Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
12. Endocrine and behavioural responses of sows
to human interactions and consequences on
reproductive performance
A. Prunier
*
and C. Tallet
INRA, UMR1348 PEGASE, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France; Agrocampus Rennes, UMR1348
PEGASE, 35000 Rennes, France;
armelle.prunier@rennes.inra.fr
Abstract
Even though of relatively short duration (approximately 4 h/sow/reproductive cycle),
the time stockpersons spend in contact with reproductive sows and their piglets is
of very high importance since it may influence both performance and welfare of the
animals. During this time, numerous human-pig interactions occur, especially around
birth, breeding and farrowing. These interactions can be qualified as positive, neutral or
negative from the animal's perspective. In the present chapter, the literature regarding all
types of handlings of sows and their litters is reviewed. Firstly, the immediate and long
term effects that painful husbandry practices could have on suckling piglets and on their
relationship with humans, as well as the effects that those practises could have on sows
when performed nearby, are covered. Then, the consequences of interactions with sows
that distinguish between handling during transfer and handling associated with breeding,
farrowing supervision and other management tasks are discussed. The consequences of
handling type on the reactions of sows and piglets to humans and the possible impacts
of this handling on reproductive performance are evaluated. Finally, the question of new
practices that could be developed to overbalance the negative interactions inherent to pig
management systems, notably by using knowledge of the way animals express their needs
or state, are addressed. This review clearly demonstrates the reciprocal effects of human-
animal interactions on pigs and humans with consequences not only on performance but
also on pig welfare and human satisfaction at work.
Keywords:
welfare, pig, human-animal relationship, stress
12.1
Introduction
In 2009, the average number of hours a stockperson spent handling one reproductive
sow was approximately 14 h in conventional farms in France (Roguet
et al.,
2011).
This duration included tasks devoted to pigs after weaning, as well as tasks with no
contact with the animals (cleaning and disinfecting the pens, maintaining and repairing
equipment between batches, business tasks), but did not include time devoted to on-
farm feed production and to management of pig dejections. It can be estimated that,
in conventional piggeries, a stockperson spends less than 4 h per reproductive sow
during one cycle including breeding (less than 1 h for oestrus detection and artificial
