Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T15:25:41.379Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Factors identifying pigs predisposed to tail biting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

V. E. Beattie ,
K. Breuer ,
N. E. O'Connell ,
I. A. Sneddon ,
J. T. Mercer ,
K. A. Rance ,
M. E. M. Sutcliffe  and
S. A. Edwards
V. E. Beattie
Affiliation:
Devenish Nutrition Ltd, 96 Duncrue Street, Belfast BT3 9AR, UK
K. Breuer
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
N. E. O'Connell*
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
I. A. Sneddon
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, The Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
J. T. Mercer
Affiliation:
Independent Breeding Consultants, Harryburn Stables, Lauder, Berwickshire TD2 6PD, UK
K. A. Rance
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Aberdeen, MacRobert Building, Aberdeen AB24 5UA, UK
M. E. M. Sutcliffe
Affiliation:
Rattlerow Farms Ltd, Hillhouse Farm, Stradbroke, Eye, Suffolk IP21 5NB, UK
S. A. Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
*
†E-mail: niamh.o'connell@dardni.gov.uk
Get access

Abstract

Approximately 5% of pigs slaughtered in the UK have been tail-bitten, leading to welfare and production issues. Tail biting is sporadic and not all pigs tail bite. The aim of this study was to identify factors that are common in pigs that perform tail-biting behaviour, and that might be used in a predictive way to identify such animals.

The behaviour of 159 pigs was observed in the post-weaning period. Pigs were weaned at 4 weeks of age. In the week prior to weaning and at 6 weeks of age each pig was individually tested in a tail chew test (tail chew test 1 and 2, respectively). The tail chew test involved recording the pig's behaviour directed towards two ropes, one of which had been soaked in saline solution and the other not. The production performance of the pigs was recorded from birth to 7 weeks of age. Time spent performing tail-biting behaviour correlated positively with time in contact with the rope in tail chew test 2 (r = 0·224, P < 0·05), and time spent ear biting correlated positively with time spent in rope directed behaviour in tail chew test 1 (r = 0·248, P < 0·01). Pigs that spent as much as 1·5% of their time of more performing tail-biting behaviour were lighter at weaning (26 days) and tended to be lighter at 7 weeks of age compared with pigs that spent less than 1·5% of their time performing tail-biting behaviour (weaning weight: ≥1·5% tail biting 8·96 kg, <1·5% tail biting 9·67 kg, P < 0·05; 7-week weight: ≥1·5% tail biting 15·75 kg, <1·5% tail biting 17·09 kg, P < 0·08). There was no significant difference in birth weight between pigs that spent ≥ or <1·5% of their time performing tail-biting behaviour. Pigs that spent 1·5% of their time or more performing tail-biting behaviour showed significantly lower growth rates between birth and weaning (≥1·5% tail biting 260 g/day, <1·5% tail biting 285 g/day, P < 0·05) but not between weaning and 7 weeks of age (≥1·5% tail biting 343 g/day, <1·5% tail biting 365 g/day, P > 0·05).

The results suggest that pigs that tail bite have some nutritional deficiency that results in performance of foraging behaviour that is expressed in intensive housing as ear/tail biting.

