Behaviour Of Piglets Research Articles

PSII-4 How to define good mothering ability using computer vision of free farrowing sows?

Abstract In modern swine production, most of the sows are housed in a cage system in the farrowing unit. Although this system is intended to reduce preweaning mortality, the welfare of the sow might be compromised as it greatly restricts their natural behavior. Free farrowing systems allow sows to move around in the farrowing pen, which might stimulate their nesting behavior, shorten the farrowing duration and improve locomotion score, therefore, optimizing the longevity of the sows. However, the risk of increased preweaning mortality in free farrowing systems is greater compared with cage systems. Previous studies suggested that sow behavior, also known as mothering ability, can influence preweaning mortality as an increased level of posture changes could lead to increased mortality. With grunts, a sow could initiate the suckling of the piglets but also terminate it by hiding her udder from the piglets. However, there is conflicting evidence on what characteristics of maternal ability are correlated with piglet mortality, and most studies relied on limited manual observations, which might be biased. Using computer vision algorithms, the behavior and the movement pattern of a large number of sows could be monitored at a high density and on a continuous basis. Hence, this study intended to investigate the mothering ability of sows in free farrowing systems based on large quantities and unbiased observations using computer vision. Forty cameras were installed above free farrowing pens to observe the behavior of the sow. The dataset is continuously growing and will add data of 8 sows every week, totaling 416 sows on a yearly basis. The performance of the sows and their piglets are recorded, including body weight (BW), backfat, total number born, number weaned, birth weight, and weaning weight. Computer vision algorithms (YOLO) will be trained to estimate the contour and posture of the sow and the position of the piglets. Preliminary results based on a small subset of animals showed that the algorithm is able to detect the sows and their postures accurately, and it is now being extended to detect piglet locations. This will allow us to find beneficial behavior of sow and piglets, estimate genetic parameters for potential implementation in breeding programs, and eventually improve sow performance in a welfare-friendly free farrowing system.

Exposure to natural stray currents of low voltage affects the behaviour and some stress biomarkers of weaned piglets

With the modernisation of pig breeding facilities, pigs may be exposed to both on-farm and off-farm sources of stray voltages. Data from ruminant species suggest that exposition to stray voltages may be a source of stress and impair animal welfare, but data are scarce for pigs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of stray currents of voltages under 0.5 Volts in pig housing on piglet behaviours and some biomarkers after weaning. Two replicates of 820 piglets were reared in a farm naturally exposed to stray voltage for seven weeks. The difference in electrical potential between the floor and each drinker and feeder was measured every two weeks. Piglets exposed to high-voltage drinkers (HVD > 125 mV) spent more time orally manipulating pen mates (P = 0.0031). They also spent more time lying inactive with open eyes (P = 0.0027) and less time nosing pen mates (P = 0.043), but these effects were influenced by the voltage in feeders (P = 0.0021 and P = 0.024, respectively). Piglets exposed to high-voltage feeders (HVF > 50 mV) spent less time lying with their eyes closed (P = 0.024) and more time aggressing pen mates (P = 0.0081). Fifty days after entering the farm, blood hydroperoxide concentration was higher in piglets exposed to HVD (P = 0.039). The increase in socio-negative behaviours and oxidative stress in pigs exposed to stray voltages in pig housing suggested that stray voltages might have moderate detrimental consequences for piglets in post-weaning facilities.

37. Changes in eating behaviour of piglets in the early days of post-weaning

37. Changes in eating behaviour of piglets in the early days of post-weaning

56. Evaluation of the incorporation of a bacterial xylanase into wheat or barley diets on the performance and feeding behavior of piglets

56. Evaluation of the incorporation of a bacterial xylanase into wheat or barley diets on the performance and feeding behavior of piglets

Effects of different tooth grinding procedures on the occurrence of tooth injuries, skin lesions, performance and behaviour of suckling piglets

