the animal welfare science centre the welfare of gestating sows in conventional stalls and in large...
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The Animal WelfareScience Centre
The Welfare of Gestating Sows in Conventional Stalls and in Large
Groups on Deep-litter Guillermo Karlen
Animal Welfare Science Centre
Department of Primary Industries, Victoria
University of Melbourne
The Animal WelfareScience CentreAdvantages of stall housing
Feed intake
Decreased aggression
Individual health check
The Animal WelfareScience CentreWelfare concerns
sows are unable to exercise
sows have limited social interaction
sows show signs of chronic stress (in some studies)
Use of stalls for gestating sows have been restricted in EU and banned in some countries
The Animal WelfareScience CentreLarge group housing
The Animal WelfareScience CentreLarge group housing
The Animal WelfareScience Centre
Pen Distribution and Feeding Station
Feeding Station
The Animal WelfareScience CentreWelfare in groups
Advantages
are able to exercise
have social interaction
less feed needed to maintain body condition
avoid aggression
Disadvantages
increased aggression retaliation more animals
feed intake control
The Animal WelfareScience CentreObjective
• To assess the welfare of gestating sows in large groups on deep-litter compared to individual stalls.
The Animal WelfareScience Centre
Experiment 1:
640 Sows
Two treatments
Conventional stalls (320 sows)
Large groups on deep litter (320 sows)
Experimental Design
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• Large groups: each replicate • 40 experimental + 45 non-experimental• N = 85 sows in 1 pen
• Space allowance = 2.3 m2 per sow
• Stalls: each replicate • 40 individually housed sows
• Eight replicates of each treatment• Weekly allocation of replicates
• 18 focal sows per replicate in each treatment• 6 from each parity group
• Data collection: 27 weeks
Experimental Design
The Animal WelfareScience CentreMeasurements
Injuries and locomotion
The Animal WelfareScience CentreAssessments
Injuries at weaning and weeks 1, 9 and 15 of gestation
Scratches
Abrasions
Cuts
The Animal WelfareScience CentreInjury assessment
The Animal WelfareScience Centre
Number of scratches was higher in large groups
Incidence of Scratches
05
1015202530
Week of gestation
Number per sow
Stalls
Large goupsP<0.001
P<0.001 P<0.001
Results
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Number of abrasions was higher in Stalls
Incidence of abrasions
00.1
0.20.3
0.40.5
0.60.7
0.80.9
1
Stalls Large groups
Number of
abrasions (average) P<0.001
Results
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Locomotion score
Sows were scored when standing, walking and trotting on
a concrete pathway.
0: sound
1: difficulties putting weight on one or more limbs
2: locomotion is obviously altered; signs of pain
3: unable to walk, severe pain?
Measurements
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Weaning previous to treatment
Week 9 and 15 of gestation
Stalls: allowed to walk 30 m before assessment
Large groups: after feeding
Assessments
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Locomotion better in Large groups
Locomotion score
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
9 15
Week of gestation
ScoreStalls
Large groups
P=0.001 P=0.001
Results
The Animal WelfareScience Centre
Less severe locomotion problems in Large groups
P<0.001
0
5
10
15
9 15
Week of gestation
%
Stalls
Large groupsP<0.001
Sows scoring 2 or 3
Results
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Lower culling rate in Large groups
0
1
2
3
4
5
Stalls Large Groups
Treatment
%
Stalls
Large Groups
Results
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Behaviour
Feeding behaviour
Occurrence of aggression
Time budget
Measurements
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Week 1 and 9 of gestation
Feeding behaviour: feeding speed
Occurrence of aggression: 4 x 10 minutes of
continuous observation
Time budget: instantaneous scanning every 5
minutes for 40 minutes
Assessments
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Aggression decreased between week 1 and 9
Results
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
Week 1 Week 9
Large groups
P<0.05
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Time budget
Percentage of time spent lying or standing/walking
Results
0
20
40
60
80
100
Lying 1 S/W1 Lying9 S/W 9
%Stalls
Large groups
P<0.002
P<0.005
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Physiological measurements Salivary cortisol
weeks 1 and 9 of gestation
Immunology
Week 16 of gestation
Haematology
Lymphocyte sub-populations
Measurements
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Saliva cortisol
0
2
4
6
8
1 9
Week of gestation
nMStalls
Large groups
Results
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38
40
42
44
46
48
Neutrophils Lymphocytes
%Stalls
Large groups
P<0.05 P<0.05
Immunology
Results
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Immunology: Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Stalls Large groups
P<0.05
Results
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Reproductive performance
Measurements
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Farrowing rate
Total born
Born alive
Stillborn
Mummies
Average piglet birth weight
Average piglet weaning weight
Total litter (alive) birth weight
Total litter weaning weight
Assessments
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Farrowing rate
60
65
70
75
80
Stalls Large groups
%
Results
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Individual productivity
Results
7.88
8.28.48.68.8
99.2
# weaned
Number of piglets
Stalls
Large groups
P=0.01
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Early in gestation
Higher incidence of scratches in Large groups
Lower incidence of abrasions in Large groups
Higher salivary cortisol concentration in Large groups
The locomotion problems were less severe in Large
groups
Summary
The Animal WelfareScience CentreSummary
Late in gestation
Higher incidence of scratches in Large groups,
although the number decreased substantially
Lower incidence of abrasions in Large groups
The locomotion problems increased in Stalls
Lower immune response in Stalls
The Animal WelfareScience CentreConclusion
Sows in Large groups faced higher challenges
early in gestation, however they seem to
decrease over time
In contrast, Sows in stalls faced increasing
challenges later in gestation
Different systems have different problems
Design is more important than the system per se
The Animal WelfareScience CentreExperiment 2
Three treatments Stalls (15 weeks)
Large groups (15 weeks)
5 weeks in stalls and 10 weeks in large groups
1080 sows
14 months of data collection
The Animal WelfareScience CentreAcknowledgments
Funding provided by: Department of Primary Industries Victoria
Australian Pork Limited
The University of Melbourne
Supervision: Prof. Paul Hemsworth (The University of Melbourne, Australia)
and
Dr Harold Gonyou (Prairie Swine Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Special thanks to: Dr John Barnett Dr Greg Cronin Dr Emma Fabrega AWSC staff and students R&D staff at QAF Meat Industries