Deep learning pose detection model for sow locomotion.

Lameness affects animal mobility, causing pain and discomfort. Lameness in early stages often goes undetected due to a lack of observation, precision, and reliability. Automated and non-invasive systems offer precision and detection ease and may improve animal welfare.

Farming non-typical sentient species: ethical framework requires passing a high bar.

More widespread farming of species not typically used as livestock may be part of a sustainable approach for promoting human health and economic prosperity in a world with an increasing population; a current example is peccary farming in the Neotropics. Others have argued that species that are local to a region and which are usually not farmed should be considered for use as livestock. They may have a more desirable nutrient profile than species that are presently used as livestock.

Trade-offs in the externalities of pig production are not inevitable.

Farming externalities are believed to co-vary negatively, yet trade-offs have rarely been quantified systematically. Here we present data from UK and Brazilian pig production systems representative of most commercial systems across the world ranging from 'intensive' indoor systems through to extensive free range, Organic and woodland systems to explore co-variation among four major externality costs. We found that no specific farming type was consistently associated with good performance across all domains.

Lameness in Pregnant Sows Alters Placental Stress Response.

Pregnant sows from commercial pig farms may experience painful states, such as lameness, an essential indicator in assessing sow welfare. We investigated the effect of lameness during the last third of pregnancy on reproductive performance and placental glucocorticoid concentrations in sows. Periodic locomotion assessments were carried out on two commercial pig farms using a validated 0-5 scoring system (from 0: normal locomotion; to 5: a downer animal).

An enriched maternal environment and stereotypies of sows differentially affect the neuro-epigenome of brain regions related to emotionality in their piglets.

Epigenetic mechanisms are important modulators of neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of animals challenged during pregnancy. Pregnant sows living in a confined environment are challenged with stress and lack of stimulation which may result in the expression of stereotypies (repetitive behaviours without an apparent function). Little attention has been devoted to the postnatal effects of maternal stereotypies in the offspring.

Asinine milk mitigates stress-mediated immune, cortisol and behavioral responses of piglets to weaning: A study to foster future interventions in humans.

Introduction: The present study assessed whether asinine milk supplementation improved the immune and behavioral responses of piglets during an early life weaning stress event as a model for its future use in humans.

Methods: For this, 48 piglets from 4 different litters were used. At 20 days of age, piglets were weighed and allocated with their litter and dam into group pens until 28 days of age.

Changes in Stereotypies: Effects over Time and over Generations.

Stereotypies comprise a wide range of repeated and apparently functionless behaviors that develop in individuals whose neural condition or environment results in poor welfare. While stereotypies are an indicator of poor welfare at the time of occurrence, they may have various consequences. Environmental enrichment modifies causal factors and reduces the occurrence of stereotypies, providing evidence that stereotypies are an indicator of poor welfare.

Housing Conditions and a Challenge with Lipopolysaccharide on the Day of Estrus Can Influence Gene Expression of the Corpus Luteum in Gilts.

The corpus luteum (CL) is a temporary endocrine gland that plays a decisive role in the reproductive physiology of gilts. Recently, it has been suggested that exogenous factors may compromise the normal functioning of the CL. In the present study, we aimed to understand to what extent an acute and systemic challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the day of estrus could compromise gene expression of gilts’ CLs housed in different welfare conditions.

Poor welfare compromises testicle physiology in breeding boars.

In commercial pig breeding farms, boars are often exposed to stressful situations, such as confined housing conditions, inadequate environmental temperature, food restriction, lameness, diseases, among other challenges. Confined housing conditions, such as crates, are reported as a major source of stress for pregnant sows, and were banned in the UK and in Europe, however there is limited information about the impact of this housing system for boars. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of three different housing conditions for boars and the consequence on the testicles.

Vaginal Microbiota Diversity in Response to Lipopolysaccharide in Gilts Housed Under Three Housing Systems.

The United Kingdom and European Union have banned crates for pregnant sows. However, animals are kept in a restrictive environment for up to four weeks after mating, leading to stress and different responses of the animals' immune system. Here, we used vaginal flushing of gilts to investigate whether housing systems or an experimental inflammatory challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can modify the gilt vaginal microbiome.

How Epigenetics Can Enhance Pig Welfare?

Epigenetics works as an interface between the individual and its environment to provide phenotypic plasticity to increase individual adaptation capabilities. Recently, a wide variety of epi-genetic findings have indicated evidence for its application in the development of putative epi-biomarkers of stress in farm animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate previously reported stress epi-biomarkers in swine and encourage researchers to investigate potential paths for the development of a robust molecular tool for animal welfare certification.

Pain assessment in horses using automatic facial expression recognition through deep learning-based modeling.

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a machine vision algorithm to assess the pain level in horses, using an automatic computational classifier based on the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) and trained by machine learning method. The use of the Horse Grimace Scale is dependent on a human observer, who most of the time does not have availability to evaluate the animal for long periods and must also be well trained in order to apply the evaluation system correctly. In addition, even with adequate training, the presence of an unknown person near an animal in pain can result in behavioral changes, making the evaluation more complex.

The in-utero experience of piglets born from sows with lameness shapes their life trajectory.

