Pig & Pig Behaviour - Lecture Notes

Pig & Pig Behaviour Kai LIU, PhD City University of Hong Kong Learning Outcomes: ▪ Define terms that are commonly used when referring to pigs and demonstrate ability to correctly use these terms ▪ Describe normal behavior and evolution of behavior in pigs ▪ Compare behavior of wild/fer...

Pig & Pig Behaviour Kai LIU, PhD City University of Hong Kong Learning Outcomes: ▪ Define terms that are commonly used when referring to pigs and demonstrate ability to correctly use these terms ▪ Describe normal behavior and evolution of behavior in pigs ▪ Compare behavior of wild/feral pigs to domesticated pigs under modern management ▪ List common behavior problems in domesticated pigs Statement: Some photos/videos displayed in this lecture are from online sources and only used for educational purposes. Credit to Rachael Stratton for initial material development. 5 Wild Boars in Hong Kong 6 Terminology (in Pig Industry) ▪ Swine = pig ▪ Piglet: young pig of any sex (male & female), usually 70 kg ▪ Barrow: castrated male pig ▪ Boar: intact male pig (young or adult) ▪ Gilt: young female pig, before first birth, human (10,000) ▪ Sweet, sour, salty, bitter 27 Communication ▪ Vocal 20 different calls Young piglets – squeak, grunt, bark and squeal Older pigs – squeals, grunts ▪ Olfactory Scent Pheromones – urine, scent glands Investigate new pigs by nosing them 28 Communication with humans ▪ Pet pigs can communicate with humans, especially when food is involved Pig Beach is an uninhabited island located in Exuma, the Bahamas. 29 Stress/Threat Response ▪ Flight and hide (run at 40 km/h, jump at a height of 140-150 cm) ▪ Fight to defend young and for mates ▪ Aggression between pigs – canines biting, tusks slash ▪ More dominant pig = greater response ▪ Loud/high pitched noises cause stress ▪ Squeal when aroused/stressed ▪ Scream when hurt ▪ Increased defecation 30 Time Budget ▪ Sleep: 9-11 hours/day ▪ Foraging: 12 hours/day ▪ Rest of time: wallowing, dunging, grooming, nursing young, playing ▪ Active pattern (flexibly adjust to local environmental conditions) Tend to be more diurnal when has no human activity (e.g., hunting) Nocturnal/crepuscular in locations with negative human activity (e.g., hunting) or in summer due to heat stress 31 Sleep/Rest ▪ Sleep together Dens Warmth ▪ Poor thermoregulation, so season determines active periods Winter – diurnal Summer – nocturnal/crepuscular (heat stress) 32 Elimination Behavior ▪ Urinate/defecate regularly throughout the day and night ▪ Learn from dam, by 3 days old not to eliminate in rest areas ▪ Brightly lit area encourages defecation ▪ Penned pigs will eliminate at the edges of pen 33 Affiliative Behavior ▪ Touch, vocalisation, smell ▪ Dominant pigs groomed by subordinates ▪ Scratching/rubbing dried mud off each other ▪ Lick, nose each other ▪ Sleep/rest together for warmth ▪ Cooperative rearing & defence of piglets 34 Locomotion ▪ Hoofed quadruped ▪ Unguligrade – walk/run on “toes” ▪ Digits 3 & 4 weight bear ▪ Run up to speeds of 40 km/hr 35 Diet & Water ▪ Monogastric omnivores Less complex digestive system as evolved ▪ Forage, scavenge, opportunistic ▪ 90% Plant matter – roots, bulbs, fruits, nuts ▪ Worms/grubs, insects ▪ Rodents, reptiles, eggs 36 Puberty & Courtship ▪ Puberty in female: 6 months ▪ Puberty in male: 6-9 months ▪ Season triggered by decreasing day length (summer → winter) Males join the female groups (matting seasons, Oct-May, Nov-Jan) 1-2 litters/year depending on food availability & if wean 1st litter before Winter ▪ Polygamous ▪ Estrus lasts 2 to 3 days ▪ Boar pursue, approach, sniff, nudge each other ▪ Boar: soft grunting, salivating, urinating, moves jaw side to side/teeth clacking ▪ Sow: posing, nibble boar ears, stand and allows mounting when ready 37 Gestation & Nesting ▪ Gestation 114-118 days ▪ 1-3 days before farrowing leaves group ▪ Finds a nest site Forest edges, ravines, long grassy areas ▪ Nest building Rooting and pawing with the forelegs Turning around within the nest site Cover with longer branches, leaves/grass to insulate ▪ Important factors: Isolation (quiet – no competition) Enclosure, safety Nest material – vegetation Thermal and physical comfort 38 Farrowing – Parturition ▪ Sow