To Provide a Double Feeder in Growing Pigs Housed under High Environmental Temperatures Reduces Social Interactions but Does Not Improve Weight Gains

Heat stress and competition for food are two major challenges in pigs reared in intensive conditions. The aim of the present work was to study the e ect of providing a double feeder for pigs reared under two di erent environmental temperatures. In addition, two types of flooring, of 100% slat and 30% slat 70% concrete, were also considered. A total of 256 pigs in the growing-finishing period (from 27 kg to 110 kg) were housed using two environmental temperatures: control (from 18 C to 25 C) and heat stress (above 30 C six hours a day). They were housed in 32 pens of 8 pigs each, distributed into 4 rooms (16 with one feeder and 16 with two). Pigs subjected to temperatures above 30 C up to six hours had lower body weight gains than pigs subjected to a maximum temperature of 25 C, confirming that thermal stress negatively a ects performance in pigs. In addition, heat stress a ected the final product by decreasing the lean percentage of carcasses by 2.6%. A double feeder reduced the presence of negative social behavior, especially in the feeding area, but body weight was lower than when one single feeder was used. A 30% slat 70% concrete floor showed better results in the pig stress indicators and body weights than 100% slat. It is concluded that providing a double feeder in the pens, although reducing the presence of negative social interactions, negatively a ected body weight, in comparison to pigs fed with just one feeder.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A regenerative urban stormwater management methodology: the journey of a Mediterranean city

Urban drainage patterns are altered by increasing urbanization and rapid conveyance and discharge of runoff, leading to increased flood risk, diminish of aquifer recharge and degradation of receiving waterways. These effects are expected to escalate with climate change. In response, alternative and more sustainable drainage practices with a holistic approach have been developed, although their wide-scale implementation has been limited largely due to socio-institutional barriers. This paper presents an innovative regenerative urban stormwater methodology for transition management at city level, containing two main enablers to overcome the barriers that drag out progress. First, a structured set of activities, the 'wheel', to guide and document the process, which is steered by a group of regional actors. Then, a visual and effective set of indicators that monitors and assesses the progress achieved and identifies the strategies to move forward. Its successful application to Benaguasil, a Mediterranean city, reveals that by integrating the views and strategies from actors at different but interconnected scales and following a structured but flexible methodology, it is possible to make progress in only few years and have a promising future ahead. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research has been conducted as part of the Life+ program project "AQUAVAL: Sustainable Urban Water Management Plans, promoting SUDS and considering climate change, in the province of Valencia" (Life08ENV/E/000099) and the MED program project "E2STORMED: Improvement of energy efficiency in the water cycle by the use of innovative storm water management in smart Mediterranean cities" (1C-MED12-14), both supported by ERDF funding of the European Union.Perales Monparler, S.; Andrés Doménech, I.; Andreu Álvarez, J.; Escuder Bueno, I. (2015). A regenerative urban stormwater management methodology: the journey of a Mediterranean city. Journal of Cleaner Production. 109:174-189. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.02.039S17418910

Identification of new physiological parameters for monitoring chronic stress in growing pigs: Hair cortisol and Chromogranin A

