Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:51:40.334Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Pituitary-Adrenal Activation in Pre-Parturient Pigs (Sus Scrofa) is Associated with Behavioural Restriction Due to Lack of Space Rather than Nesting Substrate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

S Jarvis ,
S K Calvert ,
J Stevenson ,
N vanLeeuwen  and
A B Lawrence
S Jarvis*
Affiliation:
Animal Behavioural Sciences Department, Animal Biology Division, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
S K Calvert
Affiliation:
Animal Behavioural Sciences Department, Animal Biology Division, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
J Stevenson
Affiliation:
Animal Behavioural Sciences Department, Animal Biology Division, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
N vanLeeuwen
Affiliation:
Wageningen University, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ethology Group, Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
A B Lawrence
Affiliation:
Animal Behavioural Sciences Department, Animal Biology Division, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
*
‡ Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: s.jarvis@ed.sac.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Previous research has shown that pre-parturient primiparous pigs (gilts) housed in behaviourally restrictive farrowing crates without straw redirect their nest-building behaviour to non-manipulable substrates such as the bars of the crate. These gilts also show elevated plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Cortisol levels, particularly around the peak of nest-building activity, when compared to gilts in larger pens that have been provided with a manipulable substrate (straw). It remains unclear whether these behavioural and physiological responses to crating result from the lack of a suitable nesting substrate or from the restricted space. This study investigated the effects of space (crate [C] versus pen [P] and straw (straw [S] versus no straw [NS]) using a 2 × 2 factorial design. Thirty-four gilts were implanted with an indwelling jugular catheter at around 12 days before parturition. They were moved to one of the four environments five days before parturition, and blood sampling and recording of behaviour were carried out during the pre-parturient period. Penned gilts (P), irrespective of straw availability, spent more time standing and walking and performed more total substrate-directed behaviour than crated (C) gilts. When straw was not available to penned gilts, a large proportion of their substrate-directed behaviour was redirected to the floor. Space also had an effect on ACTH and Cortisol levels across the entire pre-parturient phase, with C gilts having higher levels than P gilts irrespective of straw availability, but particularly so at the peak of nest-building activity. There was no effect of straw on ACTH or Cortisol levels. Overall, it appears that increased space, perhaps through allowing locomotion, increases substrate-directed behaviour of pre-parturient gilts. When space is available but straw is absent, pre-parturient gilts redirect their nest-building behaviour to the floor. The ability to express substrate-directed behaviour as a result of increased space is reflected in lower levels of indicators of physiological stress.

