Lecture 27 Flashcards
What is a pig?
6 pts
- Pigs are highly intelligent
- Metabolism similar to humans
- Used for xenotransplants
- Reproductive potential
- Polytocous/precocial - Omnivorous
Why did China transition from small scale farms to large scale production?
1 pt
African Swine Fever
What are the issues with pig welfare?
6 pts
- Stall housing
- Long transports
- Castration/tail dock
- Early weaning
- Farrowing crates
- Barren environment
What are the key welfare issues?
3 pts
- Processing piglets
- Castration, tail docking, teeth clipping - Euthanasia
- Housing
- Barren pens
- Stalls and crates
- Space allowance
What would be better for stall-housed sows than exercise?
2 pts
- Enrichment
- Higher-fibre diet
When is castration, tail docking, and teeth clipping done for piglets, why is it done, and what are the alternatives?
3 pts
- Castration: 2 to 5 days
- Boar taint, aggression
- Immunocastration, lighter pigs, genetic selection, semen sexing - Tail docking: 1 to 5 days
- Prevent/reduce tail biting
- Longtails + space and enrichment - Teeth clipping: 1 to 2 days
- Reduce face lesions, disease transmission - eg. greasy pig
- No clipping, clip problem pigs, grinding
What are the code of practices for castration, tail docking, and teeth clipping?
3 pts
- Castration: pain control at castration
- Tail docking: pain control at tail docking
- Teeth clipping: reduce/eliminate teeth clipping
What are the differences for pain control for castration in pigs in the codes in different countries?
3 pts
- Mandatory in EU since 2012
- Required in Canada since 2016
- NSAID - Meloxicam is commonly used - No requirements for pain control in USA
- No pain control drugs approved for swine
How is pain measured?
4 pts
Changes in behaviour
* activity, postures
* vocalization
Changes in physiology
* heart rate
* blood chemistry
What is cortisol?
1 pt
the stress hormone
How did the timing of analgesia affect cortisol levels?
3 pts
- Giving ketoprofen one hour before castration reduced cortisol levels
- Giving keotprofen immediately before castration was beneficial - but not as good one hour prior
- Handling one vs twice did not have a measurable effect on stress
Which is worse tail docking or tail biting?
2 pts
- Pigs reared in natural settings (amplespace, natural materials) do not tail bite
- Tail docking reducestail biting but does not eliminate it
- Docking: initial pain, neuroma formation
- Tail biting: prolonged pain, infection, mortality
What are the goals of enrichment?
4 pts
- Improve biological function
- Increaserange and/or frequency of normal behaviours
- Reduce frequency of negative behaviours
- Increase profitability
How are enrichment and tail biting correlated?
6 pts
- EUcountries have proposed a ban on tail docking, but success is limited
- Tail biting outbreaks
- Major changes are needed:
- Greater space allowance
- Environmental complexity/enrichment
- Genetics must also be considered
How is enrichment important in finishing pigs?
5 pts
- Straw bedding vs hanging toys - reduced pen mate manipulation, increased exploration
- Multiple objects vs Chain - increased exploration, reduced tail and ear biting
- Hardwood on chain - decreased aggression and tail biting
- Chain and straw block - decreased pen mate manipulation
- PCV pipe and rubber tubes - increased activity
