Behavioral and physiological responses of livestock to simulated and actual transport by sea

The effect of space allowance on performance, aggression and immune competence of growing pigs housed on straw deep-litter at different group sizes

We investigated the effect of space allowance during transport on behaviour, bruising and welfare of 48 Hereford steers (mean liveweight 400 kg). On 4 occasions, animals from each space allowance, low (0.89 m2/animal), medium (1.16 m2/ animal) and high (1.39 m2/animal) were transported 360 km in the same stock-crate in a standardised manner to an abattoir for slaughter. During transport, the behaviour of the animals was monitored on closed circuit video. On arrival at the abattoir, all animals were placed in lairage in the same yard on each occasion and were handled in a standardised manner at slaughter next day. Carcass measurements made at slaughter included bruise score, muscle pH, weight, fat depth and muscle score. In the high space allowance the animals made significantly (P< 0.05) more movements of >1 m than did animals in the low space allowance. Six animals 'went down' in the low space allowance, but none did so in the other treatments. The carcass weight in the low space allowance was significantly (P<0.05) less than that of the medium space allowance (196 v. 206 kg respectively), and the bruise scores in the low and high space allowance treatments were 4 and 2 times greater respectively than in the medium space allowance treatment (8.2, 4.6 and 1.9 bruise scores respectively; P< 0.01). We conclude that space allowance for cattle during road transport can significantly affect the level of bruising, carcass weight and risk of injury of the animals.

The effect of type of rooting material and space allowance on exploration and abnormal behaviour in growing pigs

Effects of space allowance and simulated sea transport motion on behavioural and physiological responses of sheep

Space allowance determination by considering its coeffect with toy provision on production performance, behavior and physiology for grouped growing pigs

Changes in cortisol and glucose concentrations in rabbits transported to the slaughterhouse

Simple SummarySheep are sometimes transported long distances by ship, and space allowance is one of the most contentious aspects of welfare provision. Previous research has not examined major increases in space allowances, so we investigated sheep responses to a doubling of the standard Australian allowance. Sheep were exposed to simulated ship motion of a regular or irregular nature, representing smooth sailing or high seas, or a control treatment without motion. Doubling space allowance provided evidence of reduced stress: less pushing each other, less need for the sheep to hold their heads close together, less leaning against their enclosure and lower heart rates and LF/HF ratio. It did, however, increase stepping by the sheep to correct their balance. Irregular motion reduced the time sheep spent chewing the cud, also evidence of stress, however, balance corrections were more common in regular motion, possibly because the sheep could predict the movement and step accordingly. We conclude that doubling sheep’s space allowance during simulated ship transport improves their welfare, and that irregular motion limits balance control and may reduce welfare.Transporting livestock at high stocking density by ship presents significant risks to their welfare, especially if it is over long distances. Previous research has investigated small variations in density for long periods or a moderate variation for short periods. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a doubling of space allowance during two types of simulated ship movement, regular and irregular floor motion, on the welfare of sheep for a short one-hour period. Six 25 kg sheep were restrained in pairs in a crate on a programmable platform that generated roll and pitch motion typical of that experienced on board ship. Sheep were subjected to regular or irregular movement or a control treatment at high and low stocking densities (0.26 and 0.52 m2/sheep) in a multilevel changeover design. Irregular movement was programmed as a sequence of 30 different amplitude and duration values for pitch and roll movements, which were randomly selected by computer software controlling the movement. Regular movement was the mean of these values, which represented approximately 33% of the recommended maximum tolerance for livestock carriers. Behaviour was recorded by six cameras positioned around the crate. The low space allowance increased sheep pushing each other (Low: 4.51 events/h, High: 1.37 events/h, p < 0.001), affiliative behaviour, with their heads one on top of the other (Low 8.64, High 3.75 s/h, p = 0.02) and standing supported by the crate (Low 96, High 3.2 s/h, p < 0.001). Sheep stepped more frequently when more space was provided, particularly in the forward (Low 6.4, High 8.4 steps/h, p = 0.02) and left (Low 4.0, High 4.7 steps/h, p = 0.03) directions. The low space allowance group also had i heart rates, providing evidence of physiological stress. Irregular movement reduced rumination (Irregular 288, Control 592, Regular 403 s/h, p = 0.02), which was evidence of reduced welfare, but balance corrections by stepping were more common if the motion was regular. Thus, there was evidence that the low space allowance increased interactions between sheep and was stressful, and that irregular floor motion in simulated ship transport limited balance control and reduced welfare.

