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Patience JF, Ramirez A. Invited review: strategic adoption of antibiotic-free pork production: the importance of a holistic approach. Transl Anim Sci 2022; 6:txac063. [PMID: 35854972 PMCID: PMC9278845 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the use of antibiotics to enhance growth in the 1950s proved to be one of the most dramatic and influential in the history of animal agriculture. Antibiotics have served animal agriculture, as well as human and animal medicine, well for more than seven decades, but emerging from this tremendous success has been the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, human medicine and animal agriculture are being called upon, through legislation and/or marketplace demands, to reduce or eliminate antibiotics as growth promotants and even as therapeutics. As explained in this review, adoption of antibiotic-free (ABF) pork production would represent a sea change. By identifying key areas requiring attention, the clear message of this review is that success with ABF production, also referred to as "no antibiotics ever," demands a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. Too frequently, the topic has been approached in a piecemeal fashion by considering only one aspect of production, such as the use of certain feed additives or the adjustment in health management. Based on the literature and on practical experience, a more holistic approach is essential. It will require the modification of diet formulations to not only provide essential nutrients and energy, but to also maximize the effectiveness of normal immunological and physiological capabilities that support good health. It must also include the selection of effective non-antibiotic feed additives along with functional ingredients that have been shown to improve the utility and architecture of the gastrointestinal tract, to improve the microbiome, and to support the immune system. This holistic approach will require refining animal management strategies, including selection for more robust genetics, greater focus on care during the particularly sensitive perinatal and post-weaning periods, and practices that minimize social and environmental stressors. A clear strategy is needed to reduce pathogen load in the barn, such as greater emphasis on hygiene and biosecurity, adoption of a strategic vaccine program and the universal adoption of all-in-all-out housing. Of course, overall health management of the herd, as well as the details of animal flows, cannot be ignored. These management areas will support the basic biology of the pig in avoiding or, where necessary, overcoming pathogen challenges without the need for antibiotics, or at least with reduced usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Patience
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Iowa Pork Industry Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1178, USA
| | - Alejandro Ramirez
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Oro Valley, AZ 85737, USA
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Kang HJ, Bae S, Lee H. Correlation of Animal-based parameters with environment-based parameters in an on-farm welfare assessment of growing pigs. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2022; 64:539-563. [PMID: 35709106 PMCID: PMC9184699 DOI: 10.5187/jast.2022.e23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nine pig farms were evaluated for the welfare quality in Korea using animal- and
environment-based parameters (particularly air quality parameters) during the
winter of 2013. The Welfare Quality® (WQ®)
protocol consists of 12 criteria within four principles. The
WQ® protocol classifies farms into four categories ranging
from ‘excellent’ to ‘not classified’. Each of these
criteria has specific measures for calculating scores. Calculations for the
welfare scores were conducted online using the calculation model in the
WQ® protocol. Environment-based parameters like
microclimate (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and particulate
matter), bacteria (total airborne bacteria, airborne total coliform, and
airborne total Escherichia coli), concentration of gases
(carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) were measured to investigate the
relationship between animal- and environment-based parameters. Correlations
between the results of animal- and environment-based parameters were estimated
using spearman correlation coefficient. The overall assessments found that five
out of nine farms were ‘acceptable’, and four farms were
‘enhanced’; no farm was ‘not classified’. The
average score for the four principles across the nine farms, in decreasing
order, were ‘good feeding’ (63.13 points) > ‘good
housing’ (59.26 points) > ‘good health’ (33.47 points)
> ‘appropriate behaviors’ (25.48 points). In the result of the
environment aspect, the relative humidity of farms 2 (93.4%), 3 (100%), and 9
(98%) was much higher than the recommended maximum relative humidity of 80%, and
four out of the nine farms had ammonia concentrations greater than 40 ppm.
