Karen Thodberg

A general reaction pattern across situations in prepubertal gilts

Abstract In order to elucidate whether consistency exists in the reactions of gilts to various challenging situations, 56 prepubertal crossbred Landrace/Yorkshire gilts were subjected to a Food Competition Test, an Open Field Test, a Human Test and a Social Test. The undisturbed behaviour was video recorded in the home pen before the tests were performed. Factor analysis on open field data revealed five factors, selected by the criterium of the eigenvalue being bigger than one: (1) immobility, (2) exploratory locomotion, (3) non-exploratory locomotion, (4) object exploration, and (5) central position in the test arena. Factor analysis on Human Test data resulted in five factors: (1) exploration, (2) inactivity, (3) vocalisation, (4) immobility, and (5) escape. Significant correlations were found between the Open Field Test and the Human Test, between the Human Test and the Social Test and between the Food Competition Test and the Human Test. Only a tendency to a correlation was found between the Open Field Test and the Social Test. In conclusion in this investigation the gilts showed a general reactivity which was consistent across non-social situations and also tended to be so in a social situation with an unknown pig. Future investigations of relations between social and non-social situation, should focus on social contexts where the individuality of the animal can be tested, to prevent interference form group dynamics, and compare this measure with reactivity in non-social situations.

Effects of thermal environment on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones, oxytocin, and behavioral activity in periparturient sows.

Provision of additional floor heating (33 to 34 degrees C) at birth and during the early postnatal hours is favorable for newborn piglets of domestic sows (Sus scrofa). We investigated whether this relatively high temperature influenced sow behavior and physiology around farrowing. One-half of 28 second-parity pregnant sows were randomly chosen to be exposed to floor heating 12 h after onset of nest building and until 48 h after birth of the first piglet (heat treatment), whereas the rest of the sows entered the control group (control treatment) with no floor heating. Hourly blood sampling from 8 h before and until 24 h after the birth of the first piglet was used for investigation of temporal changes in plasma concentrations of oxytocin, cortisol, and ACTH. In addition, occurrence and duration of sow postures were recorded -8 to +48 h relative to the birth of the first piglet. There was a clear temporal development in sow behavior and hormone concentrations (ACTH, cortisol, and oxytocin) across parturition (P < 0.001), independent of treatment. In general, hormone concentrations increased from the start to the end of farrowing. The observed oxytocin increase and peak late in farrowing coincided with the passive phase where sows lie laterally with an overall reduced activity. Floor heating increased the mean concentration of cortisol (P = 0.02; estimated as 29% greater than in controls) and tended to increase the mean concentration of ACTH (P = 0.08; estimated as 17% greater than in controls), but we did not find any treatment effect on mean oxytocin concentrations, the course of parturition, or the behavior of sows. Behavioral thermoregulation may, however, have lost some function for the sows because the floor was fully heated in our study. In addition, exposure to heat decreased the between-sow variation of plasma oxytocin (approximately 31% less relative to control) and ACTH (approximately 46% less relative to control). Whether this decreased variation may be indicative of acute stress or linked to other biological events is unclear. In conclusion, inescapable floor heating (around 33.5 degrees C) may be considered a stressor for sows around farrowing, giving rise to elevated plasma concentrations of cortisol, but without concurrent changes in oxytocin or behavioral activity.

Effects of tail docking and docking length on neuroanatomical changes in healed tail tips of pigs

In pig production, piglets are tail docked at birth in order to prevent tail biting later in life. In order to examine the effects of tail docking and docking length on the formation of neuromas, we used 65 pigs and the following four treatments: intact tails (n=18); leaving 75% (n=17); leaving 50% (n=19); or leaving 25% (n=11) of the tail length on the pigs. The piglets were docked between day 2 and 4 after birth using a gas-heated apparatus, and were kept under conventional conditions until slaughter at 22 weeks of age, where tails were removed and examined macroscopically and histologically. The tail lengths and diameters differed at slaughter (lengths: 30.6±0.6; 24.9±0.4; 19.8±0.6; 8.7±0.6 cm; P<0.001; tail diameter: 0.5±0.03; 0.8±0.02; 1.0±0.03; 1.4±0.04 cm; P<0.001, respectively). Docking resulted in a higher proportion of tails with neuromas (64 v. 0%; P<0.001), number of neuromas per tail (1.0±0.2 v. 0; P<0.001) and size of neuromas (1023±592 v. 0 μm; P<0.001). The results show that tail docking piglets using hot-iron cautery causes formation of neuromas in the outermost part of the tail tip. The presence of neuromas might lead to altered nociceptive thresholds, which need to be confirmed in future studies.

