McGlone John, Sapkota Avi
Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2014 Sep 11;4(3):535-45. doi: 10.3390/ani4030535.
Transport is an inevitable process in the modern U.S. swine industry. The loading process is a novel and potentially stressful experience. This study uses behavior, heart rate and leukocyte counts to compare stress one hour before, during and after loading via ramp or elevator. Piglets were held in a home pen (control (CON)), walked up and down an aisle (handled (HAN)), or walked to a truck and loaded via elevator (ELE) or ramp (RAM). Sitting, feeding and blood parameters did not show a significant treatment by time effect (p > 0.05). Standing behavior did not differ between CON and HAN piglets nor between RAM and ELE piglets (p > 0.05); however, CON and HAN piglets stood more than RAM and ELE piglets during treatment (p < 0.05). After treatment, drinking behavior was increased in RAM piglets (p < 0.05). The heart rate of ELE piglets decreased 6.3% after treatment; whereas the heart rate of RAM piglets remained elevated 2.4% (p < 0.05). In terms of heart rate, loading by elevator appears to be less stressful than loading by ramp.
在美国现代养猪业中,运输是一个不可避免的过程。装车过程是一种全新且可能带来压力的经历。本研究通过行为、心率和白细胞计数来比较经斜坡或电梯装车前、装车期间及装车后一小时的应激情况。仔猪被关在圈舍(对照组(CON)),在过道上来回走动(处理组(HAN)),或者走到卡车旁并通过电梯(ELE)或斜坡(RAM)装车。静卧、采食及血液参数未显示出显著的处理×时间效应(p>0.05)。对照组和处理组仔猪的站立行为无差异,经斜坡装车和经电梯装车的仔猪之间也无差异(p>0.05);然而,在处理期间,对照组和处理组仔猪比经斜坡装车和经电梯装车的仔猪站立时间更长(p<0.05)。处理后,经斜坡装车的仔猪饮水行为增加(p<0.05)。经电梯装车的仔猪处理后心率下降了6.3%;而经斜坡装车的仔猪心率仍升高2.4%(p<0.05)。就心率而言,经电梯装车似乎比经斜坡装车的应激性更小。