Ammonia had negative correlations with ‘positive social behaviors’
and positive emotional states: content, enjoying, sociable, playful, lively,
happy and it had positive correlations with negative emotional states: aimless,
distressed. The concentration of carbon dioxide had negative correlations with
positive emotional states; calm, sociable, playful, happy and it had a positive
correlation with negative emotional state; aimless. Our results indicate that
the control of the environment for growing pigs can help improve their welfare,
particularly via good air quality (carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen
sulfide).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jin Kang
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology
and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Center for Animal Welfare Research (CAWR),
College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary
Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Sangeun Bae
- Communication and Advisory Services in
Rural Areas Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of
Hohenheim, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
| | - Hang Lee
- Center for Animal Welfare Research (CAWR),
College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary
Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
- Corresponding author: Hang Lee, Center for Animal
Welfare Research (CAWR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute
for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea. Tel:
+82-2-880-1240, E-mail:
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Ferrari P, Ulrici A, Barbari M. Analysis of Housing Risk Factors for the Welfare of Lean and Heavy Pigs in a Sample of European Fattening Farms. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113221. [PMID: 34827955 PMCID: PMC8614386 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Animal welfare is a major challenge that most European pig producers have been facing in recent decades to comply with EU legislation and to meet the increasing societal and market demand for pork produced in a sustainable way. Pig welfare is ruled in terms of minimum requirements for housing and management, but stakeholders have considered that both farm-level and animal-based indicators are fundamental to monitor animal welfare. Some of the welfare issues still affecting fattening pigs are the lack of space, bedding and manipulable material, and the continued practice of routine tail docking of pigs. Tail docking is applied routinely across most European countries to reduce the occurrence of severe tail biting lesions, despite its ban in the EU. An observational study on 51 pig farms in seven EU countries, aimed at investigating housing risk factors for the welfare of finishing pigs, showed that body weight and presence of bedded solid floored resting area (BED) identify three clusters of farms. The outcomes of this study confirmed that BED and larger availability of space per pig, above the minimum requirement of EU legislation, can limit the occurrence of lesions in pigs with undocked tails. Abstract Pig welfare is affected by housing conditions, the minimum requirements of which are set up by EU legislation. Animal and non-animal-based measures are useful indicators to investigate housing risk factors for pig welfare. An observational study on 51 pig farms in seven EU countries, aimed at investigating housing risk factors for the welfare of finishing pigs, showed body weight and presence of bedded solid floored resting area (BED) identifying three clusters of farms. Farms with BED were featured by no or limited tail docking, larger availability of manipulable materials and lower number of pigs per farm and per annual work unit. In these farms, less skin and ear lesions were found, compared with lean pigs of farms without BED, which were characterized by lower pig space allowance, mortality rate and medication cost. In farms without BED, heavy pigs were featured by more space per pig, more pigs per drinker and higher mortality rate and medication cost per pig, compared to lean pigs. No statistical difference in tail lesions was found between the three farm clusters, although tail docking was performed in all farms without BED and not performed on most farms with BED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Ferrari
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, P.le delle Cascine, 18, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-347-965-3445
| | - Alessandro Ulrici
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola, 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy;
| | - Matteo Barbari
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, P.le delle Cascine, 18, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
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Getmantseva L, Kolosova M, Bakoev F, Zimina A, Bakoev S. Genomic Regions and Candidate Genes Linked to Capped Hock in Pig. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11060510. [PMID: 34073088 PMCID: PMC8228005 DOI: 10.3390/life11060510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Capped hock affects the exterior of pedigree pigs, making them unsalable and resulting in a negative impact on the efficiency of pig-breeding centers. The purpose of this paper was to carry out pilot studies aimed at finding genomic regions and genes linked to the capped hock in pigs. The studies were carried out on Landrace pigs (n = 75) and Duroc pigs (n = 70). To identify genomic regions linked to capped hock in pigs, we used smoothing FST statistics. Genotyping was performed with GeneSeek® GGP Porcine HD Genomic Profiler v1 (Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA, USA). The research results showed 70 SNPs linked to capped hock in Landrace (38 SNPs) and Duroc (32 SNPs). The identified regions overlapped with QTLs related with health traits (blood parameters) and meat and carcass traits (fatness). In total, 31 genes were identified (i.e., 17 genes in Landrace, 14 genes in Durocs). Three genes appeared in both the Landrace and Duroc groups, including A2ML1 (SSC5), ROBO2 (SSC13), and MSI1 (SSC14). We identified genomic regions directly or indirectly linked to capped hock, which thus might contribute to identifying genetic variants and using them as genetic markers in pig breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyubov Getmantseva
- Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry Named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, 142132 Dubrovitsy, Russia; (M.K.); (F.B.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence: (L.G.); (A.Z.); Tel.: +7-(4967)-65-11-01 (L.G. & A.Z.)