Proportion of insoluble fibre in the diet affects behaviour and hunger in broiler breeders growing at similar rates

With a view to alleviate the feeling of hunger in broiler breeders, different types of fibre sources were used in high-fibre diets to increase feed quantity while limiting growth to industry recommended levels. Using scatter feeding, three diets (C1: commercial control diet, 1 × fibre content, 80% insoluble fibre (ISF); H2: 2 × fibre content, 89% ISF; and L2: 2 × fibre content, 71% ISF) were each fed to 10 groups of 16 broiler breeder chickens. Similar growth rates were obtained on different quantities of food with all birds reaching commercial target weight at 15 weeks of age. In a hunger test, birds fed C1 ate significantly faster and showed a higher compensatory feed intake than birds on diets H2 and L2, indicating that the two high-fibre diets did reduce the level of hunger experienced by the birds. Behavioural observations carried out at 14 weeks of age showed high levels of tail pecking in birds fed C1 and almost none in birds fed L2, whereas birds fed H2 were intermediate. Stereotypic pecking at fixtures was seen twice as frequently in birds fed C1. Birds on diet L2 displayed behavioural signs indicative of discomfort, and the high water usage on this diet created problems with litter quality. Birds on diet H2 continued to show foraging behaviour throughout the day, and were more frequently engaged in dust bathing and other comfort behaviour. This experiment indicates that high-fibre diets can alleviate the feeling of hunger currently experienced by broiler breeders, and a high ratio of ISF may improve the well-being of the birds.

Therapeutic effects of dog visits in nursing homes for the elderly

Previous studies have suggested that visiting dogs can have positive effects on elderly people in nursing homes. We wanted to study the effects of biweekly dog visits on sleep patterns and the psychiatric well‐being of elderly people.

The effects of floor heating on body temperature, water consumption, stress response and immune competence around parturition in loose-housed sows.

The aim of the present study was to study whether floor heating from 12h after onset of nest building until 48 h after birth of the first piglet had any effect on measures related to body temperature, water consumption, stress response and immune competence in loose-housed sows (n=23). In conclusion, the present results indicate that floor heating for a limited period around parturition did not compromise physiological and immunological parameters, water intake and body temperature in loose-housed sows. The water intake peaked the day before parturition and the body temperature peaked on the day of parturition. A cortisol peak at parturition, a transient rise in the number of leucocytes and neutrophils and a transient reduction in the number of lymphocytes, erythrocytes and in the PCV value were observed. Around and after parturition some non-specific immunological variables seemed to be stimulated while others seemed to be compromised.

Behavioral Responses of Nursing Home Residents to Visits From a Person with a Dog,a Robot Seal or aToy Cat

ABSTRACT Previous studies suggest that contact with dogs can positively affect the wellbeing of elderly people in nursing homes, but there is a lack of research investigating the causal pathways of these effects. One such path- way may relate to the behavioral responses of the elderly when interacting with a dog. The present study compared the immediate behavioral responses of nursing home residents to bi-weekly visits from a person accompanied by either a dog, a robot seal (PARO®), or a soft toy cat, using a randomized controlled design. A total of 100 nursing home residents com- pleted the study. Each participant received a total of 12 visits, during which their behaviors, including interactions between the visitor and the accom- panying animal (real or artificial), were recorded. Also, data on cognitive im- pairment, presence of depressive symptoms, age, time lived in the nursing home, dementia diagnoses, and gender were collected. We found that the immediate responses to, and interaction with, the visiting animal depended on the type of animal that was brought along. The dog and the interactive robot seal triggered the most interaction, in the form of physical contact (F(2,103) = 7.50, p < 0.001), eye contact (F(4,151) = 6.26, p < 0.001), and verbal communication (F(4,195) = 2.87, p < 0.05). As well, the cognitive impairment level of the residents affected with whom they interacted. The higher the cognitive impairment level, the more interaction was directed toward the animal and less toward humans, regardless of visit type (F(2,101) = 4.10, p < 0.05). The dogs and the robot seal stimulated the residents to more in- teraction, compared with the toy cat, but the robot seal failed to maintain the attention at the same level over time. The cognitive functioning of the residents correlated with the level of interaction, and this needs to be studied further.

Effects of administration of a local anaesthetic and/or an NSAID and of docking length on the behaviour of piglets during 5 h after tail docking

In many countries, piglets are tail docked to prevent tail biting. The aim of this study was 1) to evaluate the efficacy of a local anaesthetic and/or NSAID to reduce pain caused by tail docking; and 2) to examine interactions with docking length. This was examined in 295 piglets docked by hot iron cautery 2-4days after birth and based on behaviour during docking as well as the following 5h. The study involved three main factors: local anaesthetic (Lidocain), NSAID (Meloxicam) and docking length. Either 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% of the tails were left on the body of the piglets. Irrespective of the tail length, tail docking led to signs of procedural pain, which could be reduced by administration of Lidocain. Preemptive use of Meloxicam did not affect the signs of procedural pain. The results show that tail docking led to behavioural changes throughout the 5h observation period indicating that effects of this management routine are more persistent than earlier suggested, and suggesting that docking length may influence the post-surgical behaviour of piglets. By use of the present sites of injection and dosages, neither local anaesthetic nor NSAID had marked effects on post-surgical behavioural changes induced by tail docking. Hence, if tail docking is to be performed, more research is needed in order to develop practical methods for on-farm piglet pain relief.

Housing of Cull Sows in the Hours before Transport to the Abattoir—An Initial Description of Sow Behaviour While Waiting in a Transfer Vehicle

Simple Summary In modern pig production, sows are transported by road to abattoirs. However, for reasons of biosecurity, commercial trucks may have limited access to farms. This study described behaviour of sows while waiting for a commercial truck in transfer vehicles near a public road, as is common practice in Denmark. The study involved 106 sows from 11 loads. The sows stayed in the transfer vehicles for 6–59 min. In this period, the behaviour of the sows was characterised by aggression and only very limited resting. These preliminary results suggest that a pre-transport stay in a transfer vehicle can be challenging for sow welfare, especially for longer stays and during hot days. Abstract In modern pig production, sows are transported by road to abattoirs. For reasons of biosecurity, commercial trucks may have limited access to farms. According to Danish regulations, sows can be kept in stationary transfer vehicles away from the farm for up to two hours before being loaded onto the commercial truck. We aimed to describe the behaviour of sows in transfer vehicles. This preliminary, exploratory study included data from 11 loads from a total of six Danish sow herds. Selection of animals to be slaughtered was done by the farmers. Clinical registrations were made before collection of the sows, after which they (in groups of 7–13) were mixed and moved to the transfer vehicle (median stocking density: 1.2 sow/m2), and driven a short distance to a public road. The duration of the stays in the transfer vehicles before being loaded onto the commercial trucks ranged from 6–59 min. During this period, the median frequency of aggressive interactions per load was 18 (range: 4–65), whereas the median frequency of lying per load was 1 (range: 0–23). The duration of the stay correlated positively with the frequency of aggressive interactions (rs = 0.89; n = 11; p < 0.001) and with the frequency of lying (rs = 0.62; n = 11; p < 0.05). Frequency of aggressive interactions correlated positively with the temperature inside the transfer vehicle (rs = 0.89; n = 7; p < 0.001). These preliminary results are the first to describe the behaviour of cull sows during waiting in transfer vehicles, and may suggest that this period can be challenging for sow welfare, especially for longer stays and during hot days.

The effect of shelter design on shelter use by Icelandic horses in the winter period

Abstract Little is known about the effect of shelter design on sheltering behavior in horses. This study investigates shelter use by Icelandic horses kept outdoors 24 hours a day during the winter in Denmark and whether shelter use and levels of fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) are affected by (1) the number of entrances (1 vs. 2) and (2) a partition inside the shelter. The effects of weather conditions on shelter use are also investigated. Thirty‐two Icelandic horses participated in the study. The horses were pastured in 8 groups of 4 horses, and each group had access to a shelter (30 m2), which in the first study period (5 weeks, Dec‐Jan) had either 1 or 2 entrances (n = 4 groups per treatment). In the second study period (5 weeks, Jan‐Feb), all shelters had 2 entrances and half were equipped with a partition inside the shelter (n = 4 groups per treatment). Infrared cameras were placed inside all shelters for recording of shelter use. Feces were collected weekly during the last 3 weeks of each study period. We found that groups with 2 entrances to their shelter used the shelters significantly more than groups with only 1 entrance (% pictures with at least 1 horse inside, median [25;75%]: 2 entrances: 12.6 [7;20] vs. 1 entrance: 3.0 [2;4], P = 0.029). In addition, horses with 1 entrance had significantly increased FCM levels (ng/g, mean ± SE: 2 entrances: 6.8 ± 0.5 vs. 1 entrance: 10.0 ± 1.2, P = 0.019). The partitions did not affect shelter use or FCM levels. In both study periods, the shelters were used mainly at night (light vs. dark hours: P < 0.001), and daily average temperatures below zero degree Celsius increased shelter use. We conclude that entrance conditions are crucial to the use of shelters by Icelandic horses during winter.