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Tail biting intervention programme for weaner piglets (A-SchwIP)
Project
Project code: FLI-ITT-08-CE-0045, 28RZ3034
Contract period: 01.07.2015
- 31.12.2018
Budget: 270,990 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: https://www.fli.de/en/institutes/institute-of-animal-welfare-and-animal-husbandry-itt/departments-working-groups/working-group-pigs/event-single-view/?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=447&cHash=e71ccc44c4467ebff88e826dfb524e7c
Tail biting is a frequent problem during pig rearing which significantly reduces animal welfare and productivity. It is a multifactorial problem, which means its occurrence is influenced by the combined effect of a large number of risk factors. For this reason, every farm has to reduce risks on an individual basis. In non-tail docked conventional pigs tail biting frequently occurs after weaning from the sow, i.e. in weaner piglets. Weaner piglets are affected by current (e.g. climate) as well as historical factors, especially weaning management. The aim of this project is to develop and distribute a management tool for reducing tail biting risks in weaner piglets (A-SchwIP). A-SchwIP combines the advisory concept of animal health and welfare planning (AHWP) with a knowledge base software for farm-individual analysis and feedback of risks for tail biting in weaned piglets. This means that a farm-individual risk profile for tail biting in weaners is generated during a one-day farm visit every 6 months based on data from an interview and direct observations. Results are presented in a farm-specific report that points out strengths and weaknesses. The farmer autonomously sets aims and measures based on the report discussion. After six months intervention effects are being evaluated by renewing the risk profile and the farm plan is updated. This allows long-term reduction of tail biting risks in weaners on a farm-individual basis. In a first step, risk factors for tail biting in weaners are collected and their impact weighted by experts. The resulting database is then integrated into a software which allows generating farm-individual risk profiles within one day. In a next step, A-SchwIP is applied on farms by trained farm advisers and veterinarians as well as an FLI scientist. Data from all farm visits are collected and analysed epidemiologically. Finally, the software is revised and made available on the internet.
Regression tree analyis of risk factors for tail lesions in weaner pigs on 25 farms with closed barns (ventilated buildings) showed five primary risk factors for presence of tail lesions: tail docking status, stocking density, daily weight gain, suckling piglet losses and number of litters mixed at weaning. Most of the factors identified represented general farm management. In addition, several factors are no real impacting factors (e.g. daily gain) but depend on other factors and thus are integrating factors. Overall the analysis underlined the multifactorial nature of tail biting as many factors had similar mathematical strengths (Grümpel, A., Krieter, J., Veit, C., Dippel, S., 2018. Factors influencing the risk for tail lesions in weaner pigs (Sus scrofa). Livestock Science 216, 219-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.09.001). The development of risk for tail biting in weaner pigs over three visits at six months intervals was investigated on 21 farms. Risk for tail biting significantly decreased across all farms from visit 1 to 2 and 3, respectively. There was no significant change in risk between visits 2 and 3. This can mainly be explained by farmers implementing cheaper and less work intensive measures after the first visit. After the second visit, more expensive measures would have been due, yet motivation was reduced because piglet prices were very low at the time and many farms were generally producing at their limits. Farmer magazine articles: Grümpel, A., Dippel, S., 2016. Schwanzbeißen bei Aufzuchtferkeln: Risikofaktoren betriebsindividuell bewerten. LANDWIRT 5/2016, 36-37. Grümpel, A., Dippel, S., 2017. SchwIP gegen Beißer in der Aufzucht. top agrar 6, S24 - S27. Veit, C., Grümpel, A., Krieter, J., Dippel, S., 2017. Das Schwanzbeiß-Interventions-Programm für Aufzuchtferkel (A-SchwIP): Vorläufige Ergebnisse der ersten Erhebungsrunde mit den Schwerpunkten Tiergesundheit und Verhalten. Tierärztliche Umschau 72, 55-58. Grümpel, A., 2019. Heile Schwänze dank Beratung, SUS 1/2019, 48-51. Conference abstracts: Grümpel, A., Veit, C., Krieter, J., Dippel, S., 2017. Prävalenz von Schwanz- und Ohrveränderungen bei Aufzuchtferkeln in Zusammenhang mit Beschäftigungsangebot und manipulativen Verhaltensweisen, KTBL-Schrift 513, pp. 162 - 171. Veit, C., Grümpel, A., Krieter, J., Dippel, S., 2017. The occurrence of tail and ear lesions in relation to enrichment and manipulative behavior in weaner piglets, Proceedings of the 51st Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE), 7 - 10 August 2017, Aarhus (DK), Wageningen Academic Publishers, p. 153. Grümpel, A., Veit, C., Krieter, J., Dippel, S., 2017. The prevalence of tail and ear lesions in relation to enrichment and manipulative behaviour in weaner piglets, Abstracts of the FLI Junior Scientist Symposium 2017, Braunschweig, Germany, 20.-22.09.2017. Grümpel, A., Krieter, J., Dippel, S., 2019. Tail and ear lesions in suckling piglets: a pilot study on risk factors and a possible relationship with tail and ear lesions in weaner pigs, Proceedings of the 70th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science, Ghent, Belgium, 26.-30.08.2019, Ghent, Belgium. Peer reviewed: Grümpel, A., Krieter, J., Veit, C., Dippel, S., 2018. Factors influencing the risk for tail lesions in weaner pigs (Sus scrofa). Livestock Science 216, 219-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.09.001 Theses: Masterarbeit: Großpointner, T., 2017. Situation der Ferkelaufzucht in Oberösterreich: Gesundheit, Haltung, Fütterung und Management, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Wien. Dissertation: Grümpel, A., 2019. Reducing tail biting in German weaner pigs - Risk factor identification and prevention using a management tool, Institut für Tierzucht und Tierhaltung, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel.
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal Husbandry
- Animal health
- Communication Sciences
- Farm animal behaviour
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
FLI - Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (FLI - ITT)
