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The Animal WelfareScience Centre
Evaluation of sow stall dimensions
John Barnett
Animal Welfare Science Centre, Department of Primary Industries, Werribee
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Stall housing is a controversial welfare issue for the pork industry
Criticisms of individual (stall) housing of sows
– sows unable to exercise
– limited social contact between sows
– restriction of “naturalistic” behaviours
eg. dunging vs lying vs feeding area
40-60%(?) of gestating sows in Australia are stall housed
~26%(?) of Australian sows are stall housed for 15 weeks / parity
– concern over long-term individual housing (15 weeks) in stalls then crates
Code of Practice (welfare) defines minimum stall dimensions:
– stall width = 0.6 m
– stall length = 2.0 m (“clear space”: excludes feeder and water facilities)
Background
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Stalls banned in some countries
– Sweden, Norway(?), Finland (2006), Switzerland (2007), Netherlands (2008), Denmark (2014)
Restricted time in stalls
– European Union - maximum of 4 weeks post-mating from 2013
– New Zealand - (recommendation only at this stage) maximum of 6 weeks post-mating from 2009 and 4 weeks post-mating from 2013 (to be reviewed in 2009) (new stalls max of 4 weeks post-mating)
Overseas recommendations on stalls
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Cortisol concentrations in 4 housing treatments (nmol)
StallsVertical
4.4a
StallsHorizontal
6.6b
Tether
6.6b
Group
4.4b
From Barnett et al., 1991b
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To determine:
1) the effects of stall dimensions on the welfare of sows
2) if there is a minimum time in stalls that results in improved reproduction without compromising sow welfare
Objectives of Project
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Evaluate the effects of:1) Sow stall dimensions on welfare
2) Time in sow stalls on reproduction and welfare - commercial facility
3) Sow stall length and time in stalls on reproduction and welfare - commercial facility
Student project:4) Effects of housing in stalls and implications for forming
social relationships
Experiments to:
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2 years 4 replicates in time 7 treatments (3 x 2 factorial) plus external, negative control Factors examined:
Stall length (2.0 m vs 2.2 m vs 2.4 m) Stall width (0.6 m vs 0.75 m)
External, negative control = tether stalls Positions of treatments (banks of stalls) randomised
between reps 4 sows per bank of stalls
2 non-experimental and 2 experimental sows 56 experimental & 56 non-experimental sows parities 2-6
Experiment 1 - Sow Stall Dimensions
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Conventional width stall (0.6 m wide)
Wide stall (0.75 m wide)
Stall width
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Stall length
2.0, 2.2 and 2.4 m long in banks of 4
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(0.6 m wide)
Tether stall - control
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Measurements
1) Sow physiologySurgery to implant catheter in cephalic vein• at ~8 weeks into treatment• day-time profile of plasma cortisol concentrations• cortisol response to ACTH injection• cell-mediated immune response
2) Sow lameness and live weight• measured at entry and exit from treatments
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Measurements
3) Sow behaviour post-feeding & “at rest”• Video recording at ~7 weeks after entry to stalls
– level of activity– social behaviour
• aggression• affiliative behaviour (lying together vs apart)
– angle of turn in stalls
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Results - cortisol concentrations
Width of stall Length of stall Tether0.6 m 0.75 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2.4 m
Total cortisol conc. nMol 18.4p 25.5q 22.5 20.8 22.6 36.6
Free cortisol conc. nMol 2.3x 3.0y 2.7b 2.3a 2.9b 3.5
a,b: P<0.05; x,y: P<0.01; p,q: P<0.001
Free cortisol concentrations were lower in the 0.6 m wide stall & the 2.2 m long stall
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Results - response to ACTH
Width of stall Length of stall Tether0.6 m 0.75 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2.4 m
Total cortisol conc. 18.4p 25.5q 22.5 20.8 22.6 26.1pre-ACTH nMol
Total cortisol conc. 2.80a 3.02b 2.95q 2.76p 3.02q 3.13post-ACTH % increase(log value)
a,b: P<0.05; p,q: P<0.001
In a chronic stress response the response to ACTH is increasedThere was a lower response to ACTH in the 0.6 m wide stall and the 2.2 m long stall
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Results - cell mediated immunity
Width of stall Length of stall Tether 0.6 m 0.75 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2.4 m
Cell mediated immunity 108.4b 91.2a 91.1pq 119.1q 89.1p 81.7(% increase in skin thickness)
a,b: P<0.05; p,q: P<0.001
The greater the % response the “better” the animal’s immune system (higher response in 0.6 m wide stall and 2.2 m(?) long stall)
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Results - Behaviour
Activity Post-feeding observations:• sows in 0.75 m wide stalls were
• more active (86% vs 74% of time; P<0.05); and• took longer to lie down (101 min vs 86 min)
No effects of treatment on aggression
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Results - Affiliative behaviour (forward index)
Index score of the preference of sows to occupy the same spatial alignment as their neighbours during the 2-h observation
period ie. heads of neighbours at the front of the stall Width of stall Length of stall
Observation period 0.6 m 0.75 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2.4 m
Post-feeding -0.04 -0.23 -0.16 -0.35 +0.11
Afternoon -0.53 -0.47 -0.39 -0.80 -0.31
• A negative index indicates that neighbouring sows were separated.• A positive score indicates that neighbouring sows were together.• A score close to zero implies the spatial alignment between neighbouring sows was random.
Sows were generally lying apart (ie. lack of head to head contact)
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Results - Angle of turn (post-feeding)
Width of stall Length of stall Tether0.6 m 0.75 m 2.0 m 2.2 m 2.4 m
Mean turn angle° 38p 50q 48b 42a 41a 36
Mean maximum angle° 47x 59y 61y 50x 49x 44a,b: P<0.05; x,y: P<0.01; p,q: P<0.001
Conventional stall width (0.6 m)
Wide stall width (0.75 m)
Angle of turn greater in 0.75 m wide stall and 2.0 m long stall
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Summary - Physiology
• Welfare improved in: • 0.6 m wide compared to 0.75 m wide stalls
• based on lower total and free cortisol concentrations• reduced responsiveness to ACTH• increased immunoresponsiveness
• 2.2 m long stalls compared to 2.0 m long stalls• based on lower free cortisol concentrations• reduced responsiveness to ACTH•increased immunoresponsiveness (vs. 2.4 but not 2.0 m long stalls)
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Summary - Behaviour
• Behaviour data inconclusive:• No effect on social behaviour?
• wider stalls allowed sows to turn more• 2.4 m long stalls allowed more movement• how are these social behaviours perceived? eg threatening
• Affiliative behaviour• generally negative scores• indicates sows preferred to be apart at front of stall
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Experimental study on stall dimensions
– stall divisions were horizontal bars
– no positive control treatment
Constraints
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Stall Width– improved welfare with a stall width of
0.6 m stall Length
– improved welfare with a stall length of
2.2 m
Overall conclusions
It is the design of the system rather than the housing system per se that is important to welfare
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A collaborative project between:
Animal Welfare Science Centre / Department of Primary Industries
Australian Pork Limited
Thanks to:
co-researchers: Greg Cronin, Paul Hemsworth
technical staff: Lisa Newman, Samantha Borg, Bruce Schirmer
and
AWSC students at DPI Werribee
Thanks