Association between resting behaviour and live weight gain in dairy heifers housed in pens with different space allowance and floor type

Although the number of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) produced in Europe is important, they are under-represented in welfare research. Studies on the effects of housing conditions have focused on performance and mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis to further understand the impact of the housing environment on growing rabbits. Whilst providing a robust quantifiable review, meta-analyses are restricted to existing literature. We included information on behaviour, mortality and performance. Twenty-seven peer-reviewed and conference publications, with a total of 99 experimental treatments, were used. We collected information about rabbit age, bodyweight, sex and breed; allometric space allowance, pen height, group size, environmental temperature, floor type, substrate and enrichment use, lighting, diet and medicated feed. Predictive equations for each response variable were calculated using multiple regression models. Higher space allowance was found to increase locomotor and social activity, and to reduce resting and comfort behaviour. Restricted pen height increased ingestive behaviour; comfort behaviours decreased as space allowance increased, although these might have been confounded with self-directed behaviours in literature. Mortality remained stable at varying space allowances, but increased with larger group sizes and enrichment objects. Growth rate, feed intake and feed conversion were reduced with higher space allowances and larger group sizes, and by provision of substrate and enrichment objects. Findings suggest that higher space allowance and unrestricted pen height are beneficial for rabbit behaviour, but might have undesired consequences if considered independent from other aspects. The challenge of promoting welfare in commercial conditions was highlighted, as a number of parameters which improved behavioural expression reduced performance. In certain cases welfare inputs complemented performance, including providing non-medicated feed and higher space allowance in cooler climates. Although our results should be interpreted with caution given the limitations of the included variables, they are expected to contribute to the improvement of current and new rabbit housing systems to optimise welfare.

Effects of mixed-species stocking and space allowance on the behaviour and growth of red deer hinds and ewes at pasture

Simple SummaryRegarding the topography of Chile, livestock have to travel for long distances (1240 km), including road and sea transport. During this journey food and water deprivation, overstocking and handling issues have been reported as common problems. The lack of adequate conditions onboard can produce adverse consequences for the welfare of livestock in transit. In the current study the physiological and behavioural implications of two different space allowances and the lack of food and water during the long-distance transport has been studied. The current space provided in Chile to the cattle onboard (1 m2/500 kg) appears to be detrimental to their welfare. Lack of room to allow postural adjustment in combination with limited access to food and water resulted in poor nutrition and dehydration. Behavioural responses to the low space were also affected. Cattle increased the time spend eating and ruminating when 30% extra space and more feed was provided. We conclude that, under the current Chilean standards for the long-distance transport, the welfare of the livestock is adversely affected. This research can provide valuable information for the reform of welfare standards for the transport of livestock in Chile.Long distance transport of livestock from Patagonia to central Chile involves both road and sea transport and has a potential impact on the welfare of animals. Fifty Bos taurus cattle of approximate age six months were exposed to a journey of four days, with both the sea and road components undertaken in a truck (roll-off roll-on system) with two pens of different dimensions. Thirty-two and eighteen cattle were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: Low and High welfare standards, which were provided 0.66 m2/head and 0.86 m2/head, respectively, and a fixed amount of feed and water daily to each pen, 1.25 kg hay/head and 3.1 L water/head in the Low welfare treatment and 2.22 kg/head and 5.6 L/head in the High welfare treatment, respectively. Low welfare animals had increased plasma total protein and albumin, which is suggested to be due to limited water availability, and also haptoglobin, suggesting inflammatory responses. Cattle in the High welfare treatment spent more time eating and ruminating than those in the Low space allowance, but they had increased cortisol at the end of the journey, perhaps reflecting increased fighting with more space. Cattle welfare in both treatments was adversely affected by the limited feed and water supplies, with increased beta-hydroxybutyrate at the end of the voyage; total protein was increased in just the low welfare standard group where low space allowance and less food and water was provided. Creatine phosphokinase also increased after the journey, compared with before, indicating bruising. Limiting feed and water availability to cattle in the low welfare treatment resulted in physiological evidence of undernutrition and low hydration status, but it also reduced the stress response, probably because there was less fighting.