Keywords

ACTHanimal welfarecortisolfarrowinggiltnest-buildingpig
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , November 2002 , pp. 371 - 384
Copyright
© 2002 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Appleyard, S, Hall, A D and Lawrence, A B 2000 Pre-farrowing behaviour distinguishes piglet-savaging gilts from non-piglet-savaging gilts. Proceedings of the 34th International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology p 62. Federal University of Santa Catarina: Florianopolis, BrazilGoogle Scholar
Arey, D S 1992 Straw and food as reinforcers for prepartal sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 33: 217–226CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arey, D S, Petchey, A M and Fowler, V R 1992 The pre-parturient behaviour of sows housed in pairs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 34: 49–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boulton, M I, Wickens, A, Brown, D, Goode, J A and Gilbert, C L 1997 Prostaglandin F2a-induced nestbuilding in pseudopregnant pigs. I. Effects of environment on behaviour and Cortisol secretion. Physiology & Behaviour 62: 1071–1078CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, A N 1992 Prostaglandin E2 stimulates adrenocorticotrophin and Cortisol secretion via a hypothalamic site of action in fetal sheep. Journal of Developmental Physiology 18: 173–177Google Scholar
Burne, T J H, Murfitt, P J E and Gilbert, C L 2000 Deprivation of straw bedding alters PGF2a-induced nesting behaviour in female pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 69: 215–225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castren, H, Algers, B, de Passillé, A M B, Rushen, J and Uvnas-Moberg, K 1993 Pre-parturient variation in progesterone, prolactin, oxytocin and somatostatin in relation to nest-building in sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 38: 91–102CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Checkley, S 1996 The neuroendocrinology of depression and chronic stress. British Medical Bulletin 52: 597–617CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cronin, G M and van Amerongen, G 1991 The effects of modifying the farrowing environment on sow behaviour and survival and growth of piglets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 30: 287–298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, G M, Schirmer, B N, McCallum, T H, Smith, J A and Butler, K L 1993 The effects of providing sawdust to pre-parturient sows in farrowing crates on sow behaviour, the duration of parturition and the occurrence of intra-partum stillborn piglets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 36: 301–315CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, G M, Smith, J A, Hodge, F M and Hemsworth, P H 1994 The behaviour of primiparous sows around farrowing in response to restraint and straw bedding. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 269–280CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin, G M, Dunsmore, B and Leeson, E 1998 The effects of farrowing nest size and width on sow and piglet behaviour and piglet survival. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 60: 331–345CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damm, B I, Vestergaard, K S, Schroder-Petersen, D L and Ladewig, J 2000 The effect of branches on prepartum nest building in gilts with access to straw. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 69: 113–124CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duncan, W F, Lincoln, D W and Naylor, A M 1990 Plasma Cortisol is increased during inhibition of LH secretion by central LHRH in the ewe. Neuroendocrinology 51: 705–712Google Scholar
European Union Scientific Veterinary Committee Report 1997 The welfare of intensively kept pigs. Report of the Scientific Veterinary Committee of the European Union. Available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/oldcomm4/outl7_en.htmlGoogle Scholar
Gundlach, H 1968 Brutfursorge, Brutpflege, Verhaltens-ontongense und Tagesperiodik beim Europaischen Wildschwein (Sus scrofa). Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie 25: 955–995Google ScholarPubMed
Hansen, K E and Curtis, SE 1981 Prepartal activity of sows in stall or pen. Journal of Animal Science 51: 456–460CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartsock, T G and Barczewski, R A 1997 Prepartum behaviour in swine: effects of pen size. Journal of Animal Science 75: 2899–2904CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haskell, M J and Hutson, G D 1994 Pre-farrowing behaviour of sows and gilts with access to space for locomotion. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34: 1099–1105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herskin, M S, Jensen, K H and Thodberg, K 1999 Influence of environmental stimuli on nursing and suckling behaviour in domestic sows and piglets. Animal Science 68: 27–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, S, Lawrence, A B, McLean, K A, Deans, L, Chirnside, J and Calvert, S K 1997 The effect of environment on behavioural activity, ACTH, ß-endorphin and Cortisol in pre-parturient gilts. Animal Science 65: 465–472CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, S, McLean, K A, Calvert, S K, Deans, L A, Chirnside, J and Lawrence, A B 1999 The responsiveness of sows to their piglets in relation to the length of parturition and the involvement of endogenous opioids. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63: 195–207CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarvis, S, van der Vegt, B J, Lawrence, A B, McLean, K A, Deans, L A, Chirnside, J and Calvert, S K 2001 The effect of parity and environmental restriction on behavioural and physiological responses of pre-parturient pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 71: 203–216CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jensen, P, Floren, K and Hobroh, B 1987 Peri-parturient changes in behaviour in free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 17: 69–76CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, P 1989 Nest site choice and nestbuilding of free-ranging domestic pigs due to farrow. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 22: 13–21CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, P 1993 Nest building in domestic sows: the role of external stimuli. Animal Behaviour 45: 351–358CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, P, Vestergaard, K and Algers, B 1993 Nestbuilding in free-ranging domestic sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 38: 245–255CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Killian, D B, Garverick, H A and Day, B N 1973 Peripheral plasma progesterone and corticoid levels at parturition in the sow. Journal of Animal Science 37: 1371–1375CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawrence, A B, Petherick, J C, McLean, K A, Gilbert, C L, Chapman, C and Russell, J A 1992 Naloxone prevents interruption of parturition and increases plasma oxytocin following environmental disturbance in parturient sows. Physiology & Behaviour 52: 917–923CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawrence, A B, Petherick, J C, McLean, K, Deans, L, Chirnside, J, Vaughan, A, Clutton, E and Terlouw, E M C 1994 The effect of environment on behaviour, plasma Cortisol and prolactin in parturient sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 313–330CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawrence, A B, Petherick, J C, McLean, K A, Deans, L A, Chirnside, J, Vaughan, A, Gilbert, C, Forsling, M L and Russell, J A 1995 The effects of chronic environmental stress on parturition and on oxytocin and vasopressin secretion in the pig. Animal Reproduction Science 38: 251–264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lederman, R P, Lederman, E, Work, B A and McCann, D S 1978 The relationship of maternal anxiety, plasma catecholamines and plasma Cortisol to progress in labour. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 132: 495–500CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meunier-Salaun, M C, Gort, F, Prunier, A and Schouten, W P G 1991 Behavioural patterns and progesterone, Cortisol and prolactin levels around parturition in European (Large White) and Chinese (Meishan) sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 31: 43–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noldus, L P J J, Trienes, R J H, Hendriksen, A H M, Jansen, H and Jansen, R H 2000 The Observer Video-Pro: new software for the collection, management, and presentation of time-structured data from videotapes and digital media files. Behaviour Research Methods, Instruments and Computers 32: 197–206CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petrides, J S, Mueller, G P, Kalogeras, K T, Chrousos, G P, Gold, P W and Deuster, P A 1994 Exercise-induced activation of the HPA axis — marked differences in the sensitivity to glucocorticoid suppression. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 79: 377–383Google Scholar
Phillips, P A, Fraser, D and Thompson, B K 1992 Sow preference for farrowing crate width. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 72: 745–750CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Randall, G C B, Kendall, J Z, Tsang, B K, Taverne, M A M 1990 Endocrine changes following infusion of fetal pigs with corticotropin in litters of reduced numbers. Animal Reproduction Science 23: 109–122CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stolba, A and Wood-Gush, D G M 1989 The behaviour of pigs in a semi-natural environment. Animal Production 48: 419–425Google Scholar
Taverne, MAM 1992 Physiology of parturition. Animal Reproduction Science 28(Symposium 12 — Parturition): 422–440CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thodberg, K, Jensen, K H, Herskin, M S and Jorgensen, E 1999 Influence of environmental stimuli on nest building and farrowing behaviour in domestic sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63: 131–144CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whittle, W L, Patel, F A, Alfaidy, N, Holloway, A C, Fraser, M, Gyomorey, S, Lye, S J, Gibb, W and Challis, J R G 2001 Glucocorticoid regulation of human and ovine parturition: the relationship between fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and intrauterine prostaglandin production. Biology of Reproduction 64: 1019–1032CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Widowski, T M and Curtis, S E 1990 The influence of straw, cloth tassel, or both on the prepartum behaviour of sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 27: 53–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar