Abstract
Simple SummaryTransport is an inevitable process in the modern swine industry. Trailers transporting pigs are bedded with straw, wood shavings, corn stover, or sand. Excess bedding may detrimentally affect the micro-environment inside the trailer during warm weather and in turn negatively affect animal based measures and transport losses. These experiments aim to determine the amount of bedding that is ideal for market weight pig transport during warm weather.During warm weather, incorrect bedding levels on a trailer transporting market weight pigs may result in heat stress, fatigue, and death. Two experiments were conducted in June and July of 2011; Experiment 1 used 80 loads (n = 13,887 pigs) to determine the effects of two bedding levels (3 (68.1 kg) or 6 bags (136.2 kg) of wood shavings/trailer [each bag contained 22.7 kg, 0.2 m3]) on pig measures (surface temperature, vocalizations, slips and falls, and stress signs). Experiment 2 used 131 loads (n = 22,917 pigs) to determine the effects of bedding (3 vs. 6 bags) on transport losses (dead, sum of dead- and euthanized- on arrival; non-ambulatory, sum of fatigued and injured; total transport losses sum of dead and non-ambulatory). Bedding did not affect surface temperature, vocalizations, or slips and falls (p = 0.58, p = 0.50, and p = 0.28, respectively). However, pigs transported on 6 bags/trailer had 1.5% more stress signs than pigs transported on 3 bags/trailer (p < 0.01). No differences were observed between bedding levels for non-ambulatory, dead, or total transport losses (p = 0.10, p = 0.67, and p = 0.34, respectively). Within the context of these experiments, bedding level did not result in deleterious effects on pig measures or transport losses. However, using more bedding may result in higher costs to the industry. Therefore, 3 bags of bedding/trailer may be used when transporting market weight pigs during warm weather in the Midwestern U.S.
Highlights
In 2011, ~110 million pigs were marketed in the U.S [1]
The U.S industry’s Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) program defines appropriate bedding as straw, corn stover, wood shavings, or sand and provides recommendations for bedding levels
No differences were observed between 3 and 6 bags/trailer for surface temperature, vocalizations, or slips and falls indicating that the use of straw bedding at these temperatures (p ≥ 0.28; Table 2)
Summary
In 2011, ~110 million pigs were marketed in the U.S [1]. Transporting pigs is essential to multi-site pork production. If the pig is unable to cope with these stressors, increased transport losses and decreased meat quality may result [3,4,5]. The U.S industry’s Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) program defines appropriate bedding as straw, corn stover, wood shavings, or sand and provides recommendations for bedding levels. These recommendations are based on experiential information rather than scientific data [7]. The objectives of these experiments were to compare the effects of 2 bedding levels on the (1) pig measures at the time of unloading and (2) transport losses during warm weather for market weight pigs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