| | - Maria Kolosova
- Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry Named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, 142132 Dubrovitsy, Russia; (M.K.); (F.B.); (S.B.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Don State Agrarian University, 346493 Persianovski, Russia
| | - Faridun Bakoev
- Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry Named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, 142132 Dubrovitsy, Russia; (M.K.); (F.B.); (S.B.)
| | - Anna Zimina
- Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry Named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, 142132 Dubrovitsy, Russia; (M.K.); (F.B.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence: (L.G.); (A.Z.); Tel.: +7-(4967)-65-11-01 (L.G. & A.Z.)
| | - Siroj Bakoev
- Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry Named after Academy Member L.K. Ernst, 142132 Dubrovitsy, Russia; (M.K.); (F.B.); (S.B.)
- Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks, 123182 Moscow, Russia
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van Staaveren N, Boyle LA, Manzanilla EG, O'Driscoll K, Shalloo L, Díaz JAC. Severe tail lesions in finisher pigs are associated with reduction in annual profit in farrow-to-finish pig farms. Vet Rec 2021; 188:e13. [PMID: 33891723 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We investigated the financial impact of different prevalence levels of severe tail lesions (STL) during the finisher stage associated with changes in average daily gain (ADG) in farrow-to-finish pig farms. METHODS Prevalence of STL was estimated for 31 farrow-to-finish pig farms. Regression tree analysis was used to identify a threshold for STL associated with differences in ADG. Then, a financial analysis was carried using the Teagasc Pig Production model. RESULTS A threshold of ≥0.86% prevalence of STL was associated with a 4.8% decrease in ADG which translated into pigs requiring 7 days more to reach target slaughter weight than in farms below the threshold. Reduced ADG meant that farms with higher prevalence of STL used 3.6% more weaner and 1.4% more finisher feed per year increasing feed costs by 1.5%. This reduced mean annual farm profit by 15.1% in farms with higher prevalence of STL. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide an indication of the financial effects of STL in intensive pig production systems. The identified threshold for the prevalence of STL could provide a tangible target for farmers to focus on in developing strategies to reduce tail lesions and allow farmers to complete a cost benefit analysis of controlling STL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura Ann Boyle
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Edgar García Manzanilla
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Ireland.,School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Keelin O'Driscoll
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Laurence Shalloo
- Livestock Systems Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Fermoy, Ireland
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Camp Montoro J, Boyle LA, Solà-Oriol D, Muns R, Gasa J, Garcia Manzanilla E. Effect of space allowance and mixing on growth performance and body lesions of grower-finisher pigs in pens with a single wet-dry feeder. Porcine Health Manag 2021; 7:7. [PMID: 33407880 PMCID: PMC7786905 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-020-00187-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low space allowance (SA) and mixing may result in reduced growth performance (GP) and animal welfare issues because of adverse social behaviours directed to pen mates. This could be exacerbated in pens with single space feeders owing to social facilitation of feeding behaviour. