This study aimed to evaluate the effects of handling barrows of two slaughter weights, light (L: 135.1 kg average final weight) and heavy (H: 152.9 kg average final weight), and group sizes (3 vs. 6 pigs/group) through a simulated loading and unloading procedure on their behavioural and physiological response. Behaviour was observed in 120 pigs, while heart rate (HR) and whole blood lactate concentrations were evaluated in a subsample of 81 pigs (3 pigs/group). The interaction body weight x group size had no effect on handler interventions, pig behaviours, and post-handling blood lactate concentration. Handling time was longer in H pigs (P = 0.05), but the number of handler interventions and paddle noise was greater only in larger groups of pigs (P <= 0.05), resulting from their higher frequency of turning back, backing-up, and going backward (P = 0.04, P = 0.02, and P = 0.04, respectively). Pigs handled in larger groups presented greater post-handling blood lactate concentrations (P < 0.01). In L pigs, the HR increased more when handled in smaller than larger groups (P = 0.03) without significant consequences during the recovery period. Our results suggest that a smaller group size would reduce pigs' fatigue and ease their handling.

This study assessed the relationship between in-transit pig behavior and the vibrations recorded in a two-axle pot-belly trailer. During seven shipments (135 km) of pigs (125 kg) to the slaughter plant, five compartments (front-top [C1], rear-top [C4], front-middle [C5], center-middle [C7], and front-bottom [C9]) were equipped with accelerometers at the floor level. Four route sections (RS) lasting 17 min each were selected, and acceleration data were processed to calculate the vibration dose value (VDV) on the vertical, horizontal and lateral axes and the global vibration exposure (VDVv). Percentage of pigs standing, lying and sitting and the number of loss of balance (LOB) on the horizontal, lateral and vertical directions were observed in C1, C4 and C5. Data were analyzed for the effect of route section and compartment location using mixed models. The effect of compartment location on VDVs differed between route sections. Horizontal VDV was higher in C5 and C7 than C4 in RS1 (p = 0.005), whereas it was higher in C4 than C1, C5 and C9 in RS2 (p = 0.001). Lateral VDV in C1 was always the highest in every route section (p < 0.001). C4 had the highest and C9 the lowest values for vertical VDV and VDVv for RS2, RS3 and RS4. Finally, C7 had the highest, and C5 the lowest vertical VDV and VDVv in RS1 (p < 0.05). A greater percentage of pigs were standing in C5 compared to C1 and C4 (p < 0.05), while pigs in C4 showed more vertical LOB than in C1 and C5 for all route sections. Finally, pigs in C4 had the lowest number of lateral LOB during RS2, but the highest during RS3 and RS4 (p < 0.05). No clear relationship could be established between vibration levels and behavioral reaction of pigs. In the top rear compartment, more affected by vertical vibrations, pigs showed more instability during the end of the journey, whereas in front compartments, pigs showed more instability during RS2 which included roundabouts. The impact of vibrations and jolts in the trailer on pig behavior is most likely the result of several interacting factors.

This study aimed at assessing the effects of space allowance on microclimate and pig stress during transportation in a mechanically-ventilated vehicle. On each journey (6), 114 pigs were randomly assigned to different space allowances (0.46, 0.49, or 0.59 m(2)/pig) tested in the near-front, middle, and near-rear compartments and on the top, middle, and bottom decks. In each compartment, ambient conditions (e.g., T degrees C and RH %) were monitored. Behaviour was recorded during lairage. A total of 162 pigs were selected for the analysis of blood hematocrit proportion and lactate, and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, and the evaluation of meat quality in the loin and ham muscles. The bottom deck was more humid before and during transport P <= 0.05) and pigs from this location stood and drank more in lairage (P < 0.001). Pigs transported on the top deck had greater blood lactate and CK concentrations (P < 0.05) than those transported on the bottom deck, and when transported at 0.49 m2/pig produced paler loins (P < 0.05) than those transported at 0.46 m2/pig. The within-trailer location had a greater impact on the microclimate, collected animal welfare measures, and meat quality of pigs transported in an actively ventilated trailer than space allowance.

