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ASPA 21st Congress
Milano, June 9-12, 2015
Book of Abstracts
Guest Editor: Giovanni Savoini
Official Journal of
the Animal Science and
Production Association
(ASPA)
ISSN 1594-4077
eISSN 1828-051X
www.aspajournal.it
Italian Journal
of Animal Science
2015; volume 14
supplement 1
[page 4] [Ital J Anim Sci vol.14:s1, 2015]
Italian Journal of Animal Science 2015; volume 14: supplement 1
LIVESTOCK AND ENVIRONMENT/WELFARE
C-003
Testing the feasibility of a prototype welfare assess-
ment protocol in intensive dairy goat farms
Monica Battini1, Sara Barbieri1, Guido Bruni2,
Giorgio Zanatta,2Silvana Mattiello1
1Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica,
Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
2Servizio di Assistenza Tecnica agli Allevamenti, Associazione
Regionale Allevatori Lombardia, Crema, Italy
Corresponding author: monica.battini@unimi.it
A prototype was tested during February-July 2014 in 30 Italian
farms, previously classified according to their size (small:<50
goats; medium: 51-100; large:101-500). The assessment was con-
ducted at group level from outside the pen (queuing at feeding and
at drinking, improper disbudding, hair coat condition, kneeling,
thermal stress, isolated animals, abnormal lying, Qualitative
Behaviour Assessment), from inside the pen (severe lameness,
kneeling, latency to first contact test, avoidance distance test), and
at individual level (3-level BCS, faecal soiling, discharges, udder
conformation, cleanliness, lesions, abscesses, claw overgrowth,
knee calluses). Time needed to apply the prototype was recorded.
ANOVA was used to compare the time required to apply the proto-
type in farms of different size. The average time required was
144.0±9.6 minutes (min:37, max:272): the group assessment took
81.0±9.6 minutes; the individual assessment took 63.0±5.8 min-
utes (min:10, max:146, depending on farm size: small vs. medium:
P<0.05; small vs. large: P<0.01), ranging from 131.4±15.9 sec-
onds/per goat if goats were manually restrained in the pen to
119.3±10.9 seconds if goats were locked at the feeding rack. The
assessment at individual level showed many constraints, mainly
due to the difficulties in restraining goats. Some indicators (e.g.
abscesses, lesions) were separately recorded for different body
regions, but this resulted too time-consuming and not particularly
informative. Feasibility constraints were found at group level for
avoidance distance test, mainly due to the difficulties in identify-
ing individual animals. Qualitative Behaviour Assessment was
welcomed by farmers, being a non-invasive method of observation.
Hair coat condition was the most prevalent problem (24.1%±2.8),
followed by improper disbudding (12.7%±3.0) and queuing at
feeding (7.2%±0.7), whereas low prevalence was recorded for
kneeling and abnormal lying (less than 0.5%). At individual level,
the most frequent problems were claw overgrowth (47.2%±6.0),
faecal soiling (16.7%±4.7), too thin (14.5%±2.5) and too fat goats
(5.1%±1.3). The prototype seems suitable to be used in farms of
different size. Farm routine was not altered and only slight distur-
bance was caused to the farmers. Some adjustments are required
for improving the feasibility of the protocol, considering the con-
straints identified, the possibility of reducing disturbance to farm-
ers and animals, and the low prevalence of some indicators.
C-004
The effect of the relaying mode on welfare of the
pregnant sow
Katia Parati1, Rossana Capoferri1, Livia Moscati2, Marco Sensi2,
Guerino Lombardi3, Francesca Battioni3, Gianpietro Sandri4,
Carlo Briani4, Andrea Galli1,5
1Istituto Sperimentale Italiano Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rivolta
d’Adda, CR, Italy
2Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Umbria e Marche, Perugia,
Italy
3Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e
dell’Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
4La Pellegrina Spa, Isola della Scala, VR, Italy
5Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero-Casearie,
Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Lodi, Italy
Corresponding author: katia.parati@istitutospallanzani.it
Animal welfare, particularly in pig, is a constraint for animal
breeding. In this regard the Italian D.Lgs 53/2004 established that
from 2013 sows and gilts shall be kept in groups during the four
weeks after the service to one week before the expected farrowing
time. Although its relevance is conceptually and extensively recog-
nised, animal welfare is not yet fully characterized at an objective
level and a protocol based on parameters for objectively evaluating
animal welfare is still not available. The aim of this study was to
evaluate a series of approaches in order to define informative
markers associated with animal welfare, which allow an objective
assessment of this status in the farm. Eight hundred pregnant
sows reared in single and group-housing systems in a local farm
were compared at different levels of investigation before and after
the changeover imposed by law. Ethological, clinical, reproductive,
metabolic and immunological measures were detected for each of
the eight weeks of gestation (4 and 8-14). At the same time tran-
scriptomic analysis of blood cells was conducted by OpenArray
System on 224 genes involved in immunological response. The
informativeness of the variables was studied by factor analysis and
the effect of the housing system and the gestational week were
studied by GLM. The odds ratio was calculated with the random
component. Results showed that the group-housing system, con-
trary to the single-housing one, presented no stereotypy but signif-
icant increase in the frequency of lameness (P<0.001) and a
decrease in fertility parameters (non-return to estrus 56-day post
AI: 83% vs. 92%; farrowing rate: 78% vs. 88%, respectively)
(P<0.05). The group-housing system revealed differences in the
hematological picture for some parameters indicator of the meta-
bolic status (ameliorative values for albumin, OR=4.4 and ALP
OR=1.5 and pejorative for the AST, OR=0.6 and bilirubin, OR=0.4)
when compared to the single, while at immunological level showed
ameliorative values for bactericidal (OR=3.2) and complement
(OR=24.3) and pejorative for lysozyme (OR=0.3) and C-reactive
protein (P<0.001). At the functional genomics level, out of the 224
[Ital J Anim Sci vol.14:s1, 2015] [page 5]
Italian Journal of Animal Science 2015; volume 14: supplement 1
LIVESTOCK AND ENVIRONMENT/WELFARE
genes analyzed, 88 were under-expressed (Log FoldChange ≤ 1.5;
P<0.05) in group-housing with respect to the single-housing sys-
tem, within all the weeks and for all the gestational groups.
