Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T04:24:57.354Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of driver and driving style on the stress responses of pigs during a short journey by trailer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

E Peeters ,
K Deprez ,
F Beckers ,
J De Baerdemaeker ,
AE Aubert  and
R Geers
E Peeters
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Quality Care in Animal Production, Zootechnical Centre, KU Leuven, Bijzondere Weg 12, B-3360 Lovenjoel, Belgium
K Deprez
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Agricultural Machinery and Processing, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, B-3010 Heverlee, Belgium
F Beckers
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg O/N, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
J De Baerdemaeker
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Agricultural Machinery and Processing, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, B-3010 Heverlee, Belgium
AE Aubert
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg O/N, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
R Geers*
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Quality Care in Animal Production, Zootechnical Centre, KU Leuven, Bijzondere Weg 12, B-3360 Lovenjoel, Belgium
*
* Contact for correspondence and request for reprints: rony.geers@biw.kuleuven.be
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of driver and driving style on the behaviour, salivary cortisol concentration, and heart-rate variability of pigs during a short journey. In addition, the effect of differing accelerations (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) of the trailer on these variables was studied. One hundred and thirty-five cross-bred pigs (Piétrain × Hypor) were transported in groups of five on a trailer towed by a jeep. Three different drivers transported the pigs using a normal, a quiet, and a wild driving style (the latter two in relation to their normal style). Driving style mainly had an effect on the longitudinal and lateral accelerations. Salivary cortisol increases were lowest for the wild driving style. The latter can be explained by the shorter duration of these journeys and not by the accelerations, thus it is our view that acceleration due to manoeuvring as opposed to acceleration due to overall speed should be avoided. Also, in practice, journeys should take as brief a time as possible. Increasing acceleration saw an increase in the proportion of pigs standing during the journey and a decrease in the proportion of pigs lying down. Measurements of variability in heart rate revealed that lateral acceleration was an important stressor for pigs. We concluded that, as driving style has an effect on different stress variables, increased driver awareness of the effects of their driving on the responses of pigs, would improve pig welfare.

Keywords

accelerationanimal welfaredriverdriving stylepigstress
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , May 2008 , pp. 189 - 196
Copyright
© 2008 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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

Akita, M, Ishii, K, Kuwahara, M and Tsubone, H 2002 Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability for assessment of diurnal variation of autonomic nervous activity in Guinea pigs. Experimental Animals 51: 1–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aubert, AE, Ramaekers, D, Beckers, F, Breem, R, Denef, C, van de Werf, F and Ector, H 1999 The analysis of heart rate variability in unrestrained rats. Assessment of methods and results. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 60: 197–213CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradshaw, RH, Parrott, RF, Forsling, ML, Goode, JA, Lloyd, DM, Rodway, RG and Broom, DM 1996a Stress and travel sickness in pigs: Effects of road transport on plasma concentrations of cortisol, beta-endorphin and lysine vasopressin. Animal Science 63: 507–5 16CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradshaw, RH, Parrott, RF, Goode, JA, Lloyd, DM, Rodway, RG and Broom, DM 1996b Behavioral and hormonal responses of pigs during transport: Effect of mixing and duration of journey. Animal Science 62: 547–554CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BS 6841 1987 Measurement and Evaluation of Human Exposure to Whole-Body Mechanical Vibration and Repeated Shock. British Standards Institution: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Chevillon, P 1998 The training of pig-truck drivers. Proceedings of the ISAE-98. 21-25 July 1998, Clermont-Ferrand, FranceGoogle Scholar
Cockram, MS, Baxter, EM, Smith, LA, Bell, S, Howard, CM, Prescott, RJ and Mitchell, MA 2004 Effect of driver behavior, driving events and road type on the stability and resting behavior of sheep in transit. Animal Science 79: 165–176CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dantzer, R and Mormède, P 1983 Stress in farm-animals- a need for re-evaluation. Journal of Animal Science 57: 6–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geers, R, Goedseels, V, Parduyns, G and Vercruysse, G 1986 The group postural behaviour of growing pigs in relation to air velocity, air and floor temperature. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 16: 353–363CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geers, R, Bleus, E, Vanschie, T, Villé, H, Nackaerts, G, Decuypere, E, Jourquin, J, Gerard, H and Janssens, S 1994 Transport of pigs different with respect to the halothane gene: stress assessment. Journal of Animal Science 72: 2552–2558CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, MJ 1990 Handbook of Human Vibration. Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, Publishers London: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Hall, SJG, Kirkpatrick, SM, Lloyd, DM and Broom, DM 1998 Noise and vehicular motion as potential stressors during the transport of sheep. Animal Science 67: 467–473CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ISO 2631 1974 Guide for the Evaluation of Human Exposure to Whole-Body Vibration. International Organization for Standardization: Geneva, SwitzerlandGoogle Scholar
Kuwahara, M, Tsujino, Y, Tsubone, H, Kumagai, E, Tsutsumi, H and Tanigawa, M 2004 Effects of pair housing on diurnal rhythms of heart rate and heart rate variability in miniature swine. Experimental Animals 53: 303–309CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lambooij, E and van Putten, G 1993 Transport of pigs. In: Grandin T (ed). Livestock Handling and Transport pp 213–231. CABI: Wallingford, UKGoogle Scholar
Malik, M, Bigger, JT, Camm, AJ, Kleiger, RE, Malliani, A, Moss, AJ and Schwartz, PJ 1996 Heart rate variability: standards of measurement, physiological interpretation and clinical use. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. European Heart Journal 17: 354–381CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parrott, RF, Mission, BH and Baldwin, BA 1989 Salivary cortisol in pigs following adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation: comparison with plasma levels. British Veterinary Journal 145: 362–366CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perremans, S 1999 Physiological and ethological responses of pigs during simulation of transport. PhD Dissertation, Acta Biomedica Lovaniensia 201, Leuven University Press, Leuven, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Ramaekers, D, Beckers, F, Demeulemeester, H, Bert, C, Denef, C and Aubert, AE 2002 Effects of melanocortins on cardiovascular regulation in rats. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacological Physiology 29: 549–558CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Randall, JM 1992 Human subjective response to lorry vibration: implications for farm animal transport. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 52: 295–307CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Randall, JM, Duggan, JA and Alami, MA 1995a Influence of motion and vibration of animals. Fleischwirtschaft 75: 201–204Google Scholar
Randall, JM, Stiles, MA, Geers, R, Schütte, A, Christensen, L and Bradshaw, RH 1995b Vibration on pig transporters: implications for reducing stress. In: Proceedings of the EU-seminar ‘New information on welfare and meat quality of pigs as related to handling, transport and lairage conditions’ pp 143-159, Mariensee, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Serfling, RJ 1980 Transformations of Given Statistics. In: Approximation Theorems of Mathematical Statistics, First edition pp 117–137. John Wiley and Sons: New York, USACrossRefGoogle Scholar
Starr, C and Taggart, R 2001 Biology: the Unity and Diversity of Life, 9th Edition pp 592. Brook/Cole: Pacific Grove, USAGoogle Scholar
Tarrant, PV 1989 The effects of handling, transport, preslaughter and chilling on meat quality and yield in pigs-a review. Irish Journal of Food Science and Technology 13: 79–107Google Scholar
Turner, M and Griffin, MJ 1999 Motion sickness in public road transport: the effect of driver, route and vehicle. Ergonomics 42: 1646–1664CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, PD, Brown, SN, Adams, SJM and Corlett, IK 1994 Relationships between subjective and objective assessments of stress at slaughter and meat quality in pigs. Meat Science 38: 329–340CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed