Individual behavioral and physiological strategies in pigs

Hessing, M.; Hagelsø, Anne Mette; Schouten, W.G.P.; Wiepkema, P.R.; Beek, Jan A.M Van

doi:10.1016/0031-9384(94)90007-8

Cited by 227 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…This is in line with other studies reporting HR pigs to be more 'bold', i.e. less reluctant and faster than LR pigs to investigate novel stimuli (Hessing et al 1994;Ruis et al 2000;Bolhuis et al 2004). LR pigs spent more time nosing than HR pigs during exploration trials, in line with previous proposals that LR pigs would be more 'thorough' explorers than HR pigs (Hessing et al 1994;Ruis et al 2001).…”

Section: Exploration Trialssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Each bout of struggling with at least the hind legs was counted as one escape attempt. The number of escape attempts was used as the basis for classifying high resisting (HR; ¸3 +¸2 escape attempts during the Wrst and second Backtest) and low resisting (LR; ·2 + ·1 escape attempts) animals (see Hessing et al 1994). Twenty-four healthy barrows were randomly selected from the pool of LR and HR pigs (six barren HR, six enriched HR, six barren LR and six enriched LR) for the experiment.…”

Section: Backtest and Selection Of Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Backtest, piglets are manually restrained in supine position for 1 min and their behavioural response, which ranges from vigorous struggling to complete immobility, is recorded (Hessing et al 1993;Bolhuis et al 2004). Pigs that struggle most in the test, the 'high resisters' (HR), have been reported to explore a novel stimulus rather fast and superWcially, whereas 'low-resisters' (LR) were suggested to explore more slowly and thoroughly (Hessing et al 1994;Ruis et al 2000Ruis et al , 2001, but these results were all found during a single exposure to novelty. The two 'types' of pig also diVer in the ability to adjust their behaviour to a changing situation (Geverink et al 2004;Bolhuis et al 2004Bolhuis et al , 2005a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, the impact of a barren environment as opposed to enriched housing diVered between LR and HR pigs, with larger eVects of environmental conditions on behaviour and physiology in LR pigs (Bolhuis et al 2003(Bolhuis et al , 2005b(Bolhuis et al , 2006. Hence, the two 'types' of pig at either end of the distribution diVer in their response to a wide range of challenging conditions later in life Geverink et al 2003;Hessing et al 1994;Ruis et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

et al. 2008

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This study investigated the eVects of both environmental enrichment and individual behavioural characteristics on spatial cognitive capabilities of pigs, using a novel latent spatial learning paradigm based on Tolman's detour experiments (1948). Pigs were housed either in 'barren' pens or in pens enriched with straw bedding from birth. Pigs were restrained in a Backtest at 10 and 17 days postpartum. Based on their escape behaviour in this test, which has been shown to reXect their behavioural style, six 'high-resisting'(HR) and six 'low-resisting' (LR) pigs were selected from each housing environment (n = 24 in total). At 12 weeks of age, pairs of pen mates (LR and HR) were exposed to a maze three times (exploration trials). Pigs were then placed individually in the maze, and social reinstatement proved to be a strong incentive to Wnd the exit leading to the home pen. We subsequently blocked the direct route to the exit, forcing animals to Wnd a detour (memory test 1, MT1). This test was repeated once to investigate the relative improvement, i.e. detour learning (memory test 2, MT2). Housing condition and Backtest response strongly aVected exploration patterns. In spite of this, no eVects on performance during the subsequent memory tests were found. Performance was substantially improved in MT2, indicating that once a goal is apparent, pigs are able to solve a complex spatial memory task easily. In conclusion, social reinstatement provided a good incentive to complete a spatial task, and the substantial improvement in performance between MT1 and MT2 stresses the need for task complexity when testing spatial memory in pigs. Housing conditions or individual behavioural style did not aVect spatial memory during MT1 or MT2. However, housing environment and behavioural style strongly aVected explorative behaviour of pigs in an unfamiliar maze during both exploration trials and memory tests. This implicates that apparent eVects of environmental enrichment on spatial learning and memory in pigs might reXect diVerences in explorative patterns rather than in cognitive processes.

