distinct behaviours towards their owner and a stranger along attachment-specific variables, so only dogs' relevant behaviours fulfilled attachment criteria. From the observed behaviours, three factors were formed: Attachment (to the owner), Anxiety (in a strange situation), and Acceptance (of a stranger). Results indicate (1) higher Attachment scores in dogs than pigs, (2) greater Acceptance scores in pigs, (3) positive correlation of Attachment and Anxiety in both, (4) similar time tendency of pigs' Attachment and Acceptance scores. These suggest that in pigs, domestication and early exposure to human social stimuli did not trigger attachment to humans. Thus, along with species predispositions, the unique dog-owner attachment can be facilitated by artificial selection that increased dogs' dependence on humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gábor
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Paula Pérez Fraga
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Linda Gerencsér
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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3
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Heseker P, Bergmann T, Scheumann M, Traulsen I, Kemper N, Probst J. Detecting tail biters by monitoring pig screams in weaning pigs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4523. [PMID: 38402339 PMCID: PMC10894255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55336-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Early identification of tail biting and intervention are necessary to reduce tail lesions and their impact on animal health and welfare. Removal of biters has become an effective intervention strategy, but finding them can be difficult and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tail biting and, in particular, individual biters could be identified by detecting pig screams in audio recordings. The study included 288 undocked weaner pigs housed in six pens in two batches. Once a tail biter (n = 7) was identified by visual inspection in the stable and removed by the farm staff, the previous days of video and audio recordings were analyzed for pig screams (sudden increase in loudness with frequencies above 1 kHz) and tail biting events until no biting before the removal was observed anymore. In total, 2893 screams were detected in four pens where tail biting occurred. Of these screams, 52.9% were caused by tail biting in the observed pen, 25.6% originated from other pens, 8.8% were not assignable, and 12.7% occurred due to other reasons. In case of a tail biting event, screams were assigned individually to biter and victim pigs. Based on the audio analysis, biters were identified between one and nine days prior to their removal from the pen after visual inspection. Screams were detected earlier than the increase in hanging tails and could therefore be favored as an early warning indicator. Analyzing animal vocalization has potential for monitoring and early detection of tail biting events. In combination with individual marks and automatic analysis algorithms, biters could be identified and tail biting efficiently reduced. In this way, biters can be removed earlier to increase animal health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Heseker
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
- Department of Animal Sciences, Livestock Systems, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Tjard Bergmann
- Institute for Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marina Scheumann
- Institute for Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Imke Traulsen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Livestock Systems, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nicole Kemper
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jeanette Probst
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior (ITTN), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
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4
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Neary JM, Guthrie AP, Jacobs L. Public and industry knowledge and perceptions of US swine industry castration practices. Anim Welf 2023; 32:e79. [PMID: 38487455 PMCID: PMC10936257 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
In the United States (US), surgical castration of male piglets is typically performed without any form of analgesia. This may raise concerns with the public; however, there is no information regarding current public knowledge on swine industry practices in the US. In this study we gained insight into public knowledge and perception on castration with and without analgesia in comparison to knowledge of industry stakeholders on these same topics. Through an online survey, 119 respondents were asked four questions about castration in the US swine industry. Industry respondents were contacted via social media and networking. The general public sample was accessed through Mechanical Turk. Survey responses were categorised by experience (industry vs public). Industry respondents were more aware of practices compared to the general public. Most public respondents were unaware of castration practices and the lack of analgesia use. Respondents from rural communities were more aware of castration practices than (sub)urban communities and more aware of analgesia use than those from urban communities. Those with more education had greater awareness of castration practices (occurrence not frequency). Based on the results from this first US sample, knowledge on industry practices was especially lacking for public respondents, but also for a minority of industry respondents, indicating opportunities for education and further research on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- JM Neary
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, 175 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia24061, USA
| | - AP Guthrie
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA, 250 Drillfield Drive, 24061
| | - L Jacobs
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, 175 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia24061, USA
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5
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An L, Ren J, Yu T, Hai T, Jia Y, Liu Y. Three-dimensional surface motion capture of multiple freely moving pigs using MAMMAL. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7727. [PMID: 38001106 PMCID: PMC10673844 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43483-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Understandings of the three-dimensional social behaviors of freely moving large-size mammals are valuable for both agriculture and life science, yet challenging due to occlusions in close interactions. Although existing animal pose estimation methods captured keypoint trajectories, they ignored deformable surfaces which contained geometric information essential for social interaction prediction and for dealing with the occlusions. In this study, we develop a Multi-Animal Mesh Model Alignment (MAMMAL) system based on an articulated surface mesh model. Our self-designed MAMMAL algorithms automatically enable us to align multi-view images into our mesh model and to capture 3D surface motions of multiple animals, which display better performance upon severe occlusions compared to traditional triangulation and allow complex social analysis. By utilizing MAMMAL, we are able to quantitatively analyze the locomotion, postures, animal-scene interactions, social interactions, as well as detailed tail motions of pigs. Furthermore, experiments on mouse and Beagle dogs demonstrate the generalizability of MAMMAL across different environments and mammal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang An
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jilong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Farm Animal Research Center, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Beijing, China
| | - Tang Hai
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Farm Animal Research Center, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yichang Jia
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Beijing, China.
| | - Yebin Liu
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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6
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Minussi I, Gerrits WJJ, Jansman AJM, Gerritsen R, Lambert W, Zonderland JJ, Bolhuis JE. Amino acid supplementation counteracts negative effects of low protein diets on tail biting in pigs more than extra environmental enrichment. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19268. [PMID: 37935708 PMCID: PMC10630283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45704-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Low protein (LP) diets may increase the occurrence of damaging behaviours, like tail biting, in pigs. We investigated the effect of supplementing a LP diet with indispensable amino acids (IAA) or environmental enrichment on tail biting. Undocked pigs (n = 48 groups of 12) received either a normal protein diet (NP), a LP, LP with supplemented IAA (LP+), or LP diet with extra environmental enrichment (LP-E+) during the starter, grower, and finisher phase. Performance, activity, behaviour, and body damage were recorded. LP and LP-E+ had a lower feed intake, growth, and gain-to-feed ratio, and were more active than NP and LP+ pigs. LP-E+ pigs interacted most often with enrichment materials, followed by LP, LP+, and NP pigs. LP pigs showed more tail biting than all other groups during the starter phase and the finisher phase (tendency) compared to NP and LP+ pigs. Thus, LP-E+ only reduced tail biting in the starter phase, whereas LP+ tended to do so throughout. Tail damage was more severe in LP pigs than in NP and LP+, with LP-E+ in between. In conclusion, IAA supplementation was more effective than extra environmental enrichment in countering the negative effects of a low protein diet on tail biting in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Minussi
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Wageningen UR, Livestock Research, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Walter J J Gerrits
- Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - J Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7
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Drexl V, Dittrich I, Haase A, Klingelhöller H, Diers S, Krieter J. Tail posture as an early indicator of tail biting - a comparison of animal and pen level in weaner pigs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Iglesias PM, Camerlink I. Tail posture and motion in relation to natural behaviour in juvenile and adult pigs. Animal 2022; 16:100489. [PMID: 35334394 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The tail of pigs has been suggested as a welfare indicator as it can provide insight into a pig's behavioural and emotional states. Tail posture and motion have so far mainly been studied in the context of tail biting behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pigs' natural behaviour and their tail posture and tail motion. This was studied in a free-range farm in which tail biting is absent. In total 214 pigs of different age categories were observed individually (sows, gilts, boars, and 6-month old pigs) or by group (6-month and 1-year old pigs) for their tail posture, tail motion and behaviour, using live observations and videos obtained by drone. Results showed that a fully curled tail occurred most during locomotion (P < 0.001); and an actively hanging tail occurred more during foraging (P < 0.001), excavation (P = 0.006), feeding (P = 0.017), receipt of agonistic behaviour (P = 0.036), and non-agonistic social interactions (P = 0.046). A fully curled tail (P < 0.001) and a half curled tail (P < 0.005) occurred least in the group of sows. Tail motion was infrequent (6.7% of observations), and involved mainly loosely wagging, which occurred more during locomotion (P = 0.006) and non-agonistic social interactions (P = 0.006). A higher temperature-humidity index increased the probability of half curled tails (P < 0.001) and loose wagging (P < 0.001), while reducing the probability of active (P < 0.001) and passive hanging tails (P = 0.013). These results provide insight into tail posture and tail motion in pigs under semi-natural conditions, showing especially that hanging tails are not primarily associated with tail biting, and that the use of tail postures for welfare assessment should be in consideration with the context in which the animals are kept.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Iglesias
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Postepu 36A, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland; Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - I Camerlink
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Postepu 36A, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland.
