Browsing by Author "Salazar, Laura C."

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    Assessment of Animal-Based Pig Welfare Outcomes on Farm and at the Abattoir: A Case Study
    (2020) Teixeira, Dayane Lemos; Salazar, Laura C.; Enriquez-Hidalgo, Daniel; Boyle, Laura A.
    The study assessed the prevalence of animal-based pig welfare outcomes on one Chilean farm and one abattoir. A total of 198 pens of slaughter pigs (9,049 pigs) were observed on farm and 54 batches (8,843 pigs) were observed at the abattoir. All assessments were conducted from outside the pen on farm and from outside the corridor where pigs were unloaded from the truck at the abattoir. Batch size and number of pigs with ear, tail and skin lesions, hernias, rectal prolapse, bursitis, and lameness were recorded. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. There was a large variation among pens on farm and among batches at the abattoir for all outcomes. Bursitis was the most prevalent outcome recorded in both locations, followed by ear lesions recorded on farm and by tail lesions recorded at the abattoir. Ear lesions' prevalence was higher on farm (P< 0.001), while tail lesions, hernia, and bursitis prevalence were higher at the abattoir (P< 0.001). Ear lesions' prevalence on farm was higher in female and mixed-sex groups than in male groups (P < 0.01), but male groups tended to have a higher tail lesions' prevalence (P< 0.1). The results show a difference in welfare outcomes, suggesting that assessment of outcomes on farm could complement ante-mortem inspections at the abattoir. However, as the same animals were not inspected in the two locations and there is the possibility of a seasonal influence on the results, the findings should be interpreted with caution and further research is required.
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    Effect of switching sows' positions during lactation on suckling behaviour and performance of co-mingling piglets
    (ELSEVIER, 2021) Guzman Pino, Sergio A.; Luna, Daniela; Salazar, Laura C.; Poblete Grez, Paulina; Figueroa, Jaime
    Under natural conditions, piglets have the opportunity to interact with non-littermates before weaning. Nevertheless, in intensive production systems, piglets only have contact with penmates during lactation. Social interactions can be encouraged by removing the barrier between litters whilst the sows are kept in their own crates. However, when piglets are co-mingled at the first days of lactation, studies have shown that a high percentage of them suck with their own mother during all the suckling period, regardless of nipples availability. This study aimed to investigate the effect of switching sows' positions between early co-mingled litters on suckling episodes, durations and maternal suckling. Eight sows' pairs were housed in adjacent pens before farrowing. Piglets were socialized by removing the separating barriers between two adjacent pens on day 2 post-farrowing. The position of four sows' pairs was switched at day 14 post-farrowing (Switched group), while the remaining four sows' pairs remained in their original crates (Control group). The suckling behaviour of piglets was video recorded during the whole experiment (day 2-23). After sows were switched, a decrease suckling duration was observed in Switched group (P = 0.015), a situation that was also observed when analysing one day before and after the change in position. (P = 0.018). The number of suckling episodes decreased in both groups (P < 0.001) after sows were switched. However, when analysing one day before and after switching the number of suckling episodes increased (P 0.001). Maternal suckling decrease in both groups after sows were switched (P = 0.013). However, no differences were observed one day before and after the switching of sows. No effect of switching sows' position was observed on productive parameters of piglets (P 0.05). The suckling behaviour in early comingled piglets slightly change after the sows' position was switched at an intermediate stage of lactation. A decrease in the suckling duration and an increase in the number of episodes one day after sows were switched probably reflect a momentary confusion of the animals. However, although there may have been operant conditioning at the site of consumption, this was not enough to significantly reduce maternal suckling in contrast with previous literature that separated barriers at the middle of the suckling period, reinforcing the operant conditioning through a greater period of conditioning experience.