Behaviour, heart rate (HR), and blood lactate concentration of 144 pigs, equally distributed into lighter (L, 122 kg on average) and heavier (H, 153 kg on average) groups, were assessed to study the effects of slaughter weight on pigs' response to a simulated loading and unloading procedure using four ramp configurations, i.e., 0(degrees ) (level ramp), 15(degrees )slope and 1.66 m length, 15(degrees ) slope and 2.71 m length (15(degrees )LO), and 25(degrees )slope and 1.66 m. No interaction was found between ramp configuration and slaughter weight (P > 0.10). The frequencies of pigs' slips or falls (P = 0.01) increased on sloped ramps compared to the floor level (P-adj < 0.05), and pigs jumped-off more from the 25(degrees ) than the 15(degrees )LO ramp (P-adj = 0.05). Pigs negotiating the 25(degrees ) slope ramp presented a higher concentration of blood lactate than those walking at the floor level (P = 0.02). When compared to L pigs, H pigs were more reluctant to move (P = 0.05), and presented higher increments of HR (AHR) during handling (P = 0.03). In conclusion, heavier pigs were more difficult to handle, regardless of the ramp steepness, which alone reduced ease of handling and affected the physiological condition of pigs.

In the original publication [...].

In total, 3654 market pigs were transported to slaughter in winter (six replicates/treatment; January-February in southwest-ern Ontario) using three trailers: a modified triple-deck pot-belly (MPB), an advanced flat-deck (AFD) trailer, and a standard pot-belly (SPB). Within trailers, ambient conditions, temperature (T degrees C), relative humidity (RH%), and temperature humidity index (THI) were monitored in three compartments (bottom front (BF), middle middle deck (MM), and top rear (TR)). In total, 162 pigs were selected for the analysis of hematocrit, lactate, and creatine kinase (CK) levels in exsanguination blood and for the evaluation of pork quality as assessed in the longissimus (LM), semimembranosus (SM), and adductor (AD) muscles. The SPB trailer overall was approximately 2.5 degrees C warmer (P = 0.01) compared to the MPB and AFD trailers while stationary at the farm. No differences (P > 0.10) in blood variables were found between trailers. The pHu value of the SM muscle was greater (P = 0.05) for pigs transported in the SPB trailer than in the AFD and MPB trailers. Given the few substantial effects of trailer models on animal welfare and meat quality, these three trailer models can be used indifferently for short-distance transportation in winter conditions in Canada.

The objective of this study was to describe the physiological response of gestating and lactating sows to naturally-occurring environmental conditions, and to identify factors that may contribute to or prevent heat stress, while being kept outdoors in Quebec, Canada during the summer. Six groups of 4 Yorkshire-Landrace sows lived in outdoor pens equipped with a wallow, shade structure, farrowing huts and access to a pasture from July to September 2018. Between week 15 of gestation and week 3 of lactation (inclusive), we recorded the location of each sow 5 days/week during 5 daily 15-min observation periods, and additionally measured the sow's respiratory rate and mud cover at the end of each observation period. Simultaneously, we collected sow body temperature data with vaginal temperature loggers 24 h/d on week 15 of gestation and week 2 of lactation, and monitored environmental conditions with temperature and humidity loggers to calculate the temperature humidity index (THI). Sows had significantly higher and more variable body temperatures during lactation compared to gestation (P <= 0.0001), and when THI was analysed as a continuous variable, it was positively associated with sow body temperature during the night in lactation. During gestation, neither respiratory rate nor body temperature were associated with high or low levels of THI (P = 0.15 and 0.79, respectively) or mud cover (P = 0.29 and 0.94, respectively). However, in lactation, respiratory rate was higher when, simultaneously, THI exceeded 74 and mud cover was low (P = 0.006), while a THI higher than 74 and a low mud cover had independent effects on body temperature (P = 0.012 and 0.004, respectively). In lactation, sows that spent an entire observation period in the farrowing hut also had a higher respiratory rate than sows that left the hut at least once (P = 0.009). In summary, lactating sows were more likely to show increases in respiratory rate and body temperature in warmer conditions than gestating sows, and our findings also suggest that time in the farrowing hut may be a risk factor for heat stress. However, mud cover may limit these physiological consequences when sows have access to a wallow.

