Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T10:20:45.152Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of a magnesium-rich marine extract on behaviour, salivary cortisol levels and skin lesions in growing pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2012

K. O'Driscoll ,
D. M. O'Gorman ,
S. Taylor  and
L. A. Boyle
K. O'Driscoll*
Affiliation:
Celtic Sea Minerals, Strand Farm, Currabinny, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, Ireland
D. M. O'Gorman
Affiliation:
Celtic Sea Minerals, Strand Farm, Currabinny, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, Ireland
S. Taylor
Affiliation:
Celtic Sea Minerals, Strand Farm, Currabinny, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, Ireland
L. A. Boyle
Affiliation:
Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Growing pigs can display undesirable behaviours, reflecting or causing poor welfare. Addition of magnesium (Mg) to the diet could reduce these, as Mg supplementation has been associated with improved coping ability in response to stress. This study examined the effect of supplementation with a Mg-rich marine extract-based product (Supplement) on the behaviour, skin and tail lesion scores and salivary cortisol concentrations of growing pigs. At weaning (28 days), 448 piglets were assigned to either Control or Supplement (0.05%) diets in single-sex groups of 14. Four weeks later (c. 17 kg), pigs were blocked according to weight and back test scores. Seven piglets from each pen were mixed with seven from another pen of the same sex and dietary treatment to yield the following groups: control male, Supplement male, control female and Supplement female (n = 4 of each). This marked the start of the 9-week experimental period. Instances of the following behaviours were recorded in each pen for 8 × 2 min periods 1 day/week: aggression (fight, head-knock and bite); harmful (tail-in-mouth, ear-chewing and belly-nosing); and sexual/mounting behaviour. Four focal pigs were selected from each pen, and their behaviour was continuously recorded for 2 × 5 min periods on the same day. Saliva was collected once per week at 1000 h by allowing pigs to chew on a cotton bud for c. 1 min. Salivary cortisol was analysed in duplicate by an enzyme immunoassay. Skin and tail lesions were scored according to severity 1 day/week. There were fewer aggressive incidents in Supplement pens (P < 0.01), and mounting behaviour (performed only by males) was almost three times lower in Supplement than in control pens (P < 0.01). However, there was no effect of Supplement on the incidence of each of the harmful behaviours. Behaviour of the focal pigs showed no treatment effect on the duration or incidence of aggressive behaviour. However, Supplement pigs spent less time performing harmful behaviours compared with control pigs (P < 0.001). Supplement had no effect on the occurrence or severity of tail-biting outbreaks or on tail lesion scores. However, Supplement females had lower skin lesion scores, in particular in the ears and shoulders (P < 0.01). Finally, Supplement pigs had lower salivary cortisol concentrations (P < 0.01). Mounting is a major welfare concern in uncastrated pigs, and therefore this represents an important welfare benefit of Supplement. Reduced salivary cortisol, in conjunction with reduced skin lesion scores in supplemented females, suggests that addition of a Mg-rich marine extract improved pig welfare in this system.

Keywords

pigcortisolbehaviourlesionmagnesium
Type
Behaviour, welfare and health
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 6 , June 2013 , pp. 1017 - 1027
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andersen, IL, Andenaes, H, Boe, KE, Jensen, P, Bakken, M 2000. The effects of weight asymmetry and resource distribution on aggression in groups of unacquainted pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 68, 107–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Apple, JK, Maxwell, CV, deRodas, B, Watson, HB, Johnson, ZB 2000. Effect of magnesium mica on performance and carcass quality of growing-finishing swine. Journal of Animal Science 78, 2135–2143.Google Scholar
Apple, JK, Kegley, EB, Maxwell, CV Jr, Rakes, LK, Galloway, D, Wistuba, TJ 2005. Effects of dietary magnesium and short duration transportation on stress response, postmortem muscle metabolism, and meat quality of finishing swine. Journal of Animal Science 83, 1633–1645.Google Scholar
Barnett, JL, Cronin, GM, McCallum, TH, Newman, EA 1993. Effects of pen size/shape and design on aggression when grouping unfamiliar adult pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 36, 111–122.Google Scholar
Barnett, JL, Cronin, GM, McCallum, TH, Newman, EA, Hennessy, DP 1996. Effects of grouping unfamiliar adult pigs after dark, after treatment with amperozide and by suing pens with stalls, on aggression, skin lesions and plasma cortisol concentration. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 50, 121–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackshaw, JK 1981. Some behavioural-deviations in weaned domestic pigs – persistent inguinal nose thrusting, and tail and ear biting. Animal Production 33, 325–332.Google Scholar
Bolhuis, JE, Schouten, WGP, Schrama, JW, Wiegan, VM 2005. Individual coping characteristics, aggressiveness and fighting strategies in pigs. Animal Behaviour 69, 1085–1091.Google Scholar
