Abstract
Piglets are attracted to maternal faeces early in life. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify faecal maternal semiochemicals that attract piglets and evaluate their effects on piglets at weaning. Faecal samples were collected from eight sows during gestation and lactation. Faecal semiochemicals were extracted and identified using solid phase extraction and GC/MS. A total of 26 volatiles were present in lactating and gestating sow faeces. Sows secreted no unique semiochemical after farrowing. However, the concentration of skatole and myristic acid were 2.68 and 1.13 times higher after farrowing. A free-choice preference assessment showed that piglets had a preference for a feeder sprayed with a solution containing skatole and myristic acid. No preference was found when feeders were sprayed with skatole and myristic acid individually. The application of skatole and myristic acid to the feeders of weaned pigs significantly reduced piglet aggression by 30% and tended to increase feeding behaviour by 35% the first 24 h post-weaning. These results suggest that skatole and myristic acid might be acting as a multicomponent maternal signal that attracts piglets and has a calming effect at weaning.
Highlights
Several behavioural studies have demonstrated that piglets are attracted to their mothers’ faeces as early as 12 hours after birth and can even discriminate between maternal and non-maternal faeces[1,2]
The present study identified 26 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in sow faeces during gestation and lactation (Fig. 1B)
Consumption of maternal faeces will result in the ingestion of minerals and nutrients that could be beneficial to piglets
Summary
Several behavioural studies have demonstrated that piglets are attracted to their mothers’ faeces as early as 12 hours after birth and can even discriminate between maternal and non-maternal faeces[1,2]. It has been shown that piglets are attracted to lactating sow faeces when tested against non-lactating sow faeces[2] This suggests that during lactation, sows might be secreting maternal faecal semiochemicals that attract piglets. Rat dams secrete a maternal faecal pheromone (deoxycholic acid) from the 14th to the 27th day of lactation that attracts pups and promotes coprophagy[5]. We speculated that, as in rats, maternal semiochemicals might be attracting piglets and inducing coprophagy[12]. The objectives of this study were: (1) The identification of swine maternal faecal semiochemicals that could be attracting piglets. We compared the nutrient content and volatile profile of gestating and lactating sow faeces and conducted behavioural test with possible candidate semiochemicals.
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