L’objectiu principal d’aquesta tesi és identificar i estudiar la viabilitat del cortisol en pèl i de la cromogranina A (CgA) com a indicadors d’estrès crònics en porcs d’engreix. Amb aquest propòsit es van realitzar quatre estudis englobats en dos experiments. El primer estudi tenia com a objectiu determinar la viabilitat del pèl com a matriu per detectar cortisol en l’espècie porcina. Per aquest motiu, es van analitzar mostres de pèl de 56 mascles sencers creuats sotmesos a un procés de reorganització setmanal. Els resultats obtinguts van mostrar una correlació positiva de les concentracions de pèl al llarg del temps. A més, es van observar diferències en funció de la regió mostrejada. Segons aquests resultats, el pèl és una matriu vàlida per detectar el cortisol en els porcs d’engreix. L’objectiu del segon estudi era analitzar l’ús del cortisol en pèl, la CgA en saliva i el factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNF-α) en sang com a possibles biomarcadors d’estrès crònic. Per aquest motiu es va sotmetre a 56 mascles sencers creuats a diferents tractaments usant enriquiment ambiental (EE) i un compost natural d’herbes (HC) amb l’objectiu de reduir l’estrès. Durant l’estudi, es van recollir mostres de pèl, saliva i sang a les 15, 20 i 24 setmanes de vida (T0, T1 i T2 respectivament). A T0, no es van observar diferències en cap indicador. En canvi, a T2, els porcs suplementats amb EE, HC o ambdós (EEHC) van presentar menors concentracions de CgA i cortisol en pèl en comparació amb el grup control (CG). A més, els valors de cortisol en pèl van correlacionar significativament amb els de CgA. Els resultats obtinguts suggereixen que la concentració de CgA i el cortisol en pèl poden ser bons biomarcadors d’estrès crònic en porcs d’engreix. Al tercer estudi, es van analitzar possibles diferències comportamentals i de rendiment relacionades amb l’ EE i l’ HC. Per aquest motiu, es van pesar i avaluar les lesions de la pell de tots els porcs abans de començar l’experiment (15 setmanes d’edat) i a les 18, 20, 22 i 24 setmanes. A més, es van realitzar observacions setmanals de cada corral, i es van portar a terme tres tests de novetat a les 16, 19 i 23 setmanes d’edat. Al final de l’experiment (setmana 24), els animals del grup control van presentar un menor pes que els animals sotmesos a EE o HC. A més, els criats amb EE van presentar més comportament exploratori i menys estereotípies i conductes redirigides. Per altra banda, els porcs suplementats amb HC van presentar menys interaccions socials i menys lesions. Els resultats obtinguts en aquest experiment suggereixen que tant EE com HC influeixen positivament sobre el creixement i el benestar dels porcs d’engreix. El quart estudi es va dur a terme amb els mateixos animals que l’estudi 2 i 3. En aquest cas es va avaluar la qualitat de la carn i la canal, així com l’acceptabilitat i la percepció dels consumidors respecte l’ EE i HC. En general, no es van obtenir diferències de qualitat ni d’acceptabilitat per cap dels paràmetres analitzats. Per altra banda, l’aspecte més valorat pels consumidors va ser el sistema de producció, amb preferència per aquells sistemes enfocats a incrementar el benestar, seguit per el tipus d’alimentació, amb preferència pels sistemes suplementats amb herbes naturals d’efectes relaxants. Aquests resultats suggereixen que les millores de benestar a granja són un factor apreciat per un important segment dels consumidors. En resum, els resultats dels dos experiments suggereixen que el cortisol en pèl i la CgA en saliva poden esdevenir bons indicadors d’estrès crònic en porcs d’engreix.The main objective of this thesis is to identify and study the feasibility and reliability of hair cortisol and salivary Chromogranin A (CgA) as indicators of chronic stress in growing pigs. In this context, four studies were conducted encompassed in two different experiments. The first study aimed to determine the viability of hair as a matrix to detect cortisol in swine. For this purpose, hair samples from 56 crossbred entire males subjected to weekly remixing were analysed. The results showed a significant positive correlation of hair cortisol concentration over time. Furthermore, differences were observed in terms of the anatomical region sampled. According to these results, hair is a proper matrix to detect cortisol in growing pigs. The aim of the second study was to analyse the use of hair cortisol, salivary CgA and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in blood as potential biomarkers of chronic stress. For this reason 56 crossbreed entire males were subjected to different treatments using environmental enrichment (EE) and a compound of natural herbs (HC) aiming to stress reduction. The treatments were: a) pigs reared in EE b) pigs supplemented with HC, c) pigs reared in EE and supplemented with HC (EEHC) and d) control group (CG). During the study, we collected samples of hair, saliva and blood on 15, 20 and 24 weeks of age (T0, T1 and T2 respectively). At T0, no differences were observed in any indicator. However, at T2, salivary CgA and hair cortisol concentration were lower in EE, HC and EEHC compared to the CG. At T1, similar differences were observed, but only in salivary CgA concentration. In addition, the concentration of hair cortisol was significantly correlated with salivary CgA concentration. Results from this experiment suggest that salivary CgA and hair cortisol can be good biomarkers of chronic stress in growing pigs. In the third study, behaviour and performance changes were analysed in relation to EE and HC. For this reason, body weight and body lesions were recorded from all the pigs before starting the experiment (15 weeks old) and at 18, 20, 22 and 24 weeks. Moreover, weekly observations were performed from each pen, and three novel tests were carried out at 16, 19 and 23 weeks of age. At the end of the experiment (24 days), pigs from the control group showed a lower weight than pigs subjected to EE or HC. Furthermore, pigs reared with EE presented more exploratory behaviour and less stereotypies and redirected behaviour. On the other hand, pigs supplemented with HC presented less social interactions and less skin lesions. The results from this experiment suggest that both EE HC positively influence animal welfare and performance of growing pigs. The fourth study was carried out with the same animal used in study 2 and 3. The aim of this last study was to evaluate consumer’s acceptability, and preference, and meat and carcass quality of pork regarding the EE and HC. In general, there was no significant difference in quality or acceptability of any of the parameters analysed. On the other hand, the most important factor considered by consumers was the production system, with preferences for those systems aiming to increase the welfare, followed by the feeding system, with preference for systems supplemented with natural herbs with relaxing properties. The present results suggest that improvements in animal welfare at farm level are appreciated by an important segment of consumers. In summary, results from both experiments suggest that cortisol measured in hair and CgA measured in saliva could be good chronic stress indicators in growing pigs

