|
Title:
|
Fear assessment in pigs exposed to a novel object test
|
|
Author:
|
Dalmau Bueno, Antoni; Fàbrega Romans, Emma; Velarde Calvo, Antonio
|
|
Other authors:
|
IRTA. Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries |
|
Resum:
|
The experiment aimed to study approach and locomotive behaviour as indicators of fear in
a novel object test carried out in pigs. Thirty post-weaning (30 kg) and 30 finishing (90 kg)
pigs were exposed to visual, auditory and olfactory novel stimuli during 2 different
experiments. The facilities consisted of a test pen in which a trough was located. The
trough contained chopped apples. Once the animals were trained to enter the test pen
individually they were subjected to 3 different fear stimuli. These stimuli were applied in
the test pen and next to the trough. The variables studied were feeding behaviour,
approach behaviour (the distance and position of the animal with respect to the trough)
and locomotive behaviour (general activity, reluctance to move, turning back and retreat
attempts). Two groups were studied: saline and midazolam treated group. Twenty
minutes before the start of the sessions, 15 post-weaning and finishing pigs received an
intramuscular injection of 0.20 and 0.15 mg/kg, respectively, midazolam (Dormicum1).
The saline pigs (15 animals per group) were injected with saline. The administration of
midazolam increased the feeding behaviour and approaching behaviour, and reduced the
locomotive behaviour. In front of the visual and olfactory stimuli post-weaning pigs
showed a higher general activity than finishing pigs, but the contrary was found when the
auditory stimulus was applied. The olfactory stimulus was more related to the turning
back behaviour, whereas the visual stimulus was more related to retreat attempts.
Although it could be concluded that reluctant to move was the most common response to
the different fear stimuli applied in our study regardless of the age of animals, the
combination of reluctant to move and turning back would be a good criterion to assess fear
in domestic pigs. The use of midazolam as anxiolytic for studies of fear in commercial
conditions in pigs is recommended. |
|
Publication date:
|
2009-03 |
|
Subject(s):
|
Porcs -- Hàbits i conducta |
|
Rights:
|
Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús de Creative Commons, amb la qual es permet copiar, distribuir i comunicar públicament l'obra sempre que se'n citin l'autor original i l'IRTA i no se'n faci cap ús comercial ni obra derivada, tal com queda estipulat en la llicència d'ús (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/es/) |
|
Pages:
|
23 p. |
|
Document type:
|
Article
Article |
|
ISSN:
|
0168-1591
|
|
Published by:
|
Elsevier
|
|
Share:
|
|
