Farrowing crates continue to be the most common system of housing farrowing and lactating sows, h... more Farrowing crates continue to be the most common system of housing farrowing and lactating sows, however continuous confinement is one of the most contentious welfare issues in livestock production. This review aims to critically evaluate the scientific literature on the implications of two important determinants of sow and piglet welfare: housing and human contact. While the evidence in sows is contradictory, there is consistent evidence of a greater short-term cortisol response in gilts introduced to farrowing crates than pens and there is limited evidence of changes in the HPA axis consistent with sustained stress in gilts during the fourth week of lactation. Confinement of sows during lactation increases stereotypic behaviour, reduces sow-piglet interactions, nursing duration and lying behaviour, and may contribute to leg and shoulder injuries in sows. Piglets reared by sows in pens display more play and less oral manipulative behaviours and generally have better growth rates tha...
1. The behavioural and physiological responses of 128 laying hens from two tiers of a battery to ... more 1. The behavioural and physiological responses of 128 laying hens from two tiers of a battery to a number of stimuli were compared. 2. Birds from the top tier showed greater avoidance of an approaching human and a novel object. No differences were found in a tonic immobility test. 3. Birds from the top tier showed a greater corticosteroid response to handling/blood sampling but there were no differences in plasma glucose or free fatty acid concentrations. 4. The findings are discussed in relation to other studies that ascribe similar behavioural responses to "general" fearfulness. However, it is argued that an equally valid interpretation of the data is a stimulus-specific fear response to humans.
This book will serve the long standing need of the students, teachers, research workers and other... more This book will serve the long standing need of the students, teachers, research workers and other stake holders. The book will be helpful to the students and researchers in developing basic understanding of Animal Welfare sciences.
Human-livestock interactions: The stockperson and the productivity and welfare of intensively farmed animals
The opportunities to improve the stockpersons' attitudes toward livestock and improve their a... more The opportunities to improve the stockpersons' attitudes toward livestock and improve their attitudes and job motivation to subsequwntly improve human-animal interactions, animal perormance and welfare are described.
La perception des methodes d'elevage et de production laitiere par le public au niveau des ex... more La perception des methodes d'elevage et de production laitiere par le public au niveau des exploitations australiennes est presente ici.
Achieving sustainable production of pig meat Volume 3, 2018
Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of th... more Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of their lives, and it is widely accepted that there is a duty to exercise this control humanely. This chapter begins by reviewing three conceptual frameworks which can be used to consider and assess animal welfare, and discusses the development of public opinion on the subject. It then concentrates on common welfare concerns raised by pig production practices, including those related to housing, stereotypies, injuries and surgical husbandry procedures. The chapter concludes by considering opportunities to safeguard pig welfare.
SUMMARYThree groups of six young male pigs (boars) were reared from 20 days to 7 mo of age under ... more SUMMARYThree groups of six young male pigs (boars) were reared from 20 days to 7 mo of age under one of the following social conditions: a mixed sex group; an all-male group; or social restriction, without physical and visual contact with other pigs. The sexual behaviour of the boars was studied from 7 to 13 mo of age. The total number of copulations and the sum of all the courting behaviour activities were significantly greater (P<0·01) for the boars reared in the all-male and the mixed sex groups than for those reared in social restriction. Growth rate to 30 weeks of age, testicle size and semen quality were not affected by rearing treatment.