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    Effects of trial and error and social learning on flavour palatability in nursery pigs
    (2021) Figueroa, Jaime; Luna, Daniela; Salazar, Laura C.; Morales, Pia; Valdivia, Catalina; Mueller, Maximiliano; Dwyer, Dominic
    The acquisition of behaviours that enhance the acceptability of new feeds could improve the performance and animal welfare in the pig industry. Pigs may learn individually by trial and error and/or by social learning to consume and prefer new flavoured feeds. However, there is little information regarding the effects of learning on the palatability of those flavours. This study aimed to investigate possible changes in pigs? hedonic responses, estimated by the mean consumption time per approach (CT/A), for flavours previously learnt through individual experiences (Experiment 1) and socially by a brief interaction with an experienced conspecific (Experiment 2). A total of 96 nursery pigs were used to study their preference, acceptability and palatability for flavours previously learnt about. Flavours were associated with 4% sucrose (Experiment 1) or with a demonstrator that recently consumed the flavour (Experiment 2). Those flavours or positive conditioned stimulus (CS+) were compared with control flavours that were not positively conditioned (CS-). In experiment 1, pigs preferred (P = 0.010) and tended to accept more (P = 0.069) of the CS + than CS- in water solutions. Nevertheless, no palatability differences were found (P = 0.875). In experiment 2, observer animals had a higher intake of CS + following interaction with demonstrators that consumed the same flavoured feed (P = 0.041). Snout to snout interaction time between those demonstrators and observers tended to present a positive correlation with CT/A (r = 0.497, P = 0.1). Thus both individual trial and error learning, and social learning, increased pigs acceptance of, and preference for, food flavours. However, only social learning modified the pattern of consumption with the observation of a correlation between changes in the CT/A ratio and the degree of snout to snout contact time between demonstrators and observers. Thus the mechanisms and effects of social and individual learning appear to differ at least partially. Regardless of mechanism, the fact that associative learning can increase food flavour consumption suggests that interventions based on associative learning may be beneficial for addressing welfare problems in pig production linked to low consumption, in particular with respect to weaning where the low consumption may relate to the inexperience of the animals.
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    Pigs' capacity to experience feelings and to suffer from tail lesion, ear lesion and lameness: Exploring citizens and pig farm and abattoir workers' knowledge and perceptions
    (2023) Teixeira, Dayane Lemos; Salazar, Laura C.; Enriquez-Hidalgo, Daniel; Hotzel, Maria Jose
    The aim of this study was to gain insight into the perceptions of pig farm and abattoir workers as well as lay citizens regarding (1) sentience and (2) positive (intelligent and friendly) and negative (gluttonous, stubborn and dirty) attributes of pigs. We also aimed to investigate the (3) knowledge and perceptions of pig farm and abattoir workers on tail lesion, ear lesion and lameness in pigs and (4) the opinion of lay citizens regarding the likelihood of tail lesions, ear lesions, and lameness causing suffering in pigs and affecting meat quality. Chilean pig farm workers (n = 116), pig abattoir workers (n = 95), and lay citizens (n = 708) were invited on farm, at the abattoir and in public places, respectively, to participate in a survey. Answers were indicated using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = totally disagree; 4 = totally agree). Data were analysed using generalized linear models, including recruitment place and socio-demographic data as predictor variables. Female and lay citizens attributed pigs a higher capacity to experience feelings than male participants and pig farm and abattoir workers (p < 0.05). Lay citizens and workers recruited on farm described pigs as being more intelligent and friendly than those workers recruited at the abattoir (p < 0.001); recruitment place and sex were not associated with participants' perception regarding negative attributes of pigs (p > 0.05). Most lay citizens considered that tail lesions, ear lesions and lameness are likely to cause suffering in pigs and older participants had higher odds of agreeing that tail and ear lesions are likely to affect meat quality (p < 0.05). Finally, the risk factors for tail lesion, ear lesions and lameness pointed out by pig farm and abattoir workers is in line with what has been suggested by experts. Our findings contribute to understand the perception and values of all stakeholders regarding animal welfare, as it is crucial to improve the sustainability of animal production systems.
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    The capacity of ante-mortem inspection of pigs at the abattoir to predict post-mortem findings and associated financial implications: A study at batch level
    (2023) Teixeira, Dayane Lemos; Salazar, Laura C.; Boyle, Laura A.
    This study aimed to investigate the associations between severe ear, tail, and skin lesions, hernias, bursitis, and rectal prolapses and meat inspection finding in slaughter pigs, including carcass weight and financial implications associated with carcass condemnations at batch level. Data were collected from 13,296 pigs from 116 batches from a single abattoir. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the degree of association between the prevalence of welfare issues and condemnation findings. The association between batch-level results of carcass weight, batch size, and the prevalence of welfare issues was analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. The prevalence of tail lesions was significantly associated with both entire (r = 0.224; p = 0.0432) and partial (r = 0.276; p = 0.0120) carcass condemnation. Batches with pigs affected by more than one welfare issue were 9.9 kg lighter than those without welfare issues (p < 0.05), which was equivalent to a potential loss of euro11.28 per pig. Our findings indicate that ante-mortem inspection could be useful to predict post-mortem findings at batch level and that welfare issues in pigs represent a financial loss to producers, as they are paid on a per kg basis and have tight margins.