Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T07:25:18.941Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioural and hormonal responses of pigs during transport: effect of mixing and duration of journey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. H. Bradshaw ,
R. F. Parrott ,
J. A. Goode ,
D. M. Lloyd ,
R. G. Rodway  and
D. M. Broom
R. H. Bradshaw
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES
R. F. Parrott
Affiliation:
MAFF Laboratory of Welfare and Behaviour, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4ET
J. A. Goode
Affiliation:
MAFF Laboratory of Welfare and Behaviour, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4ET
D. M. Lloyd
Affiliation:
MAFF Laboratory of Welfare and Behaviour, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB2 4ET
R. G. Rodway
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LSI 9JT
D. M. Broom
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments investigated the welfare of pigs during transport. In experiment 1, 12 groups offour 90-kg pigs were transported to slaughter in a commercial livestock lorry for 1·5 h. Half the animals were transported in their social groups (unmixed condition) and half were transported with groups of previously unfamiliar pigs mixed together (mixed condition). Behaviour was recorded, a general activity index scored and saliva samples taken at different stages of the journey for analysis ofcortisol. Pigs spent most of their time standing in both conditions. The journey was very rough (as revealed by characterization with an accelerometer) and in the unmixed condition the pigs appeared to stand to reduce travel sickness. In contrast, in the mixed condition, this preference for standing seemed to be due to fighting which stressed and exhausted the animals (the general activity index was three times the unmixed condition). Levels of salivary cortisol were higher in the mixed condition at the beginning, middle and end of the journey. In experiment 2, six 35-kg pigs, prepared in advance with jugular vein catheters, were loaded onto a commercial livestock lorry (09.30 h) where they were individually penned. The vehicle remained stationary with the engine off and blood samples were taken at 30-min intervals during the next 8 h (control). Two days later this procedure was repeated while the vehicle was driven for 8 h (on main roads and motorways). Plasma concentrations of cortisol and beta-endorphin increased markedly in both conditions immediately after loading. Cortisol levels were greater (relative to control) at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the journey. Concentrations of beta-endorphin did not differ between control and experimental conditions except during the final 180 min of the journey when the control levels were higher.

Keywords

endorphinshydrocortisonemixingpigstransport
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 62 , Issue 3 , June 1996 , pp. 547 - 554
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Becker, B. A., Mayes, H. F., Hahn, G. L., Nienaber, J. A., Jesse, G. W., Anderson, M. E., Heymann, H. and Hedrick, H. B. 1989. Effect of fasting and transportation on various physiological parameters and meat quality of slaughter hogs. Journal of Animal Science 67:334–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Becker, B. A., Nienaber, J. A., DeShazer, J. A. and Hahn, G. L. 1985. Effect of transportation on cortisol concentrations and on the circadian rhythm of cortisol in gilts. American journal of Veterinary Research 46:1457–1459.Google ScholarPubMed
Bradshaw, R. H., Hall, S. J. G. and Broom, D. M. 1995. Behaviour of pigs and sheep during road transport. Animal Science 60:557 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Brown, S. N., Knowles, T. G., McKinstry, J. L., Edwards, J. E., Anil, M. H. and Warriss, P. D. 1993. Patterns of response of some physiological indices of stress in pigs negotiating loading ramps. Animal Production 56:439 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Cooper, T. R., Trunkfield, H. R., Zanella, A. J. and Booth, W. D. 1989. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for cortisol in the saliva of man and domestic farm animals. journal of Endocrinology 123:R13–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dalin, A. M., Magnusson, U., Haggendal, J. and Nyberg, L. 1993. The effect of tranport stress on plasma levels of catecholamines, cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin, blood cell count, and lymphocyte proliferation in pigs. Ada Veterinaria Scandinavica 34:59–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalin, A. M., Nyberg, L. and Eliasson, L. 1988. The effect of transportation/relocation on cortisol, CBG and induction of puberty in gilts with delayed puberty. Ada Vdcrinaria Scandinavica 29:207–218.Google ScholarPubMed
Fordham, D. P., Lincoln, G. A., Ssewannyana, E. and Rodway, R. G. 1989. Plasma (β-endorphin and cortisol concentrations in lambs after handling, transport and slaughter. Animal Production 49:103–107.Google Scholar
Geers, R. 1995. A modulating effect of beta-endorphin on pigs' coping strategies during transport. Physiology and Behavior 57:1057–1060.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geers, R., Bleus, E., Schie, T. van, Ville, H., Gerard, H., Janssens, S., Nackaerts, G., Decuypere, E. and Jourquin, J. 1994. Transport of pigs different with respect to the Halothane gene: stress assessment. journal of Animal Science 72:2552–2558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geverink, N., Bradshaw, R. H., Lambooy, E. and Broom, D. M. 1996. Handling of slaughter pigs in lairage: behavioural and physiological effects. In Methods of improving pig welfare by reducing stress and discomfort slaughter (ed. Schiitte, A.). Bundesforschunganstalt für Landwirtschaft, Institut für Tierzucht und Tierverhalten, Mariensee, Germany.Google Scholar
Guise, H. J. and Penny, R. H. C. 1989. Factors influencing the welfare and carcass and meat quality of pigs. 2. Mixing unfamiliar pigs. Animal Production 49:517–521.Google Scholar
Jensen, P. 1994. Fighting between unacquainted pigs—effects of age and of individual reaction pattern. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 41:37–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambooy, E. 1988. Road transport of pigs over a long distance: some aspects of behaviour, temperature and humidity during transport and some effects of the last two factors. Animal Production 46:257–263.Google Scholar
Lambooy, E. and Engel, B. 1991. Transport of slaughter pigs by truck over a long distance: some aspects of loading density and ventilation. Livestock Production Science 28:163–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nyberg, L., Lundstrom, K., Edfors-Lilja, I. and Rundgren, M. 1988. Effects of transport stress on concentrations of cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin and glucocorticoid receptors in pigs with different halothane genotypes. Journal of Animal Science 66:1201–1211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parrott, R. F. and Goode, J. A. 1992. Effects of intracerebroventricular corticotropin-releasing hormone and intravenous morphine on cortisol, prolactin and growth hormone secretion in sheep. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 9:141–149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parrott, R. F. and Misson, B. H. 1989. Changes in pig salivary cortisol in response to transport simulation, food and water deprivation, and mixing. British Veterinary Journal 145:501–505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parrott, R. F., Misson, B. H. and Baldwin, B. A. 1989. Salivary cortisol in pigs following adrenocorticotrophic hormone stimulation: comparison with plasma levels. British Veterinary Journal 145:362–366.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Randall, J. M. 1993. Environmental parameters necessary to define comfort for pigs, cattle and sheep in livestock transporters. Animal Production 57:299–307.Google Scholar
Rojanasthien, S. 1989. Effect of transportation and relocation in post-weaning anoestrous primiparous sows. Ada Veterinaria Scandinavica 30:1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shaw, F. D. and Tume, R. K. 1990. Beta-endorphin as a stress indicator in the pig. In Proceedings of the eleventh International Pig Veterinary Society Congress, p.427.Google Scholar
Spencer, G. S. G., Wilkins, L. J. and Hallett, K. G. 1984. Hormone and metabolic changes in the blood of pigs following loading and during transport and their possible relationship with subsequent meat quality. In Proceedings of the thirtieth European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, pp.15–16.Google Scholar
Tan, S. S. L. and Shackleton, D. M. 1990. Effects of mixing unfamiliar individuals and of azaperone on the social behaviour of finishing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 26:157–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warriss, P. D., Bevis, E. A., Edwards, J. E., Brown, S. N. and Knowles, T. G. 1991. Effect of the angle of slope on the ease with which pigs negotiate loading ramps. Veterinary Record 128:419–421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P. D. and Brown, S. N. 1985. The physiological responses to fighting in pigs and the consequences for meat quality. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 36:87–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar