Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-rnpqb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-29T20:53:14.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Variation in behavioural style during an attack latency test: a potential source of additional information about aggressiveness in young pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

H.E. Pickup
Affiliation:
Animal Biology Division, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
R.B. D'Eath
Affiliation:
Animal Biology Division, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
Get access

Extract

Aggression seen on mixing of young pigs is a major welfare concern in modern farming. One solution may be to reduce the likelihood of aggression within a group by using combinations of individuals that facilitate rapid integration. This idea has been investigated by Mendl and Erhard (1997) using pigs with various levels of aggressiveness. An attack latency test was used to measure individual aggressiveness. Experimental pigs were placed in a familiar pen with an unfamiliar pig and the time taken to attack (i.e. attempt to fight) the intruder measured. In a substantial number of tests (e.g. 61% in the present study) no attack occurs in the time allowed (5 minutes) These pigs vary in their interactions with the intruder, ranging from no interest at all to persistent interest with isolated aggressive acts but no escalation to fighting (personal observation). The aim of this study was to investigate social behaviour throughout the test, thereby allowing a more detailed analysis of aggressiveness to be made.

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Erhard, H.W. and Mendl, M. 1997. Measuring aggressiveness in growing pigs in a resident-intruder situation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 54: 123136.Google Scholar
Rushen, J. and Pajor, E. 1987. Offence and defence in fights between young pigs (sus scrofa). Aggressive Behavior 13: 329346.Google Scholar