Elmore Monica Renee Pittman, Garner Joseph Paul, Johnson Anna Kerr, Kirkden Richard D, Richert Brian Thomas, Pajor Edmond Anthony
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, USA.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2012;15(3):254-71. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2012.683982.
This study assessed the motivation of gestating sows housed in standard, barren gestation stalls (used for breeding/implantation and/or gestation) for access to environmental enrichment. Enrichment consisted of a cotton rope or rubber mat in comparison to positive (additional food when fed at commercial levels) and negative (empty trough) controls. Although environmental enrichment may improve animal welfare, sows' valuation of enrichments is largely unknown. This study used an operant panel and obtained behavioral measures to quantify motivation. As indicated by a higher price paid and lower latencies to press the panel and enter the treatment stall (all comparisons, p < .05), sows demonstrated higher motivation for food compared with all treatments. Sows housed in gestation stalls did not demonstrate high motivation via operant responding for a cotton rope or a rubber mat; nor did they demonstrate any differences in behavioral measures (all comparisons, p > .10). Although sows' motivation for a mat did not differ from that for an empty trough, previous work has demonstrated the welfare benefits associated with comfort flooring.
本研究评估了饲养在标准、贫瘠的妊娠限位栏（用于配种/着床和/或妊娠）中的妊娠母猪获取环境富集物的动机。富集物包括一根棉绳或一块橡胶垫，与之相比的是阳性对照（按商业水平喂食时额外添加食物）和阴性对照（空食槽）。尽管环境富集可能改善动物福利，但母猪对富集物的重视程度在很大程度上尚不明确。本研究使用了一个操作面板，并获得行为指标以量化动机。与所有处理相比，母猪为获取食物支付的代价更高，按压面板和进入处理栏的延迟时间更短（所有比较，p < 0.05），这表明母猪对食物的动机更高。饲养在妊娠限位栏中的母猪通过对棉绳或橡胶垫的操作反应并未表现出高动机；它们在行为指标上也未表现出任何差异（所有比较，p > 0.10）。尽管母猪对垫子的动机与对空食槽的动机没有差异，但先前的研究已经证明了舒适地板带来的福利益处。