Abstract This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in a multi-litter lactation ... more Abstract This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in a multi-litter lactation system on piglet aggression at weaning. The following four pre-weaning treatments were applied to 72 sows and their litters (n = 642 piglets); (1) Farrowing crate (‘FC’ − n = 24 sows), (2) PigSAFE pens, in which sows and piglets are loose housed, (‘PS’ − n = 24 sows), (3) Farrowing crate and group lactation (‘GL FC ’ − n = 12 sows), and (4) PigSAFE and group lactation (‘GL PS ’ − n = 12 sows). FC and PS piglets remained in treatment from birth (day 0) until weaning (day 27). GL FC and GL PS piglets were housed in FC and PS, respectively, from day 0 to 14 after which they were transferred (with their dams) to group lactation pens (n = 6 sows and litters/pen), where they remained until weaning. Piglet weights were recorded at day 13 and 26. At weaning piglets were mixed into pens of four litters from FC, PS, or GL (2 GL FC litters and 2 GL PS litters) treatments and behaviour was continuously recorded for 2 h. Aggression (reciprocal and non-reciprocal aggression of duration FC and GL PS piglets had a lower growth rate than FC and PS piglets from day 13 to 26 (P
Human-livestock interactions: The stockperson and the productivity and welfare of intensively farmed animals, 2011
The principles underlying stockperson attitude and behavioural change and the results of research... more The principles underlying stockperson attitude and behavioural change and the results of research on the effects of behaviour modification/change on livestock production and welfare are presented.
ABSTRACTTwo studies were conducted at commercial farms on a total of 1117 sows to investigate the... more ABSTRACTTwo studies were conducted at commercial farms on a total of 1117 sows to investigate the role of social environment on the weaning to mating interval of the sow. In one of the two studies, group housing and intense boar stimulation, achieved by daily introduction to a boar, were associated with significant reductions in the weaning to mating interval of the sow (P<0·05 and P<0·01, respectively): these two factors together produced increases of 0·18 and 0·22 in the proportion of sows mated within 10 and 28 days of weaning, respectively. In addition, parity and temperature during the week of weaning were significantly associated with the weaning to mating interval in both studies (P< 0·005 and P<005, respectively). It is concluded that the post-weaning social environment will influence the onset of oestrus in the sow.
The effect of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on the sperm output of six boars was investigated in two ... more The effect of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on the sperm output of six boars was investigated in two studies. Although PGF2α did not significantly affect sperm numbers in the ejaculate, a significantly longer (P < 0.05) ejaculation of the sperm rich fraction occurred following injection of PGF2α. In the second study it was found that PGF2α produced a 49% increase (P < 0.05) in the number of sperm in the sperm rich fraction of the ejaculate. The implications of these results on artificial breeding are discussed.
Farrowing crates continue to be the most common system of housing farrowing and lactating sows, h... more Farrowing crates continue to be the most common system of housing farrowing and lactating sows, however continuous confinement is one of the most contentious welfare issues in livestock production. This review aims to critically evaluate the scientific literature on the implications of two important determinants of sow and piglet welfare: housing and human contact. While the evidence in sows is contradictory, there is consistent evidence of a greater short-term cortisol response in gilts introduced to farrowing crates than pens and there is limited evidence of changes in the HPA axis consistent with sustained stress in gilts during the fourth week of lactation. Confinement of sows during lactation increases stereotypic behaviour, reduces sow-piglet interactions, nursing duration and lying behaviour, and may contribute to leg and shoulder injuries in sows. Piglets reared by sows in pens display more play and less oral manipulative behaviours and generally have better growth rates tha...
1. The behavioural and physiological responses of 128 laying hens from two tiers of a battery to ... more 1. The behavioural and physiological responses of 128 laying hens from two tiers of a battery to a number of stimuli were compared. 2. Birds from the top tier showed greater avoidance of an approaching human and a novel object. No differences were found in a tonic immobility test. 3. Birds from the top tier showed a greater corticosteroid response to handling/blood sampling but there were no differences in plasma glucose or free fatty acid concentrations. 4. The findings are discussed in relation to other studies that ascribe similar behavioural responses to &quot;general&quot; fearfulness. However, it is argued that an equally valid interpretation of the data is a stimulus-specific fear response to humans.
This book will serve the long standing need of the students, teachers, research workers and other... more This book will serve the long standing need of the students, teachers, research workers and other stake holders. The book will be helpful to the students and researchers in developing basic understanding of Animal Welfare sciences.
Human-livestock interactions: The stockperson and the productivity and welfare of intensively farmed animals
The opportunities to improve the stockpersons' attitudes toward livestock and improve their a... more The opportunities to improve the stockpersons' attitudes toward livestock and improve their attitudes and job motivation to subsequwntly improve human-animal interactions, animal perormance and welfare are described.