This study was carried out through two separate experiments aiming at evaluating the effects of two space allowances (0.54 and 0.62 m2/pig in summer and 0.44 m2/pig and 0.50 m2/pig in winter) on the behavioural and physiological response, and meat quality of pigs of two slaughter weights (120 kg and 140 kg). In summer, higher blood haematocrit levels were found at slaughter in heavier pigs transported at a smaller space allowance (p = 0.04). During lairage, pigs transported at a smaller space allowance started fighting later (p = 0.04). Fighting behaviour was greater in heavier pigs (p ≤ 0.05), whilst their drinking activity was lower (p < 0.05). This resulted in greater exsanguination blood CK levels (p < 0.01) and drier hams (p = 0.05) in heavier pigs. In winter, only lower space allowance influenced some meat quality traits (p < 0.05), but these effects were minor. The effects of space allowance during summer transports on within-truck ambient conditions, post-transport pigs’ welfare, and meat quality are similar. Mixing heavier pigs may result in greater aggressiveness and more fatigue-related meat quality variation during summer. Overall, winter transport results may have been biased by the short journey and within-truck load distribution.

The objective of this study was to determine which behaviours may be important for thermoregulation when gestating and lactating sows are housed outdoors in Quebec, Canada during the summer. We kept six groups of four Yorkshire-Landrace sows, from July to September 2018, in outdoor paddocks outfitted with a wallow, shade structure, individual farrowing huts and a pasture plot. From week 15 of gestation to week 3 of lactation, we recorded the location of each sow during five daily observation periods (5 days/week), each consisting of 15 consecutive scan samples at 1-min intervals. Simultaneously, we monitored environmental conditions with temperature and humidity loggers. We analyzed the impact of day relative to farrowing and the temperature humidity index (THI) on the percent of daily observations in the wallow, shade, and farrowing hut with polynomial regression models, with day and THI as covariates and the sow as the subject of repeated measures. In gestation, sows were mainly observed in the wallow (40 +/- 2% of observations), while in lactation, sows were primarily observed in the huts (54 +/- 17%) and were only in the wallow for 6 +/- 4% of observations. THI was associated with the percent of observations in the wallow (P < 0.001) during both gestation and lactation. Day also had a significant association with wallowing; gestating sows were observed in the wallow more often as farrowing drew nearer (P = 0.029), while lactating sows were observed in the wallow more often as the number of days since farrowing increased (P < 0.0001). In gestation, THI was negatively associated with the percent of observations in the farrowing hut (P < 0.0001); however, in lactation, only day predicted the use of the farrowing hut in a non-linear fashion (P < 0.01). In gestation, the sows' wallow use was associated with THI. However, lactating sows exhibited low wallow usage even when THI was high, instead prioritizing the farrowing hut, especially in the first few days after farrowing. The differences between gestation and lactation in the timing and frequency of the sows' use of the wallow and farrowing hut may indicate a conflict of motivation between thermoregulatory and maternal behaviours when sows are nursing their piglets.

