Tail Biting in Pigs
Tail biting in pigs specifically is considered an abnormal behavior where a pig uses their teeth to bite, chew or orally manipulate another pigs's tail.[1] The term "Tail biting" in pigs has been used to describe a range in severity from light manipulation of the tail to physically harming the tail, causing infection, amputation or even harming areas surrounding the tail. Tail biting typically occurs under the following conditions: Indoor facility with a high density of pigs housed in a confined area (like a pen); Lack of a substrate material; Poor ventilation system, or poor feed quality and accessibility. [2]
There are three types of tail biting: two-stage, sudden forceful, and obsessive. The type of tail biting is based on the behaviors of each the biter and victim, physical consequences of the bite, and conditions under which the biting happens. [2] A common cause of tail biting is due to pigs feeling stressed or discomfort and are looking for something to divert their attention. [3] Some other causes of tail biting involve possible breed predilections, gender, feed source, substrate materials, gastrointestinal discomfort, and general health of the pig(s). [2] It usually starts out as the pig being curious to investigate it's surroundings and begins with harmless nibbling. The nibbling then turns into biting- if blood is drawn from the bite this can cause the pig to bite even more due to their natural appetite for blood. [4]
Tail biting causes major financial and animal welfare issues within the commercial swine industries due to reduced weight gain, treatments, culling, and carcass condemnation. Studies have been done for farmers to identify the risk factors causing tail biting and to implement and experiment ways to reduce and prevent it. The studies ultimately yielded variable results due to the many factors of tail biting and the fact general recommendations are not appropriate for all farms. [5]
Notes
- ^ Schroder-Petersen, DL; Simonsen, HB. "Tail biting in pigs". PubMed.gov: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Harcourt Publishers Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Nina R.; Main, David C.J.; Mendl, Mike; Edwards, Sandra A. "Tail-biting: A new perspective". ScienceDirect. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ van den Berg, J. "Tail-biting in pigs: Causes, effects, and prevention". PubMed.gov: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. PubMed. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
- ^ Bassert, Joanna M.; McCurnin, Dennis M. (2010). McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians (Seventh ed.). Penny Rudolph. p. 756. ISBN 978-1-4160-5700-0.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Taylor, Nina R.; Parker, Richard M.A.; Mendl, Michael; Edwards, Sandra A.; Main, David C. J. "Prevalence of risk factors for tail biting on commercial farms and intervention strategies". ScienceDirect. Elsevier. Retrieved 29 February 2016.