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Section: Exploration Trialssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Backtest and Selection Of Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

et al. 2008

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“…Piglets had access to nipple waters, were checked twice daily by animal care technicians and were weighed once a week. At 2 days of age each of the 160 piglets were subjected to a back test to measure the resistant score (Hessing et al, 1994). The classification of the resistant score (44% resistant, 48% intermediate and 8% non-resistant piglets) was used for mixing at the day of weaning.…”

Section: Animals and Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing weaning age of piglets from 4 to 7 weeks reduces stress, increases post-weaning feed intake but does not improve intestinal functionality

Meulen

Koopmans

Dekker

et al. 2010

Animal

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This study tested the hypothesis that late weaning and the availability of creep feed during the suckling period compared with early weaning, improves feed intake, decreases stress and improves the integrity of the intestinal tract. In this study with 160 piglets of 16 litters, late weaning at 7 weeks of age was compared with early weaning at 4 weeks, with or without creep feeding during the suckling period, on post-weaning feed intake, plasma cortisol (as an indicator of stress) and plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP; a marker for mild intestinal injury) concentrations, intestinal morphology, intestinal (macro)molecular permeability and intestinal fluid absorption as indicators of small intestinal integrity. Post-weaning feed intake was similar in piglets weaned at 4 weeks and offered creep feed or not, but higher ( P , 0.001) in piglets weaned at 7 weeks with a higher ( P , 0.05) intake for piglets offered creep feed compared with piglets from whom creep feed was witheld. Plasma cortisol response at the day of weaning was lower in piglets weaned at 7 weeks compared with piglets weaned at 4 weeks, and creep feed did not affect cortisol concentration. Plasma I-FABP concentration was not affected by the age of weaning and creep feeding. Intestinal (macro)molecular permeability was not affected by the age of weaning and creep feeding. Both in uninfected and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-infected small intestinal segments net fluid absorption was not affected by the age of weaning or creep feeding. Creep feeding, but not the age of weaning, resulted in higher villi and increased crypt depth. In conclusion, weaning at 7 weeks of age in combination with creep feeding improves post-weaning feed intake and reduces weaning stress but does not improve functional characteristics of the small intestinal mucosa.

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How integrated are behavioral and endocrine stress response traits? A repeated measures approach to testing the stress‐coping style model

Boulton

Couto

Grimmer

et al. 2015

Ecology and Evolution

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It is widely expected that physiological and behavioral stress responses will be integrated within divergent stress-coping styles (SCS) and that these may represent opposite ends of a continuously varying reactive–proactive axis. If such a model is valid, then stress response traits should be repeatable and physiological and behavioral responses should also change in an integrated manner along a major axis of among-individual variation. While there is some evidence of association between endocrine and behavioral stress response traits, few studies incorporate repeated observations of both. To test this model, we use a multivariate, repeated measures approach in a captive-bred population of Xiphophorus birchmanni. We quantify among-individual variation in behavioral stress response to an open field trial (OFT) with simulated predator attack (SPA) and measure waterborne steroid hormone levels (cortisol, 11-ketotestosterone) before and after exposure. Under the mild stress stimulus (OFT), (multivariate) behavioral variation among individuals was consistent with a strong axis of personality (shy–bold) or coping style (reactive–proactive) variation. However, behavioral responses to a moderate stressor (SPA) were less repeatable, and robust statistical support for repeatable endocrine state over the full sampling period was limited to 11-ketotestosterone. Although post hoc analysis suggested cortisol expression was repeatable over short time periods, qualitative relationships between behavior and glucocorticoid levels were counter to our a priori expectations. Thus, while our results clearly show among-individual differences in behavioral and endocrine traits associated with stress response, the correlation structure between these is not consistent with a simple proactive–reactive axis of integrated stress-coping style. Additionally, the low repeatability of cortisol suggests caution is warranted if single observations (or indeed repeat measures over short sampling periods) of glucocorticoid traits are used in ecological or evolutionary studies focussed at the individual level.

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Individual behavioral and physiological strategies in pigs

Cited by 227 publications

References 14 publications

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

Increasing weaning age of piglets from 4 to 7 weeks reduces stress, increases post-weaning feed intake but does not improve intestinal functionality

How integrated are behavioral and endocrine stress response traits? A repeated measures approach to testing the stress‐coping style model

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