Experiences during gestation can alter the mother's behavior and physiology, thereby potentially affecting the behavioral and physiological development of the offspring. In livestock, one common challenge for pregnant animals is lameness: a multifactorial condition that causes pain, stress, resulting in poor welfare outcomes. Since maternal pain can affect offspring development, we aimed to quantify the behavioral response in 142 piglets born from sows with different degrees of lameness during pregnancy.

Two Hours of Separation Prior to Milking: Is This Strategy Stressful for Jennies and Their Foals?

The goal of this study was to assess whether or not a separation period of 2 h is stressful for jennies and foals, as measured by changes in behaviour, salivary cortisol, and milk production. This study was reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Use and Care of Animals in Research (CEUA) of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo. Fourteen multiparous Pêga jennies (245 kg average body weight) and their foals were assessed from day 45 to 135 of lactation.

Stereotypic Behavior in Sows Is Related to Emotionality Changes in the Offspring.

Some effects of expressing stereotypic behavior have not yet been elucidated. During gestation, the environment has the potential to interfere with offspring development and to have prenatal or longer-term consequences. We tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of stereotypic behavior during gestation could affect the phenotype of the offspring.

Sham-Chewing in Sows Is Associated With Decreased Fear Responses in Their Offspring.

We hypothesized that sham-chewing expressed by the dam during gestation affects fetus programming. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of maternal sham-chewing on offspring welfare indicators, such as behavior and physiology. Sows that exhibited consistent sham-chewing on at least two of 6 days of observation ( = 7) were compared with sows that had never performed sham-chewing (non-sham-chewing sows; = 4) during these 6 days.

Maternal stress in sheep during late pregnancy influences sperm quality in early puberty of the offspring.

Stress at the end of sheep gestation can damage the reproductive development of young males. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of LPS administration in the last third of sheep pregnancy on the reproductive parameters of prepubertal rams. Thirty-six pregnant nulliparous ewes (12 ± 2 months old; 45 ± 6 kg) were assigned to two treatments, LPS (E.

Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders' Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys.

Welfare of animals significantly depends on how stakeholders perceive their needs and behave in a way to favor production systems that promote better welfare outcomes. This study aimed at investigating stakeholders' perception of the welfare of equines, small ruminants, and turkeys using text mining analysis. A survey composed by open-ended questions referring to different aspects of animal welfare was carried out.

Piglets Born from Sows Fed High Fibre Diets during Pregnancy Are Less Aggressive Prior to Weaning.

Aggressive interactions, and their consequences, are the most important causes of poor welfare in piglets. Aggressive behaviour can be modulated by the prenatal and neonatal environment in several species. Commercially kept pregnant sows are often subjected to food restriction, which can compromise their welfare.

Positive and negative gestational handling influences placental traits and mother-offspring behavior in dairy goats.

Dairy animals are subjected to a number of potential stressors throughout their lives, including daily interactions with humans. The quality of these interactions may have direct consequences for the animal undergoing the experience, but if such events occur during gestation it may also affect the developing fetus. This study examined the effects of differential handling during mid-gestation in 40 twin-bearing Saanen×Toggenburg primiparous goats.

Simultaneous detection and quantification of six equine cytokines in plasma using a fluorescent microsphere immunoassay (FMIA).

Cytokines are cell signalling proteins that mediate a number of different physiological responses. They are also biomarkers for inflammatory conditions and potential diagnostic references for diseases. Until recently, simultaneous quantification of cytokine profiles had not been possible.

Stress during pregnancy alters dendritic spine density and gene expression in the brain of new-born lambs.

Rodent studies show how prenatal stress (PS) can alter morphology in the cortico-limbic structures that support emotional and cognitive functions. PS-induced alteration is less well described in species with a gyrencephalic brain and complex earlier fetal development, and never in sheep at birth to rule out postnatal environment effects or influences of maternal behavior. This study aimed to assess the consequences of a mild chronic stress in pregnant ewes on the neurobiological development of their lambs at birth.

Early adverse experience alters dendritic spine density and gene expression in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in lambs.

In the laboratory, prenatal stress produces alterations in the structure and function of corticolimbic neurons. Here we report changes in gene expression and corticolimbic dendritic spine morphology in the offspring of pregnant ewes subjected to aversive interactions with human handlers during the last five weeks of pregnancy (AVS) compared to control dams that received gentle handling (GEN). AVS lambs had higher spine density on pyramidal neurons in area CA1 of the hippocampus and in medial prefrontal cortex compared to GEN lambs, as well as a lower ratio of mushroom spines to stubby and thin spines in area CA1.

Identification of chromosomal locations associated with tail biting and being a victim of tail-biting behaviour in the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus).

The objective of this study was to identify loci associated with tail biting or being a victim of tail biting in Norwegian crossbred pigs using a genome-wide association study with PLINK case-control analysis. DNA was extracted from hair or blood samples collected from 98 trios of crossbred pigs located across Norway. Each trio came from the same pen and consisted of one pig observed to initiate tail biting, one pig which was the victim of tail biting and a control pig which was not involved in either behaviour.

Factors affecting mechanical (nociceptive) thresholds in piglets.

Objective: To evaluate the stability and repeatability of measures of mechanical (nociceptive) thresholds in piglets and to examine potentially confounding factors when using a hand held algometer.

Study Design: Descriptive, prospective cohort.

Animals: Forty-four piglets from four litters, weighing 4.