Identification of new physiological parameters for monitoring chronic stress in growing pigs: Hair cortisol and Chromogranin A

L’objectiu principal d’aquesta tesi és identificar i estudiar la viabilitat del cortisol en pèl i de la cromogranina A (CgA) com a indicadors d’estrès crònics en porcs d’engreix. Amb aquest propòsit es van realitzar quatre estudis englobats en dos experiments. El primer estudi tenia com a objectiu determinar la viabilitat del pèl com a matriu per detectar cortisol en l’espècie porcina. Per aquest motiu, es van analitzar mostres de pèl de 56 mascles sencers creuats sotmesos a un procés de reorganització setmanal. Els resultats obtinguts van mostrar una correlació positiva de les concentracions de pèl al llarg del temps. A més, es van observar diferències en funció de la regió mostrejada. Segons aquests resultats, el pèl és una matriu vàlida per detectar el cortisol en els porcs d’engreix. L’objectiu del segon estudi era analitzar l’ús del cortisol en pèl, la CgA en saliva i el factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNF-α) en sang com a possibles biomarcadors d’estrès crònic. Per aquest motiu es va sotmetre a 56 mascles sencers creuats a diferents tractaments usant enriquiment ambiental (EE) i un compost natural d’herbes (HC) amb l’objectiu de reduir l’estrès. Durant l’estudi, es van recollir mostres de pèl, saliva i sang a les 15, 20 i 24 setmanes de vida (T0, T1 i T2 respectivament). A T0, no es van observar diferències en cap indicador. En canvi, a T2, els porcs suplementats amb EE, HC o ambdós (EEHC) van presentar menors concentracions de CgA i cortisol en pèl en comparació amb el grup control (CG). A més, els valors de cortisol en pèl van correlacionar significativament amb els de CgA. Els resultats obtinguts suggereixen que la concentració de CgA i el cortisol en pèl poden ser bons biomarcadors d’estrès crònic en porcs d’engreix. Al tercer estudi, es van analitzar possibles diferències comportamentals i de rendiment relacionades amb l’ EE i l’ HC. Per aquest motiu, es van pesar i avaluar les lesions de la pell de tots els porcs abans de començar l’experiment (15 setmanes d’edat) i a les 18, 20, 22 i 24 setmanes. A més, es van realitzar observacions setmanals de cada corral, i es van portar a terme tres tests de novetat a les 16, 19 i 23 setmanes d’edat. Al final de l’experiment (setmana 24), els animals del grup control van presentar un menor pes que els animals sotmesos a EE o HC. A més, els criats amb EE van presentar més comportament exploratori i menys estereotípies i conductes redirigides. Per altra banda, els porcs suplementats amb HC van presentar menys interaccions socials i menys lesions. Els resultats obtinguts en aquest experiment suggereixen que tant EE com HC influeixen positivament sobre el creixement i el benestar dels porcs d’engreix. El quart estudi es va dur a terme amb els mateixos animals que l’estudi 2 i 3. En aquest cas es va avaluar la qualitat de la carn i la canal, així com l’acceptabilitat i la percepció dels consumidors respecte l’ EE i HC. En general, no es van obtenir diferències de qualitat ni d’acceptabilitat per cap dels paràmetres analitzats. Per altra banda, l’aspecte més valorat pels consumidors va ser el sistema de producció, amb preferència per aquells sistemes enfocats a incrementar el benestar, seguit per el tipus d’alimentació, amb preferència pels sistemes suplementats amb herbes naturals d’efectes relaxants. Aquests resultats suggereixen que les millores de benestar a granja són un factor apreciat per un important segment dels consumidors. En resum, els resultats dels dos experiments suggereixen que el cortisol en pèl i la CgA en saliva poden esdevenir