BackgroundImmediately after birth, newborn piglets fight to establish a teat order. During this process, lesions appear on the piglets’ faces and on the sows’ teats, which is why tooth resection is carried out on many farms in Germany even though it is known that this procedure is frequently resulting in pulp openings. The opening of a pulp cave is suspected to cause painful tooth alterations and may be an entrance for infectious agents. The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of tooth resection on skin lesions, development of bodyweight and behaviour in suckling piglets. Four days prepartum, 110 sows in farrow-to-finish production were assigned to one of three treatments. Litters had their teeth left intact (control group, CG), ground with a tea-cup roller head (Tea-cup head grinder group, TCG, Wilofa Diamant, D-56,133 Fachbach, Germany) or ground with a diamond rolling head (rolling head grinder group, RG, IBS/E Company Proxxon GmbH, 54,343 Föhren, Germany). The number of pulp openings in the RG and TCG was examined using a random sample. Piglet body weight and skin lesion scores were recorded within the first 24 h after birth and during each week of the suckling period. Each sow’s udder was examined before farrowing, in the second week of lactation and at weaning. The behaviour of the litters from nine sows was video-recorded throughout the suckling period. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tooth grinding by a tea-cup head (compared to grinding by a diamond roller head and no grinding [control group]) on the behaviour and average daily gain of piglets as well as on skin lesions on sow udder.ResultsThe number of dental injuries was significantly greater in the RG than in the TCG (p < 0.01). Head lesions on piglets were significantly more common in the CG than in the RG (p = 0. 02). Compared to CG piglets, TCG piglets had a significantly greater weight at the end of the suckling period (p = 0.02). No significant difference between treatments was found in the sows’ udder (parenchyma, skin, or teat) or in the behaviour of the litters.ConclusionAs tooth grinding is frequently inducing pulp openings, the necessity of the procedure should be carefully and critically scrutinised. In case tooth resection seems inevitable until the underlying management problems have been solved, the Tea-cup grinding head should be used due to significantly fewer pulp openings.

Impact of Nutritional Strategies to Prevent Post-Weaning Diarrhoea on Performance, Behaviour, and Microbiota in Piglets from Organic Farming.

Organic livestock farming is committed to high environmental and animal welfare standards, although pathologies such as post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) may appear. The main objective of this study was to assess nutritional strategies to prevent PWD in organic piglets. A total of 134 weaned piglets were fed one of three diets: high crude protein (17.8%, HCP), low crude protein (16.8%, LCP), and low crude protein supplemented with liquid whey (LCP+W). Piglets were assessed weekly for four weeks on the following parameters: diarrhoea incidence, additional health parameters, average daily gain, and behaviour. Faecal samples were taken to analyse the intestinal microbiota composition. Data were analysed using LMM and GLMM models and Shannon and Whittaker indexes. No significant effect of diet on diarrhoea incidence was found, but the LCP+W diet increased average daily gain. Pigs fed the LCP+W diet presented a lower percentage of drinking and negative social behaviour compared with the HCP diet, and LCP pigs presented higher exploration compared with HCP. In addition, LCP+W piglets showed a higher abundance of the beneficial genus Frisingicoccus. Although liquid whey did not reduce diarrhoea incidence, the benefits found in growth, microbiota composition, and reduced negative social behaviour indicate that it could be an optimal supplement to organic diets.

Effects of Two Different Methods of Teeth Grinding on Dental Injuries, Skin Lesions, Growth and Behaviour of Suckling Piglets Compared to a Non-Treated Control Group.

Teeth grinding in suckling piglets is performed on many farms to protect the piglets' littermates and the sow's udder from injuries caused by the piglets' canines and third incisors. In this study, the effects of two teeth-grinding methods on the piglets' dental health and welfare were investigated. The piglets of a litter were evenly assigned to a treatment: one-third of littermates were ground with a roller grinding head (RG), one-third with a teacup grinding head (TCG), and one-third were not ground at all (CG). A random sample of 100 animals each from the RG and TCG treatment was examined for tooth injuries, i.e., dental pulp openings. Additionally, behavioural analysis was performed (n = 650 piglets), and skin lesions, growth and mortality were determined (n = 1565 piglets). TCG piglets had a lower risk (p < 0.001) of pulp opening than RG piglets (0.08 ± 0.31 vs. 2.67 ± 1.67 opened pulps per piglet). Mortality, growth, skin lesions and behaviour of piglets were not influenced by treatment (p > 0.05). This study showed that both teeth-grinding methods led to pulp openings. If teeth grinding cannot be avoided on a farm, using the teacup grinding head is recommended concerning animal health and welfare.

