Lagoda Martyna E, O'Driscoll Keelin, Galli Maria C, Marchewka Joanna, Boyle Laura A
Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research & Innovation Centre, Teagasc Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland.
Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Animal Behaviour, ul. Postępu 36A, Jastrzębiec 05-552.
Anim Welf. 2023 Jul 26;32:e51. doi: 10.1017/awf.2023.47. eCollection 2023.
Commercial gestation housing systems for sows generally fail to cater fully for their needs in terms of comfort or the ability to perform highly motivated behaviours, which can lead to chronic stress and an impairment to welfare. We compared a typical gestation system (CONTROL) with an IMPROVED one as regards oral stereotypies, aggressive behaviour, skin lesions, locomotion, and tear staining. Sows were mixed into 12 stable groups (six groups per treatment, 20 sows per group), 29 days post-service in pens with free-access, full-length individual feeding/lying stalls. CONTROL pens had fully slatted concrete floors, with two blocks of wood and two chains suspended in the group area. IMPROVED pens were the same but with rubber mats and a length of manila rope in each feeding stall, and straw provided in three racks in the group area. Direct observations of oral stereotypical (30 instantaneous scans per sow per day) and aggressive (all-occurrence sampling, 3 h per sow per day) behaviours were conducted 72 h post-mixing, in mid and late gestation. Skin lesions were counted 24 h and three weeks post-mixing, and in late gestation. Sows' locomotion (locomotory ability) was scored using a visual analogue scale in mid and late gestation. Right and left eye tear staining was scored in late gestation. Indications of better welfare in IMPROVED sows included performance of fewer oral stereotypies in mid and late gestation, and lower tear stain scores. These sows performed more aggression in late gestation, which was associated with access to enrichment, but skin lesion counts were not affected. Thus, the changes made in the IMPROVED treatment benefitted aspects of sow welfare.
母猪的商业化妊娠期饲养系统通常无法在舒适度或表现高度动机性行为的能力方面充分满足它们的需求，这可能导致慢性应激和福利受损。我们比较了一种典型的妊娠期饲养系统（对照组）和一种改良型饲养系统在口腔刻板行为、攻击行为、皮肤损伤、运动能力和泪斑方面的差异。母猪在配种后29天被混合成12个稳定的组（每种处理6组，每组20头母猪），放置在有自由采食、全长个体饲养/躺卧栏的猪舍中。对照组猪舍的地面完全是漏缝的混凝土，在群体区域悬挂着两块木头和两条铁链。改良型猪舍与对照组相同，但每个饲养栏有橡胶垫和一段马尼拉绳，并且在群体区域的三个架子上提供了稻草。在混群后72小时、妊娠期中期和晚期，对口腔刻板行为（每天对每头母猪进行30次瞬间扫描）和攻击行为（全事件取样，每天对每头母猪进行3小时）进行直接观察。在混群后24小时、三周后以及妊娠期晚期对皮肤损伤进行计数。在妊娠期中期和晚期，使用视觉模拟量表对母猪的运动能力（运动能力）进行评分。在妊娠期晚期对右眼和左眼的泪斑进行评分。改良型母猪福利改善的迹象包括在妊娠期中期和晚期口腔刻板行为减少，以及泪斑评分较低。这些母猪在妊娠期晚期表现出更多的攻击行为，这与丰富环境的提供有关，但皮肤损伤计数没有受到影响。因此，改良型处理所做的改变对母猪福利的多个方面有益。
