Can increased dietary fibre level and a single enrichment device reduce the risk of tail biting in undocked growing-finishing pigs in fully slatted systems?

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 30;15(10):e0241619. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241619. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of combined dietary and enrichment strategies to manage tail biting in pigs with intact tails in a conventional fully-slatted floor housing system. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used. Pigs had either a high fibre (weaner 5.3% and finisher 11.6% of crude fibre) or standard fibre diet (weaner 3.7% and finisher 5.9% of crude fibre). In the weaner stage, pigs had either a spruce wooden post (supplied in a wall-mounted dispenser) or a rubber floor toy as a enrichment device, and in the finisher stage, they had either the same or alternate enrichment item. Six hundred and seventy-two pigs were assigned to 48 pens of 14 pigs and followed from weaning until slaughter. Individual tail lesion scores and pen level behaviours were directly recorded every 2 weeks. Twenty-six pens had tail biting outbreaks and 161 injured pigs needed removal for treatment. Pigs fed with the high fibre diet performed more tail biting (p < 0.05) and tended to have a worse tail damage scores than those fed the standard fibre diet (p = 0.08). Pigs which had the floor toy as weaners and wood as finishers tended to have fewer tail lesions in the finisher stage than their counterparts (p = 0.06). Pigs receiving the floor toy as enrichment interacted with the enrichment more frequently overall (p < 0.001) and performed fewer harmful behaviours in the weaner stage (p < 0.05). Overall, higher fibre in the diet in a relatively barren environment did not help reduce tail biting or tail lesions. Altering the fibre level in the pigs' diet and providing a single enrichment device to undocked pigs on fully slatted floors resulted in a high level of tail biting and a large proportion of pigs with partial tail amputation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed* / analysis
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Animal Welfare
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Bites and Stings / prevention & control
  • Bites and Stings / veterinary*
  • Dietary Fiber* / administration & dosage
  • Dietary Fiber* / analysis
  • Female
  • Male
  • Swine / physiology*
  • Tail / injuries*

Substances

  • Dietary Fiber

Grants and funding

This project was co-funded by the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland, and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). SRUC also receives funding from the Rural & Environmental Science & Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government.