Cutaneous application of SecurePig® FLASH, a Pig appeasing pheromone analogue, facilitates adaptation and manages social behavior during feeding in semi-extensive conditions

Abstract

Background: Farm animals face several challenges throughout their lives, which can affect both their welfare and their productivity. Promoting adaptation in animals is one way of limiting these consequences. In various animal species, the use of maternal appeasing pheromones is efficient to reduce aggressiveness, improve adaptation and thus ensuring better welfare and productivity. This study sought to investigate the efficiency of a treatment with a Pig Appeasing Pheromone (PAP) on the behavior of pigs reared under semi-extensive conditions and exposed to a potential conflict- collective feeding. Animals (n = 14 divided in 2 groups of 7) were subjected to 3 different phases, (A) baseline - no pigs received the PAP, (B) SP - 2 out of the 7 pigs per group received the PAP and (C) AP- all pigs received the PAP. Behaviors related to feeding, aggression and locomotion were compared between the 3 phases of the study.

Results: Compared to the baseline period, we observed that the number of head knocks was reduced when some pigs (p < 0.001) and all pigs (p < 0.005) received the PAP. Similarly, we observed that the number of fleeing attempts was reduced when some pigs (p < 0.001) and all pigs (p < 0.001) were treated when compared to baseline. This number was lower in the AP phase than in the SP phase (p < 0.001). When all pigs were treated (AP), we also observed that they spent less time investigating the floor than during the two other phases (p < 0.001), but they seemed more likely to leave the feeder due to the presence or behavior of another pig of the group (SP vs. AP, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The PAP application improved adaptation in pigs by reducing aggressiveness and promoting conflict avoidance. Those results validate the efficiency of the pheromonal treatment under semi-extensive rearing conditions to help pigs to cope with a challenging situation. Using PAP in the pig industry seems interesting to limit unwanted consequences of farm practices on animal welfare and productivity, by promoting their adaptation.

Keywords: Agonistic behavior; Appeasing pheromones; Communal feeding; Coping; Miniature pigs; Outdoor enclosure; Pig welfare.

Fig. 1

Experimental schedule for one group of 7 pigs

Fig. 2

Mean pig behavior for 4 consecutive meals on each of the 3 treatment phases (B, SP, AP). Animal behavior was compared before treatment (B, baseline), when some pigs (SP) in each group were treated with PAP or when all pigs (AP) in each group were treated with PAP. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Stars indicate significant differences between phases according toto the Tuckey based multiple comparisons. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001). N = 14 pigs for each phase

Fig. 3

Correlation circles for the two principal components for dominant and subordinate pigs, with and without PAP treatment. PCA was performed separately for dominant and subordinate pigs, neutral pigs were considered in both analyses. PCA was only done in two phases, baseline, when no pigs were treated, and AP, when all pigs were treated. Arrows represent the correlation between each variable and the axis. In each PCA, the behavior of 8 pigs was analyzed