A public debate has recently arisen, largely surrounding the issue of pain, over whether freeze or hot-iron branding should be preferred method permanently identifying cattle. This study addressed that question by quantifying following accepted measures distress and pain a 25-min sampling period: elevated heart rate, concentrations cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, escape-avoidance reactions vocalizations. Twenty-four dairy cows (15 Holsteins 9 Jerseys) were assigned to one three...

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects ractopamine (RAC) on behavior and physiology pigs during handling transport. Twenty-four groups three gilts randomly assigned one two treatments 4 wk before slaughter: finishing feed plus RAC (10 ppm) or alone. Pigs housed in same building adjacent pens with fully slatted floors ad libitum access water. Behavioral time budgets determined six per treatment over a single 24-h period each week. responses these routine weighing at start...

Twenty-seven crossbred calves (1/2 Simmental, 1/4 Hereford, Brahman) averaging 257 +/- 11 d of age were either hot-iron-branded (H), freeze-branded (F), or sham-branded (S). Calves blocked for temperament, weight, and sex randomly assigned to day order in which treatments applied. To reduce stress from handling at treatment time, each calf was herded through the squeeze chute daily 5 before experiment. Jugular cannulas inserted 1 application treatment. Blood samples heart rate measures...

The aim of this study was to evaluate stress responses evoked by 2 alternative methods for performing the following processing procedures: 1) teeth resection-clipping vs. grinding; 2) tail docking-cold hot clipping; 3) identification-ear notch tag; 4) iron administration-injection oral; 5) castration-cords cut torn. Eight 10 litters 8-, 2-, and 3-d-old piglets were assigned each procedure. Within litter, 1 4 possible methods, a sham procedure, procedure plus blood sampling. Blood sampled...

This study was designed to examine the physiology and behavior of pigs whose dams were snared then injected with ACTH during gestation. Administration pregnancy has been shown replicate effects prenatal stress in other species. Control sows (n = 8) given no treatment, whereas treatment (ACTH, n immobilized by snaring snout administered an i.v. injection (1 IU/kg BW) weekly from 6 12 wk A pig killed each sow at 1, 30, 60 d age. The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, liver...

Aggression during mixing of pregnant sows impacts sow welfare and productivity. The aim this study was to increase satiety reduce aggression by including dietary fiber fermentable carbohydrates. Sows were housed in individual stalls 7 14 d after breeding (moving day considered 0 treatment) fed (at 0700 h) with a CONTROL (corn–soybean meal based no additional sources), RSTARCH (10.8% resistant starch), BEETPULP (27.2% sugar beet pulp), SOYHULLS (19.1% soybean hulls), or INCSOY (14.05% hulls)...

The appropriate dose and the ability of exogenous ACTH to mimic physiological effects a real stressor need be determined. In Exp. 1, 25 pregnant Brahman heifers were injected i.v. with either 0 (saline), .125, .25, .5, or 1 i.u. ACTH/kg BW. Plasma cortisol was determined in blood samples collected during 5-h period, an integrated response calculated for each cow. greater ACTH, (P < .001). However, peak plasma four doses did not differ > .6). concentrations returned baseline more slowly those...

The study objective was to determine the direct effects of rapid cooling after acute hyperthermia on intestinal morphology and inflammatory response in pigs. In four repetitions, male pigs (N = 36; 88.7 ± 1.6 kg) were exposed thermoneutrality (TN; n 3/rep; 19.5 0.1°C) for 6 h or heat stress (HS; 36.4 3 h, followed by a 3-h recovery period (HSRC; TN exposure ice water dousing 1.5 h) gradual (HSGC; decrease from HS TN). Rectal (TR) gastrointestinal tract (TGI) temperatures obtained every 15...

Pregnant Brahman cows (n = 42), bred to either or Tuli bulls, were randomly assigned one of three treatments: 1) transported in a stock trailer for 24.2 km, unloaded at second farm and penned 1 h, then returned the original (TRANS); 2) i.v. injection ACTH, IU/kg BW (ACTH); 3) walked through handling facilities (SHAM). Treatments initiated on d 60 repeated 80, 100, 120, 140 gestation. The calves from these subjected tests measure their capacity react stress. In Test 1, Tuli-sired restrained...

Lameness in breeding-age gilts and sows is a major cause of culling, resulting increased economic losses welfare concerns. This study determined if exercise during gestation would affect the musculo-skeletal system, production variables, behavior. Gilts were blocked by BW assigned to 1 3 treatment groups: control (n = 10; no exercise), low 14; 122 m/d for 5 d/wk), high 2 d/wk 427 d/wk). All stall-housed gestation, exercised between d 35 110 gestation. score, BCS, BW, blood taken at multiple...

Finishing pigs infected with Salmonella pose significant food safety risks by carrying the pathogen into abattoirs. This study was conducted to determine dynamics of infection in finishing pigs, and associated immunological, physiological, behavioral alterations, longitudinally comparing noninfected during 6 weeks postinfection (p.i.). Bacteriological data revealed that all inoculated started shedding within 2 h p.i., persistently shed bacteria up end study. Ileal cecal contents, as well...

Study objectives were to evaluate the effects of post-weaning transport during heat stress (HS) and thermoneutral (TN) conditions when dietary antibiotics are removed or replaced with a nutraceutical. Sixty mixed sex piglets from 10 sows ( = 6 piglets/sow) weaned (18.8 ± 0.8 d age) then herded up ramps into 1 2 simulated trailers in either TN (28.8 0.2°C) HS (cyclical 32 37°C) where they remained for 12 h. During h transport, fans used simulate air movement through trailer, feed water...

After birth, piglets undergo procedures likely to cause stress. The aim of this study was evaluate stress responses evoked by 2 combinations (More Stressful [all a] or Less More b]) alternative methods for performing the following processing procedures: 1) teeth resection (TR) – [a] clip vs. [b] grind; 2) identification (ID) ear tag notch; 3)iron administration (FE) inject oral; 4) castration (CA) cords cut torn; 5) taildocking (TD) cold hot [corrected]. Ten litters eight 2- and 3-d-old were...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect group size on behavior, growth, health, and welfare veal calves. Holstein-Friesian bull calves (n=168; 44±3 d age) were assigned randomly 1 3 treatments housing with 2, 4, or 8 per pen. pens used for by 1.20 m (2 pen), 2.40 (4 4.80 (8 supplying a total pen space allowance 1.82 m2/calf, regardless size. Behavior recorded from video data throughout day 0700 1900 h during single each month 5 mo using scan sampling every min within 30-min...

Abstract The metabolic heat production of modern pigs has increased by an average 16%, compared with sows 30 years ago. Therefore, it is likely that temperature recommendations require updating to meet the needs pigs. objective this study was evaluate whether different reproductive stages altered thermal preference and if current required updating. Twenty multiparous (3.4 ± 1.2 parity) in (nonpregnant: n = 7; mid-gestation: 58.5 5.68 d, 6; late-gestation: 104.7 2.8 7) were tested. Thermal...

Segregation and medicated early weaning are technologies used to optimize the productivity health of pigs, but these practices may also cause aberrant behaviors indicative stress. Thus, differences in early- (≈10 d age) late- (≈30 weaned pigs were investigated. At weaning, housed groups four 16 pens (eight per treatment) same facility, and, thus, they not segregated. Body weights recorded at birth, approximately 42, 65, 102, 137, 165 age (at slaughter). One-minute, instantaneous scan samples...