Effects of artificial rearing on behaviour, welfare, and immune function in piglets

With the steady increase in litter sizes, artificial rearing is becoming widely used to raise surplus piglets. The study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of artificial rearing on behaviour and immune function in piglets. A total of 240 piglets were divided into three groups: piglets reared by the sow until weaning on day 35 (CON group), piglets artificially reared from day 7 (AR7 group), and piglets artificially reared from day 21 (AR21 group). Behavioural observation was conducted for 8 hours weekly, and the elimination position was recorded on days 7, 21, and 35. Serum and hair samples were collected to measure immunoglobulins and cortisol concentration, respectively. The results revealed that piglets in the AR7 group exhibited less frequent milk-drinking, exploring, and playing, but more frequent belly nosing and oral manipulation of conspecifics. Moreover, artificial rearing affected the elimination sites of AR7 piglets on day 21, but this phenomenon was not observed on day 35. In addition, the AR7 piglets had higher levels of cortisol and CRP, as well as lower levels of IgG and IgA compared to the CON piglets. The AR21 piglets also had a higher CRP level compared to the CON piglets. In conclusion, artificial rearing, initiated either from day 21 or day 7, negatively affected behavioural expression and immune function. Artificial rearing from day 7 was found to be the most physiologically detrimental.

Fibras solúvel e insolúvel em dietas de leitões na creche

This study evaluated the effect of diets containing low levels of soluble and insoluble fiber sources on performance, diarrhea score, chemical and physical characteristics of feces, and behavior in weaning piglets. Thirty-six weaned piglets of 30 days of age with an initial body weight of 8.8 kg were distributed in 36 pens using a completely randomized design in an experimental period of 21 days. The experimental treatments were the Control diet (CONT), the Control diet + 1% beet pulp inclusion (SBP), and the Control diet + 1% lignocellulose inclusion (LCE, Arbocel®). Feed and water were available ad libitum. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate the average daily intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. The fecal consistency was determined visually twice daily, classifying feces according to three scores. To determine fecal pH and concentration of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), samples of fresh feces were collected two weeks after weaning and measured by a digital pH meter and gas chromatography, respectively. The behavior of piglets was observed once a week, using four animals per treatment, from 14:00 to 16:00, every 12 min. Fibre sources had no effect (P&gt;0.05) on performance, except in the period 15 to 21 days after weaning, which was a tendency (P=0.061) of feed intake decrease in SBP and LCE diets. Fiber sources did not affect the fecal consistency score (P&gt;0.05). However, piglets fed SBP and LCE showed a tendency (P&lt;0.10) to have less diarrhea incidence 15 to 21 days post-weaning and in the entire experimental period. Fecal pH and SCFA concentration were not influenced by fiber source (P&gt;0.05), with acetic, propionic, and butyric acids representing around 71%, 19%, and 10% of the total, respectively. Fiber sources did not influence the social and feeding behavior of weaning piglets (P&gt;0.05). Diets containing 1% fiber sources did not alter performance, diarrhea score, fecal pH, fecal SCFA concentration, or feeding and social behavior of weaned piglets.

Burlap and buddies: the effects of social enrichment (preweaning mixing) and object enrichment (burlap) on piglet behavior and welfare in the postweaning environment.