This study aimed to determine the effect of three different farrowing huts on the behaviour of outdoor housed sows and piglets during summer in Eastern Canada, with a focus on thermoregulatory and crushing behaviours. Forty-two second parity sows were housed outdoors in groups of three during lactation (N = 42). Within each group, sows had access to three farrowing huts: a Wood modified A-frame hut, a Plastic round calf hutch, and a Metal ark English-style hut. Cameras were installed in the huts to observe behaviour on days 1, 2, 7 and 14 of lactation. Temperature and humidity were recorded outside and inside the huts. Hourly temperature averages were analysed for the effect of the hut type for day and night separately. Sows farrowed in the huts between August and October and observations of sow and piglet location, posture, nursing, and crushing events were collected in the morning and afternoon. The Wood huts showed the least variation in temperature between days and nights, with the Metal huts showing similar thermal properties to the Wood huts (P < 0.05). The Plastic hut was hotter and drier during the day, but cooler and more humid during the night (P < 0.05). No hut type effect was observed on sow use of the hut, posture, or nursing behaviour. Piglets showed greater expression of thermoregulating behaviour in the morning on day two in the Wood hut as it was the coolest (P = 0.03). Huddling was found to be the most common technique employed by piglets for thermoregulation in all huts, representing 61.2-73.8% of their time. Piglets were in contact with the sow 10.6-16.1% of the time while not nursing. The percentages of sows killing at least one piglet by crushing or trauma during the first week after farrowing were 93%, 86% and 43% for Wood, Plastic, and Metal huts, respectively (P = 0.02). Mortalities during the first week due to crushing or trauma were 18%, 15%, and 11% of liveborn piglets for the Wood, Plastic, and Metal huts, respectively (P = 0.44). The riskiest time for piglets, in terms of being crushed was found to be when the sow was standing (P = 0.04). This study suggests that the indoor risk factors for crushing change when sows are housed in huts. The Metal hut appears to be the best compromise considering thermal environment, behaviour, and litter survival, but the results suggest a need for future research into hut designs for farrowing sows on pasture to reduce crushing risks.

One of the main challenges of outdoor pig production systems is their potential environmental impact due to direct deposition of pigs? excreta on the land that can lead to nitrate leaching. However, plants can recycle nutrients, and a sufficient vegetation cover can mitigate adverse environmental impacts of outdoor pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of concentrate feed restriction on gestating sows foraging behaviour and ensuing damages caused to vegetation cover in a pasture-based system. Ten groups of three sows were randomly assigned to two concentrate feed levels, supplying either 90 % (P90) or 40 % (P40) of metabolizable energy requirements, from week 5 of gestation until farrowing. All groups of sows were housed at a density of 8 sows/ha in a rotational pasture system including a permanent area and three 25 ? 50-m legume-grass pasture plots, which could be accessed in rotation for periods of 2?3 weeks. Posture and location of sows were assessed at weeks 8?9, 12?13 and 15 of gestation using data loggers. During the same weeks, video recordings were made when the sows were at pasture, in order to determine their time spent foraging. Vegetation cover of pasture plots was determined at the beginning and end of the grazing periods using a method based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-acquired image processing. In the second half of gestation, P40 sows spent 60 % more time active on pasture than P90 sows during the daytime (P < 0.01). The feeding level did not influence the number of daily visits to pasture plots, but P40 sows spent more time on pasture and travelled longer distances per visit than P90 sows. While at pasture, P90 sows spent more time rooting (P < 0.001) and less time grazing (P = 0.002) than P40 sows. In pasture plots with P90 sows, an increasing proportion of bare soil was observed over time, whereas in P40 plots, a greater proportion of high vegetation was replaced by medium vegetation. These results indicate that a higher concentrate restriction promoted grazing behaviour in pregnant sows, leading to greater disappearance of high vegetation but not to greater vegetation cover destruction. In contrast, the lower concentrate restriction increased the proportion of rooting activity, leading to greater damage to vegetation cover. In conclusion, this study has shown that concentrate feeding level of gestating sows on pasture can be reduced without adverse effects on pasture vegetation cover.

