scholarly journals Equipping Farrowing Pens with Straw Improves Maternal Behavior and Physiology of Min-Pig Hybrid Sows

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Qian Han ◽  
Runze Liu ◽  
Wenbo Ji ◽  
Yanju Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Enriched Environment ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Parental Behaviors ◽  
Bout Duration ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Building Behavior

This study investigated the effects of two factors, enriched environment (EE) and different crossbreeds, on the maternal behavior and physiology of Min-pig hybrid sows. The analysis was performed on a total of 72 multiparous sows, including Duroc × Min pig (DM), Landrace × Min pig (LM), and Landrace × Yorkshire (LY) sows, using a total of 24 sows per cross. The sows were housed in two different farrowing pens, one with straw (EE) and one without straw (barren environment (BE)). The results showed that nest-building behavior, including the frequency, total duration, and bout duration, was significantly higher in EE sows than in BE sows (p < 0.01). The frequency and duration of prepartum nest-building behavior were higher in DM and LM sows than in LY sows (p < 0.0001). During the first three days postpartum, EE sows spent a shorter time in ventral recumbency compared with BE sows (p < 0.05). The oxytocin (p < 0.05) and prolactin (p < 0.01) concentrations of EE sows were significantly higher than in BE sows; however, the concentration of cortisol followed the opposite (p < 0.01). The concentration of oxytocin was significantly higher in DM and LM sows than in LY sows (p < 0.01). In conclusion, both EE increased the expression of hormones related to parental behaviors and prenatal nesting and nursing behavior of sows. Furthermore, an EE can also reduce stress in sows. Min-pig hybrids may inherit highly advantageous characteristics of maternal behavior of Min-pig sows.

Sex differences in the modulation of mouse nest building behavior by kappa opioid receptor signaling

2020 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 108254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moriah L. Jacobson ◽  
Hildegard A. Wulf ◽  
Mumeko C. Tsuda ◽  
Caroline A. Browne ◽  
Irwin Lucki
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Opioid Receptor ◽  
Kappa Opioid Receptor ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Receptor Signaling ◽  
Kappa Opioid ◽  
Building Behavior

Effects of small medial preoptic area lesions on maternal behavior: Retreiving and nest building in the rat

1980 ◽  
Vol 194 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol D. Jacobson ◽  
Joseph Terkel ◽  
Roger A. Gorski ◽  
Charles H. Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Medial Preoptic Area ◽  
Nest Building

Maternal Behavior in the Rat: an Investigation and Quantification of Nest Building

Behaviour ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 34 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor H. Denenberg ◽  
M.X. Zarrow ◽  
Rhoda E. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Warm Temperature ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Over Time

AbstractA technique has been developed to quantify nest building in rats. Small wooden dowels are provided as nest material. Rats shred the dowels, and the degree of nest building is determined by the amount shredded daily. Pregnant females show a marked increase in dowel shredding at or just prior to the time of parturition; shredding falls precipitously after parturition. Males and nonpregnant females show no such pattern over an equivalent period of time; their dowel shredding, in fact, decreases over time. A series of experiments were carried out involving hormone manipulations of pregnant and nonpregnant females. The only significant finding was that progesterone reduced the percentage of females which shredded dowels and also delayed the time of onset of this behavior. When nonpregnant females and males were exposed to cool ambient temperatures, dowel shredding increased markedly. On the other hand, exposing females to a warm temperature blocked dowel shredding behavior. Some similarities and differences between these findings and findings for the rabbit and mouse are discussed.

Spatial Preferences of farrowing sows

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 ◽  
pp. 63-63
Author(s):  
A M Petchey
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Enriched Environment ◽  
The Body ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Body Width ◽  
Freedom Of Movement ◽  
Building Activity ◽  
High Standards

To satisfy stringent welfare criteria a farrowing pen must meet the sows’ needs for freedom of movement and allow her to exhibit most normal behaviours.Pens must be designed which provide adequate space for the loose housed farrowing sow but which have additional features to promote high standards of pig care. The sow should not be left to farrow indiscriminately within the pen but must be provided with an enriched environment to satisfy both her needs and those of the piglets. Within the pen the sow requires a suitable nest site and material to manipulate immediately pre-farrowing. These features can only be provided when it becomes known what the sows’ find desirable. In previous work it was shown that sows’ preferred to build their nests and farrow within a cubicle rather than in a corner or against a straight but open wall and that sows exhibit intensive nest building activity in the 14 hours before farrowing. In this trial the objective was to determine the farrowing sows’ response to an arrangement of parallel walls spaced 0.55, 0.95 and 1.35 m apart. The rationale behind the measurements was that they approximated to the body width, height and length of a generalised sow. Information about the sows’ response to such a wall arrangement would be useful if pens with walk-through nests were being designed.

Cannabis interferes with nest-building behavior in mice

1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Moschovakis ◽  
D. Liakopoulos ◽  
A. Armaganidis ◽  
V. Kapsambelis ◽  
G. Papanikolaou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nest Building ◽  
Building Behavior
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