Direct experimental evidence that early‐life farm environment influences regulation of immune responses

Abstract

Background: In mammals, early-life environmental variations appear to affect microbial

Helsinki alert of biodiversity and health

“…Outdoor rearing was associated with the establishment of diverse microbiota and immune function, whereas indoor-housed animals showed altered gut microbiota, increased expression of proinflammatory genes, and reduced numbers of T reg cells (80,81).…”

Stressor factors in the transport of weaned piglets: a review

“…In other research, prostration has been identified as a behaviour that indicates "stress" (Dybkjaer et al 2006). This type of conduct has been observed more frequently during the first 12 h of transport (2.8%) than in the following 12 h (0.3%) , and is also observed more often during the first day that piglets spend in weaning corrals (0.49%), though it decreases (0.29%) on the second and third days that the piglet stays in that area (Lewis et al 2012). On the basis of these findings, the authors posit that the increase in prostration, the reduced number of piglets that sit, and the establishment of new hierarchies may be signals indicating that the piglets have become habituated to some of the elements of the shipping environment (Berry and Lewis 2001).…”

“…In addition, the season of the year can affect piglet behaviour during transport, as it has been observed that the number of piglets that fight inside the truck in the summer (39) is greater than in wintertime (just 3). This finding might indicate that in winter thermoregulation takes priority for the piglets, while certain social behaviours -like establishing hierarchies -take a back seat Lewis et al 2012). In this regard, Lewis (2008) mentions that the average body temperature measured on the surface of the ear in summer (36.2 °C) was significantly higher than the temperatures measured in autumn (27.0 °C) and winter (23.1 °C).…”

“…However, at 14 days post-transport these differences had disappeared (P > 0.05) (0 h: 14.12; 6 h: 13.43; and 24 h: 12.47 kg). Lewis et al (2012) weaned and shipped piglets in three seasons (summer, autumn, winter) using four different trip times (0, 6, 12 and 24 h). According to their observations, 17 piglets (5.9%) were classified as showing little activity, and those same animals had not recovered their weight at seven days post-weaning.…”

“…Trip duration is another determining factor in this process, since prolonged transport periods mean greater food and water deprivation (Berry and Lewis 2001); simultaneously, fatigue becomes more frequent (Becerril-Herrera et al 2010;Mota-Rojas et al 2012a,c). Another element that can affect animal health and welfare during transport is loading density, especially in the case of recently-weaned piglets (Lewis et al 2012). In adult pigs, high loading densities have been associated with elevated mortality rates (Warriss 1998).…”