bons indicadors d’estrès crònic en porcs d’engreix.The main objective of this thesis is to identify and study the feasibility and reliability of hair cortisol and salivary Chromogranin A (CgA) as indicators of chronic stress in growing pigs. In this context, four studies were conducted encompassed in two different experiments. The first study aimed to determine the viability of hair as a matrix to detect cortisol in swine. For this purpose, hair samples from 56 crossbred entire males subjected to weekly remixing were analysed. The results showed a significant positive correlation of hair cortisol concentration over time. Furthermore, differences were observed in terms of the anatomical region sampled. According to these results, hair is a proper matrix to detect cortisol in growing pigs. The aim of the second study was to analyse the use of hair cortisol, salivary CgA and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in blood as potential biomarkers of chronic stress. For this reason 56 crossbreed entire males were subjected to different treatments using environmental enrichment (EE) and a compound of natural herbs (HC) aiming to stress reduction. The treatments were: a) pigs reared in EE b) pigs supplemented with HC, c) pigs reared in EE and supplemented with HC (EEHC) and d) control group (CG). During the study, we collected samples of hair, saliva and blood on 15, 20 and 24 weeks of age (T0, T1 and T2 respectively). At T0, no differences were observed in any indicator. However, at T2, salivary CgA and hair cortisol concentration were lower in EE, HC and EEHC compared to the CG. At T1, similar differences were observed, but only in salivary CgA concentration. In addition, the concentration of hair cortisol was significantly correlated with salivary CgA concentration. Results from this experiment suggest that salivary CgA and hair cortisol can be good biomarkers of chronic stress in growing pigs. In the third study, behaviour and performance changes were analysed in relation to EE and HC. For this reason, body weight and body lesions were recorded from all the pigs before starting the experiment (15 weeks old) and at 18, 20, 22 and 24 weeks. Moreover, weekly observations were performed from each pen, and three novel tests were carried out at 16, 19 and 23 weeks of age. At the end of the experiment (24 days), pigs from the control group showed a lower weight than pigs subjected to EE or HC. Furthermore, pigs reared with EE presented more exploratory behaviour and less stereotypies and redirected behaviour. On the other hand, pigs supplemented with HC presented less social interactions and less skin lesions. The results from this experiment suggest that both EE HC positively influence animal welfare and performance of growing pigs. The fourth study was carried out with the same animal used in study 2 and 3. The aim of this last study was to evaluate consumer’s acceptability, and preference, and meat and carcass quality of pork regarding the EE and HC. In general, there was no significant difference in quality or acceptability of any of the parameters analysed. On the other hand, the most important factor considered by consumers was the production system, with preferences for those systems aiming to increase the welfare, followed by the feeding system, with preference for systems supplemented with natural herbs with relaxing properties. The present results suggest that improvements in animal welfare at farm level are appreciated by an important segment of consumers. In summary, results from both experiments suggest that cortisol measured in hair and CgA measured in saliva could be good chronic stress indicators in growing pigs