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of SA and mixing on GP and body lesions (BL) in pens with one single space wet-dry feeder. RESULTS Two experiments were conducted on grower-finisher pigs from 10 to 21 weeks of age. In Exp1, pigs (N = 216) were assigned to three SA; 0.96 m2/pig (n = 6 pens; 10 pigs/pen; SA96), 0.84 m2/pig (n = 6; 12 pigs/pen; SA84) and 0.72 m2/pig (n = 6; 14 pigs/pen; SA72), in a randomized design. In Exp2, pigs (N = 230) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial randomized design considering SA and mixing as treatments. Pigs were assigned to two SA; 0.96 m2/pig (n = 10 pens; 10 pigs/pen; SA96) and 0.78 m2/pig (n = 10; 13 pigs/pen; SA78) and were either mixed or not at the entry to the finishing facility. GP was not affected by SA (P > 0.05) in either experiment. In Exp2, non-mixed pigs were 5.4 kg heavier (P < 0.001), gained 74 g more per day (P = 0.004), consumed 101.8 g more of feed per day (P = 0.007) and tended to have higher feed efficiency (P = 0.079) than mixed pigs from 11 to 21 weeks of age. Number of BL was affected by SA in both experiments. In Exp1, SA72 pigs had 74.4 and 97.4% more BL than SA96 and SA84 pigs at 20 weeks of age respectively (P < 0.01). In Exp2, SA78 pigs had 48.6, 43.6 and 101.3% more BL than SA96 pigs at 12, 16 and 21 weeks of age respectively (P < 0.05). Mixing did not affect the number of BL from 12 to 21 weeks of age in Exp2 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Mixing had a considerable effect on growth performance thus, strategies to avoid or mitigate mixing should be considered. Although space allowance had no effect on growth performance, high number of body lesions in the lower space allowance indicates that space allowances equal or below 0.78 m2/pig are detrimental to the welfare of pigs despite following the EU legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Camp Montoro
- Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 C996, Ireland. .,Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Laura Ann Boyle
- Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 C996, Ireland
| | - David Solà-Oriol
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ramon Muns
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co Down, Northern Ireland, BT 26 6DR, UK
| | - Josep Gasa
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Edgar Garcia Manzanilla
- Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, P61 C996, Ireland.,UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland
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Pierozan CR, Dias CP, Temple D, Manteca X, da Silva CA. Welfare indicators associated with feed conversion ratio and daily feed intake of growing-finishing pigs. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/an19647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Understanding the welfare indicators that affect animal performance can facilitate modifications that improve both animal welfare and profitability.
Aims
A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of animal welfare indicators and quantify their possible associations with feed conversion ratio (FCR) and daily feed intake (DFI) of growing-finishing pigs (Sus scrofa).
Methods
Data from 46 farms were collected. The herds ranged from 360 to 2500 pigs, which were aged between 75 and 173 days, and were managed on an all-in all-out basis. The welfare indicators were evaluated once on each farm using the methodology of the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for pigs. Multiple linear mixed models were used to assess the associations of welfare with FCR and DFI according to the production stage at which the pigs were evaluated on the farm.
Key results
The welfare indicators with the highest average prevalence were frequency of coughing (35.7%), moderate bursitis (31.1%), and moderate and severe soiling with manure (18.8 and 27.7% respectively). Most of the remaining indicators related to poor welfare had prevalence values of less than 1%. The mean prevalence of positive social behaviour (such as sniffing/nosing/licking) was 14.4% and that of negative social behaviour (NSB; such as aggressive interactions) was 3.1%. The average space allowance (measured in 460 pens) was 1.04 ± 0.13 m2/pig (ranging from 0.78 to 1.36 m2/pig). Better FCRs were associated with a low prevalence of NSB (P < 0.05), a low prevalence of coughing (P < 0.01), absence of lameness problems (P < 0.001), and small space allowances (P < 0.05). Lower DFI values were associated with a low prevalence of NSB (P < 0.05), a high prevalence of moderate hernias (P < 0.01), a low prevalence of other active behaviours (such as eating and drinking) (P < 0.001), and a high prevalence of animals with wounds on the body (P < 0.05).
