Hartnett Phoebe, Boyle Laura A, O'Driscoll Keelin
Teagasc Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Transl Anim Sci. 2020 Jan 8;4(2):txaa002. doi: 10.1093/tas/txaa002. eCollection 2020 Apr.
Sow longevity supported by good health and reproductive performance is necessary to optimize sow lifetime performance. In some countries, replacement gilts are reared with finisher pigs destined for slaughter, so they are exposed to sexual and aggressive behaviors performed by males. This is associated with stress and injury. Moreover, diets formulated for finishers are not designed to meet the needs of replacement gilts and may not supply the necessary minerals to promote limb health, optimal reproduction, and, thus, sow longevity. In this 2 × 2 factorial design experiment with 384 animals (32 pens [12 animals per pen]), we investigated the effect of female-only (FEM) or mixed-sex (MIX) rearing, with (SUPP) or without (CON) supplementary minerals (copper, zinc, and manganese) on locomotion, salivary cortisol levels, behavior, body lesions (BL), and hoof health of gilts. The experimental period began at transfer to the finisher stage (day 81.3 ± 0.5 of age; day 0) until breeding age (day 196 ± 0.5 of age; day 115). Locomotion was scored (0-5) biweekly from day 0 until slaughter day 67 or breeding age day 115 for the remaining gilts. Saliva samples were taken monthly from four focal gilts per pen. All counts of aggressive, harmful, sexual, and play behavior were recorded by direct observation 1 d biweekly (5- × 5-min observations/pen/d). BL scores were recorded on focal pigs biweekly from day 1 until day 99 on the back, neck, shoulder, flank, and hind quarter on each side of the body. Hind hooves were scored for eight disorders (heel erosion [HE], heel sole separation [HSS], and white line separation [WLS], dew claw length and dew claw cracks, toe length and both vertical and horizontal toe cracks) by severity, and a total hoof lesion score was calculated by summing individual scores. General linear mixed models were used to analyze cortisol, behavior, BL, and total hoof scores. Generalized linear mixed models were used for locomotion, bursitis and individual hoof disorders. There was less aggression ( < 0.05) and sexual behavior in the FEM compared to the MIX groups with more play behavior in MIX compared to FEM groups ( < 0.01). Gilts in the MIX groups had higher BL scores than gilts in the FEM groups ( < 0.001). Total hoof scores were higher in MIX (8.01 ± 0.15) than FEM (7.70 ± 0.12; < 0.02) gilts. CON diet gilts had higher HE scores than SUPP gilts ( < 0.05). HSS ( < 0.05) and WLS ( < 0.05) scores were higher in MIX than FEM gilts. Rearing gilts in FEM groups had benefits for hoof health likely mediated through lower levels of activity due to male absence, and minerals helped reduce HE.
拥有健康和繁殖性能支持的母猪长寿对于优化母猪一生的性能至关重要。在一些国家，后备母猪与育肥猪一起饲养，这些育肥猪最终会被屠宰，因此后备母猪会接触到雄性猪的性行为和攻击行为。这会导致应激和受伤。此外，为育肥猪配制的日粮并非为满足后备母猪的需求而设计，可能无法提供促进肢体健康、最佳繁殖以及母猪长寿所需的矿物质。在这个有384头动物（32个栏位，每个栏位12头动物）的2×2析因设计实验中，我们研究了单性别（FEM）或混性别（MIX）饲养，以及添加（SUPP）或不添加（CON）矿物质（铜、锌和锰）对后备母猪运动能力、唾液皮质醇水平、行为、身体损伤（BL）和蹄部健康的影响。实验期从转入育肥阶段开始（年龄81.3±0.5天；第0天），直至配种年龄（年龄196±0.5天；第115天）。从第0天到屠宰日第67天或剩余后备母猪的配种年龄第115天，每两周对运动能力进行评分（0 - 5分）。每月从每个栏位的4头重点后备母猪采集唾液样本。通过直接观察，每两周1天（每个栏位每天进行5次5分钟观察）记录所有攻击、有害、性和玩耍行为的次数。从第1天到第99天，每两周对重点猪的身体背部、颈部、肩部、侧腹和后躯两侧记录BL评分。对后蹄的8种病症（蹄跟糜烂[HE]、蹄跟底部分离[HSS]和白线分离[WLS]、副爪长度和副爪裂缝、蹄尖长度以及垂直和水平蹄尖裂缝）按严重程度进行评分，并通过将各个评分相加计算总蹄部损伤评分。使用广义线性混合模型分析皮质醇、行为、BL和总蹄部评分。使用广义线性混合模型分析运动能力、滑囊炎和个体蹄部病症。与MIX组相比，FEM组的攻击行为（<0.05）和性行为较少，与FEM组相比，MIX组的玩耍行为较多（<0.01）。MIX组的后备母猪BL评分高于FEM组的后备母猪（<0.001）。MIX组（8.01±0.15）的总蹄部评分高于FEM组（7.70±0.12；<0.02）的后备母猪。CON日粮组的后备母猪HE评分高于SUPP日粮组的后备母猪（<0.05）。MIX组的HSS（<0.05）和WLS（<0.05）评分高于FEM组的后备母猪。在FEM组饲养后备母猪对蹄部健康有益，这可能是由于没有雄性猪导致活动水平较低所介导的，并且矿物质有助于减少HE。