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9
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Luo L, van der Zande LE, van Marwijk MA, Knol EF, Rodenburg TB, Bolhuis JE, Parois SP. Impact of Enrichment and Repeated Mixing on Resilience in Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:829060. [PMID: 35400108 PMCID: PMC8988148 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.829060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilience, the capacity of animals to be minimally affected by a disturbance or to rapidly bounce back to the state before the challenge, may be improved by enrichment, but negatively impacted by a high allostatic load from stressful management procedures in pigs. We investigated the combined effects of diverging environmental conditions from weaning and repeated mixing to create high allostatic load on resilience of pigs. Pigs were either exposed to barren housing conditions (B) from weaning onwards or provided with sawdust, extra toys, regular access to a “play arena” and daily positive human contact (E). Half of the pigs were exposed to repeated mixing (RM) and the other half to one mixing only at weaning (minimal mixing, MM). To assess their resilience, the response to and recovery from a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sickness challenge and a Frustration challenge were studied. In addition, potential long-term resilience indicators, i.e. natural antibodies, hair cortisol and growth were measured. Some indications of more favorable responses to the challenges in E pigs were found, such as lower serum reactive oxygen metabolite (dROM) concentrations and a smaller area under the curve of dROM after LPS injection. In the Frustration challenge, E pigs showed less standing alert, escape behaviors and other negative behaviors, a tendency for a smaller area under the curve of salivary cortisol and a lower plasma cortisol level at 1 h after the challenge. Aggression did not decrease over mixings in RM pigs and was higher in B pigs than in E pigs. Repeated mixing did not seem to reduce resilience. Contrary to expectations, RM pigs showed a higher relative growth than MM pigs during the experiment, especially in the week of the challenges. Barren RM pigs showed a lower plasma cortisol concentration than barren MM pigs after the LPS challenge, which may suggest that those RM pigs responded less detrimentally than MM pigs. Enriched RM pigs showed a higher level of IgM antibodies binding keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) than enriched MM and barren RM pigs, and RM pigs showed a sharper decline in IgG antibodies binding Bovine Serum Albumin (PC-BSA) over time than MM pigs. Hair cortisol concentrations were not affected by enrichment or mixing. To conclude, enrichment did not enhance the speed of recovery from challenges in pigs, although there were indications of reduced stress. Repeated as opposed to single mixing did not seem to aggravate the negative effects of barren housing on resilience and for some parameters even seemed to reduce the negative effects of barren housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Luo
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Lisette E. van der Zande
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Manon A. van Marwijk
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - T. Bas Rodenburg
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - J. Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: J. Elizabeth Bolhuis
| | - Severine P. Parois
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, Saint-Gilles, France
- Epidemiology Health and Welfare Research Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Ploufragan, France
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10
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Affective State Recognition in Livestock—Artificial Intelligence Approaches. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12060759. [PMID: 35327156 PMCID: PMC8944789 DOI: 10.3390/ani12060759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Emotions or affective states recognition in farm animals is an underexplored research domain. Despite significant advances in animal welfare research, animal affective state computing through the development and application of devices and platforms that can not only recognize but interpret and process the emotions, are in a nascent stage. The analysis and measurement of unique behavioural, physical, and biological characteristics offered by biometric sensor technologies and the affiliated complex and large data sets, opens the pathway for novel and realistic identification of individual animals amongst a herd or a flock. By capitalizing on the immense potential of biometric sensors, artificial intelligence enabled big data methods offer substantial advancement of animal welfare standards and meet the urgent needs of caretakers to respond effectively to maintain the wellbeing of their animals. Abstract Farm animals, numbering over 70 billion worldwide, are increasingly managed in large-scale, intensive farms. With both public awareness and scientific evidence growing that farm animals experience suffering, as well as affective states such as fear, frustration and distress, there is an urgent need to develop efficient and accurate methods for monitoring their welfare. At present, there are not scientifically validated ‘benchmarks’ for quantifying transient emotional (affective) states in farm animals, and no established measures of good welfare, only indicators of poor welfare, such as injury, pain and fear. Conventional approaches to monitoring livestock welfare are time-consuming, interrupt farming processes and involve subjective judgments. Biometric sensor data enabled by artificial intelligence is an emerging smart solution to unobtrusively monitoring livestock, but its potential for quantifying affective states and ground-breaking solutions in their application are yet to be realized. This review provides innovative methods for collecting big data on farm animal emotions, which can be used to train artificial intelligence models to classify, quantify and predict affective states in individual pigs and cows. Extending this to the group level, social network analysis can be applied to model emotional dynamics and contagion among animals. Finally, ‘digital twins’ of animals capable of simulating and predicting their affective states and behaviour in real time are a near-term possibility.
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11
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D’Eath RB, Foister S, Jack M, Bowers N, Zhu Q, Barclay D, Baxter EM. Changes in tail posture detected by a 3D machine vision system are associated with injury from damaging behaviours and ill health on commercial pig farms. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258895. [PMID: 34710143 PMCID: PMC8553069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To establish whether pig tail posture is affected by injuries and ill health, a machine vision system using 3D cameras to measure tail angle was used. Camera data from 1692 pigs in 41 production batches of 42.4 (±16.6) days in length over 17 months at seven diverse grower/finisher commercial pig farms, was validated by visiting farms every 14(±10) days to score injury and ill health. Linear modelling of tail posture found considerable farm and batch effects. The percentage of tails held low (0°) or mid (1-45°) decreased over time from 54.9% and 23.8% respectively by -0.16 and -0.05%/day, while tails high (45-90°) increased from 21.5% by 0.20%/day. Although 22% of scored pigs had scratched tails, severe tail biting was rare; only 6% had tail wounds and 5% partial tail loss. Adding tail injury to models showed associations with tail posture: overall tail injury, worsening tail injury, and tail loss were associated with more pigs detected with low tail posture and fewer with high tails. Minor tail injuries and tail swelling were also associated with altered tail posture. Unexpectedly, other health and injury scores had a larger effect on tail posture- more low tails were observed when a greater proportion of pigs in a pen were scored with lameness or lesions caused by social aggression. Ear injuries were linked with reduced high tails. These findings are consistent with the idea that low tail posture could be a general indicator of poor welfare. However, effects of flank biting and ocular discharge on tail posture were not consistent with this. Our results show for the first time that perturbations in the normal time trends of tail posture are associated with tail biting and other signs of adverse health/welfare at diverse commercial farms, forming the basis for a decision support system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone Foister
- Innovent Technology Ltd, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
| | - Mhairi Jack
- Animal Behaviour & Welfare, SRUC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Bowers
- Garth Pig Practice Ltd, Driffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Qiming Zhu
- Innovent Technology Ltd, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
| | - David Barclay
- Innovent Technology Ltd, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
| | - Emma M. Baxter
- Animal Behaviour & Welfare, SRUC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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12
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Luz MPF, Maia CM, Gonçalvez HC, Puoli Filho JNP. Influence of workload and weather conditions on rolling behaviour of horses and mules. Behav Processes 2021; 189:104433. [PMID: 34090953 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the influences of workload intensity, bath handling and environmental conditions in the rolling behaviour of horses and mules. For this purpose, animals were observed after being exposed to different levels of workload and the rolling behaviour was recorded and described. During all testing procedures, the weather condition (temperature and humidity) was registered by a Black globe and Wet Bulb apparatus. Horses frequently rolled after intense exercise and after bath handling, independently of the weather condition. Mules frequently rolled after control (no exercise) and intense exercise in warmer and wetter days and after bath handlings in colder and drier days. Rolling behaviour