Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Prev Vet Med. 2020 Nov;184:105160. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105160. Epub 2020 Sep 25.
Tail biting is an abnormal behaviour in pigs, and remains an economic and welfare problem in modern pig production. Reasons for performing tail-biting behaviour are of multifactorial origin, and are often related to the current environment or internal characteristics of pigs. The objective of the present study was to identify early life risk factors connected to tail damage in non-docked pigs in a commercial Danish piggery, and to further compare the effects of cumulative cross-life experience throughout the early rearing. In an observational study, 741 piglets from 51 sows born in six batches were individually marked at birth and followed until nine weeks of age. Litter related variables and individual piglet characteristics were collected during lactation. The pigs' performance parameters were recorded from birth to nine weeks of age. The association between putative risk factors and tail damage assessed at different stages during lactation and rearing was analysed using multinomial mixed regression models. Prior to weaning, the odds of having tail damage were higher for piglets originating from litters with a high birth weight variation (P = 0.012) and for piglets that were heavier at weaning (P < 0.001). Piglets born to an aggressive sow had 2.7-fold increased odds of having tail damage (P = 0.003), while piglets of sows treated after farrowing had a lower odds (P = 0.015). Post-weaning, the most significant risk factor(s) associated with tail damage was the previous tail status of the pigs. Pigs with bite marks/ scratches in previous assessments had an on average 4-fold and pigs with a tail wound 11-fold increased odds of having tail damage during subsequent assessments. Similarly, pigs with a tail wound pre-weaning had 7-times higher odds of having tail damage at the end of rearing (P = 0.033). Pigs in groups with a higher weight variation (P = 0.030) and pigs with a greater weight gain (P < 0.001) had higher odds of having tail damage at the end of rearing. There was an increased chance of having tail damage post-weaning for piglets that were cross-fostered (P = 0.032) or that had a clinical impairment (P = 0.047) during lactation. Females generally had a lower chance of having tail damage compared to castrated males. Early life risk factors were especially associated with tail damage in pigs pre-weaning. However, the results of this study suggest that early life risk factors are secondary to the previous tail status of pigs as risk factors for later tail damage.
咬尾是猪的一种异常行为，在现代养猪生产中仍然是一个经济和福利问题。咬尾行为的原因是多因素的，通常与猪当前的环境或内部特征有关。本研究的目的是确定商业丹麦养猪场中非去势猪咬尾损伤的早期生活风险因素，并进一步比较整个早期饲养过程中累积的交叉生活经验的影响。在一项观察性研究中，对 6 批出生的 51 头母猪的 741 头仔猪进行个体标记，并跟踪至 9 周龄。在哺乳期收集了与窝相关的变量和个体仔猪特征。从出生到 9 周龄记录了猪的性能参数。使用多项混合回归模型分析了在哺乳期和饲养期不同阶段与潜在风险因素相关的咬尾损伤的关联。在断奶前，来自具有较高初生重变异的窝的仔猪（P=0.012）和断奶时较重的仔猪（P<0.001）发生咬尾损伤的几率更高。来自攻击性母猪的仔猪发生咬尾损伤的几率增加了 2.7 倍（P=0.003），而分娩后接受治疗的母猪的仔猪发生咬尾损伤的几率降低了（P=0.015）。断奶后，与咬尾损伤最相关的风险因素是猪以前的尾巴状况。以前评估中带有咬痕/划痕的猪发生咬尾损伤的几率平均增加了 4 倍，而以前有尾巴伤口的猪发生咬尾损伤的几率增加了 11 倍。同样，断奶前有尾巴伤口的猪在饲养结束时发生尾巴损伤的几率增加了 7 倍（P=0.033）。体重变化较大的组（P=0.030）和体重增加较大的猪（P<0.001）在饲养结束时发生咬尾损伤的几率较高。在哺乳期被寄养（P=0.032）或有临床损伤的仔猪（P=0.047）在断奶后发生咬尾损伤的几率增加。与去势公猪相比，母猪发生咬尾损伤的几率较低。早期生活风险因素与仔猪断奶前的咬尾损伤尤其相关。然而，本研究的结果表明，早期生活风险因素是继发于猪以前的尾巴状况，是以后发生尾巴损伤的风险因素。
