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Pig Transport 2016

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2016) | Viewed by 34058

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Prof. Dr. John J. McGlone

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Laboratory of Animal Behavior, Physiology and Welfare, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
Interests: pheromones; behavior; physiology; production systems
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Prof. Anna K. Johnson

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Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, 2356F Kildee Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Interests: farm animal behavior and well-being
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Dear Colleagues,

Pigs are transported around the world, usually twice in each growing pigs’ life—at weaning (or 25 kg) and again going to market. Breeding stock are also transported to production units. Transport of pigs has a large economic cost to the food chain and can also be a welfare concern.

As a continuation of previous the Special Issue, "Pig Transport" ( https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/special_issues/pig-trans ), "Pig Transport 2016" will revolve around any aspect pertaining to the science of swine transport. Authors are encouraged to submit papers in the area of swine transport. We look forward to producing an internationally-important seminal issue on the transport of commercial swine.

Prof. Dr. John J. McGlone
Prof. Dr. Anna K. Johnson
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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975 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Deck Level, Body Surface Temperature and Carcass Damages in Italian Heavy Pigs after Short Journeys at Different Unloading Environmental Conditions

by Agnese Arduini, Veronica Redaelli, Fabio Luzi, Stefania Dall’Olio, Vincenzo Pace and Leonardo Nanni Costa

Animals 2017, 7(2), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7020010 - 10 Feb 2017

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4261

Abstract

In order to evaluate the relationships between deck level, body surface temperature and carcass damages after a short journey (30 min), 10 deliveries of Italian heavy pigs, including a total of 1400 animals from one farm, were examined. Within 5 min after the arrival at the abattoir, the vehicles were unloaded. Environmental temperature and relative humidity were recorded and a Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was calculated. After unloading, maximum temperatures of dorsal and ocular regions were measured by a thermal camera on groups of pigs from each of the unloaded decks. After dehairing, quarters and whole carcasses were evaluated subjectively by a trained operator for skin damage using a four-point scale. On the basis of THI at unloading, deliveries were grouped into three classes. Data of body surface temperature and skin damage score were analysed in a model including THI class, deck level and their interaction. Regardless of pig location in the truck, the maximum temperature of the dorsal and ocular regions increased with increasing THI class. Within each THI class, the highest and lowest body surface temperatures were found in pigs located on the middle and upper decks, respectively. Only THI class was found to affect the skin damage score (p < 0.05), which increased on quarters and whole carcasses with increasing THI class. The results of this study on short-distance transport of Italian heavy pigs highlighted the need to control and ameliorate the environmental conditions in the trucks, even at relatively low temperature and THI, in order to improve welfare and reduce loss of carcass value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Transport 2016)

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1155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Season, Transport Duration and Trailer Compartment Effects on Blood Stress Indicators in Pigs: Relationship to Environmental, Behavioral and Other Physiological Factors, and Pork Quality Traits

by Roberta Sommavilla, Luigi Faucitano, Harold Gonyou, Yolande Seddon, Renée Bergeron, Tina Widowski, Trever Crowe, Laurie Connor, Marina Bergoli Scheeren, Sébastien Goumon and Jennifer Brown

Animals 2017, 7(2), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7020008 - 08 Feb 2017

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 7280

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the season, travel duration and trailer compartment location on blood creatine-kinase (CK), lactate and cortisol concentrations in 384 pigs and assess their relationships with trailer temperature, heart rate and gastrointestinal tract temperature (GTT), behavior, carcass damage scores and meat quality. Blood CK was greater in pigs transported in summer (p = 0.02), after 18 h transportation (p < 0.001) and in pigs located in C4, C5 and C10 (p = 0.002). In winter, the concentration of blood lactate was higher (p = 0.04) in pigs transported for 6 h in C5. Pigs located in C10 showed higher (p = 0.01) concentration of cortisol than those transported for 18h in C4 in summer. The highest correlations were between blood cortisol and GTT (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), and between blood CK and GTT (r = 0.41; p < 0.001), truck temperature (r = 0.42; p < 0.001), and pH_u in the longissimus muscle (r = 0.41; p < 0.001). In conclusion, although increased blood cortisol and CK levels appear to indicate a physical stress condition in transported pigs, the weak to moderate correlations with environmental and other animal welfare indicators suggest that blood stress parameters can only be used as a complementary measurement in the assessment of the pigs’ response to transport stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Transport 2016)

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233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Truck Suspension System on Animal Welfare, Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Pigs

by Filipe Antônio Dalla Costa, Letícia S. Lopes and Osmar Antônio Dalla Costa

Animals 2017, 7(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7010005 - 18 Jan 2017

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5693

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of two types of commercial suspension (leaf-spring (LS) vs. air suspension (AS)) installed on two similar double-decked trucks on blood cortisol and lactate concentration, lairage behavior, carcass skin lesions and pork quality traits of 120 crossbred pigs. The suspension type neither influenced pig behaviour in lairage nor blood cortisol and lactate concentrations (p > 0.10). However, when compared with the AS suspension system, the use of LS increased the number of skin lesions in the back and thigh (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively) and produced thigh with lower pH_u (p < 0.001) and yellower colour (higher b* value; p = 0.03), and paler back muscles (subjective colour; p < 0.05), with a tendency to lower pH (p = 0.06). Therefore, the use air suspension system can improve carcass and meat quality traits of pigs transported to slaughter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Transport 2016)

201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Housing of Cull Sows in the Hours before Transport to the Abattoir—An Initial Description of Sow Behaviour While Waiting in a Transfer Vehicle

by Mette S. Herskin, Katrine K. Fogsgaard, Ditte Erichsen, Mia Bonnichsen, Charlotte Gaillard and Karen Thodberg

Animals 2017, 7(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7010001 - 22 Dec 2016

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4602

Abstract

In modern pig production, sows are transported by road to abattoirs. For reasons of biosecurity, commercial trucks may have limited access to farms. According to Danish regulations, sows can be kept in stationary transfer vehicles away from the farm for up to two hours before being loaded onto the commercial truck. We aimed to describe the behaviour of sows in transfer vehicles. This preliminary, exploratory study included data from 11 loads from a total of six Danish sow herds. Selection of animals to be slaughtered was done by the farmers. Clinical registrations were made before collection of the sows, after which they (in groups of 7–13) were mixed and moved to the transfer vehicle (median stocking density: 1.2 sow/m²), and driven a short distance to a public road. The duration of the stays in the transfer vehicles before being loaded onto the commercial trucks ranged from 6–59 min. During this period, the median frequency of aggressive interactions per load was 18 (range: 4–65), whereas the median frequency of lying per load was 1 (range: 0–23). The duration of the stay correlated positively with the frequency of aggressive interactions (r_s = 0.89; n = 11; p < 0.001) and with the frequency of lying (r_s = 0.62; n = 11; p < 0.05). Frequency of aggressive interactions correlated positively with the temperature inside the transfer vehicle (r_s= 0.89; n = 7; p < 0.001). These preliminary results are the first to describe the behaviour of cull sows during waiting in transfer vehicles, and may suggest that this period can be challenging for sow welfare, especially for longer stays and during hot days. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Transport 2016)

510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Providing Feed and/or Water on Performance, Physiology, and Behavior of Weaned Pigs during a 32-h Transport

by Arlene Garcia, Mhairi Sutherland, Glenna Pirner, Guilherme Picinin, Matthew May, Brittany Backus and John McGlone

Animals 2016, 6(5), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani6050031 - 03 May 2016

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4436

Abstract

Transportation at weaning is a complex stressor made up of many factors, including withdrawal from feed and water, which can potentially negatively affect the health and welfare of pigs, especially those already experiencing weaning stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of weaning and extended transport durations (up to 32 h), with and without the provision of feed and/or water, on pig welfare. Treatment groups included: pigs neither weaned nor transported, control (CON); weaned pigs transported and provided with feed and water (T+); weaned pigs transported without feed and water (T−); weaned pigs transported with only feed (T+F); and weaned pigs transported with only water provided (TRAN+W). The effect of transport (with and without feed and/or water) on weaned pigs was assessed using behavior, performance, and physiology. After a 32-h transport period, pigs transported without water lost markedly more weight than those transported with water ( p < 0.01). Furthermore, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was markedly higher in male pigs transported without water ( p < 0.05). Overall, transportation had a negative effect on pig well-being, especially when water was not provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Transport 2016)

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200 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperCommentary

Transport Fitness of Cull Sows and Boars: A Comparison of Different Guidelines on Fitness for Transport

by Temple Grandin

Animals 2016, 6(12), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani6120077 - 28 Nov 2016

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 7122

Abstract

Sows and boars that have reached the end of their productive lives have a greater risk for welfare problems. This paper reviews literature on culling reasons that may affect the animals’ fitness for transport. The top two reasons identified for culling boars were: obesity and reproductive problems. Sows are most often culled due to lameness, low body condition, or failure to rebreed. The OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) fitness for transport guidelines that would apply to sows and boars were compared with documents from the Canadian Code of Practice, Northern American Meat Institute (NAMI), EU-UK-DEFRA (European Union-United Kingdom, Dept. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), U.S. National Pork Board, European Practical Guidelines to Assess Fitness for Transport of Pigs, and U.S. Pork Trucker Quality Assurance. The guidelines had the greatest agreement on the following fitness for transport issues: non-ambulatory, severely injured animals, sows in the last ten percent of pregnancy and sows with uterine prolapses were not fit for transport. There was less agreement on low body condition. One of the reasons for the lack of agreement is that there were stakeholders who specialized in transporting and processing extremely thin animals. A standard that would severely restrict the transport and slaughter of these animals could hinder the business practices of these stakeholders. Many welfare specialists would agree that some of these animals would be unfit for transport. Full article

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