Conclusions
Few indicators related to the impairment of welfare were detected with a high prevalence, and the results suggest that the conditions related to poor welfare were associated with an impairment in animal performance.
Implications
The results of this study can provide the industry with comparative information to promote improvements in pig welfare. Some welfare indicators could be used on farm as predictors of performance variables; however, these indicators need validation.
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Li Y, Wang C, Huang S, Liu Z, Wang H. Space allowance determination by considering its coeffect with toy provision on production performance, behavior and physiology for grouped growing pigs. Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104389] [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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9
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Nannoni E, Aarnink AJ, Vermeer HM, Reimert I, Fels M, Bracke MB. Soiling of Pig Pens: A Review of Eliminative Behaviour. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112025. [PMID: 33153115 PMCID: PMC7693532 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The soiling of pig pens has important negative consequences in terms of animal welfare, health, workload, and environmental emissions of pig farming. The aim of this review is to present the state-of-the-art regarding pigs’ normal eliminatory behaviour (i.e., defaecation and urination) and pen soiling, aimed here at solving pen-soiling problems in existing systems, and in a following publication aimed at the design of a more sustainable pig-farming system. To this end, we summarize a large body of literature on pen soiling and pigs’ eliminative behaviour in different farming systems. We propose a “disease framework” interpretation of pen soiling, to help identify its causes, underlying mechanisms, and solutions. Abstract This is a comprehensive review on the pigs’ normal eliminatory behaviour (i.e., defaecation and urination) and pen soiling. This review is aimed primarily at solving issues with pen soiling in current systems, and ultimately at the future design of a well-functioning pig toilet, which we intend to elaborate on in a subsequent publication. In this paper, first, normal elimination is described in relation to what is known about its phylogeny, ontogeny, causation, and function, i.e., according to Tinbergen’s four why questions concerning animal behaviour. Then, pen soiling is described as if it were a medical disorder, highlighting its importance, aetiology, symptoms, diagnosis, pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention. Due to its negative consequences in terms of animal welfare, health, workload, and environmental emissions, possible methods to address pen soiling in current systems are described. Probably, pigs do not choose a specific place to eliminate but rather choose the most comfortable place for resting, and avoid eliminating there. We identified four main strategies to reduce pen soiling: (1) reducing the suitability of the designated elimination area to be used for other functions, especially resting or thermoregulation; (2) improving the suitability of other functional areas in the pen to be used for their specific function, such as resting and activity; (3) reducing the suitability of other functional areas to be used for elimination; and (4) improving the suitability of the elimination area for elimination. These prevention strategies and the encompassing disease framework provide a structured approach to deal with pen soiling in existing systems and to support the future design, development, and implementation of a well-functioning pig toilet that can help to achieve some of the main goals of modern pig production, namely reducing environmental emissions as well as substantially improving pig welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Nannoni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Italy;
| | - André J.A. Aarnink
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.J.A.A.); (H.M.V.)
| | - Herman M. Vermeer
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.J.A.A.); (H.M.V.)
| | - Inonge Reimert
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Michaela Fels
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine, 30173 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Marc B.M. Bracke
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.J.A.A.); (H.M.V.)
