Use of a putative maternal pheromone during transport and the effect of trailer temperatures on pig losses and welfare
C. R. G. Lewis A B , N. Krebs A , L. E. Hulbert A and J. J. McGlone A CA Pork Industry Institute, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2141, USA.
B Present address: Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: john.mcglone@ttu.edu
Animal Production Science 50(10) 916-924 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09147
Submitted: 9 November 2009 Accepted: 20 August 2010 Published: 21 October 2010
Abstract
The efficacy of a maternal pheromone (MP) to reduce transport stress was evaluated in a field study. In addition, we determined the appropriate field sample sizes for measures of death rate and the proportion of fatigued pigs observed before, during, and after transportation. In the first experiment, semi-truck trailers were randomly treated with 500 mL of MP or isopropyl alcohol as the control (C). Animal handling measures were collected at truck loading, unloading, and from resting pens to the stun area. Blood samples were collected from a sample of transported pigs. In the second experiment, a single truck was used repeatedly for transport to the slaughter plant. The truck and lairage pens were sprayed either with the MP or C, depending on the week (n = 11 weeks). Rate of fatigued pigs coming off the truck was 0.41% for C-treated pigs and 0.15% for MP-treated pigs (P > 0.05). Air temperature recorded in the trailers rose during truck loading and idle time, but levelled off during driving (holding at 1.7°C greater than outside). MP tended to reduce the rate of fatigued pigs (39% although not statistically significant) but it also increased handling difficulty. A power test indicated the sample size needed to detect differences with a statistical significant magnitude (P < 0.05) in future transport studies was 249 trucks (~41 085 pigs).
Acknowledgements
This project was supported and funded by Elanco Animal Health. Pheromone was donated by Ceva Santé Animale. Thanks are due to Elanco field collaborators Mr Perry and Dr Matzat, and also to Mr J. Smith, and Mrs N. Lewis (from Texas Tech) for help in data collection and technical assistance. Finally, thanks should be conveyed to the staff of several Midwestern farms/plants for their help during the fieldwork.
Cockram MS,
Baxter EM,
Smith LA,
Bell S,
Howard CM,
Prescott RJ, Mitchell MA
(2004) Effect of driver behaviour, driving events and road type on the stability and resting behaviour of sheep in transit. Journal of Animal Science 79, 165–176.
[Verified 6 September 2010]
Ellis M,
Ritter M,
Anil L,
Butler D, Curtis S ,
et al
.
(2005) Welfare of finisher pigs during transportation to slaughter. Journal of Animal Science 83(Suppl.), 258–259.
[Verified 6 September 2010]
Halpern M
(1987) The organization and function of the vomeronasal system. Annual Review of Neuroscience 10, 325–362.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
CAS |
PubMed |
Hambrecht E,
Essien JJ,
Newman DJ,
Smits CHM,
den Hartog LA, Verstegen MWA
(2005) Negative effects of stress immediately before slaughter on meat quality are aggravated by sub-optimal and transport conditions. Journal of Animal Science 83, 440–448.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Hamilton DN,
Ellis M,
Bertol TM, Miller KD
(2004) Effects of handling intensity and live weight on blood acid-base status in finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 82, 2405–2409.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Lewis CRG, McGlone JJ
(2007) Moving finishing pigs in different group sizes: cardiovascular responses, time, and ease of handling (short communication). Livestock Science 107, 86–90.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lewis CRG, McGlone JJ
(2008) Modelling feeding behaviour, rate of feed passage, and daily feeding cycles, as possible causes of fatigued pigs. Animal 2(4), 600–605.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lewis CRG,
Hulbert LE, McGlone JJ
(2008) Novelty causes elevates heart rate and immune changes in pigs exposed to handling, alleys, and ramps. Livestock Science 116, 338–341.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGlone JJ
(1984) Olfactory cues and pig agonistic behaviour: evidence for a submissive pheromone. Physiology & Behavior 34, 195–198.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGlone JJ, Anderson DL
(2002) Synthetic maternal pheromone stimulates feeding behaviour and weight gain in weaned pigs. Journal of Animal Science 80, 3179–3183.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
McGlone JJ, Morrow JL
(1988) Reduction of pig agonistic behaviour by Androstenone. Journal of Animal Science 66, 880–884.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
McGlone JJ,
Salak JL,
Lumpkin EA,
Nicholson RI,
Gibson M, Norman RL
(1993) Shipping stress and social status effects on pig performance, plasma cortisol, natural killer cell activity, and leukocyte numbers. Journal of Animal Science 71, 888–896.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Morrow-Tesch JL, McGlone JJ
(1990) Sources of maternal odours and the development of odour preferences in baby pigs. Journal of Animal Science 68, 3563–3571.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Pageat P, Madec I
(2002) Interest in using pheromones in breeding farms. Comptes rendus de l’Academie d’Agriculture de France 88(4), 47–51.
|
CAS |
Peeters E,
Driessen B,
Steegmans R,
Henot D, Geers R
(2004) Effect of supplemental tryptophan, vitamin E, and a herbal product on responses by pigs to vibration. Journal of Animal Science 82, 2410–2420.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Pettiford SG,
Ferguson DM,
Lea JM,
Lee C,
Paull DR,
Reed MT,
Hinch GN, Fisher AD
(2008) Effect of loading practices and 6-hour road transport on the physiological responses of yearling cattle. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(7), 1028–1033.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ritter MJ,
Ellis M,
Brinkmann J,
Keffaber KK, Wolter BF
(2005) Relationship between transport conditions and the incidence of dead and non-ambulatory finishing pigs at the slaughter plant. Journal of Animal Science 83(Suppl.), 258–259.
Ritter MJ,
Ellis M,
Brinkmann J,
DeDecker JM,
Keffaber KK,
Kocher ME,
Peterson BA,
Schlipf JM, Wolter BF
(2006) Effect of floor space during transport of market-weight pigs on the incidence of transport losses at the packing plant and the relationships between transport conditions and losses. Journal of Animal Science 84, 2856–2864.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
CAS |
PubMed |
Ritter MJ,
Ellis M,
Bertelsen CR,
Bowman R, Brinkmann J ,
et al
.
(2007) Effects of distance moved during loading and floor space on the trailer during transport on losses of market weight pigs on arrival at the packing plant. Journal of Animal Science 85, 3454–3461.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
CAS |
PubMed |
Ritter MJ,
Ellis M,
Berry NL,
Curtis SE, Anil L ,
et al
.
(2009) Review: transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence, and economic impact. The Professional Animal Scientist 25, 404–414.
Salak-Johnson JL, McGlone JJ
(2007) Making sense of apparently conflicting data: stress and immunity in swine and cattle. Journal of Animal Science 85(Suppl.), E81–E88.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
CAS |
PubMed |
Tan FJ,
Morgan MT,
Ludas LI,
Forrest JC, Gerrard DE
(2000) Assessment of fresh pork color with color machine vision. Journal of Animal Science 78, 3078–3085.
|
CAS |
PubMed |
Vieuille-Thomas C, Signoret JP
(1992) Pheromonal transmission of an aversive experience in domestic pig. Journal of Chemical Ecology 18, 1551–1557.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warriss PD
(1998) Choosing appropriate space allowances for slaughter pigs transported by road: a review. The Veterinary Record 142, 449–454.
|
CAS |
Crossref |
PubMed |