La perception des methodes d'elevage et de production laitiere par le public au niveau des ex... more La perception des methodes d'elevage et de production laitiere par le public au niveau des exploitations australiennes est presente ici.
Achieving sustainable production of pig meat Volume 3, 2018
Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of th... more Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of their lives, and it is widely accepted that there is a duty to exercise this control humanely. This chapter begins by reviewing three conceptual frameworks which can be used to consider and assess animal welfare, and discusses the development of public opinion on the subject. It then concentrates on common welfare concerns raised by pig production practices, including those related to housing, stereotypies, injuries and surgical husbandry procedures. The chapter concludes by considering opportunities to safeguard pig welfare.
SUMMARYThree groups of six young male pigs (boars) were reared from 20 days to 7 mo of age under ... more SUMMARYThree groups of six young male pigs (boars) were reared from 20 days to 7 mo of age under one of the following social conditions: a mixed sex group; an all-male group; or social restriction, without physical and visual contact with other pigs. The sexual behaviour of the boars was studied from 7 to 13 mo of age. The total number of copulations and the sum of all the courting behaviour activities were significantly greater (P<0·01) for the boars reared in the all-male and the mixed sex groups than for those reared in social restriction. Growth rate to 30 weeks of age, testicle size and semen quality were not affected by rearing treatment.
Abstract This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in a multi-litter lactation ... more Abstract This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in a multi-litter lactation system on piglet aggression at weaning. The following four pre-weaning treatments were applied to 72 sows and their litters (n = 642 piglets); (1) Farrowing crate (‘FC’ − n = 24 sows), (2) PigSAFE pens, in which sows and piglets are loose housed, (‘PS’ − n = 24 sows), (3) Farrowing crate and group lactation (‘GL FC ’ − n = 12 sows), and (4) PigSAFE and group lactation (‘GL PS ’ − n = 12 sows). FC and PS piglets remained in treatment from birth (day 0) until weaning (day 27). GL FC and GL PS piglets were housed in FC and PS, respectively, from day 0 to 14 after which they were transferred (with their dams) to group lactation pens (n = 6 sows and litters/pen), where they remained until weaning. Piglet weights were recorded at day 13 and 26. At weaning piglets were mixed into pens of four litters from FC, PS, or GL (2 GL FC litters and 2 GL PS litters) treatments and behaviour was continuously recorded for 2 h. Aggression (reciprocal and non-reciprocal aggression of duration FC and GL PS piglets had a lower growth rate than FC and PS piglets from day 13 to 26 (P
Human-livestock interactions: The stockperson and the productivity and welfare of intensively farmed animals, 2011
The principles underlying stockperson attitude and behavioural change and the results of research... more The principles underlying stockperson attitude and behavioural change and the results of research on the effects of behaviour modification/change on livestock production and welfare are presented.
ABSTRACTTwo studies were conducted at commercial farms on a total of 1117 sows to investigate the... more ABSTRACTTwo studies were conducted at commercial farms on a total of 1117 sows to investigate the role of social environment on the weaning to mating interval of the sow. In one of the two studies, group housing and intense boar stimulation, achieved by daily introduction to a boar, were associated with significant reductions in the weaning to mating interval of the sow (P<0·05 and P<0·01, respectively): these two factors together produced increases of 0·18 and 0·22 in the proportion of sows mated within 10 and 28 days of weaning, respectively. In addition, parity and temperature during the week of weaning were significantly associated with the weaning to mating interval in both studies (P< 0·005 and P<005, respectively). It is concluded that the post-weaning social environment will influence the onset of oestrus in the sow.
The effect of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on the sperm output of six boars was investigated in two ... more The effect of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on the sperm output of six boars was investigated in two studies. Although PGF2α did not significantly affect sperm numbers in the ejaculate, a significantly longer (P < 0.05) ejaculation of the sperm rich fraction occurred following injection of PGF2α. In the second study it was found that PGF2α produced a 49% increase (P < 0.05) in the number of sperm in the sperm rich fraction of the ejaculate. The implications of these results on artificial breeding are discussed.
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