Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures,methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review

Abstract

Iron administration, teeth clipping, tail docking and castration are common invasive husbandry procedures performed on piglets on commercial farms, generally within the first week of life. These procedures are performed to prevent potential health and welfare problems of piglets and/or the sow, or, with respect to castration, to enhance meat quality. The objectives of this review were firstly, to provide the rationale and scientific evidence for performing these procedures, secondly, to describe the welfare implications of these procedures, and lastly, to describe mitigation strategies or alternatives that can be used to eliminate or reduce the pain caused by these procedures. Administering supplementary iron is necessary to prevent anaemia in piglets and the procedure has a low welfare impact. The stated benefits of teeth clipping to prevent udder lesions do not appear to outweigh the risk from injury and infection in piglets following the procedure. Tail docking reduces the prevalence of tail biting, but does not eliminate this behaviour and the practice of tail docking can cause acute pain. Castration is primarily performed to reduce the occurrence of boar taint, but alternatives are now available that negate the need to perform this procedure. Teeth clipping, tail docking and castration all cause behavioural and physiological changes indicative of acute pain and can have potentially long-term negative consequences such as causing abscesses, lesions and the formation of neuromas. Therefore effective pain mitigation strategies (e.g. analgesia, local or general anaesthesia) that markedly alleviate the pain caused by these procedures are necessary to improve the welfare of piglets. Alternatively, if management practices are available that eliminate the need for performing these procedures altogether, then they should be adopted.     

陕西关中地区肉牛产地同位素溯源技术初探

为应用牛组织中C、N同位素组成的区域分布和同位素指标溯源肉牛产地,本文利用同位素比率质谱仪(IRMS)对陕西关中不同区县来源的牛尾毛样品的1δ3C和1δ5N值进行检测,通过聚类分析,研究陕西关中地区肉牛组织中同位素组成的区域分布情况。结果表明,杨凌区、眉县牛尾毛样品聚为一类;乾县、永寿县样品聚为一类;麟游县样品聚为一类;扶风县、岐山县和凤翔县分类不十分明显,分散在上述3类中。说明陕西关中不同地区肉牛组织中同位素组成存在差异,利用它们可进行肉牛地域的小范围溯源。     

两种油脂对小鼠皮肤创伤修复作用研究

本研究旨在观察阿勒泰大尾羊尾脂油脂对损伤皮肤是否具有修复作用，并与牛油脂、市售商品做比较。研究选择40 只体重在31 ± 1 g 之间的昆明小鼠，雌雄各半，通过构建小鼠皮肤损伤模型，将小鼠分为4 组（羊尾油组、牛油组、市售商品组和空白组）进行试验观察。小鼠皮肤伤口愈合良好，雌鼠的创面愈合能力强于雄鼠，雌鼠伤口愈合速度：羊尾油组＞牛油组＞市售商品组＞空白对照组。雄鼠伤口愈合速度：羊尾油组＞市售商品组＞牛油组＞空白对照组。皮肤组织病理学结果显示，涂抹羊尾脂、牛油脂、市售商品与空白对照处皮肤相比，创伤修复组织中脂肪细胞、胶原纤维以及其他细胞的数量、排列分布均有差异。羊尾油和牛油均有修复皮肤创伤的作用，且羊尾油修复作用更强，羊尾油可通过促进胶原纤维的生成加速皮肤修复。     

丙烯海松酸型聚氨酯涂料的研制

以丙烯酸生松香和丙烯海松酸为原料,制备了ＮＣＯ／ＯＨ双组分型,催化固化型及封闭型聚氨酯涂料,讨论了各种聚氨酯涂料的性能及影响涂料漆膜的各种因素。以丙烯酸改性松香为原料,制备的三种类型聚氨酯清漆与国产ＮＣＯ／ＯＨ双组分型,催化固化型及封闭型聚氨酯清漆进行对比。结果表明,所得三种类型的聚氨酯清漆可分别替代同类型的国产品种。因其质优价廉具有广阔的应用前景。     

Effect of water temperature on the feeding activity and the resultant mercury levels in the muscle of cultured bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel)

Tuna muscle often contains high levels of mercury, and fish samples with mercury concentrations ten times higher than the specified safety standards have been reported. Here, we report on the relationship between water temperature and the concentration of mercury in the tail muscle tissue of cultured bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis. The fish used in this study were cultured at Fisheries Laboratory of Kinki University (Amami Experimental Station, Kagoshima, Japan). One hundred fish weighing 26.2–89.4 kg were selected for analysis between February 2007 and January 2008. Water temperature during rearing ranged from 21 to 29 °C. The total mercury levels were measured using the reduction vaporizing atomic absorption method after acid digestion. Body weight increased approximately 1.5 times that observed in a previous study, despite feeding activity either being the same or less than that observed previously. The average mercury concentration in white muscle was 0.353 mg kg^?1, remaining almost constant and independent of body growth. Unlike previous studies, seasonality was not observed in this study. Based on these findings, water temperatures within a certain range were considered to stabilize feeding activity and increase feeding efficiency. Consequently, water temperature is considered to have a moderating effect on seasonal fluctuations in muscle mercury concentrations in cultured bluefin tuna.     

