Acoustic-reward learning as a method to reduce the incidence of aggressive and abnormal behaviours among newly mixed piglets
G. Ismayilova A D , L. Sonoda B , M. Fels B , R. Rizzi A , M. Oczak C , S. Viazzi C , E. Vranken C , J. Hartung B , D. Berckmans C and M. Guarino A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, 20133, Milan, Italy.
B University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Bünteweg 17 P, D-30559, Hannover, Germany.
C Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
D Corresponding author. Email: gunel.ismayilova@unimi.it
Animal Production Science 54(8) 1084-1090 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13202
Submitted: 21 May 2013 Accepted: 17 September 2013 Published: 6 November 2013
Abstract
The aim of the study was to test whether aggressive actions among piglets could be redirected by an automatically generated sound signal followed by a sweet food reward. Per round, four litters of 25-day-old piglets (BHZP breed) were trained 5 times per day over 8 days to expect a sweet feed reward from a dog feeder after hearing a specific sound. In total 144 piglets in 14 entire litters were trained in five trials. At the end of the training 71% of the piglets were around the feeder 5 s after the feeder sound. After the training period, the piglets were weaned and mixed in two pens, 12 piglets per pen. During 2 days (3 h/day) after mixing two observers (one per pen) hidden behind a wooden wall activated the feeder when aggressive or abnormal behaviour started. A total of 616 aggressive events and 31 incidences of abnormal behaviour (ear biting) were used for the analysis. The logistic regression showed that the type of behaviour had a significant effect on the piglets’ response to the feeder sound (P < 0.001). The results showed the possibility of interruption of the aggressive behaviours such as head thrust [odds ratio (OR) = 0.43], jump on other (OR = 0.56) or attack with bite (OR = 0.61). Ear biting was very unlikely to continue (OR = 0.55). The risk of continuing elevated aggression level behaviours was doubled in the event of chasing (OR = 2.16) and the risk that fight would continue after the feeder sound was released was 7 times higher (OR = 7.89). Categorical analysis showed a significant effect (<0.001) of the time intervals t ≤ 1 s and 1 s < t ≤ 3 s on interruption of aggression by the feeder sound release. The piglets’ response to the feeder sound differed significantly between the experimental days (P < 0.001). On the second day of mixing, the feeder sound interrupted 74.9% of aggressive events, compared with 33.7% on the first day. The results suggest that acoustic-reward treatment can distract pigs from performing certain aggressive behaviours and ear biting in piglets when properly applied in time.
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