The chewing behaviour of growing pigs presented with tail models soaked in different fractions of blood, as a test for tail biting predisposition

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. OC3-OC3 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McIntyre ◽  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
K. Breuer ◽  
S.A. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Behavioural Problem ◽  
Nutritional Deficiency ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Tail Biting ◽  
Chewing Behaviour

Tail biting is a widespread adverse behaviour that occurs in growing pigs but, as of yet, no one knows what initially encourages the development of this behavioural problem. It has been suggested that tail biting is linked to a behavioural predisposition, exacerbated by environmental inadequacy, or a nutritional deficiency such as inadequate protein or minerals. Using a model tail test, Fraser (1987, 1991) demonstrated an experimental link between mineral or protein dietary deficiencies and an increased attraction to blood. Using this test, Fraser demonstrated that large individual variation exists between pigs in the extent of their attraction to blood. The current experiment extended this tail test to investigate the nature of the attraction to blood, and to examine factors that may be related to tail biting predisposition.

scholarly journals MINERAL-DEFICIENT DIETS AND THE PIG'S ATTRACTION TO BLOOD: IMPLICATIONS FOR TAIL-BITING

1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 909-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID FRASER
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Iodized Salt ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Mineral Deficiency ◽  
Pronounced Increase ◽  
Mineral Supplements ◽  
Tail Biting

In two experiments, individually penned growing pigs were exposed daily to two "tail models" (lengths of cotton cord about the size of a pig's tail), one of which had been impregnated with pigs' blood. When fed a balanced "control" diet, the pigs chewed significantly more on the blood-covered model than on the plain one, but with large individual differences between animals. Four weeks of receiving a diet lacking all mineral supplements (iodized salt, dicalcium phosphate, limestone, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, and selenium) caused a pronounced increase in chewing the blood-covered model, and 4 wk of recovery on the control diet reduced, but did not completely eliminate, the enhanced attraction to blood. In a second experiment, a similar heightened response to blood was produced by omitting only iodized salt from the diet, whereas omission of all other mineral supplements led to a much smaller and statistically non-significant change. Although the causes of tail-biting are undoubtedly complex, the results suggest that heightened appetite for salt could make pigs particularly attracted to pen-mates with injured tails. Key words: Pigs, tail-biting, abnormal behavior, salt, sodium, mineral deficiency

Validation and development of a behavioural test to predict the predisposition of growing pigs to perform harmful social behaviour such as tail biting

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 50-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.B. Breuer ◽  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
L.M. Dunne ◽  
E.C. Slade ◽  
Z. Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Tail Biting ◽  
Behavioural Test ◽  
Chewing Behaviour

Harmful social behaviour is behaviour that is directed at pen mates which, if persistent, causes injury. It includes tail, ear and flank biting. The aim of this work was to determine if pigs that are predisposed to harmful social behaviour can be identified early in life using a test. In this experiment a test that measured the chewing behaviour of pigs on an artificial tail was developed from Fraser (1987), as one of a wider battery of tests under investigation in the overall project. The validity of the test was evaluated by correlating the rope directed behaviour in the test with harmful social behaviour in the home pen.

Urinary organic acids in man. II. Effects of individual variation and diet on the urinary excretion of acidic metabolites.

1976 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 1288-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A Chalmers ◽  
M J Healy ◽  
A M Lawson ◽  
R W Watts
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Excretion ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Normal Population ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Population Surveys ◽  
Urinary Organic Acids ◽  
Normal Ranges ◽  
Individual Variations

Abstract We have assessed individual variations in urinary acidic metabolite excretion and the effects of extreme alterations in dietary composition on these metabolites in selected normal persons who we considered representative of the general ambulant normal population. Extreme dietary alterations produced relatively small changes in the patterns or amounts of metabolite excretion, but large individual within-subject variations were observed. Our results indicate that variation in the ranges of excretion for the normal population mainly depend on individual metabolic variations rather than on dietary factors, and provide a basis for the assessment of the normal ranges determined from population surveys. Our results are discussed in relation to previous studies on the variability of urinary acidic metabolite excretion in man.