Influence of space allowance and milk yield level on behaviour, performance and health of dairy cows housed in strawyard and cubicle systems

We explored whether straw bedding at rest stations might affect latency and duration of lying down beyond the 8h rest required at rest stops during long distance transport. Animals arriving to commercially operated rest stops (n=75, 6/load, opportunistically selected) were rested in pens (15.5 × 9.5 m) that were either bedded (n=38, straw, 14 cm deep) or non-bedded (n=37). The lying activity of each animal was recorded every 10 min for 8 h. The independent variables recorded included: bedding treatment, mean animal weight/load (kg), and space allowance [k-value = (m2/animal) / (BW2/3)] in the trailer. Ordinary linear and mixed linear regression models were fitted to assess lying latency and duration, respectively. Bedding affected latency to lie down, but its effect depended on space allowance in the truck: among cattle transported with low space allowance (2.08 - 3.29 m2/ 300 kg animal), bedded cattle laid down sooner than non-bedded cattle (P&amp;lt; 0.001). Comparing only cattle in bedded pens, cattle laid down sooner when transported with low space allowance (2.08 - 3.29 m2/ 300 kg animal) compared with medium space allowance (&amp;gt;3.29 – 3.69 m2/ 300 kg animal; P=0.003). Bedding also affected lying duration, but the effect depended on mean animal weight; as mean animal weight of the load increased so did duration but the effect was greater among bedded animals (P=0.027). In summary, cattle transported at high stocking densities are most likely to benefit from bedding as are heavier animals.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of group size-space allowance and floor type on growth performance and carcass characteristics in pigs slaughtered at 160 kg live weight (LW). Materials and methods: (Landrace × Large White) × Duroc pigs (N = 216), averaging 89.8 ± 0.4 kg LW at approximately 6 months of age, were evenly distributed among 18 pens (six pens per room, equal numbers of barrows and gilts per pen). Nine pens provided a low space allowance (LSA; k = 0.033; 1.0 m2 per animal; 126 pigs), and nine pens provided a high space allowance (HSA; k = 0.047; 1.4 m2 per animal; 90 pigs). After 90 days, six pigs per pen were slaughtered (total 108 pigs; 156 ± 1.4 kg LW). The proportion of floor contaminated with manure, urine, or both, and environmental parameters, were recorded during the observation period. Results: Pigs on all floor types tended to gain more weight with HSA than with LSA (P = .08) days 46 to 90. Average daily gain (ADG) and final LW were higher for barrows than gilts (P &lt; .05). Feed conversion ratio tended to be lower (P &lt; .10) for HSA than LSA animals. Backfat thickness was higher for HSA and rooms with totally slatted floors. Contaminated floor area was smaller with totally slatted floors. Implications: Increasing space allowance from k = 0.033 to k = 0.047 is associated with better ADG at LW &gt; 120 kg, suggesting that this change might be of benefit to the heavy-pig industry.

Angus x Shorthorn heifers weighing about 350 kg were used to study the responses of heart rate and behaviour to different pen sizes, space allowances and road conditions during transport. In experiment 1, 6 groups of 9 heifers were transported at contrasting space allowances (0.9 and 1.1 m2/animal) on two 135- km journeys over a predetermined route of country, highway and suburban roads. Space allowance was varied by adjusting pen size. In experiment 2,4 groups of 8 heifers were used in a 2 (space allowances [0.8 and 1.0 m2/animal])x2 (pen sizes [8 and 16 m2]) factorial experiment to determine animal responses during a 31 km journey over sealed suburban roads. Space allowance was adjusted by adding non-experimental animals from the same herd. In experiment 3,6 groups of 7 animals were used to study the response of cattle to 2 space allowances (0.89 and 1.14 mVanima1) during a journey of 424 km. Space allowance was adjusted by using non-experimental animals from the same herd. In all experiments, animals transported at the lower space allowances had 3.9-6.7% lower heart rates (P &lt; 0.05) and l27-260% lower movement scores (P &lt; 0.05) than did animals transported at higher space allowances. In experiment 1, road type significantly affected heart rate (P&lt;0.05) but not movement. In experiment 2, both heart rate and movement were significantly (P&lt;0.01) less in small pens compared with large pens (heart rate 68.8 v. 71.7 bpm; number of movements 7.1 v. 15.8). There was a significant (P&lt;0.05) interaction between space allowance and pen size on heart rate, but not on the amount of movement. In experiment 3, the stage of the journey did not affect the difference in heart rate between space allowance treatments. It is concluded that, within the ranges of the variables examined, road transport was less demanding on cattle in small pens with a small space allowance. It is suggested that space allowances can be more readily manipulated in transport vehicles with small pens and so minimise risks to animal welfare during rapid changes in vehicle motion.