- Correspondence:
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Honeck A, Gertz M, grosse Beilage E, Krieter J. Comparison of different scoring keys for tail-biting in pigs to evaluate the importance of one common scoring key to improve the comparability of studies – A review. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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11
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Gentz M, Lange A, Zeidler S, Traulsen I. Classification of Pigs with Tail Lesions from Different Farrowing and Rearing Systems during Rearing and Fattening Period. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E949. [PMID: 31717938 PMCID: PMC6912465 DOI: 10.3390/ani9110949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to classify and characterise pigs with tail lesions using a combined parameter based on the frequency and duration of tail lesions and to find out whether biologically relevant groups could be separated by cluster analysis. Pigs (n = 677, 50% docked, 50% undocked) from three farrowing systems, as follows: (1) Conventional farrowing crate (FC), (2) free farrowing (FF), and (3) a group housing lactating sows (GH), were divided into two rearing systems as follows: (1) A conventional system (CONV) and (2) a wean-to-finish (W-F) system. Within 18 assessment weeks, starting after weaning, animal tail lesions were recorded individually. The animals were characterised into five lesion groups, as follows: (I) No lesions to (V) many long lasting lesions. The separability of the predefined lesion groups was checked by an animal individual lesion parameter. By using a k-means cluster analysis, it was shown that the docking status was the mainly affected parameter on the tail lesions. The separation of the groups only succeeded for the most distinct groups, I and V. The high impact of the docking status and the reduction of tail lesions by more space allowance was shown. More characterising information for the individual pigs would improve the separability of the lesion groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gentz
- Department of Animal Sciences, Livestock Systems, Georg-August-University, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (A.L.); (I.T.)
| | - Anita Lange
- Department of Animal Sciences, Livestock Systems, Georg-August-University, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (A.L.); (I.T.)
| | - Sebastian Zeidler
- Department of Animal Sciences, Breeding Informatics, Georg-August-University, Margarethe-von-Wrangell-Weg 7, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Imke Traulsen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Livestock Systems, Georg-August-University, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (A.L.); (I.T.)
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12
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Ison S, Bates R, Ernst C, Steibel J, Siegford J. Housing, ease of handling and minimising inter-pig aggression at mixing for nursery to finishing pigs as reported in a survey of North American pork producers. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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van Staaveren N, Calderón Díaz JA, Garcia Manzanilla E, Hanlon A, Boyle LA. Prevalence of welfare outcomes in the weaner and finisher stages of the production cycle on 31 Irish pig farms. Ir Vet J 2018; 71:9. [PMID: 29599967 PMCID: PMC5869776 DOI: 10.1186/s13620-018-0121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge on the most prevalent welfare problems for pigs in different production stages is required to improve herd management plans. Thirty-one farrow-to-finish pig farms were visited between July and November 2015 to assess the welfare of pigs using the multicriteria approach of the Welfare Quality® protocol. On each farm, 6 pens were selected using proportionate stratified sampling in the first weaner (S1, 4 to 8 wks), second weaner (S2, 8 to 13 wks) and finisher stage (S3, 13 to 23 wks), excluding hospital pens. Each pen was observed for 10 min and the number of pigs affected by different welfare outcomes was recorded. The percentage of pigs affected was calculated and ranked to identify the most prevalent outcomes within each production stage. Differences between production stages were analysed using generalised linear mixed models for binomial data with pen within stage and farm as a random effect. RESULTS Tail and ear lesions showed the highest prevalence; however, large variation was observed between farms. In S1 the most prevalent welfare outcomes (presented as median prevalence) were poor body condition (4.4%), lethargic pigs (1.5%), scouring (20.3% of pens) and huddling (3.7%). In S2 and S3 outcomes related to injurious behaviour (tail lesions: 5.9% [S2] and 10.5% [S3], ear lesions: 9.1% [S2] and 3.3% [S3], and flank lesions: 0.4% [S2] and 1.3% [S3]), lameness (0.8% [S2] and 1.1% [S3]), bursitis (3.9% [S2] and 7.5% [S3]) and hernias (1.6% [S2] and 1.8% [S3]) were more prevalent. CONCLUSIONS A large variation was observed for the recorded welfare outcomes corresponding to the different challenges pigs experience during the different stages of production on commercial pig farms. The prevalence of pigs affected by lesions caused by injurious behavior is a cause for concern and requires a collaborative approach to identify appropriate intervention strategies. This information could be used to further investigate appropriate benchmark values for different welfare outcomes that would assist the pig industry to develop appropriate health and welfare management plans to minimise welfare problems. At herd level such plans should include information on aspects of intervention, treatment, and the management of hospital pens as well as euthanasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke van Staaveren