Effect of Environmental Enrichment and Herbal Compounds-Supplemented Diet on Pig Carcass, Meat Quality Traits, and Consumers’ Acceptability and Preference

Animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality, but consumers should appreciate its added value. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer’s acceptability, preference, and the meat and carcass quality of pigs reared with two stress-reducing strategies: supplementation of an herbal compound (HC) containing Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata, and environmental enrichment (EE) by the provision of hemp ropes, sawdust, and rubber balls. A total of 56 pigs were divided in four treatments in two pens of seven pigs per treatment (2 × 2 factorial design). Meat and carcass quality were evaluated. Consumer’s acceptability and preference were analysed with a sensory test and a conjoint analysis in 110 consumers. Before slaughter, control pigs (no EE and no HC) presented lower live weight compared with other treatments (p = 0.0009). Although acceptance was the same for all of the treatments, consumers preferred systems aiming to increase pig welfare. The most important factor was production system, with a preference for those improving welfare, followed by feeding system, with a preference for those with natural herbs supplementation. Although price was the least important factor, a segment of consumers showed a clear preference for lower prices. These results suggest that welfare improvements could be appreciated by particular consumer segments

Effect of Environmental Enrichment and Herbal Compounds-Supplemented Diet on Pig Carcass, Meat Quality Traits, and Consumers' Acceptability and Preference

Interest in animal welfare has increased and been considered a relevant attribute for the concept of the ethical quality of pig products. The present study suggests that consumers would appreciate particular improvements on animal welfare such as providing environmental enrichment or herbal compounds. The provision of those welfare improvement strategies did not have a significant effect on technological carcass and meat quality parameters. However, the strategies used in this study that can increase animal welfare in production systems were valued by consumers. Animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality, but consumers should appreciate its added value. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer's acceptability, preference, and the meat and carcass quality of pigs reared with two stress-reducing strategies: supplementation of an herbal compound (HC) containing Valeriana officinalis and Passiflora incarnata, and environmental enrichment (EE) by the provision of hemp ropes, sawdust, and rubber balls. A total of 56 pigs were divided in four treatments in two pens of seven pigs per treatment (2 × 2 factorial design). Meat and carcass quality were evaluated. Consumer's acceptability and preference were analysed with a sensory test and a conjoint analysis in 110 consumers. Before slaughter, control pigs (no EE and no HC) presented lower live weight compared with other treatments (p = 0.0009). Although acceptance was the same for all of the treatments, consumers preferred systems aiming to increase pig welfare. The most important factor was production system, with a preference for those improving welfare, followed by feeding system, with a preference for those with natural herbs supplementation. Although price was the least important factor, a segment of consumers showed a clear preference for lower prices. These results suggest that welfare improvements could be appreciated by particular consumer segments

Identification of new physiological parameters for monitoring chronic stress in growing pigs : Hair cortisol and Chromogranin A /

