TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing walking posture with geometric morphometrics
T2 - Effects of rearing environment in pigs
AU - Tallet, Céline
AU - Seneque, Emilie
AU - Megnin, Claire
AU - Morisset, Stéphane
AU - Val-Laillet, David
AU - Meunier-Salaün, Marie-Christine
AU - Fureix, Carole
AU - Hausberger, Martine
PY - 2016/1
Y1 - 2016/1
N2 - Rearing social animals like pigs in isolation from
conspecifics can have consequences on behaviour and physiology. The aim
of this experiment was to determine whether rearing conditions affect
body posture. We adapted a method for quantitative evaluation of posture
based on geometric morphometrics, developed in horses, for pigs and
applied it in different conditions. Forty-eight 75-day-old females were
reared either alone in 2.25 m2 pens (IH, N = 24 animals and 4 groups) or in groups of four in 4.64 m2 pens (GH, N = 24)
for two weeks. They were habituated to human handling (stroking,
speaking) and marking on their backs every day, and tested individually
once a day for 10 min in a corridor outside the home pen during the two
subsequent weeks. We observed their behaviour and posture during the
first exposure to the test (novelty), and the fourth and fifth (after
habituation). On the sixth and seventh tests, a familiar stockperson was
present in the corridor (human presence). Before each test, the animals
were marked with seven landmarks along their length, corresponding to
their anatomical points and were easily located. An experimenter took
pictures of the animals walking along the corridor, and these pictures
were transferred to Tps software for analysis.GH animals were more often active in the rearing pen than IH (median (IQ) 15% of observations [12–20%] versus 2% [0–13%]; P < 0.05).
All animals except one IH initiated contact with the handler during the
last sessions of handling (Fisher's exact test, ns). Principal
Component Analyses revealed significant effects of rearing and testing
conditions on pigs’ behaviour and posture. Novelty led to fewer
vocalisations and more exploration for IH than GH animals (P < 0.05),
but there were no differences between treatments after habituation to
the testing situation. The backs of IH animals were more rounded than
those of GH (P < 0.05; dimension 1 of PCA), independently of the test condition. Human presence had no effect on posture.In
conclusion, the method based on geometric morphometrics that we
developed to study pig posture detected variations in walking posture in
pigs associated with rearing conditions. Postures might reflect
affective states in pigs, as shown in other species, but further studies
are needed to verify this.
AB - Rearing social animals like pigs in isolation from
conspecifics can have consequences on behaviour and physiology. The aim
of this experiment was to determine whether rearing conditions affect
body posture. We adapted a method for quantitative evaluation of posture
based on geometric morphometrics, developed in horses, for pigs and
applied it in different conditions. Forty-eight 75-day-old females were
reared either alone in 2.25 m2 pens (IH, N = 24 animals and 4 groups) or in groups of four in 4.64 m2 pens (GH, N = 24)
for two weeks. They were habituated to human handling (stroking,
speaking) and marking on their backs every day, and tested individually
once a day for 10 min in a corridor outside the home pen during the two
subsequent weeks. We observed their behaviour and posture during the
first exposure to the test (novelty), and the fourth and fifth (after
habituation). On the sixth and seventh tests, a familiar stockperson was
present in the corridor (human presence). Before each test, the animals
were marked with seven landmarks along their length, corresponding to
their anatomical points and were easily located. An experimenter took
pictures of the animals walking along the corridor, and these pictures
were transferred to Tps software for analysis.GH animals were more often active in the rearing pen than IH (median (IQ) 15% of observations [12–20%] versus 2% [0–13%]; P < 0.05).
All animals except one IH initiated contact with the handler during the
last sessions of handling (Fisher's exact test, ns). Principal
Component Analyses revealed significant effects of rearing and testing
conditions on pigs’ behaviour and posture. Novelty led to fewer
vocalisations and more exploration for IH than GH animals (P < 0.05),
but there were no differences between treatments after habituation to
the testing situation. The backs of IH animals were more rounded than
those of GH (P < 0.05; dimension 1 of PCA), independently of the test condition. Human presence had no effect on posture.In
conclusion, the method based on geometric morphometrics that we
developed to study pig posture detected variations in walking posture in
pigs associated with rearing conditions. Postures might reflect
affective states in pigs, as shown in other species, but further studies
are needed to verify this.
U2 - 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.10.008
DO - 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.10.008
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
SN - 0168-1591
VL - 174
SP - 32
EP - 41
JO - Applied Animal Behaviour Science
JF - Applied Animal Behaviour Science
ER -