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61 C996 Ireland
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 W6F6 Ireland
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Julia Adriana Calderón Díaz
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61 C996 Ireland
| | - Edgar Garcia Manzanilla
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61 C996 Ireland
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 W6F6 Ireland
| | - Alison Hanlon
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 W6F6 Ireland
| | - Laura Ann Boyle
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61 C996 Ireland
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Opinion paper: What needs to be changed for successful future livestock farming in Europe? Animal 2018; 12:1999-2001. [DOI: 10.1017/s1751731118001258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Diana A, Manzanilla EG, Calderón Díaz JA, Leonard FC, Boyle LA. Do weaner pigs need in-feed antibiotics to ensure good health and welfare? PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185622. [PMID: 28982114 PMCID: PMC5628837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics (AB) are used in intensive pig production systems to control infectious diseases and they are suspected to be a major source of antibiotic resistance. Following the ban on AB use as growth promoters in the EU, their prophylactic use in-feed is now under review. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removing prophylactic in-feed AB on pig health and welfare indicators. Every Monday for six weeks, a subset of 70 pigs were weaned, tagged and sorted into two groups of 35 pigs according to weight (9.2 ± 0.6 kg). AB were removed from the diet of one group (NO, n = 6) and maintained in the other group (AB, n = 6) for nine weeks. Ten focal pigs were chosen per group. After c. five weeks each group was split into two pens of c.17 pigs for the following 4 weeks. Data were recorded weekly. Skin, tail, ear, flank and limb lesions of focal pigs were scored according to severity. The number of animals per group affected by health deviations was also recorded. The number of fights and harmful behaviours (ear, tail bites) per group was counted during 3×5min observations once per week. Data were analysed using mixed model equations and binomial logistic regression. At group level, AB pigs were more likely to have tail (OR = 1.70; P = 0.05) but less likely to have ear lesions than NO pigs (OR = 0.46; P<0.05). The number of ear bites (21.4±2.15 vs. 17.3±1.61; P<0.05) and fights (6.91±0.91 vs. 5.58±0.72; P = 0.09) was higher in AB than in NO pigs. There was no effect of treatment on health deviations and the frequency of these was low. Removing AB from the feed of weaner pigs had minimal effects on health and welfare indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Diana
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
- School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Edgar G. Manzanilla
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
| | - Julia A. Calderón Díaz
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
- Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Postepu 36A, Jastrzębiec, Magdalenka, Poland
| | | | - Laura A. Boyle
- Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
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Assessment of the multi-criteria evaluation system of the Welfare Quality® protocol for growing pigs. Animal 2017; 11:1573-1580. [PMID: 28219478 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731117000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare has become an important subject of public and political debate, leading to the necessity of an objective evaluation system for on-farm use. As welfare is a multi-dimensional concept, it makes sense to use a multi-criteria aggregation system to obtain an overall welfare score. Such an aggregation system is provided by the Welfare Quality® Network. The present paper focusses on the assessment of the multi-criteria evaluation model included in the Welfare Quality® protocol for growing pigs in order to aggregate the animal-based indicators first to criteria, then to principles and finally to an overall welfare score. Specifically, the importance of the indicators on the overall assessment of growing pig farms is analysed in a given population which consisted of a total of 198 protocol assessments carried out on a sample of 24 farms in Germany. By means of partial least squares modelling, the influence of measures in the calculation procedure is estimated by calculation and interpretation of Variable Importance for Projection (VIP) scores. Variable Importance for Projection scores revealed some meaningful, unexpected influences as the multi-criteria evaluation model of Welfare Quality® aimed at avoiding interferences and double-counting. Some of these influences led to the assumption that some measures might have potential as iceberg indicators, whereas others showed lesser importance. Thus, feasibility can be gained by the deletion and special weighting of indicators according to their importance. Altogether, the study is an essential contribution to the further development of the Welfare Quality® protocols as well as the application of multi-criteria decision systems in the field of animal welfare science in general.
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