Plush Kate, Lines David, Staveley Lauren, D'Souza Darryl, van Barneveld Robert
SunPork Group, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Front Vet Sci. 2024 Aug 12;11:1339947. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1339947. eCollection 2024.
The Maternity Ring was developed as a free farrowing alternative to crates that preserved space whilst providing the sow with unrestricted movement. This experiment aimed to apply the Five Domains model to assess sow welfare in the Maternity Ring in comparison with the farrowing crate. Eighty-eight sows were housed in a farrowing crate (FC) and 83 in a Maternity Ring (MR), and measures collected focussed on nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, and mental state outcomes. MR sows consumed less feed than FC sows (total feed intake: 93.8 ± 3.06 kg vs. 111.2 ± 3.13 kg; < 0.001) but had reduced P2 backfat loss during lactation (0.0 ± 0.11 vs. 1.2 ± 0.11, < 0.001). Fewer frustrated and pain-related behaviours during farrowing were observed in MR sows (bar biting: FC 3.3 ± 2.12 vs. MR 0.5 ± 0.29 events, = 0.038, and back leg forward: FC 227 ± 50.7 vs. MR 127 ± 26.4 events, = 0.019), and a decreased proportion of MR sows had facial injuries after farrowing (10% CI [5, 20] vs. 67% CI [47, 95], < 0.001). More FC sows had udder damage at weaning (70% CI [48, 97] vs. 10% CI [6, 24], < 0.001), and their piglets were medicated more frequently when compared to those in MR (51% CI [40, 61] vs. 30% [21, 41], = 0.008). MR sows tended to have a higher reaction score to piglet processing (MR 2.0 ± 0.38 vs. FC 1.2 ± 0.27, = 0.094) and had more contact with piglets once the procedure was complete than FC sows (13.5 ± 2.55 vs. 6.9 ± 1.26 events, respectively, = 0.016). Whilst there was no difference in anticipation of a feeding event ( > 0.05), MR sows displayed a reduced startle response to an aversive noise stimulus at day 18 (FC 2.8 ± 0.35, MR 0.7 ± 0.16, < 0.001). Using the Five Domains framework, sows housed in the MR during farrowing and lactation have improved welfare than those in FC and can be thought of as being in a positive affective state.
母性圈舍是作为一种替代产仔限位栏的自由分娩方式而开发的，它在节省空间的同时，能让母猪自由活动。本实验旨在应用五域模型，评估母性圈舍与产仔限位栏相比，对母猪福利的影响。88头母猪饲养在产仔限位栏（FC）中，83头母猪饲养在母性圈舍（MR）中，收集的指标集中在营养、环境、健康、行为和精神状态方面。MR组母猪的采食量低于FC组母猪（总采食量：93.8±3.06千克对111.2±3.13千克；<0.001），但在哺乳期P2背膘损失减少（0.0±0.11对1.2±0.11，<0.001）。在分娩期间，观察到MR组母猪出现的受挫和疼痛相关行为较少（咬栏：FC组3.3±2.12次对MR组0.5±0.29次，P = 0.038；后腿向前伸：FC组227±50.7次对MR组127±26.4次，P = 0.019），并且分娩后MR组母猪面部受伤的比例较低（10%置信区间[5, 20]对67%置信区间[47, 95]，<0.001）。断奶时，FC组母猪乳房损伤更多（70%置信区间[48, 97]对10%置信区间[6, 24]，<0.001），与MR组相比，其仔猪用药频率更高（51%置信区间[40, 61]对30%[21, 41]，P = 0.008）。MR组母猪对仔猪处理的反应评分往往更高（MR组2.0±0.38对FC组1.2±0.27，P = 0.094），并且在操作完成后与仔猪的接触比FC组母猪更多（分别为13.5±*2.55次对6.9±1.26次，P = 0.016）。虽然在预期喂食事件方面没有差异（P>0.05），但在第18天，MR组母猪对厌恶噪声刺激的惊吓反应降低（FC组2.8±0.35，MR组0.7±0.16，<0.001）。使用五域框架评估，分娩和哺乳期饲养在MR中的母猪比饲养在FC中的母猪福利更好，可以认为处于积极的情感状态。
