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An estimate of heritability of clinical tail biting on a commercial pig breeding farm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

K. Breuer ,
M. E. M. Sutcliffe ,
J. T. Mercer ,
K. A. Rance ,
N. E. O’Connell ,
I. A Sneddon  and
S. A. Edwards
K. Breuer*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
M. E. M. Sutcliffe
Affiliation:
Rattlerow Farms Ltd, Hillhouse Farm, Stradbroke, Eye, Suffolk, IP21 5NB
J. T. Mercer
Affiliation:
Independent Breeding Consultants, Harryburn Stables, Lauder, Berwickshire, TD2 6PD
K. A. Rance
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA
N. E. O’Connell
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Co Down, BT26 6DR
I. A Sneddon
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Queens University, Belfast, BT7 1NN
S. A. Edwards
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU
*
kate_breuer@yahoo.com
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Extract

Recent research suggests that the genetic makeup of a pig may contribute to the expression of tail biting (Breuer et al., 2002). To date there has been little investigation into the genetics of tail biting. A significant population of tail biters was found at a commercial pig breeding farm at which an experiment on the genetic basis of the expression of harmful social behaviour was being performed. As pedigree data for each pig on the farm were available, the opportunity was taken to investigate the heritability of tail biting by recording the perpetrators of clinical tail biting.

Type
Genetics
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2003 , 2003 , pp. 138
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2003

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References

Breuer, K., Sutcliffe, M. E. M., Mercer, J. T., Rance, K. A., Beattie, V. E., Sneddon, I. A., Edwards, S. A. (2002) The effect of breed on the expression of adverse social behaviours in pigs. Proceedings of BSAS 2002, 33.Google Scholar
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