The effects of enrichment on welfare, production and meat quality of the pig

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 ◽  
pp. 193-193
Author(s):  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
N. Walker ◽  
L.J. Farmer ◽  
I.A. Sneddont
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Eating Quality ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Tail Biting ◽  
Enriched Environments ◽  
Welfare Production

Enriching the housing of growing pigs by creating an environment which is responsive can stimulate behaviour patterns similar to that of pigs in semi-natural conditions (Beattie 1994, Simonsen 1990). These changes in behaviour in conjunction with the absence of tail-biting and ear chewing in enriched environments (Beattie, Sneddon & Walker 1993) are indicators of improved welfare (Signoret 1983).This study investigated the effect of enrichment on welfare, production performance and eating quality of the resultant pork. Welfare was assessed using behavioural measures.

scholarly journals Development of comprehension of ironic utterances in 3- to 9-year-old Finnish-speaking children

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soile Loukusa ◽  
Eeva Leinonen
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Literal Interpretation ◽  
Incorrect Answer ◽  
Significant Difference

Development of comprehension of ironic utterances in 3- to 9-year-old Finnish-speaking children This study explores the comprehension of simple ironic utterances in 210 Finnish children aged from 3 to 9 years. If the child answered the question correctly, he/she was asked to explain correct answers. The results indicated that there was large individual variation within age groups both in answers and explanations. In terms of correct answers there was a significant difference between 6- and 7-year-olds and in correct explanations between age groups of 3-4, 6-7 and 7-8. Analysis of incorrect answers showed that literal interpretation of an utterance was the most common incorrect answer type in all age groups. Totally irrelevant answers occurred only in children aged 3 and 4. In terms of incorrect explanations, "turntaking" and "incorrect focus" categories were the most common incorrect explanation types. Contrary to previous studies, in this study already some of the 3- and 4-year-olds showed an emerging ability to comprehend irony.

scholarly journals Comparative digestion of timothy (Phleum pratense) fibre by ruminants, equines and rabbits

1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Udén ◽  
Peter J. Van Soest
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Faecal Output ◽  
True Digestibility

1. The abilities of cattle, sheep, goats, equines and rabbits to digest mature timothy (Phleum pratense) hay were compared. Apparent digestibilities were partitioned into true digestibility, metabolic faecal output (MFO) and fibre digestibility. The aim of the study was to determine the relative effects of fermentation site (among groups) and of body-weight (within groups) on the efficiency of digestion.2. The ruminants were superior to equines, which were in turn superior to rabbits, in digesting fibre components of the hay. A large individual variation in digestibility was noted only for the equines. Increasing body-weight was associated with higher digestibility in ruminants, but no such trends were seen in the non-ruminants.3. The MFO expressed as a proportion of dry matter intake gave similar values for all groups (0·085–0·118). As a proportion of available microbial substrate originating from the feed, the values were found to be 0·167 for the ruminant, 0·425 for the equines and 2·13 for the rabbits. The value for the rabbits shows that their lower tract microflora must obtain energy from non-fibre components of the feed. No appreciable digestion of the generated microbes by the host was suggested by the values obtained for the equines.

The effects of increased dietary salt concentration on performance and behaviour of finishing pigs

2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
R.N. Weatherup
Keyword(s):  
Salt Concentration ◽  
Welfare Economic ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Finishing Pigs ◽  
Dietary Salt ◽  
Tail Biting ◽  
Pig Performance

Tail-biting is a behavioural vice with important welfare, economic and carcass quality implications observed in growing pigs. Fraser (1987) proposed that mineral deficiencies in the diet may be related to tail-biting while Beattie et al (1996) found that tail-biting did not occur in intensive housing when pigs had access to a rooting substrate. This study compared the effects on pig performance and behaviour of increased dietary salt concentration with a negative control (standard diet, no rooting substrate) and a positive control (standard diet, rooting substrate provided).

The effect of breed on the expression of adverse social behaviour in pigs

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 33-33
Author(s):  
K. Breuer ◽  
M.E.M. Sutcliffe ◽  
J.T. Mercer ◽  
K.A. Rance ◽  
V.E. Beattie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Contributory Factor ◽  
Current Experiment ◽  
Tail Biting ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Breed Differences ◽  
Genetic Makeup ◽  
Social Behaviours

The performance of tail biting and other harmful social behaviours is a common problem on pig farms. Many risk factors relating to tail biting have been identified, but the problem remains intractable. One contributory factor may be the genetic makeup of pigs but, as with most pig behaviour, there has been little research into the genetic basis of its expression. The aim of the current experiment was to investigate the genetic component of harmful social behaviours, such as tail biting, by assessing breed differences in the predisposition to perform these behaviours.

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