Overall, the results of this multidisciplinary study provide potential
candidates markers of sows housing relating stress.
C-005
Relationship between pig welfare in the pre-slaughter
phase and superficial bruises of their carcasses
Marta Brscic, Giulia Vida, Annalisa Scollo, Giulio Cozzi,
Flaviana Gottardo
Dipartimento di Medicina Animale, Produzioni e Salute,
Università degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro (PD), Italy
Corresponding author: marta.brscic@unipd.it
Pre-slaughter stress represents a problem for both, pig welfare and
product quality particularly in the case of high quality ham produc-
tion. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the level of wel-
fare in the pre-slaughter phase of 1079 heavy pigs destined to the
production of PDO San Daniele ham in a commercial slaughter-
house in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Northeastern Italy. Twelve batches of
pigs coming from 5 farms and transported by 8 truck drivers were
considered in this study. The journeys from farm to slaughter were
always shorter than 100 km and lasted from 15 to 90 minutes. At the
slaughter, a trained assessor recorded the number of pigs slipping,
fell down, reluctant, backing, vocalizing, lame, sick, or shivering dur-
ing the unloading. Truck drivers were interviewed to gather data
regarding characteristics of each batch (number of pigs, average
body weight, age, sex), qualitative descriptors of pigs behavior dur-
ing uploading at the farm (speed, reluctance, aggressiveness), and
information on the transport (animal density, use of devises for
uploading, distance and duration of the journey). At the slaughter-
line, the assessor scored pig carcasses in 3 areas (front, thorax, and
back) for superficial bruises using a five point-scale (0 = no lesion;
4 = at least 1 lesion >15 cm). A total carcass score was calculated by
adding the scores of the 3 areas. Results showed positive correlations
between similar behavior descriptors at uploading and at unloading
(r>0.58; P<0.05). Direct observation during unloading revealed
prevalence below 1% of problematic events (2 pigs panting and 1
lame) and no animal sick, shivering or dead at arrival. Only 16% of
the carcasses were scored 0 (no lesion in any area) and 63% of them
had a total score above 6 (indicating at least 1 large and/or several to
medium bruises). Carcass lesions were more prevalent on the thorax
and this was probably due to both, the fact that it is a part of the body
more exposed to hits and to the feasibility of observation by the
assessor since this portion is easier to see in the slaughter-line com-
pared to the extreme sides of the carcass. The risk of having bruised
carcasses calculated according to the driver and to the farm effect
showed which drivers and farms provided the best batches with the
lowest lesion scores pointing out the importance of the welfare level
achieved also during handling and loading at the farm.
C-006
Corral modification for humane livestock handling can
improve cattle behavior and reduce serum cortisol
Maria Lúcia Pereira Lima1, João Alberto Negrão2,
Claudia Cristina Paro de Paz1,3
1Instituto de Zootecnia, Centro APTA Gado de Corte, Sertãozinho,
SP, Brazil
2Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade
de São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
3Department of Genetics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão
Preto, SP, Brazil
Corresponding author: lucia.plima@hotmail.com
The handling of cattle in corral facilities can be an important source
of stress and can induce behavioral changes in the animals. This
experiment was conducted to evaluate whether corral modifications
designed to transform them from a traditional into a humane live-
stock handling system influence cattle behavior, cortisol levels, and
working time. The corral modifications consisted of blocking vision
when the worker stands inside the animal’s flight zone, eliminating
contrast of light and dark or shadows, and keeping the workers calm
at work, not allowing them to scream or hit the animals during han-
dling. Electric cattle prods were never used. A total of 141 Nellore
cows from two different farms were studied. First, the behavior of
the animals in a traditional corral was evaluated. After modification
of the corral, the same animals returned (6 days later) for a second
behavioral assessment. The cows were evaluated using visual
scores. Entry behaviour (EB) into the restraint device was evaluated
by observing whether the cows walked, trotted or ran into the chute.
Chute temperament (CT) was assessed by considering whether the
animal was calm, agitated or struggled to escape, and exit speed
(ES) by observing whether the animal walked, trotted or ran. Blood
samples were collected from the jugular vein for analysis of serum
cortisol. The time spent (TS) on blood sample collection during
restraint in the chute was also recorded. After corral modification,
the cows exhibited lower EB (P=0.049) and ES (P<0.0001) and a
higher proportion of animals was calm (CT-P=0.002). The propor-
tion of cows that walked, trotter or ran was, respectively, 65.9, 27.0
and 7.1% for EB and 44.0, 32.6 and 23.4% for ES before corral mod-
ification, and 73.0, 23.4 and 3.6% for EB and 68.1, 27.0 and 4.9% for
ES after corral modification. For CT, the proportion of calm animals,
agitated animals and animals struggling to escape was 51.8, 25.5
and 22.7% before corral modification, respectively, and 66.0, 24.1
and 9.9% after corral modification. Serum cortisol levels were sig-
nificantly lower after corral modification (P=0.019). Mean serum
cortisol was 6.3 mg/dL before corral modification and 4.1 mg/dL after
corral modification. There was no difference in the TS on blood col-
lection before and after modification (P=0.576). The mean TS col-
lecting blood was 1:42 minutes before and 1:04 minutes after corral
modification. Changes in corral facilities and good handling prac-
tices reduce stress in cattle