Tail-in-mouth Behaviour Among Weaner Pigs in Relation to Age, Gender and Group Composition Regarding Gender

Schrøder-petersen, D. L.; Simonsen, H.B.; Lawson, Lartey Godwin

doi:10.1080/09064700310002017

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The “pre-damage stage” is suggested to be a precursor of tail biting and is considered as explorative “tail-in-mouth” behaviour without causing any visible damage to the skin. The “damage stage” begins if the tail starts bleeding due to dental manipulation [22, 23]. In contrast to this definition the prevalence and the distribution of bite marks in the present study indicate that these small skin lesions are a consequence of exploratory behaviour, which do not necessarily result in tail biting, at least in pigs with docked tails.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 74%

Provision of straw by a foraging tower –effect on tail biting in weaners and fattening pigs

Holling

Beilage

Vidondo³

et al. 2017

Porc Health Manag

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BackgroundStraw is one of the most effective rooting materials to reduce tail biting in pigs. A so-called foraging-tower (FT) provides only small quantities of straw compatible with liquid manure systems. The focus of the present study was on the effect of providing straw by FT in order to prevent tail biting in tail docked pigs. Four consecutive batches of 160 pigs, randomly divided into a straw (SG) and a control group (CG) were followed up from weaning to slaughter.ResultsTail wounds (Score ≥ 2) were detected in 104 out of 12,032 single observations (SG n = 48; CG n = 56) in 9 pens (SG n = 4/32; CG n = 5/32) mainly focused on the fattening period of batch 2 due to a failure in the ventilation system. No significant differences concerning the distribution of Score ≥ 2 in pens of the SG and CG could be identified. Bite marks (Score 1) were documented in 395 observations at animal level (SG n = 197, CG n = 198) in all batches. In the nursery period, the air velocity significantly increased the chance that at least one pig per pen and week showed a tail lesion score ≥1 (p = 0.024). In the fattening period ammonia concentration was positively associated with tail lesions (p = 0.007).The investigation of blood samples revealed infections with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in all batches and a circulation of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (NA-vaccine strain) and Porcine Circovirus Type 2 in two batches each. The average daily straw consumption was 3.5 g/pig (standard deviation (SD) = 1.1) during the rearing period and 31.9 g/pig (SD = 7.7) during the fattening period.ConclusionDue to the low prevalence of tail biting in all batches the effect of the FT tower could not be evaluated conclusively. The operation of the FT with an average daily straw consumption of 3.5 g/pig (SD = 1.1) during the rearing period and 31.9 g/pig (SD = 7.7) during the fattening period did not affect the weight gain. Exploratory behaviour seems to cause bite marks (score 1), which do not necessarily result in tail biting. The main outbreak of tail biting was probably triggered by a failure of the ventilation system, which resulted in a number of climatic and air quality changes including higher ammonia concentrations and sudden temperature changes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40813-017-0052-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 74%

Provision of straw by a foraging tower –effect on tail biting in weaners and fattening pigs

Holling

Beilage

Vidondo³

et al. 2017

Porc Health Manag

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“…The prevalence of tail lesions increased as the age of pigs progressed, in agreement with other studies [ 55 ]. Even if the time of recording stopped at 28 days, we agree with Calderón Díaz et al [ 56 ] who speculated that as pigs get older, they are more capable of defending their ears from attention by others; therefore, biting pigs switch their attention towards the more easily accessible tail.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Tranquillizing Effect of Passiflora incarnata Extract: Outcome on Behavioral and Physiological Indicators in Weaning Pigs with Intact Tails

