Short-term choice of fattening pigs for additional plant-based materials

Kauselmann K, Krause T, Glitz B, Gallmann E, Schrade H, Schrader L. Short-term choice of fattening pigs for additional plant-based materials. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2020: 104975

Effect of plant-based enrichment materials on exploration in rearing and fattening pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Kauselmann K, Krause T, Glitz B, Gallmann E, Schrade H, Schrader L. Effect of plant-based enrichment materials on exploration in rearing and fattening pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2021;236: 105261.When pigs cannot perform innate species-specific behaviours (e.g. rooting or chewing), behavioural disorders, like tail biting, can occur. However, it seems that various enrichment materials enhance the pigs to perform exploration behaviour and therefore can help to reduce and prevent tail biting. The aim of this study was to identify such highly explored plant-based enrichment material for undocked pigs during rearing and fattening. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of the offered enrichment materials on tail length and injuries. Therefore, we continuously recorded the individuals’ exploration durations in 20 groups by using an ultra-high-frequency radio-frequency identification system, installed at material dispensers. Lucerne pellets (LP), straw pellets (SP), chopped hay (CH) and chopped straw (CS) were offered in a systematically alternating order for two-week sections, respectively. At weaning and at days of material change (i.e. eight times in total), animals were weighed and scored for tail length losses and tail injuries. For analysis, the changes in tail length compared to the previous section were calculated as Δ-tail-length losses. Our study revealed that the different offered plant-based enrichment materials affected the duration of exploration behaviour (e.g. rooting, nosing or chewing) during rearing (4 groups, LME, p < 0.0001) and fattening (16 groups, LME, p < 0.0001). In piglets, exploration duration was higher for pelletized materials (LP, SP) than for chopped materials. Fattening pigs explored materials of hay (CH) more often compared to straw-based materials (CS, SP). Daily weight gains of rearing pigs were affected by the type of enrichment material offered in the respective section (LME, p < 0.0001). The highest daily weight gains were achieved when CH was offered. Exploration duration during rearing and fattening was affected by section (LME, both p < 0.0001 for rearing and fattening). Exploration duration during rearing was highest in section 4 and continuously increased from the first section to the last section during fattening. During rearing, the plant-based enrichment materials affected tail injuries (GLMM, p < 0.0001) and Δ-tail-length losses tended to be affected (GLMM, p = 0.057). Fewest tail injuries and Δ-tail-length losses occurred when SP was offered. During fattening, section affected tail injuries (GLMM, p = 0.01). Most injuries occurred during sections 1 and 2. Our results show that pigs of different ages seem to prefer different plant-based enrichment materials. High exploration durations do not necessarily maintain intact tails if material is changed biweekly. However, exploration durations can be maintained at high levels from rearing through fattening period by regularly alternating the provided plant-based enrichment materials

Tasty straw pellets – Exploration of flavoured rooting material by pigs

Kauselmann K, Schrader L, Glitz B, Gallmann E, Schrade H, Krause T. Tasty straw pellets – Exploration of flavoured rooting material by pigs. Animal. 2021;15(6): 100239.Tail biting is a common problem in pigs kept in conventional fully slatted pens. Suitable enrichment materials can help to prevent the occurrence of this behavioural disorder by encouraging pigs to increase exploration behaviour. We investigated whether additional flavours can increase exploration behaviour in undocked pigs. Therefore, we offered straw pellets flavoured with either fried onion (FO), strawberry (SB), ginger, almond (AL), vanilla or without flavour (control) during rearing (eight groups in total) and fattening (16 groups in total). Flavoured pellets were offered in an altering order during intervals of 1 week in material dispensers. Exploration duration at the material dispensers was continuously recorded via an ultra-high-frequency radio-frequency identification system. Pigs were weighed weekly and their tail lengths and tail injuries were scored in four categories. For analysis, changes in tail length scores compared to the previous week were calculated as Δ-tail length. The different flavours affected pigs’ exploration durations in both rearing (factor flavour, P < 0.0001) and fattening (factor flavour, P < 0.0001). Highest exploration durations during rearing were recorded when straw pellets were flavoured with FO and AL compared to all others. During fattening, exploration duration was highest towards controls without significant difference to SB. Exploration durations additionally were affected by temporal effects, i.e. week and day during rearing (both factors: P < 0.0001) and fattening (both factors: P < 0.0001). During rearing, highest exploration durations were recorded in the first week and on the first day within week after changing the flavour of the straw pellets. During fattening, exploration durations varied between weeks and within weeks. The highest durations were recorded at the end of weeks, i.e. on the fifth and seventh days after material change. During rearing, tail injuries were affected by week (P < 0.0001). From the fourth week of rearing, the prevalence of tail injuries significantly increased. During the fattening period, tail injuries were affected by flavour (P < 0.05). Fattening pigs had fewest tail injuries after straw pellets flavoured with AL were offered. Altogether, based on the exploration durations, rearing pigs showed different preferences for the flavoured straw pellets but highly explored flavours differed between rearing and fattening pigs. Despite a weekly change of the flavour of straw pellets, exploration durations decreased during rearing but increased again in the transition between rearing and fattening. Thus, straw pellets with alternating flavours are a suitable possibility to provide environmental enrichment to pigs but will not prevent tail biting