Departament responsable de la tesi: Departament de Ciència Animal i dels AlimentsA la portada: IRTA, Recerca i Tecnologia AgroalimentàriesL'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és identificar i estudiar la viabilitat del cortisol en pèl i de la cromogranina A (CgA) com a indicadors d'estrès crònics en porcs d'engreix. Amb aquest propòsit es van realitzar quatre estudis englobats en dos experiments. El primer estudi tenia com a objectiu determinar la viabilitat del pèl com a matriu per detectar cortisol en l'espècie porcina. Per aquest motiu, es van analitzar mostres de pèl de 56 mascles sencers creuats sotmesos a un procés de reorganització setmanal. Els resultats obtinguts van mostrar una correlació positiva de les concentracions de pèl al llarg del temps. A més, es van observar diferències en funció de la regió mostrejada. Segons aquests resultats, el pèl és una matriu vàlida per detectar el cortisol en els porcs d'engreix. L'objectiu del segon estudi era analitzar l'ús del cortisol en pèl, la CgA en saliva i el factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNF-α) en sang com a possibles biomarcadors d'estrès crònic. Per aquest motiu es va sotmetre a 56 mascles sencers creuats a diferents tractaments usant enriquiment ambiental (EE) i un compost natural d'herbes (HC) amb l'objectiu de reduir l'estrès. Durant l'estudi, es van recollir mostres de pèl, saliva i sang a les 15, 20 i 24 setmanes de vida (T0, T1 i T2 respectivament). A T0, no es van observar diferències en cap indicador. En canvi, a T2, els porcs suplementats amb EE, HC o ambdós (EEHC) van presentar menors concentracions de CgA i cortisol en pèl en comparació amb el grup control (CG). A més, els valors de cortisol en pèl van correlacionar significativament amb els de CgA. Els resultats obtinguts suggereixen que la concentració de CgA i el cortisol en pèl poden ser bons biomarcadors d'estrès crònic en porcs d'engreix. Al tercer estudi, es van analitzar possibles diferències comportamentals i de rendiment relacionades amb l' EE i l' HC. Per aquest motiu, es van pesar i avaluar les lesions de la pell de tots els porcs abans de començar l'experiment (15 setmanes d'edat) i a les 18, 20, 22 i 24 setmanes. A més, es van realitzar observacions setmanals de cada corral, i es van portar a terme tres tests de novetat a les 16, 19 i 23 setmanes d'edat. Al final de l'experiment (setmana 24), els animals del grup control van presentar un menor pes que els animals sotmesos a EE o HC. A més, els criats amb EE van presentar més comportament exploratori i menys estereotípies i conductes redirigides. Per altra banda, els porcs suplementats amb HC van presentar menys interaccions socials i menys lesions. Els resultats obtinguts en aquest experiment suggereixen que tant EE com HC influeixen positivament sobre el creixement i el benestar dels porcs d'engreix. El quart estudi es va dur a terme amb els mateixos animals que l'estudi 2 i 3. En aquest cas es va avaluar la qualitat de la carn i la canal, així com l'acceptabilitat i la percepció dels consumidors respecte l' EE i HC. En general, no es van obtenir diferències de qualitat ni d'acceptabilitat per cap dels paràmetres analitzats. Per altra banda, l'aspecte més valorat pels consumidors va ser el sistema de producció, amb preferència per aquells sistemes enfocats a incrementar el benestar, seguit per el tipus d'alimentació, amb preferència pels sistemes suplementats amb herbes naturals d'efectes relaxants. Aquests resultats suggereixen que les millores de benestar a granja són un factor apreciat per un important segment dels consumidors. En resum, els resultats dels dos experiments suggereixen que el cortisol en pèl i la CgA en saliva poden esdevenir bons indicadors d'estrès crònic en porcs d'engreix.The main objective of this thesis is to identify and study the feasibility and reliability of hair cortisol and salivary Chromogranin A (CgA) as indicators of chronic stress in growing pigs. In this context, four studies were conducted encompassed in two different experiments. The first study aimed to determine the viability of hair as a matrix to detect cortisol in swine. For this purpose, hair samples from 56 crossbred entire males subjected to weekly remixing were analysed. The results showed a significant positive correlation of hair cortisol concentration over time. Furthermore, differences were observed in terms of the anatomical region sampled. According to these results, hair is a proper matrix to detect cortisol in growing pigs. The aim of the second study was to analyse the use of hair cortisol, salivary CgA and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in blood as potential biomarkers of chronic stress. For this reason 56 crossbreed entire males were subjected to different treatments using environmental enrichment (EE) and a compound of natural herbs (HC) aiming to stress reduction. The treatments were: a) pigs reared in EE b) pigs supplemented with HC, c) pigs reared in EE and supplemented with HC (EEHC) and d) control group (CG). During the study, we collected samples of hair, saliva and blood on 15, 20 and 24 weeks of age (T0, T1 and T2 respectively). At T0, no differences were observed in any indicator. However, at T2, salivary CgA and hair cortisol concentration were lower in EE, HC and EEHC compared to the CG. At T1, similar differences were observed, but only in salivary CgA concentration. In addition, the concentration of hair cortisol was significantly correlated with salivary CgA concentration. Results from this experiment suggest that salivary CgA and hair cortisol can be good biomarkers of chronic stress in growing pigs. In the third study, behaviour and performance changes were analysed in relation to EE and HC. For this reason, body weight and body lesions were recorded from all the pigs before starting the experiment (15 weeks old) and at 18, 20, 22 and 24 weeks. Moreover, weekly observations were performed from each pen, and three novel tests were carried out at 16, 19 and 23 weeks of age. At the end of the experiment (24 days), pigs from the control group showed a lower weight than pigs subjected to EE or HC. Furthermore, pigs reared with EE presented more exploratory behaviour and less stereotypies and redirected behaviour. On the other hand, pigs supplemented with HC presented less social interactions and less skin lesions. The results from this experiment suggest that both EE HC positively influence animal welfare and performance of growing pigs. The fourth study was carried out with the same animal used in study 2 and 3. The aim of this last study was to evaluate consumer's acceptability, and preference, and meat and carcass quality of pork regarding the EE and HC. In general, there was no significant difference in quality or acceptability of any of the parameters analysed. On the other hand, the most important factor considered by consumers was the production system, with preferences for those systems aiming to increase the welfare, followed by the feeding system, with preference for systems supplemented with natural herbs with relaxing properties. The present results suggest that improvements in animal welfare at farm level are appreciated by an important segment of consumers. In summary, results from both experiments suggest that cortisol measured in hair and CgA measured in saliva could be good chronic stress indicators in growing pigs

