Simple SummaryFactors, such as ambient conditions, travel duration and vehicle design/compartment location have an impact on the welfare of pigs during transport, carcass bruises and meat quality. Based on this, we aimed to assess the effects of these factors on blood creatine kinase, lactate and cortisol concentrations in 384 pigs and assess their relationships with trailer temperature, and pigs’ heart rate and gastrointestinal tract temperature, behavior, carcass damage scores and meat quality. Although increased blood cortisol and creatine-kinase levels appear to indicate a physical stress condition in transported pigs, the weak to moderate correlations with environmental and other animal welfare indicators suggest that blood stress parameters can only be used as a complementary measurement in the assessment of the pigs’ response to transport stress.AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess the effects of the season, travel duration and trailer compartment location on blood creatine-kinase (CK), lactate and cortisol concentrations in 384 pigs and assess their relationships with trailer temperature, heart rate and gastrointestinal tract temperature (GTT), behavior, carcass damage scores and meat quality. Blood CK was greater in pigs transported in summer (p = 0.02), after 18 h transportation (p < 0.001) and in pigs located in C4, C5 and C10 (p = 0.002). In winter, the concentration of blood lactate was higher (p = 0.04) in pigs transported for 6 h in C5. Pigs located in C10 showed higher (p = 0.01) concentration of cortisol than those transported for 18h in C4 in summer. The highest correlations were between blood cortisol and GTT (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), and between blood CK and GTT (r = 0.41; p < 0.001), truck temperature (r = 0.42; p < 0.001), and pHu in the longissimus muscle (r = 0.41; p < 0.001). In conclusion, although increased blood cortisol and CK levels appear to indicate a physical stress condition in transported pigs, the weak to moderate correlations with environmental and other animal welfare indicators suggest that blood stress parameters can only be used as a complementary measurement in the assessment of the pigs’ response to transport stress.

The goal of this study was to identify practical enrichments for sows in partially or fully slatted pen systems. Four treatments were applied: (1) Constant: constant provision of wood on chain; (2) Rotate: rotation of rope, straw and wood enrichments; (3) Stimulus: rotation of enrichments (as in Rotate) with an associative stimulus (bell or whistle); and (4) Control: no enrichment, with each treatment lasting 12 days. Six groups of 20 ± 2 sows were studied from weeks 6 to 14 of gestation in pens with one electronic sow feeder. Each group received all treatments in random order. Six focal animals (3 dominant and 3 subordinate) were selected per pen using a feed competition test. Digital photos were collected at 10 min intervals for 8 h (between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.) on 4 days/treatment (d 1, 8, 10 and 12) to record interactions with enrichment. Skin lesions were assessed on days 1 and 12, and saliva cortisol samples collected in weeks 6, 10 and 14 of gestation on focal pigs. Sows spent more time in contact with enrichments in Rotate and Stimulus treatments than Constant. Enrichment treatments did not influence lesion scores. Subordinate sows spent more time standing and near enrichments than dominants. Subordinate sows also received more skin lesions and had higher salivary cortisol concentrations than dominants. These results indicate that access to enrichment is valued by sows but can result in greater aggression directed towards subordinates.

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A novel behavioural test using a handling chute was evaluated over two trials as an objective method to assess pain in piglets following castration. Piglet (n = 98) navigation time (NT) through a handling chute was measured at specific time points up to 24 h post treatment. In trial 1, comparing the NT of castrates (C) and sham castrates (SC), C piglets had a longer NT than SC at 0 and 15 min post treatment (P < 0.05), with no differences thereafter. In trial 2, the effect of an analgesic to control postoperative pain on NT was examined, with castrated piglets given a half (CH) or full (CF) dose of meloxicam 1 h prior to treatment, compared with piglets castrated and given saline (CS) or sham castrated and given saline (SS). Post treatment, CS piglets had a longer NT than SS at 0 min (P < 0.005), and at 15 min, piglets CS had a longer NT than all groups (P < 0.001). No significant associations were found between piglet behaviour in the home pen and NT during the 60 min following treatment. These data demonstrate potential for the use of a handling chute to measure NT as a quick, standardized, method to assess piglet pain in response to castration.Key words: piglet, castration, pain, behaviour, analgesia, welfare.Résumé : Un test novateur de comportement utilisant un couloir de forçage a été évalué au moyen de deux expériences comme moyen objectif d'évaluer la douleur chez les porcelets suivant la castration. Le temps de navigation (NT -« navigation time ») des porcelets (n = 98) dans un couloir de forçage a été mesuré à des moments précis jusqu'à 24 h après le traitement. Dans la première expérience, celle de comparaison des NT des castrats (C) et des porcelets a castration simulée (SC -« sham castrates »), les porcelets C avaient de plus longues périodes de NT que les porcelets SC à 0 et 15 min après traitement (P < 0,05), mais aucune différence après cette période. Dans la deuxième expérience, l'effet d'utilisation d'un analgésique pour contrôler la douleur postopératoire sur les NT a été étudié. Les porcelets ont reçu une demi-dose (CH -« castrated, half dose ») ou une dose pleine (CF -« castrated, full dose ») de méloxicam 1 h avant le traitement par apport aux porcelets castrés qui ont reçu une saline (CS -« castrated, saline ») ou à castration simulée qui ont reçu une saline (SS -« sham castrate, saline »). Après le traitement, les porcelets CS avaient un plus long NT que les porcelets SS à 0 min (P < 0,005), et à 15 min, les porcelets CS avaient un plus long NT que tous les autres groupes (P < 0,001). Aucune association significative n'a été trouvée entre le comportement des porcelets dans l'enclos de domicile et le NT pendant les 60 min suivant le traitement. Ces données démontrent le potentiel d'utiliser un couloir de forçage pour mesurer le temps de navigation comme méthode rapide et normalisée pour évaluer la douleur des porcelets en réponse à la castration. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

The objectives were to (1) investigate the effectiveness of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a measure of long-term stress in beef cattle and (2) determine whether meloxicam would decrease postcastration stress. Bull calves on two farms [site 1: Hereford cross (n = 73); site 2: Black Angus (n = 85)] were assigned to three treatments: (1) surgical castration with saline (CS, n = 52), (2) surgical castration with meloxicam (CM, n = 54), and (3) sham castration with saline (S, n = 52), balanced for age. Hair was collected from the left hip on day 0, prior to castration, and day 14, after 2 wk of regrowth from the day 0 location. Standing time was recorded on 129 calves (CS = 47, CM = 42, S, = 40) from 0 to 7 d post castration. On day 14, CS calves had 13.8% greater HCC than S (P = 0.031) and tended to be higher than CM calves (P = 0.095); CM and S calves did not differ. Standing time did not differ between treatments. Lower HCC in CM compared with CS calves indicates that meloxicam may be effective at reducing postcastration stress. With differences between treatments, HCC shows promise as a technique for measuring long-term stress in beef cattle.