Grasslands are among the most widespread ecosystems on Earth and among the most degraded. Their characterization and monitoring are generally based on field measurements, which are incomplete spatially and temporally. The recent advent of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provides data at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. This study aims to test and compare three approaches based on multispectral imagery acquired by UAV to estimate forage biomass or vegetation cover in grasslands. The study site is composed of 30 pasture plots (25 × 50 m), 5 bare soil plots (25 x 50), and 6 control plots (5 × 5 m) on a 14-ha field maintained at various biomass levels by grazing rotations and clipping over a complete growing season. A total of 14 flights were performed. A first approach based on structure from motion was used to generate a volumetric-based biomass estimation model (R 2 of 0.93 and 0.94 for fresh biomass [FM] and dry biomass [DM], respectively). This approach is not very sensitive to low vegetation levels but is accurate for FM estimation greater than 0.5 kg/m 2 (0.1 kg DM/m 2 ). The Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) was selected to develop two additional approaches. One is based on a regression biomass prediction model (R 2 of 0.80 and 0.66 for FM and DM, respectively) and leads to an accurate estimation at levels of FM lower than 3 kg/m 2 (0.6 kg DM/m 2 ). The other approach is based on a classification of vegetation cover from clustering of GNDVI values in four classes. This approach is more qualitative than the other ones but more robust and generalizable. These three approaches are relatively simple to use and applicable in an operational context. They are also complementary and can be adapted to specific applications in grassland characterization.

Forages can contribute to the nutrient supply for sows but the extent to which they can replace concentrate feeding is not well known. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of level of feed restriction and type of forage on the performance and activity of gestating sows under outdoor conditions. A total of 45 sows were distributed among three treatments, with five replicates of three sows/treatment, from week 5 of gestation until farrowing. Treatments differed in the daily level of concentrate feed provided and the type of forage offered during gestation: 90% of metabolisable energy (ME) requirements provided by concentrates and free access to a pasture (P90); 40% of ME requirements provided by concentrates and free access to a pasture (P40); and 40% of ME requirements provided by concentrates and free access to a bare paddock with hay ad libitum (H40). From farrowing to weaning (5 weeks), concentrate feed was offered to all sows ad libitum. Body weight and backfat thickness (BF) were measured seven times during gestation and lactation. Postures of sows and time spent in the pasture were assessed at the beginning, middle and end of gestation. Forage intake was estimated with a method based on sow performance using the InraPorc® model. At farrowing, P90 sows were heavier and had greater BF than P40 and H40 sows. At weaning, P90 sows maintained a higher BW and tended to have greater BF than H40 sows, but no longer differed from P40 sows. Treatments did not influence litter size, but piglets from P40 sows were lighter at birth than those from P90 sows (1.44 vs. 1.69 kg, P = 0.004). In late gestation, P90 sows spent less time standing over 24 h and less time in the pasture during daytime than P40 sows, suggesting less foraging behaviour. Sows fed concentrates to meet 40% of ME requirements during gestation did not consume enough forage to maintain the same body condition as sows fed at 90% of ME requirements. Despite their inability to fully compensate for concentrate restriction during gestation by consuming more forage, P40 sows reached a similar body condition to P90 sows at weaning. In conclusion, forage intake for outdoor gestating sows can compensate a concentrate feed reduction of 10% and possibly more, but not as much as 60%.

Mixing gestating sows implies hierarchy formation and has detrimental consequences on welfare. The effects of social stress on the most vulnerable individuals may be underestimated and it is therefore important to evaluate welfare between individuals within groups. This study aimed at investigating the impact of social status and previous experience in the group on well-being of sows housed in large semi-static groups (20 groups of 46-91 animals). We assessed aggression (d0 (mixing), d2, d27, d29), body lesions (d1, d26, d84) and feeding order. Social status was based on the proportion of fights won during a 6-hr observation period between d0 and d2. Dominants (29%) were those who won more fights than they lost, Subdominants (25%) won fewer fights than they lost, Losers (23%) never won any fight in which they were involved while Avoiders (23%) were never involved in fights. Resident sows (70%) were already present in the group in the previous gestation while New sows (30%) were newly introduced at mixing. Subdominants and Dominants were highly involved in fights around mixing but this was more detrimental for Subdominants than Dominants, Losers and Avoiders since they had the highest body lesion scores at mixing. Avoiders received less non-reciprocal agonistic acts than Losers on d2 ( P =0.0001) and had the lowest body lesion scores after mixing. However, Avoiders and Losers were more at risk in the long-term since they had the highest body lesions scores at d26 and d84. They were followed by Subdominants and then Dominants. New sows fought more ( P <0.0001), tended to be involved in longer fights ( P =0.075) around mixing and had more body lesions throughout gestation than Resident sows. Feeding order from one-month post-mixing was influenced both by the previous experience in the group and social status ( P <0.0001). New sows, especially with a low social status, are more vulnerable throughout gestation and could serve as indicators of non-optimal conditions.

