Abstract
The aim of the investigation was to compare the three Hal genotypes within litter, with respect to: (1) piglet performance; (2) effects on agonistic behaviour and weight gain of transport and amperozide treatment at 12 weeks of age. The animals were offspring of heterozygous boars and sows, and the Hal genotype was revealed by the halothane test combined with blood typing. One hundred and twenty pigs, kept in groups of four (1 NN, 2 Nn and 1 nn from different litters), were allotted to the four treatments in an experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial design: with and without transport (5 h) × with and without amperozide treatment. Each transport treatment comprised 15 pens and the animals in seven of these were treated with amperozide. Piglet weight at birth and at 9 weeks did not differ between the Hal genotypes. Amperozide treatment decreased the agonistic behaviour, but the effects on weight gain were inconsistent. Overall, daily weight gain in the first 13 days after the transport/amperozide treatments did not differ, neither between treatment groups nor between Hal genotypes, but interactions between Hal genotype, sex and amperozide treatment were found. Gilts attacked more than castrates, and interactions between Hal genotype and sex were indicated for agonistic behaviour. Creatine kinase (CK) activity was higher in nn compared with NN and Nn pigs. Transport increased the CK activity.
Published Version
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