Pastorelli

Serra

Turin

et al. 2022

Animals

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Tail docking has been used in the pig industry to decrease the occurrence of tail biting behavior. This abnormal behavior has a multifactorial origin since it is a response to simultaneous environmental, nutritional and management changes. Given the calming properties of Passiflora incarnata, we hypothesized that dietary supplementation with the extract in weaned pigs could result in a modification of behavior and physiologic indicators linked to stress. Weaned piglets (n = 120, mean body weight 9.07 ± 2.30 kg) were randomly allocated to one of two dietary treatments: control diet (CON) and CON supplemented with 1 kg/t of P. incarnata (PAS). The trial was 28 days long. The presence of skin lesions was assessed at d-1, d-10, d-19, and d-28, and saliva samples were collected for IgA and cortisol determinations at the same sampling times. Results showed the PAS group was characterized by equal growth performance as the CON group, fewer ear lesions (p < 0.05), less aggressive behavior (p < 0.001), higher enrichment exploration (p < 0.001) and lower cortisol levels (p < 0.01). Time effect was observed for tail lesions (p < 0.001) and behavioral observations (p < 0.001). Additional research is required to determine the effect of P. incarnata extract using a larger number of animals and longer period of supplementation when risks associated with tail biting are uncontrolled.

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“…They suggest possible mediation via Streptococcus suis in the saliva. Schroder-Petersen and Simonsen ( 38 ) also cite a Dutch study by Elst et al ( 56 ) in which a correlation of 0.25 was found between the percentage of weaned piglets with respiratory disease and ear (and tail) biting problems at farm level.…”

Section: Correlations Between the Prevalence Of Disease Or Lesions An...mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…High levels of oral behavior (nibbling and chewing) directed toward the ears ( 37 ) suggest that, in some cases, DB is the cause of ear lesions. This etiology is well-accepted for tail lesions, where an outbreak of tail-biting is often preceded by a period of tail manipulation without any injured tails ( 38 ) and once the tails are damaged and blood is present the problem escalates ( 39 , 40 ). However, certainty about the etiology of ear lesions is complicated by the relative lack of research on ear biting behavior and on related conditions such as ear necrosis (“dead ear tissue”).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Evidence for a Causal Link Between Disease and Damaging Behavior in Pigs

et al. 2022

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Damaging behaviors (DB) such as tail and ear biting are prevalent in pig production and reduce welfare and performance. Anecdotal reports suggest that health challenges increase the risk of tail-biting. The prevalence of tail damage and health problems show high correlations across batches within and between farms. There are many common risk factors for tail-biting and health problems, notably respiratory, enteric and locomotory diseases. These include suboptimal thermal climate, hygiene, stocking density and feed quality. The prevalence of tail damage and health problems also show high correlations across batches within and between farms. However, limited evidence supports two likely causal mechanisms for a direct link between DB and health problems. The first is that generalized poor health (e.g., enzootic pneumonia) on farm poses an increased risk of pigs performing DB. Recent studies indicate a possible causal link between an experimental inflammation and an increase in DB, and suggest a link between cytokines and tail-biting. The negative effects of poor health on the ingestion and processing of nutrients means that immune-stimulated pigs may develop specific nutrient deficiencies, increasing DB. The second causal mechanism involves tail-biting causing poor health. Indirectly, pathogens enter the body via the tail lesion and once infected, systemic spread of infection may occur. This occurs mainly via the venous route targeting the lungs, and to a lesser extent via cerebrospinal fluid and the lymphatic system. In carcasses with tail lesions, there is an increase in lung lesions, abscessation, arthritis and osteomyelitis. There is also evidence for the direct spread of pathogens between biters and victims. In summary, the literature supports the association between poor health and DB, particularly tail-biting. However, there is insufficient evidence to confirm causality in either direction. Nevertheless, the limited evidence is compelling enough to suggest that improvements to management and housing to enhance pig health will reduce DB. In the same way, improvements to housing and management designed to address DB, are likely to result in benefits to pig health. While most of the available literature relates to tail-biting, we suggest that similar mechanisms are responsible for links between health and other DB.

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Tail-in-mouth Behaviour Among Weaner Pigs in Relation to Age, Gender and Group Composition Regarding Gender

Cited by 22 publications

References 11 publications

Provision of straw by a foraging tower –effect on tail biting in weaners and fattening pigs

Provision of straw by a foraging tower –effect on tail biting in weaners and fattening pigs

Tranquillizing Effect of Passiflora incarnata Extract: Outcome on Behavioral and Physiological Indicators in Weaning Pigs with Intact Tails

The Evidence for a Causal Link Between Disease and Damaging Behavior in Pigs

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