Abstract
Simple SummaryYoung pigs can bite each other’s tails, which is a welfare problem. It begins suddenly and spreads like an “outbreak”. Pig farmers use various methods to prevent tail biting, but if prevention fails, a cure is needed, and there has been little scientific research into how best to stop an outbreak. In a study with 65 groups of young pigs, we tested three methods of stopping tail biting outbreaks which could be practical to use on commercial farms: (1) straw (small amount on the floor), (2) rope, and (3) Bite-Rite (a hanging plastic device with chewable rods). All provided some distraction, but straw stopped an increase in tail injuries more often (75%) than the Bite-Rite (35%), with rope intermediate (65%). Watching the pigs’ behaviour showed that they preferred to interact with rope than the Bite-Rite. We also saw that interacting with other pigs’ tails increased after a week with the Bite-Rite but not with rope or straw. Overall straw worked best, but future studies may find even more effective ways to stop tail biting outbreaks, once they begin.Tail biting in pigs is an injurious behaviour that spreads rapidly in a group. We investigated three different treatments to stop ongoing tail biting outbreaks in 65 pens of 6–30 kg undocked pigs (30 pigs per pen; SD = 2): (1) straw (7 g/pig/day on the floor), (2) rope, and (3) Bite-Rite (a hanging plastic device with chewable rods). Pigs were tail scored three times weekly, until an outbreak occurred (four pigs with a tail wound; day 0) and subsequently once weekly. After an outbreak had occurred, a subsequent escalation in tail damage was defined if four pigs with a fresh tail wound were identified or if a biter had to be removed. Straw prevented an escalation better (75%) than Bite-Rite (35%; p < 0.05), and rope was intermediate (65%). Upon introduction of treatments (day 0), pigs interacted less with tails than before (day −1; p < 0.05). Behavioural observations showed that pigs engaged more with rope than Bite-Rite (p < 0.05). Bite-Rite pigs (but not straw or rope) increased their interaction with tails between day 0 and day 7 (p < 0.05). Straw was the most effective treatment. However, further investigations may identify materials or allocation strategies which are more effective still.
Highlights
Tail biting in pigs is an abnormal behaviour and has been reported both in conventional and in free-range/organic productions [1,2]
While Lahrmann et al [12] dealt with identifying behavioural changes before tail biting outbreaks, the current study focused on the effect of interventions in pens with tail biting outbreaks
Providing additional straw in a relatively small amount (7 g/pig/day) on the floor during a tail biting outbreak reduced the risk of an escalation in tail damage more effectively than providing a
Summary
Tail biting in pigs is an abnormal behaviour and has been reported both in conventional and in free-range/organic productions [1,2]. There has been considerable research into risk factors and preventive treatments, only one experimental study, Zonderland et al [8], has investigated the curative effect of interventions in pens with a tail biting outbreak. Systematic studies evaluating the effect of different curative treatments in pens with a tail biting outbreak are needed [3,9]. Curative treatments in this context refer to interventions aiming at stopping or reducing tail biting behaviour and tail damage in pens after a tail biting outbreak has already started. The effect of hanging materials on tail damage during an outbreak has not been investigated in previous studies (reviewed by D’Eath et al [9]).
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