生化尾水胁迫下湿地植物生理特性变化

检测植物处理污水厂生化尾水的效果和分析植物生理生长特性,为西北干旱半干旱地区人工湿地污水处理系统合理配置土著湿地植物提供理论依据。在复合垂直流-水平流人工湿地中种植芦苇和香蒲,生活污水处理装置的二级生化出水胁迫,植物移栽成活后和收割之前分别检测植物的生理、生长指标和光合参数。结果表明,COD_(Cr)、NH~+_4-N、TN、TP的去除率,种植植物期间分别为79.32%、85.69%、82.17%、91.76%,植物收割后分别为71.34%、58.45%、60.49%、89.86%;芦苇最高株高达到380 cm,香蒲最高株高达到320 cm;地上部分生物量香蒲最高达到4.15kg,芦苇最高达到7.55 kg;香蒲的净光合速率(P_n)分别增加了6.35%、3.99%、22.39%,芦苇的净光合速率(P_n)则分别增加了42.20%、5.26%、8.96%。2种湿地植物在污水胁迫下表现出一定的防御能力,但是抗污能力存在一定的差异。     

碱蓬浮床对海水养殖尾水的修复效果

[目的]利用碱蓬浮床对富营养化、高盐碱的海水养殖尾水进行修复,为治理严重的海洋环境问题提供新的方法。[方法]通过设计一种兼具物理、化学、生物协同作用的新型组合式碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)浮床,研究其对富营养化海水养殖尾水中总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、高锰酸钾指数(COD_(Mn))、氨氮(NH_4~+-N)的去除效果,并与传统浮床进行对比。[结果]组合式浮床对TN,NH_4~+-N,TP,COD_(Mn)的去除率分别为62.14%,93.94%,73.05%和60.91%,较传统浮床去除率分别提高了27.36%,21.27%,19.51%,12.43%。[结论]组合式浮床对富营养化、高盐碱的海水养殖尾水具有明显的修复能力。     

Autochthonous probiotic as growth promoter and immunomodulator for Astyanax bimaculatus cultured in water recirculation system

This work aimed to evaluate the probiotic Lactobacillus spp. in the microbiota of Astyanax bimaculatus reared in a water recirculation system. The experiment was randomized, using 800 postlarvae distributed into eight polyethylene containers, separated into two treatments, in quadruplicate: supplementation with Lactobacillus spp. (Probiotic) and no supplementation (Control). After 90 days of culture, 13 fish per container were anaesthetized. Three of these underwent microbiological evaluation, and haematological analyses were carried out on five. Immunological assessment was performed on another five fish. Zootechnical parameters were evaluated for all animals. In the microbiological evaluation, the probiotic group presented higher counts of lactic acid bacteria, but lower counts of Vibrio spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Staphylococcus spp., when compared with control. After haematological analysis, the supplemented group presented low haematimetric indices of Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCHC and MCH, respectively) and higher amounts of total leucocytes, thrombocytes and circulating monocytes when compared with control. The immunological profile did not differ between treatments. In the zootechnical performance, probiotic group presented higher productivity, survival and apparent food efficiency when compared with control. Therefore, when Lactobacillus spp. was supplemented in the diet of A. bimaculatus, immunocompetence and the zootechnical performance of animals increased.     

城市污水处理厂尾水湿地生态消纳安全评价模型构建及应用

城市污水处理厂尾水主要采用人工湿地生态消纳排放,针对这种尾水排放方式的生态安全性问题,以层次分析法和压力状态响应(PSR)理论为依据,构建基于城市资源环境压力、人工湿地状态和人文环境响应3个类别的尾水湿地生态消纳安全评价模型。以中国长三角地区的江苏省常州市城市污水处理厂的尾水湿地消纳为例,以该市资源环境压力、人工湿地状态和人文环境响应等指标为权重,得到人工湿地安全值S=2.179 6,属于安全状态,即采用人工湿地消纳该市污水处理厂尾水,从生态学角度是安全的,但仍然需要持续追加环保设施的投资,提高污水处理运行效率,强化对人工湿地的日常管护水平,确保人工湿地运行的稳定性与可靠性。     

Effects of a topical anaesthetic formulation and systemic carprofen, given singly or in combination, on the cortisol and behavioural responses of Merino lambs to castration

Objective   To determine the effectiveness of a topical anaesthetic formulation (Tri-Solfen) with or without the administration of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (carprofen) on the pain and distress response associated with ring or surgical castration of ram lambs.
Procedures   Merino ram lambs (n = 78) were allocated to 10 treatment groups: 4 groups of knife-castrated lambs and 4 groups of ring-castrated lambs received carprofen (4 mg/kg SC) and Tri-Solfen; 2 control groups (sham) received carprofen at 0 or 4 mg/kg SC. Measurements included plasma cortisol and haptoglobin concentrations, haematology, and behaviour, including posture.
Results   Knife-castrated lambs had higher peak cortisol and integrated cortisol responses for the first 6 h after treatment and greater concentration s of circulating acute phase proteins than ring-castrated lambs, both of which were significantly different from the sham controls. Tri-Solfen applied to the knife castration wound significantly reduced both the peak plasma cortisol concentration and the integrated cortisol response for the first 6 h and improved lying behaviour in the first 12 h. Carprofen reduced the cortisol response to knife castration at 30 min, but elevated the cortisol responses at 24 and 48 h. Carprofen nearly halved the number of acute pain behaviours associated with ring castration. There were no significant additive or synergistic effects from combining the analgesic treatments. Tri-Solfen applied to the tail wound provided no detectible benefits during ring castration + tail docking.
Conclusions   The physiological and behavioural responses suggest that ring castration has less impact on the lamb than knife castration. The specific analgesic treatments can provide modest amelioration of the pain and discomfort associated with castration. Alternative doses or application methods may enhance their efficacy.