Influence of Increased Light Intensity on the Acceptance of a Solid Lying Area and a Slatted Elimination Area in Fattening Pigs

Animal welfare labels have been introduced to improve housing conditions in conventional pig systems. Animal welfare should be increased by, e.g. offering a well-accepted and comfortable solid lying area. This study investigates the effect of bright light from an LED spotlight in the slatted area on lying and elimination behavior of fattening pigs. It was tested for two pen designs different in feeder and arrangement of the slatted area with 18 pigs per pen. The study took place in two different compartments (spatial repetition) with two pens of each pen design. The light intensity in the slatted area was increased by two spotlights within one pen of each design as case-control approach. A total of 648 fattening pigs were tested over four and five fattening periods respectively. The lying behavior was assessed by video scan sampling at three different weekdays at three times (morning, noon, evening) on each observation day. On average, the lying area was used by 60&ndash;63% of the pigs in the control pens and 67&ndash;69% in the spotlight pens. Additionally, a tendential effect of the deviation of the room temperature from the set temperature existed. The fouling of the animals and pen was not affected by the light intensity

Swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome is influenced by husbandry and quality of sow in suckling piglets, weaners and fattening pigs

Background!#!Swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) is a newly identified syndrome in swine that can affect different parts of the extremities in suckling piglets. This study investigates the hypotheses that the clinical signs of SINS have histological equivalents, that SINS can also be observed in weaners and fatteners, that improving sow quality and husbandry (here the supply of water and fibre) can reduce the signs, and that coprostasis in sows is significantly associated with SINS in their offspring. From a cohort of 123 hybrid sows, the twenty sows exhibiting the best conditions and the twenty exhibiting the worst conditions were selected based on detailed scores from coronary bands, soles, heels, claws and teats. Half of the sows in each group, along with their offspring, were kept under conventional conditions, while the environment for the remaining sows in each group was improved with drinking bowls, water disinfection and additional feeding with hay and straw. In total, 115 suckling piglets, 113 weaners and 103 fatteners were scored for the degree of inflammation and necrosis of their tails, ears, teats, coronary bands, soles, heels and claws.!##!Results!#!The clinical signs of SINS are associated with inflammatory signs at the histological level. SINS scores in suckling piglets, weaners and fatteners derived from low-quality sows under standard husbandry conditions were high, but they decreased significantly when husbandry was improved (water consumption and additional fibre). Sow quality had significant effects on suckling piglets and weaners under standard husbandry conditions. Coprostasis in sows led to significantly higher SINS scores in their offspring at any age. Improved husbandry conditions were associated with a reduced prevalence of coprostasis (R!##!Conclusion!#!The present study shows that SINS is not limited to suckling piglets but can also be found in weaners and fatteners. Coprostasis in sows is significantly correlated with SINS in their offspring and adds a good prognostic tool. Water supply and fibre could play a crucial role in combatting the syndrome