characteristics were slightly different between species. While mules exhibited more frequently the behaviours of rest, self-care, yawn, tail swishing, complete spins, snort vocalization and use of the same spot to roll, horses exhibited more frequently the behaviours of paw, sniff, head and neck rubbing movements and incomplete spins to the right and left. This findings evidence that rolling is an important and frequently exhibited behaviour by domestic horses and mules, but animals may express it differently and may have their own motivations. In this sense, we believe that domestic equines, mainly those raised in more intensive livestock, should have the opportunities to freely express the rolling, as a way to improve their welfare conditions and with agreement with a more rational handling practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina P F Luz
- Department of Animal Production, University of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio De Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Caroline M Maia
- Consciência Animal Initiative - Advisory, Consultancy and Solutions on Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; GilsonVolpato Institute of Scientific Education, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Heraldo César Gonçalvez
- Department of Animal Production, University of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio De Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Nicolau P Puoli Filho
- Department of Animal Production, University of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry (FMVZ), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio De Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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Campbell DL, Newberry RC, Camerlink I. Preface for the special issue of the 53rd international congress of the ISAE. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Chou JY, Sandercock DA, D'Eath RB, O'Driscoll K. A High Enrichment Replenishment Rate Reduces Damaging Behaviors and Increases Growth Rate in Undocked Pigs Kept in Fully Slatted Pens. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:584706. [PMID: 33282931 PMCID: PMC7691579 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.584706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the difficulties in complying with the prohibition of routine tail docking is a lack of effective alternative solutions to prevent tail biting, especially in fully slatted systems. This study compared three slat-compatible enrichment replenishment strategies for pigs. Forty-eight mixed-sex pens (six males and six females/pen) of undocked pigs were followed from birth to slaughter. Pre-weaning, half the pigs were provided with enrichment materials (a cardboard cup, rubber toy, hessian cloth and bamboo), in addition to a rope for the sows, in all farrowing crates. Post-weaning, all pens were enriched with eight identical items, including an elevated rack supplied with fresh-cut grass, and objects of wooden, bamboo, rubber, and fabric materials presented in various ways. However, three different replenishment frequencies were applied: "Low" (replenished on Monday/Wednesday/Friday), "Medium" (replenished once daily), and "High" (replenished ad libitum). Individual pigs were weighed on days 0, 49, 91, and 113 post-weaning. Direct behavior observations were conducted twice weekly at pen level (10 min/day/pen), and tail and ear lesion scores of individual pigs were also recorded every other week. These measurements were taken during the post-weaning period. The cost of all enrichment materials used was calculated. Pre-weaning enrichment only contributed to a lower ear lesion score (P = 0.04). No difference in lesion scores was found between post-weaning treatments. "Low" replenishment rate pigs performed more damaging behaviors (tail/ear biting, belly-nosing, mounting, other biting, and aggressive behaviors combined) than "High" and "Medium" pigs (P < 0.01). The average daily gain in the finishing stage was higher in "High" than "Low" pigs (P < 0.05). Although sporadic tail biting occurred, only 0.69% of the pigs had their tails bitten severely enough that they became shorter than half of a normal undocked tail. The average enrichment cost for the post-weaning period was <€2 per pig. In conclusion, the high enrichment replenishment rate increased growth and reduced damaging behaviors compared to the low replenishment rate pigs. Overall, these findings show that the provision and regular replenishment of multiple, slat-compatible, enrichment sources can reduce tail damage to manageable levels without the need for tail docking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Yun Chou
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Research Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Dale A. Sandercock
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Research Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Rick B. D'Eath
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences Research Group, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Keelin O'Driscoll
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
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