Claw injuries of pigs due to inadequate floor surface conditions are a major concern in pig operations. Rough and slippery concrete floor surfaces can result in claw disorders. In this paper, the surface roughness and dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of concrete floors used in two sow gestation rooms were studied. The first room had a slatted concrete floor with 105-mm wide slats and 19-mm wide gaps, and the second room had a floor with 125 mm wide slats and 25-mm wide gaps. A portable tester was designed and built to measure the surface roughness and friction of concrete floors. Measurements were conducted weekly during two gestation cycles for a total of 21 weeks. Based on the observations of sow activities, the floor in each room was virtually divided into four areas, namely dunging, high traffic, low traffic and sleeping areas. Surface roughness and friction were measured in the four areas in directions both parallel and perpendicular to the slats. The results showed that the length of time of floor usage by sows had a significant effect on the roughness and DCOF of concrete floors, with a sharp reduction in the DCOF after the first two weeks of use because manure stuck in the pores of the concrete surface reduced the interlocking between the asperities of the contact surfaces. No significant differences in the roughness and DCOF were found among different areas of floor (dunging, high traffic, low traffic and sleeping) or between the two floor configurations in the first 21 weeks of floor usage. (c) 2021 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A total of 160 pigs, in groups of 8 pigs of mixed genders, were fed four finishing feeding strategies with the aim to reduce muscle glycolytic potential and improve meat quality. Pigs were fed a control diet (C; fat = 5.0%, ADF = 3.0%, NDF = 8.8%), a high-fat and high-fiber diet (HFF; fat = 11.2%, ADF = 9.1%, NDF = 19.5%), a blend of 50?50% C and HFF diets (fat = 8.2%, ADF = 6.7%, NDF = 14.2%) or the C diet and transferred to the HFF diet after a diet transition. Dietary treatments alone or in interaction with gender had no effect on pig growth performance, carcass quality traits, Longissimus and Semimembranosus muscle glycolytic potential and meat quality (P > 0.10). The inefficiency of the dietary treatments applied in this study may be due to the low ratio between fat and digestible carbohydrate in the diets combined with the mild pre-slaughter stress conditions pigs were exposed to.

In Canada, the agricultural sector has long held a prominent economic, social and cultural position, from substantial evidence of extensive fishing and farming since the times of the first human settlements, to currently accounting for over 100 billion dollars of production and employing 2.3 million people. Steady growth in agricultural production in the country over several decades, supported by strong investment in public agricultural science, has allowed an increasing supply of a wide variety of food and agricultural goods to be available both within the country as well as allowing for substantial exports abroad and deep integration of the Canadian agricultural sector into global markets. Along with securing continued productivity growth in agricultural output for the future, policy makers and public sector agricultural scientists in Canada have become increasingly concerned with managing environmental externalities associated with agricultural production in order to achieve the objective of sustainable intensification of the sector. However, the process of identification of the best tools and practices to improve the sustainability of the agricultural sector in Canada has evolved over time due to shifting research priorities and dynamic changes in the problems facing the sector. In this paper we discuss applied and direct-to-farmer agricultural science research initiatives that are focused on identification and implementation of best environmental management practices at the farm level. We believe that involving farmers directly in scientific research and communication of scientific results provides for a deeper understanding of agro-environmental externalities. It also allows farmers to find greater adoption potential in their specific farm system, thus combining both environmental and economic sustainability. We trace the history of public agricultural science engagement with Canadian farmers to address economic and environmental problems in the sector. We then provide examples of successful public sector projects based in applied agricultural science research that foster effective farmer/scientist collaboration, leading to improved agriculture sustainability in Canada.