Use of high concentrations of carbon dioxide for stunning rabbits reared for meat production

Abstract: An investigation was performed to determine whether high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) at 70-98% in atmospheric air are a suitable alternative for stunning rabbits compared to conventional approaches such as electronarcosis. Aversion to the gas and efficacy in causing prolonged unconsciousness and death were studied in a total of 480 rabbits by means of behavioural parameters, physiological indicators (presence of rhythmic breathing and corneal reflex) and electroencephalography (EEG, brain function). The use of any of the 4 studied concentrations of the gas caused more nasal discomfort and vocalisations than the use of atmospheric air (P<0.001). EEG activity confirmed that loss of posture is a good indicator of the onset of unconsciousness in rabbits exposed to CO2, occurring earlier (P<0.05) at 90 and 98% than at 70 and 80%. Rabbits showed signs of aversion for 15 s before the onset of unconsciousness, which occurred around 30 s after the beginning of the exposure to the gas, similar to species such as swine in which high concentrations of CO2 are also used for stunning. CO2 at 80 to 98% is suggested as a reasonable concentration range to induce a long state of unconsciousness and death in rabbits, while 70% CO2 is not recommended because it requires too long duration of exposure (more than 360 s) to ensure effectiveness. Despite the advantages in terms of pre-stun handling and irreversibility, CO2 is not free of animal welfare concerns. In consequence, a debate is necessary to ascertain if CO2 can be considered a suitable alternative to stun rabbits, considering the advantages and drawbacks cited, quantified in the present study as 15 s of aversion (nasal discomfort and vocalisations) before losing posture