Boyle, LA, Bjorklund, L 2007. Effects of fattening boars in mixed or single sex groups and split marketing on pig welfare. Animal Welfare 16, 259–262.Google Scholar
Breuer, K, Sutcliffe, MEM, Mercer, JT, Rance, KA, O'Connell, NE, Sneddon, IA, Edwards, SA 2005. Heritability of clinical tail-biting and its relation to performance traits. Livestock Production Science 93, 87–94.Google Scholar
Chaloupkova, H, Illmann, G, Bartos, L, Spinka, M 2007. The effect of pre-weaning housing on the play and agonistic behaviour of domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 103, 25–34.Google Scholar
Conte, S, Boyle, L, Lawlor, P, O'Connell, N 2010. Influence of within pen gender composition and weight variation on the welfare and growth performance of finishing pigs. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science and the Agricultural Research Forum, 12–14 April 2010, Belfast, Northern Ireland, p. 184.Google Scholar
Conte, S, O'Connell, NE, Lawlor, PG, Boyle, LA 2012. Effect of split marketing on the welfare, performance, and carcass traits of finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 90, 373–380.Google Scholar
Coudray, C, Rambeau, M, Feillet-Coudray, C, Gueux, E, Tressol, JC, Mazur, A, Rayssiguier, Y 2005. Study of magnesium bioavailability from ten organic and inorganic Mg salts in Mg-depleted rats using a stable isotope approach. Magnesium Research 18, 215–223.Google ScholarPubMed
Cronin, GM, Dunshea, FR, Butler, KL, McCauley, I, Barnett, JL, Hemsworth, PH 2003. The effects of immuno- and surgical-castration on the behaviour and consequently growth of group-housed, male finisher pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81, 111–126.Google Scholar
De Groot, J, Ruis, MAW, Scholten, JW, Koolhaas, JM, Boersma, WJA 2001. Long-term effects of social status on antiviral immunity in pigs. Physiology and Behaviour 73, 145–158.Google Scholar
De Jong, IC, Ekkel, ED, van de Burgwal, JA, Lambooij, E, Korte, SM, Ruis, MAW, Koolhaas, JM, Blokhuis, HJ 1998. Effects of straw bedding on physiological responses to stressors and behaviour in growing pigs. Physiology and Behaviour 64, 303–310.Google Scholar
De Jong, IC, Prelle, IT, van de Burgwal, JA, Lambooij, E, Mechiel Korte, S, Blokhuis, HJ, Koolhaas, JM 2000. Effects of environmental enrichment on behavioural responses to novelty, learning, and memory, and the circadian rhythm in cortisol in growing pigs. Physiology and Behaviour 68, 571–578.Google Scholar
D'Souza, DN, Warner, RD, Dunshea, FR, Leury, BJ 1999. Comparison of different dietary magnesium supplements on pork quality. Meat Science 51, 221–225.Google Scholar
D'Souza, DN, Warner, RD, Leury, BJ, Dunshea, FR 2000. The influence of dietary magnesium supplement type, and supplementation dose and duration, on pork quality and the incidence of PSE pork. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 51, 185–189.Google Scholar
Edquist, LE, Einarsson, S, Larsson, K, Lundström, K 1980. Diurnal variations in peripheral plasma levels of testosterone, androstenone and cortisol in boars. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 21, 451–453.Google Scholar
Fabrega, E, Velarde, A, Cros, J, Gispert, M, Puarez, P, Tibau, J, Soler, J 2010. Effect of vaccination against gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, using Improvac®, on growth performance, body composition, behaviour and acute phase proteins. Livestock Science 132, 53–59.Google Scholar
Geverink, NA, Schouten, WGP, Gort, G, Wiegant, YM 2002. Individual differences in behavioural and physiological responses to restraint stress in pigs. Physiology and Behaviour 77, 451–457.Google Scholar
Giersing, M, Lundstrom, K, Andersson, A 2000. Social effects and boar taint: significance for production of slaughter boars (Sus scrofa). Journal of Animal Science 78, 296–305.Google Scholar
Hessing, MJC, Hagelso, AM, van Beck, JAM, Wiepkema, PR, Schouten, WGP, Krukow, R 1993. Individual behavioural characteristics in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 37, 285–295.Google Scholar
Hillman, D, Schrader, L, Mayer, C, Gygax, L 2008. Effects of weight, temperature and behaviour on the circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol in growing pigs. Animal 2, 405–409.Google Scholar
Izenwasser, SE, Garcia-Valdez, K, Kantak, KM 1986. Stimulant-like effects of magnesium on aggression in mice. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behaviour 25, 1195–1200.Google Scholar
Kantak, KM 1988. Magnesium deficiency alters aggressive behavior and catecholamine function. Behavioural Neuroscience 102, 304–311.Google Scholar
Kietzmann, M, Jablonski, H 1985. On the blocking of stress by magnesium aspartate hydrochloride in the pig. Praktische Tierarzt 66, 328–335.Google Scholar
Kleuss, JW, Fledderus, J, Bikker, P, Llamas-Moya, S 2006. Influence of Aqua Calm on behaviour and gastric ulcers in fattening pigs – gastric ulcer and behaviour study. Schothorst Feed Research, Report no. 780, October 2006.Google Scholar
Koolhaas, JM, Korte, SM, de Boer, SF, Van der Vegt, BJ, van Reenen, CG, Hopster, H, De jong, IC, Ruis, MAW, Blokhuis, HJ 1999. Coping styles in animals: current status in behaviour and stress physiology. Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews 23, 925–935.Google Scholar
Kuhn, G, Nowak, A, Otto, E, Albrecht, V, Gassmann, B, Sandner, E, Przybilski, H, Zahn, L 1981. Studies on the control of meat quality by special treatment of swine. 1. Effects of stress and preventative magnesium feeding on selected parameters of carcass value and blood serum. Archiv Fur Tierzucht 24, 217–225.Google Scholar
Peeters, E, Driessen, B, Geers, R 2006. Influence of supplemental magnesium, tryptophan, vitamin C, vitamin E, and herbs on stress responses and pork quality. Journal of Animal Science 84, 1827–1838.Google Scholar
Peeters, E, Neyt, A, Beckers, F, De Smet, S, Aubert, AE, Geers, R 2005. Influence of supplemental magnesium, tryptophan, vitamin C, and vitamin E on stress responses of pigs to vibration. Journal of Animal Science 83, 1568–1580.Google Scholar
Poletto, R, Meisel, RL, Richert, BT, Cheng, HW, Marchant-Forde, JN 2010a. Behavior and peripheral amine concentrations in relation to ractopamine feeding, sex, and social rank of finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 88, 1184–1194.Google Scholar
Poletto, R, Meisel, RL, Richert, BT, Cheng, H-W, Marchant-Forde, JN 2010b. Aggression in replacement grower and finisher gilts fed a short-term high-tryptophan diet and the effect of long-term human–animal interaction. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 122, 98–110.Google Scholar
Ruis, MAW, Te Brake, JHA, Engel, B, Dinand Ekkel, E, Buist, WG, Blokhuis, HJ, Koolhaas, JM 1997. The circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol in growing pigs: effects of age, gender and stress. Physiology and Behaviour 62, 623–630.Google Scholar
Rushen, J, Lawrence, AB, Terlouw, EM 1993. The motivational basis of stereotypies. In Stereotypic animal behaviour: Fundamentals and applications to welfare (ed. AB Lawrence and J Rushen), pp. 41–65. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Rydhmer, L, Zamaratskaia, G, Andersson, HK, Algers, B, Lundstrom, K 2004. Problems with aggressive and sexual behaviour when rearing entire male pigs. In Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Bled, Slovenia, p. 4.Google Scholar
Schrøder-Petersen, DL, Heiskanen, T, Ersboll, AK 2004. Tail-in-mouth behaviour in slaughter pigs, in relation to internal factors such as: age, size, gender, and motivational background. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section A – Animal Science 54, 159–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, K, Taylor, L, Gill, BP, Edwards, S 2006. Influence of different types of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of finishing pigs in two different housing systems 1. Hanging toy versus rootable substrate. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 99, 222–229.Google Scholar
Singewald, N, Sinner, C, Hetzenauer, A, Sarton, SB, Murch, H 2004. Magnesium-deficient diet alters depression- and anxiety-related behavior in mice – influence of desipramine and Hypericum perforatum extract. Neuropharmacology 47, 1189–1197.Google Scholar
Statham, P, Green, L, Bichard, M, Mendl, M 2009. Predicting tail-biting from behaviour of pigs prior to outbreaks. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 121, 157–164.Google Scholar
Stewart, CL, O'Connell, NE, Boyle, L 2008. Influence of access to straw provided in racks on the welfare of sows in large dynamic groups. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 112, 235–247.Google Scholar
Street, BR, Gonyou, HW 2008. Effects of housing finishing pigs in two group sizes and at two floor space allocations on production, health, behaviour, and physiological variables. Journal of Animal Science 86, 982–991.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, NR, Main, DCJ, Mendl, M, Edwards, SA 2010. Tail-biting: a new perspective. The Veterinary Journal 186, 137–147.Google Scholar
Turner, SP, Ewen, M, Rooke, JA, Edwards, SA 2000. The effect of space allowance on performance, aggression and immune competence of growing pigs house on straw deep-litter at difference group sizes. Livestock Production Science 66, 47–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, SP, Farnworth, MJ, White, IMS, Brotherstone, S, Mendl, M, Knap, P, Penny, P, Lawrence, AB 2006. The accumulation of skin lesions and their use as a predictor of individual aggressiveness in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 96, 245–259.Google Scholar
Van de Weerd, HA, Docking, CM, Day, JEL, Avery, PJ, Edwards, SA 2003. A systematic approach towards developing environmental enrichment for pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 84, 101–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van de Weerd, HA, Docking, CM, Day, JEL, Breuer, K, Edwards, SA 2006. Effects of species-relevant environmental enrichment on the behaviour and productivity of finishing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 99, 230–247.Google Scholar
Wallgren, P, Lindalh, E 1996. The influence of tail biting on performance of fattening pigs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 37, 453–460.Google Scholar
Wemelsfelder, F, Haskell, M, Mendl, MT, Calvert, S, Lawrence, AB 2000. Diversity of behaviour during novel object tests is reduced in pigs housed in substrate-impoverished conditions. Animal Behaviour 60, 385–394.Google Scholar