The process of weaning piglets in commercial swine operations subjects them to numerous abrupt and stressful changes often resulting in negative welfare consequences. The objective was to study the postweaning effects of early-life (1 to 3 d of age) preweaning socialization in multi-litter groups as well as object enrichment (burlap sheet) in the pre- and postweaning environment by comparing six treatments that combined mixing of one vs. two vs. four litters mixed preweaning with and without burlap provision. An ANOVA linear model was run on all normal data, expressed per experimental unit (and behavior data were averaged over time), while non-normal data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Non-enriched groups of piglets were observed manipulating pen objects more often than the enriched groups (P = 0.005). Biting behaviors, including the chewing of ears and tails of pen-mates but excluding fighting, were observed the least in groups of pigs of four litters mixed preweaning, while piglets that were not mixed preweaning were observed biting the most (P = 0.03). Piglets who were not mixed preweaning also manipulated the burlap more frequently than the piglets from groups of 4 litters mixed preweaning (P = 0.02). Biting (P < 0.001) and displacements (P = 0.03) and fighting (P = 0.002) throughout the pen were observed less in the enriched groups. There were fewer lesions per pig in the enriched groups vs. non-enriched groups initially (P = 0.07) and 1wk after weaning (P = 0.10). Furthermore, pigs mixed in groups of four litters preweaning also tended to have lower lesion scores (P = 0.07) 1-wk postweaning compared to the other treatments. However, there were no differences between treatments in the proportion of piglets resting, eating/drinking, being active, or using the burlap, or for the observed frequency of displacements at the feeder, social behaviors, or belly nosing (P > 0.10). Overall, social enrichment encourages socialization with unfamiliar conspecifics at a younger age while object enrichment allows pigs to redirect their attention toward objects such as burlap. Both may improve pig behavior and welfare after weaning.

Suckling piglets submitted to creep feeding management from 5 days-old showed optimal performance and exploratory behaviour

This study aimed to assess the effects of starting creep feeding at different ages on performance, behaviour, haematological, and biochemical parameters in piglets. A total of 138 piglets (1.34 ± 0.25 kg, n = 13 sows), weaned at 21 d-old, were assigned to treatments using a completely randomized design. The litter was divided into two groups: seven litters (n = 80 piglets) were subjected to creep feeding on the fifth day of age (creep 5) and five litters (n = 58 piglets), on the tenth day of age (creep 10). Piglets were weighed at birth, weaning, and after the first week in the nursery. Piglet behaviour was evaluated daily for 15 min until day 20. Blood was collected on day 13, at weaning, and at the end of the first week in the nursery. There was no difference in body weight in the suckling phase, but piglets fed Creep 5 showed greater body weight gain in the first nursery week. The Creep 5 group had lower feed leftovers during the five days of evaluation of feed intake. There were no differences in haematological parameters and amylase concentration; however, the piglets spent more time lying down, sucking, and massaging the udder. On day 8, the piglets in the Creep 5 group showed a higher frequency of exploratory behaviour. In conclusion, piglets fed Creep 5 had optimal performance after weaning and improved feed intake capacity by displaying more exploratory behaviour than Creep 10. Creep management did not alter haematological and biochemical parameters.

Automatic Recognition and Quantification Feeding Behaviors of Nursery Pigs Using Improved YOLOV5 and Feeding Functional Area Proposals.

A novel method is proposed based on the improved YOLOV5 and feeding functional area proposals to identify the feeding behaviors of nursery piglets in a complex light and different posture environment. The method consists of three steps: first, the corner coordinates of the feeding functional area were set up by using the shape characteristics of the trough proposals and the ratio of the corner point to the image width and height to separate the irregular feeding area; second, a transformer module model was introduced based on YOLOV5 for highly accurate head detection; and third, the feeding behavior was recognized and counted by calculating the proportion of the head in the located feeding area. The pig head dataset was constructed, including 5040 training sets with 54,670 piglet head boxes, and 1200 test sets, and 25,330 piglet head boxes. The improved model achieves a 5.8% increase in the mAP and a 4.7% increase in the F1 score compared with the YOLOV5s model. The model is also applied to analyze the feeding pattern of group-housed nursery pigs in 24 h continuous monitoring and finds that nursing pigs have different feeding rhythms for the day and night, with peak feeding periods at 7:00-9:00 and 15:00-17:00 and decreased feeding periods at 12:00-14:00 and 0:00-6:00. The model provides a solution for identifying and quantifying pig feeding behaviors and offers a data basis for adjusting the farm feeding scheme.

Burlap and buddies: the effects of social enrichment (preweaning mixing) and object enrichment (burlap) on piglet performance, behavior, and welfare in the preweaning environment.

When weaned in commercial operations, piglets are not only separated from their sow but also mixed with unfamiliar pigs in an unfamiliar environment with a new diet. These abrupt changes can be stressful for piglets, often having negative welfare consequences. Our objective was to study the effects of early-life preweaning socialization and object enrichment in the preweaning environment. We compared piglet performance, behavior, and welfare across six treatments that combined multi-litter group size (1 vs. 2 vs. 4 litters) and burlap (yes vs. no). We recorded piglet behavior and lesion-scored sows and piglets. Normal conforming data, expressed per experimental unit (and behavior data were averaged over time), were analyzed by ANOVA. When given the opportunity in the sow barn, piglets in multi-litter groups socialized with other litters. Burlap use (P = 0.08) was observed in < 5% of the observations but tended to increase in mixed litter groups. Cross-sucking was observed in ~12% of the observations within mixed litter groups and tended to increase with mixed group size (P = 0.08). While there was no difference in the proportion of piglets nursing (P > 0.10), piglets were less active in the single crate groups and most active in the groups of two litters mixed (P = 0.03). Additionally, observed piglet/sow biting behaviors did not differ between treatments; however, piglet-piglet biting (P = 0.07), and pen object manipulation (P = 0.07) tended to be observed more frequently in non-enriched groups. Piglet displacements were observed more often in non-enriched groups around the pen (P = 0.03) but tended to be observed more often in enriched groups at the teat (P = 0.07). Preweaning socialization and object enrichment had no impact on the average number of piglets weaned per sow or total piglet mortality (P > 0.10). However, the proportion of laid-on piglets decreased as the number of mixed litters increased (P = 0.02). The average number of lesions per piglet did not differ between treatments. Although the final lesion scores of sow teat and udder condition did not differ between treatments (P > 0.10), sow udder scores tended to worsen more in the single litters than in the mixed litters (P = 0.08). Overall, social and object enrichment allows piglets to socialize at a younger age and to redirect their attention toward an object (burlap) which does not negatively impact piglet or sow performance, or behavior, and may improve piglet welfare around weaning.

Study on Illumination Intensity and Duration of LED Light Sources for a Weaned Piglet House without Natural Light

Lighting is an important environmental parameter in livestock farming, which can affect the physiology and behavior of animals, and it can regulate animal production. To explore the comprehensive effects of light intensity and duration on the performance, behavior, and physiological indicators of piglets, a 3 × 2 two-factor experiment (three levels of lighting intensity × two lighting durations) was conducted. The three light intensities used were high (100–120 lux), medium (40–50 lux), and low (5–20 lux). The two lighting durations were 8 h and 10 h of light per day. The experiment used a total of six lighting combinations, which corresponded with the six test units. A total of 96 Landrace–Yorkshire hybrid piglets, with an initial body weight of 13.23 ± 0.18 kg, were randomly assigned to six lit units, four pens per unit, and four piglets per pen. The results showed that lighting intensity and duration had no significant effect on the average daily feed intake, average daily gain, feed/gain, or water consumption of pigs (p &gt; 0.05). For IgM, the main effect caused by the light duration was significant. When the light intensity was 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux, the serum IgM levels of piglets in the 10 h/day light group were 45.80% and 39.54% higher than those in the 8 h/day group, respectively (p &lt; 0.05). For SOD and GSH-Px, the interaction between the lighting duration and intensity was significant (p &lt; 0.05). In the 8 h/day light group, the serum SOD levels of piglets at light intensities of 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux were significantly higher than those at 100–120 lux (p &lt; 0.05). When the light intensity was 5–20 lux and 40–50 lux, the SOD level in the 8 h/day group was significantly higher than that of the 10 h/day group (p &lt; 0.05). The main effect of lighting duration on lying down and abnormal behavior was significant (p &lt; 0.05). In the 8 h/day light group, the abnormal behavior of piglets under a light intensity of 5–20 lux was twice that of 40–50 lux (p &lt; 0.05), and the lying percentage of piglets under a light intensity of 40–50 lux was 14.03% higher than that of piglets under a light intensity of 5–20 lux (p &lt; 0.05). Overall, under the conditions used in this study, although extending the duration of light with an intensity of 40–50 lux to 10 h can improve some immune-related indicators, the extent of this effect was limited. The recommended lighting scheme for piglet houses is a light intensity of 40–50 lux and a lighting duration of 8 h. However, the range of lighting conditions set in this study was still very limited, and various environmental factors must be comprehensively considered in an actual production setting.