Keywords

growth ratepigstail biting
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 80 , Issue 3 , June 2005 , pp. 307 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aalund, O. 1978. Tail biting – an indicator of stress. Dansk Veterinærtidsskrift 61: 431–435.Google Scholar
Amory, J. R. and Pearce, G. P. 1998. Effect of environmental conditions and husbandry systems on signs of injury and disease in grower-finisher pigs. Proceedings of the 15th IPVS congress, Birmingham, vol. 2, p. 103.Google Scholar
Beattie, V. E., Sneddon, I. A., Walker, N. and Weatherup, R. N. 2001. Environmental enrichment of intensive pigs housing using spent mushroom compost. Animal Science 72: 35–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beattie, V. E., Walker, N. and Sneddon, I. A. 1995. Effects of environmental enrichment on behaviour and productivity of growing pigs. Animal Welfare 4: 207–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beattie, V. E., Walker, N. and Sneddon, I. A. 1996. Influence of maternal experience on pig behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 46: 159–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackshaw, J. K. 1981. Some behavioural deviations in weaned domestic pigs: persistent inguinal nose thrusting, and tail and ear biting. Animal Production 33: 325–332.Google Scholar
Burrows, M. S., Moss, B. W. and Beattie, V. E. 1997. The role of dietary manipulation in the control of aggression in pigs. Proceedings of the Biochemical Society, 1997, p. 58.Google Scholar
Denton, D. 1982. The hunger for salt. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.Google Scholar
England, D. C. and Spurr, D. T. 1967. Effects of tail biting on growth rate of swine. Journal of Animal Science 26: 890–891.Google Scholar
Ewbank, R. 1976. Social hierarchy in suckling and fattening pigs: a review. Livestock Production Science 3: 363–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D. 1987a. Attraction to blood as a factor in tail-biting in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 17: 61–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D. 1987b. Mineral deficient diets and the pig's attraction to blood: implication for tail biting. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67: 909–918.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D., Bernon, D. E. and Ball, R. O. 1991a. Enhanced attraction to blood by pigs with inadequate dietary protein supplementation. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 71: 611–619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D., Phillips, P. A., Thompson, B. K. and Tennessen, T. 1991b. Effect of straw on the behaviour of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 30: 307–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guise, H. J. and Penny, R. H. C. 1998. Tail biting and tail docking in pigs. Veterinary Record 142: 46.Google ScholarPubMed
Harper, A. E. and Peters, J. C. 1989. Protein intake, brain amino acid and serotonin concentrations and protein self-selection. Journal of Nutrition 119: 677–689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haskell, M., Wemelsfeldor, F., Mendl, M. T., Calvert, S. and Lawrence, A. B. 1996. The effect of substrate-enriched and substrate-impoverished housing environments on the diversity of behaviour in pigs. Behaviour 133: 741–761.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howell, D. C. 1982. Statistical methods for psychology. Duxbury Press, Boston, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Huey, R. J. 1996. Incidence, location and interrelationships between the sites of abscesses recorded in pigs at a bacon factory in Northern Ireland. Veterinary Record 138: 511–514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, E. J., Jones, T. A., Guise, H. J., Penny, R. H. C. and Hoste, S. 1999. Tail biting in pigs. 1. The prevalence at six UK abattoirs and the relationship of tail biting with docking, sex and other carcass damage. Pig Journal 43: 18–32.Google Scholar
Kyriazakis, I. 1994. The voluntary feed intake and diet selection of pigs. In Principles of pig science (ed. Cole, D. J. A., Wiseman, J. and Varley, M.), pp. 85–105. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1989. GENSTAT V mark 13. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden.Google Scholar
Mench, J. A. and Shea, M. M. 1988. Effects of feed restriction and tryptophan on the behaviour of broiler breeders. Proceedings of the Maryland Nutrition Conference, 1988, pp. 40–46.Google Scholar
O'Connell, N. E. and Beattie, V. E. 1999. Influence of environmental enrichment on aggressive behaviour and dominance relationships in growing pigs. Animal Welfare 8: 269–279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsson, A. C. and Hederstrom, K. 1989. Some observations about tail biting among slaughter pigs. Specialmeddelande Institutionen for Lantbrukets Byggnadsteknik, Svinges Landbruksuniversitat 168: 16.Google Scholar
Peterson, V., Simonsen, H. B. and Lawson, L. G. 1995. The effect of environmental stimulation on the development of behaviour in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 45: 215–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sambraus, H. H. 1985. Mouth-based anomalous syndromes. In Ethology of farm animals (ed. Fraser, A. F.), pp. 391–422. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Signoret, J. P. 1983. General conclusions. In Indicators relevant to farm animal welfare (ed. Smidt, D.), pp. 245–247. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simonsen, H. B. 1990. Behaviour and distribution of fattening pigs in the multi-activity pen. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 27: 311–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, W. J. and Penny, R. H. C. 1986. Behavioural problems, including vices and cannibalism. In Diseases of swine, sixth edition (ed. Lemon, A. D. et al. ), pp. 762–782. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Van Putten, G. 1969. An investigation into tail biting among fattening pigs. British Veterinary Journal 125: 511–516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wallgren, P. and Lindahl, E. 1996. The influence of tail biting on performance of fattening pigs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 37: 453–460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed