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Li S, Hu H, Huang J, Yang Y, Xu W, Chen J, Wan J, Li L, Zheng R, Jiang S, Chai J. Effect of Enrichment Items on the Physiology and Behavior of Sows in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111355. [PMID: 35681820 PMCID: PMC9179893 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111355] [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: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern intensive pig breeding harms animal welfare, which is especially noticeable for pregnant sows kept in confinement stalls. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of enrichment items on the movement and physiological parameters of sows in the third trimester of pregnancy. A total of 30 large white pregnant sows were randomly divided into three equal treatment groups (n = 10): control, pine wood, and scented wood groups. Interestingly, compared with the control group, the sows in the pine wood or scented wood groups showed less ventral lying and more lateral lying behavior (p < 0.01), coupled with significant reduction in the frequency of scratching and sham-chewing (p < 0.01), but with no significant difference in the degree of preference for these enrichment items (p > 0.05). Additionally, the sows in the pine wood or scented wood groups also decreased significantly in the concentration of immunoglobulin A (IgA) (p < 0.01) and the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (p < 0.05) throughout the late pregnancy period. Overall, adding enrichment items to confinement stalls can alleviate the chronic stress and the stereotypic behavior of sows, suggesting their potential to reduce welfare compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Li
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hongqing Hu
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuxuan Yang
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Weijing Xu
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Junfeng Chen
- Henan Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Breeding and Nutritional Regulation, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China;
| | - Jiawei Wan
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lianghua Li
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China;
| | - Rong Zheng
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Siwen Jiang
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jin Chai
- Agricultural Ministry Key Laboratory of Swine Breeding and Genetics & Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (S.L.); (H.H.); (J.H.); (Y.Y.); (W.X.); (J.W.); (R.Z.); (S.J.)
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-027-8728-2091
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