Sow and piglet productivity improvement in the farrowing department using milk substitutes

Modern pork production technology requires more piglets from sows to ensure the industry's profitability. The physiological reserve of sows' milk production at multiplicity above 14-18 piglets is often insufficient, which requires a constant search for ways to solve the problem of “hyperfertile sows”. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using milk replacers from different manufacturers in sow nests under conditions of multiple farrowings on the productivity and behaviour of suckling piglets and sow conditions. The experiment was conducted in 2023, with 36 sow nests in the farrowing shop and 513 suckling piglets. Nests with a litter of 13 or more were selected and three groups were formed. In the control group, piglets were raised without additional feeding with milk replacers. The group II piglets were fed with Alternative Milk Junior as a source of additional nutrition from 10 days of age until weaning. Piglets of group III received a Commercial Analogue of milk replacer. Group II was characterised by a higher survival rate – of 93.03% and, a higher live weight – of 7.84 kg, which led to higher values of average daily weight gain – 222.47 g. The nests of the II and III experimental groups (consuming milk replacer) were more aligned, which significantly outperformed the analogues of the control groups by 31.2% and 14.7%. Piglets of group II were in a calmer state and therefore spent the most time on rest – 60%, in contrast to animals of the control group – 50% and group II – 58%. Additional nutrition of piglets in the nests of “hyperfertile sows” reduces the load on sows during lactation allows to obtain animals in factory condition and reduces the number of unprofitable days. The practical significance of the experiment is to determine an effective milk replacer as a source of supplementary nutrition for suckling piglets in the nests of “hyperfertile” sows

Phytogenic Bioactive Compounds in the Diet of Lactating Sows, Litter Performance, and Milk Characteristics.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of phytogenic supplementation in the feed of lactating sows on the performance parameters of sows and suckling piglets. Ninety-three lactating sows of commercial lines (sows TN70) were distributed in a completely randomized design. The treatments adopted were a control diet without phytogenics (control) and a control diet with phytogenic supplementation in the feed. Performance parameters and the behaviors of sows and piglets were evaluated, in addition to milk composition and the biochemical parameters of the animals. The use of phytogenics did not affect the feed intake or tissue mobilization of the sows. However, it improved the production and quality of milk and reduced the possibility of light piglets at weaning by 22.16 percentage points. Regarding biochemical parameters, phytogenics improved animal recovery in the lactation period, as proven by an increase in the serum concentration of total protein and urea. Sows that received phytogenics exhibited increased behaviors of inactivity (3.16%), breastfeeding (1.15%), and water consumption (0.95%). In conclusion, using phytogenics in the feed of lactating sows improves the performance of the litters without affecting the body condition of the sows, with increased milk production and enhanced protein and lactose concentration.

Assessing the effects of piglet behavior, diet supplementation, and lesion score breeding values of sires on behavior pattern in weaned pigs

The aim of the present study was to study effects of feeding in terms of a herbal diet supplement (HD; basal diet plus a supplement with chicory herbs), of early piglet backtest scores and of relative breeding values for skin lesions (RBV-LS) on behavior pattern of weaned pigs during the post-weaning period. In this regard, we implemented a balanced research design, allowing a semi-randomized allocation of pigs in groups with a very similar number of observations for all sub-cells of diet x backtest score x RBV-LS class combinations. With regard to backtest scores, piglets were classified as high-resisting (HR), low-resisting (LR) or intermediate-resisting (IR). RBV-LS were estimated for the sires based on skin lesions from 993 offspring. The sires were categorized into 2 groups with RBV-LS > 100 (favorable genetic value indicating only a few or no lesions) or RBV-LS ≤ 100 (indicating a large number or severe lesions). Video images were analyzed one day after weaning and 5 weeks later, and considered 300 min per monitoring date for the 8 different possible behavior traits resting time (REST), body contact (BCON), initiating fights (IFIGHT), fighting (FIGHT), refusing of fights (RFIGHT), ear or tail biting (BITE), explorative behavior (EXPLORE) and remaining activities (RACT). Finally, 104 pigs with complete observations over the total video monitoring time at both recording dates, and with complete observations for the explanatory variables sire RBV-LS, backtest score and feeding group, were considered for ongoing association studies. The 104 pigs were crosses from matings of Piétrain boars with German Landrace or German Edelschwein sows. The 104 pigs were offspring of 9 different boars (sire lines). Effects of feeding, backtest score and RBV-LS class on video behaviors were inferred via mixed model analyses, implying 8 different runs for the 8 video behavior traits. Least squares means (lsmeans) significantly (P < 0.05) differed between HD and the control feeding group (CON) for FIGHT and BITE, with longer durations of aggressive behavior for CON pigs. Vice versa, lsmeans for REST indicating calm behavior were larger for the HD group. Pigs classified as HR piglets were more aggressive than the LR and IR contemporaries, with significantly higher lsmeans for FIGHT, BITE and EXPLORE. The pigs allocated to the sire RBV-LS > 100 group had significantly (P < 0.05) longer durations for REST and RFIGHT. Vice versa, pigs allocated to the sire RBV-LS ≤ 100 groups spent more with aggressive behavior in terms of BITE and FIGHT. Consequently, boar RBV-LS were favorably correlated with REST, IFIGHT and RACT. In conclusion, the early piglet backtest scores as well as breeding values from a victim perspective (lesion scores) can be used as indicator traits for selection against aggressiveness. Nevertheless, results from the present study are first indications and breeding value correlations are approximations in this regard, which should be validated in ongoing studies based on larger datasets via real genetic correlation estimates between actor and victim traits, and considering social interactions and interactions between all fixed effects simultaneously.

12. Contact voltages &lt;0.5 V in feeders and drinkers influence the behaviour and oxidative status of piglets

12. Contact voltages &lt;0.5 V in feeders and drinkers influence the behaviour and oxidative status of piglets

O68 | How taking into account the drinking behavior of piglets can improve antibiotic treatment via drinking water

O68 | How taking into account the drinking behavior of piglets can improve antibiotic treatment via drinking water

Suckling Behaviour of Piglets Affected by Body Weight and Sex

Piglet suckling behaviour has been extensively studied, but surprisingly, there are not many studies that specifically consider body weight and sex in this context. These two basic individual characteristics have been considered more as supporting data but not as main factors. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to examine the effect body weight on suckling behaviour of piglets during lactation separately by sex. The study comprised 14 litters with a total of 158 piglets (85 male, 73 female, litter size 6−15 piglets). Suckling behaviour was described in terms of suckling position (the teat at which the piglet suckled during suckling), suckling territory (the range two outermost suckling positions of the piglet encompasses) and sucklingstability (the tendency to suckle successively at the same position), and was observed in six periods: 0−3, 4−7, 8−10, 11−14, 15−21 and 22−32 days of age. In each period, piglets were also weighed. The udder was divided into three areas: anterior (1st-2nd teat pair), middle (3rd-5th teat pair) and posterior (6th-8th teat pair). Body weight affected suckling behaviour differently in male and female piglets (i.e., all traits in females, suckling stability only in males). The relative body weight of females decreased significantly from the anterior towards the posterior part. Heavy females (but not males) suckled considerably more frequently on the anterior area. Heavier piglets (male and female) established more stable suckling order. Suckling territory of males was quite large, but did not differ among body weight classes. Interestingly, light females visited significantly larger suckling territory than heavy females. The present results fill a gap in the otherwise broad knowledge of pig suckling behaviour, which is of great importance for litter management during lactation, especially when cross-fostering is implemented. In this context, knowledge of the detailed role of sex and body weight is of particular importance because breeders rely mainly on basic body traits when managing litters.