restless, increase respiratory rate ~24 hours prior Grind teeth, bar bite and grunt ▪ Sow lies on side, passive throughout farrowing After first piglet born, sow may get up and sniff it Passive decreases risk accidental crushing, allows piglets to find teats ▪ Sow does not lick piglets Fetal membranes dry quickly, rub off ▪ Litter size 1-7, average 3-5; Piglet mortality 5-25% ▪ Within minutes, piglets stand, find teat, try different teats Teat preference, fight to defend specific teat ▪ Piglets suckle 20-30 times/day Suckling required for milk let down ▪ Recognition by visual and olfactory cues 39 Rearing ▪ After 48 hrs. sow gradually increases time away from nest ▪ Sow rhythmic grunts to keep piglets close ▪ Piglets begin to follow sow ~7 days old ▪ Cross suckling can occur with other litters ▪ Abandon nest ~10-14 days old, communal living again ▪ Weaning Solid food begins at 4-5 weeks Weaning complete ~10-17 weeks 40 Developmental Periods ▪ Socialize with other litters from 2-5 weeks Contact declines as piglets show preference for litter mates ▪ At 14-17 weeks, sensitive to negative experiences ▪ Negative experience as piglets lead to effects on production after puberty 41 Play Behavior ▪ Begins at 2 days old ▪ Peaks 2-6 weeks ▪ Decline coincides with increased motivation to forage & explore ▪ Tossing/waving of head, spinning, jumping/spring, scamper, chasing, carrying and shaking objects ▪ Bark like vocalizations ▪ Aggressive play ▪ Adults seldom play but strong motivation for rooting/foraging 42 Modern Management ▪ Ranges from intensive farming to free range ▪ Indoor/outdoor ▪ Individual/group housing 43  Pig Reproduction Figures (Domestic) ▪ Puberty at 6 months 90-120 kg ▪ Oestrous cycle 21 days ▪ Mated per cycle 2-3 times ▪ Natural mating: 1 boar per 15-20 sows ▪ Artificial Insemination: 1 boar per 45-60 sows ▪ Farrowing rate 80-90% ▪ Gestation period 114-118 days ▪ Lactation 28 days (~18-35 days) ▪ Wean-to-estrous interval 5 days (~3-7 days) ▪ Theoretically possible 2.66 litter per sow and year [365days/(114+21+5)] 2.1-2.3 achieved on farms ▪ piglets born per litter 10-14 ▪ Pre-weaning mortality ~10 % ▪ Post-weaning mortality ~3 % 44 Stalls & Farrowing Crates ▪ Sow stalls/sow crates/gestation stalls ▪ Post-weaning accommodation ▪ Used for mating (AI) ▪ Heat detection ▪ Pregnancy testing ▪ Bullied/injured sows ▪ Farrowing crates Farrowing-weaning ▪ Regulations differ countries, some banned, time limits 45 Group Housing ▪ Preferred by consumer ▪ Design still important ▪ Not without problems, innovative solutions ▪ Research – mortality, production 46 Outdoor ▪ Adequate shelter ▪ Place to wallow ▪ Rooting ▪ Nest material ▪ Large area, move areas ▪ Problems ▪ Production less efficient 47 Diet & Water ▪ Feeding systems Feeding stall Dump feeding Floor feeding Trough feeding Electronic feeding station ▪ Feed conversion efficiency and diet highly managed on commercial farms Concentrated high energy Fats, oils, maize, oats, soy meal and other grain-based feeds Waste from horticulture - potatoes, carrots, fruit Usually not able to forage ▪ Human scrap/waste food meat – heat treat for disease, FMD virus 48 Time Budget ▪ Varies depending on management system & opportunities to perform normal behaviours ▪ Intensive farming: No mud wallowing, foraging, rooting or normal dunging away from where they eat, nesting Kept in stalls cannot turn around so standing, lying or eating only ▪ Pigs fed concentrated diets still spend up to 6 hours foraging Highly motivated behavior Will try to root on concrete floors 49 Handing & Restraint ▪ Depends on size and temperament ▪ Use your voice, get used to familiar people ▪ Rub/scratch them ▪ Use food motivation ▪ Minimize distractions – shadows, reflections, moving objects, air drafts, people, other noises ▪ Smaller pigs picked up by supporting under belly ▪ Piglets grasp back leg initial hold, lift around the thorax, hold like a football ▪ Larger pigs require a scooping action under the hock and pelvis ▪ Flags, plastic paddles, panels/boards to move ▪ Hog snare 50 Move the Flock ▪ Hog board to move, herd pigs ▪ Paddles, flags to direct, move ▪ Noose/snare on snout 51 Transport ▪ Transport can be stressful ▪ Reduce stress, calm handling, quiet, patience ▪ Temperature: