A comparative view on social hierarchy formation at different stages of pig production using sociometric measures

Puppe, Birger; Langbein, Jan; Bauer, Jörg; Hoy, Steffen

doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2007.03.004

Cited by 37 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The observed decline of offensive acts in our study could reflect the adoption of a new coping strategy to a changing and aversive environment (Schouten and Wiegant, 1997;Bolhuis et al, 2004). Gilts may have developed a more efficient strategy to establish a social hierarchy with less agonistic interactions (Puppe et al, 2008) and hence to limit the energetic cost and the number of injuries. In the same way, the decline of cortisol response to grouping towards the end of the experiment can be attributed to the decrease in the intensity of the stress perceived by the gilts and/or to a decrease in the adrenal axis sensitivity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…In farms, the grouping of unfamiliar animals is usually accomplished to form cohorts of homogeneous age or body weight, but actual EU guidelines (2001/88/CE) also impose the housing of gestating sows in groups for welfare reasons. The formation of a new social group leads to fights during the first days to establish a social hierarchy (Puppe et al, 2008). The physical and psychological stress associated with the fights activates stress systems such as the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic system, leading to increased plasma levels of cortisol and catecholamines , which in turn modulate animal physiology in order to cope with the new situation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

Couret

Otten

Puppe

et al. 2009

Animal

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Pregnant sows are exposed to various stressors in intensive pig husbandry that may have negative consequences on their health, reproductive performances and welfare. Social stress is one of these challenges, because gestating sows have to be housed in groups according to EU guidelines (2001/88/CE). The purpose of this study was to determine the consequences of repeated social stress in pregnant female pigs on their behavioural, endocrine and immunological responses and on pregnancy outcome. Pregnant gilts were submitted to a repeated social stress procedure induced by housing unfamiliar gilts in pairs changed twice a week between days 77 and 105 of gestation (S group, n 5 18). Control gilts were housed in stable pairs during the same period (C group, n 5 18). Agonistic behaviour was observed during the first 3 h after each grouping. Skin lesions were numbered 2 h after each grouping. Salivary cortisol was measured before and repeatedly during the 4 weeks of grouping. Gilts were immunized against keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) on days 81 and 95 of gestation. Immunoglobulins G against KLH, proliferative responses to concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide, pokeweed mitogen and KLH and peripheral blood leukocyte numbers were evaluated 1 week before the first grouping and 3 days after the last one. Agonistic interactions and skin lesions were observed in S gilts at each grouping, although there was a decline between the first and the last grouping ( P , 0.05). The repeated social stress induced a sustained endocrine response as shown by elevated salivary cortisol levels from 1 to 48 h after grouping in S gilts compared to C gilts. The cellular as well as the humoral immunity and the leukocyte numbers were not influenced by social stress. Gestation length tended to be shorter in S gilts ( P 5 0.09), but litter size, piglet weight or mortality at birth were not affected. Variability of the response of S gilts to groupings was partly explained by their average success value determined according to the outcome (defeat or win) of all the groupings. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the application of repeated social stress to pregnant gilts during the last third of their gestation repeatedly activates their hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis but does not impair their immune function and pregnancy outcome.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

Couret

Otten

Puppe

et al. 2009

Animal

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“…Dominance hierarchies serve to reduce group conflicts related to resource appropriation (O'Connell-Rodwell et al, 2011). Dominance hierarchies are widely present across several cognitively-complex mammal taxa, including African elephants (O'Connell-Rodwell et al, 2011), and bonobos (Surbeck, Mundry, & Hohmann, 2011), and including farmed animals such as pigs (Puppe, Langbein, Bauer, & Hoy, 2008) and goats (Miranda-de la Lama, Sepúlveda, Montaldo, María, & Galindo, 2011). Cows, like many other ungulates, maintain a matrilineal social structure (Bouissou, Boissy, Le Neindre, & Vessier, 2001).…”

Section: Social Complexitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Psychology of Cows

Marino¹,

Allen²

2017

ABC

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-Domestic cows (Bos taurus) are consumed worldwide as beef and veal, kept as dairy product producers, employed as draft animals in labor, and are used for a long list of other products, including leather and manure. But despite global reliance on cows for thousands of years, most people's perception of them is as plodding herd animals with little individual personality and very simple social relationships or preferences. Yet, a review of the scientific literature on cow behavior points to more complex cognitive, emotional and social characteristics. Moreover, when cow behavior is addressed, it is almost entirely done within the framework of and applied to their use as food commodities. Therefore, there is relatively little attention to the study of cow intelligence, personality and sociality at a basic comparative level. In this review, we examine the current state of scientific knowledge about cows within an objective comparative framework, describing their cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics. Our aim is to provide a more veridical and objective current summary of cow psychology on its own terms and in ways which will facilitate better-informed comparisons with other animals. Moreover, an understanding of the capabilities and characteristics of domestic cows will, it is hoped, advance our understanding of who they are as individuals.

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“…In various studies, it has been found that aggressive behavior is caused by different housing conditions, but also by various BWs, changes in space or group sizes or the degree of familiarity (Jensen, 1994;Turner et al, 2009;Stukenborg et al, 2011). As a result of agonistic behavior, skin lesions can occur after mixing foreign litters (Pitts et al, 2000;Turner et al, 2006;Puppe et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of growth performance and agonistic interaction in weaned piglets of different weight classes from farrowing systems with group or single housing

Bohnenkamp

Traulsen

Meyer

et al. 2013

Animal

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The present study was designed to analyze the growth performance, behavioral patterns and intensity of injuries of weaned pigs (26 days) during a rearing period of 6 weeks. The farrowing system (group housing (GH) v. single housing (SH)) and the post-weaning regrouping weight class (light, medium, heavy) were considered as the main factors. A number of 120 GH-pigs and 120 SH-pigs were kept in three batches (20 pens, 12 pigs each). The GH-and SH-pigs were divided by weight into three groups: light (5 to <7 kg), medium (.7 to <9 kg) and heavy (.9 to <12 kg), with two pigs of six different litters in each pen. The pigs were weighed individually at weaning (week 1) and during rearing (weeks 2, 3 and 7). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated between weeks 1 and 7. The duration and number of fights (NF) per pen and hour were determined by continuous sampling (40 h after weaning). Lesions of the integument were scored into four classes (none, minor, medium, severe) and recorded at weaning and 48 h afterwards. The farrowing system had no effect on the weights in week 1 (GH: 7.8 kg v. SH: 7.7 kg; week as linear, quadratic regression nested within housing systems) or in week 7 (GH: 29.4 kg v. SH: 28.6 kg). The body weights were influenced significantly by the weaning weight class (light: 11.7 kg (s.e. . The SH-pigs had more new skin lesions at the shoulders than the GH-pigs 48 h after weaning ( P , 0.05). In conclusion, early mixing of unacquainted litters during lactation had no influence on their growth performance during rearing but reduced agonistic behavior and lesion score difference during the first 2 days after weaning. No significant interaction between the farrowing system and weaning weight class was detected with regard to growth performance and NF.

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A comparative view on social hierarchy formation at different stages of pig production using sociometric measures

Cited by 37 publications

References 30 publications

Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

Behavioural, endocrine and immune responses to repeated social stress in pregnant gilts

The Psychology of Cows

Comparison of growth performance and agonistic interaction in weaned piglets of different weight classes from farrowing systems with group or single housing

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