Behaviour of mink kits and dams (Mustela vison) in the lactation period

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. -L. Brink ◽  
L. L. Jeppesen
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Mustela Vison ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Agonistic Behaviour ◽  
Key Words Animal ◽  
Mink Kits

This study describes the development of the behaviour of mink kits and dams from the fourth to the eighth respectively seventh week after delivery. The study is based on scan observations of 72 mink dams and their kits at a conventional Danish mink farm. The kits started eating when they were about 30 d old. Drinking started almost 2 wk later. During these 2 wk there was a peak in the licking of saliva from the dam and of the inter-litter agonistic behaviour. A causal relationship between experienced thirst and agonistic behaviour is suggested. The kits’ sucking declined to only 5% of the time budget in the seventh week and the stereotypy frequency of the dams increased to about 4% of the time budget. It is suggested that some dams are frustrated by the forced cohabitation with their nutritionally independent kits already in the seventh week and that this should be taken into account when deciding time of weaning. Key words: Animal welfare, behaviour, mink dam, mink kit, Mustela vison, weaning

Sow agonistic behaviour of two breeds moved from individual stalls to an outdoor park

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 203-203
Author(s):  
S. R. Silva ◽  
A. Lourenço ◽  
A. L. Fernades ◽  
E. LeBras ◽  
J. C. Almeida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Viable Alternative ◽  
Agonistic Behaviour ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Technical Developments

Public concern about animal welfare has increased both legislation and consumer pressure, to introduce new technical developments in sow’s housing. In recent years, there has been increased interest in less intensive production systems for pigs, including outdoor production. The issue of sow’s housing and its relation to welfare has been investigated for sometime now (SVC, 1997; McGlone et al., 2004). Concerns over animal welfare combined with European based scientific data have led to the progressive removal of gestation stalls in several European countries, and from 2013 the use of stalls will be restricted throughout the European Union. Therefore one of the greatest challenges in swine housing management is the development of a viable alternative to stalls. In this way, we carried out a study to (1) compare the agonistic behaviour of two breeds of sows moved from individual stalls to an outdoor park, and to (2) determine the evolution of behaviour throughout four weeks of study for each breed.

The use of infrared thermography to assess inflammation associated with hot-iron and freeze branding in cattle

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein ◽  
J. M. Stookey
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Tissue Damage ◽  
Control Site ◽  
The Other ◽  
Individual Animal ◽  
Beef Heifers ◽  
Mixed Breed

Infrared thermography was used to compare differences in extent and duration of inflammation observed on hot-iron and freeze brand sites as an indicator of tissue damage and the associated discomfort to the animals. Thirty beef heifers of mixed breed were assigned to either hot-iron (H) or freeze (F) branding treatments according to a predetermined randomized branding order. Ten animals were branded each day over a 3-d period. On the day prior to branding, animals were clipped to expose two patches of skin; one to be used for the branding treatment and the other for a control. Thermographic images of control and treatment sites were made at 0.08 h (5 min) prior to branding, immediately after the brand was completed (0 h), as well as 0.08, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 h after branding. Control site temperatures were subtracted from treatment site temperatures for each individual animal. Both F and H brand sites were consistently warmer (1.9 ± 0.3 and 1.6 ± 0.3 °C, respectively) than their corresponding control sites between 2 and 168 h after branding. Treatment differences were obtained at 0, 0.08, 2, 8, and 144 h after branding (P < 0.001, 0.05, 0.005, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively). Freeze brand sites were warmer at 2 and 8 h after branding while H sites were warmer at 144 h after branding. The thermographic evaluation of hot-iron and freeze brand sites indicated that both methods caused tissue damage. However, H brand sites remained significantly warmer than F sites at 168 h after branding. In addition, H sites were significantly warmer than control sites while F sites were not warmer than control sites at 168 h. The prolonged inflammatory response observed in H animals indicates that more tissue damage and perhaps more discomfort are associated with H branding. Key words: Thermography, branding, cattle, animal welfare, pain.

scholarly journals Sow preference for types of flooring in farrowing crates

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Phillips ◽  
D. Fraser ◽  
B. K. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Strong Preference ◽  
Testing Apparatus ◽  
Concrete Floor ◽  
Preference Testing ◽  
Continuous Access ◽  
Floor Material

A preference-testing apparatus was used to provide sows with continuous access to three identical farrowing crates, each with a different type of flooring. The crates radiated from a central hub area sufficiently large for sows to enter or leave any crate freely. In exp. 1, nine sows from a concrete-floored gestation room were offered crates over concrete, plastic-coated rod, and galvanized metal rod. In exp. 2, 18 sows were pre-exposed for a period of 1 wk to one of the three floors before entry into the preference testing apparatus. Video recording was used to determine sow position from 3 d before to 13 d after farrowing in exp. 1 and for a 3-d period before and 3-d period after farrowing in exp. 2. In exp. 1, sows showed a strong preference (P < 0.05) for the concrete floor before farrowing, but this preference had diminished by the final week in the apparatus (P ≈ 0.16). In exp. 2, sows pre-exposed to metal or plastic-coated flooring made more voluntary use of these products, but the metal floor was strongly avoided during and immediately after farrowing. Overall, concrete seemed to be a preferred floor material for sows at farrowing. Key words: Sow, farrowing crate, flooring, preference testing, animal welfare

EVALUATION OF A VITAMIN AND MINERAL REPLACER FOR LIVER IN DIETS FOR MINK (Mustela vison)

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1245-1247
Author(s):  
R. J. BELZILE
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Mustela Vison ◽  
Trace Minerals

Mink were fed diets containing 10% fresh liver or 1% of a replacer formulated to provide the same amount of vitamins and trace minerals as liver. Compared with a liver-free diet, more growth was obtained among kits fed the replacer diet. But, compared to liver added to a breeder diet, the replacer did not support normal litter size. Key words: Vitamin-mineral replacer, liver, mink growth, mink reproduction

The scientific assessment of the impact of housing on animal welfare: A critical review

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 721-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Rushen ◽  
Anne Marie B. de Passillé
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Stereotyped Behavior ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Animal Suffering ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Scientific Assessment ◽  
Key Words Animal ◽  
The Impact

The issue of animal welfare, particularly in relation to legislation, involves philosophical, ethical, economic and political issues and is not just a matter for science. A scientific definition of welfare must address the concerns of the public, but is difficult to achieve because of a lack of consensus as to what good welfare involves. The assessment of animal welfare is best achieved using a mixture of design criteria (which specify what must be included in the environment) and performance criteria (which specify what the signs of good welfare are). The quality of stockmanship can have a major influence on animal welfare, and it should not be assumed that the method of housing is the major determinant of animal welfare. The validity of many of the proposed measures of welfare is difficult to determine because of a lack of understanding of the underlying biology. Measures of aversion are the best available measures of animal suffering caused by procedures of short duration, but whether they can be used to assess the effect of housing is uncertain. Consensus has not yet been reached on the issue of behavioral deprivation, but several measures of behavioral motivation can be used to determine if animals are frustrated, although none is free from criticism. Much abnormal, stereotyped behavior seems to reflect feeding rather than housing problems, and there is a lack of firm evidence that the level of stereotypic behavior correlates with the welfare of the animals. The method of housing can influence the animals' physiology, but this effect is not adequately described by measures of corticosteroids. Use of the term "stress" generates confusion. Production measures give some information about animal welfare but only if the causes of lowered production are known. Animal welfare is a complex phenomenon and one component of welfare should not be equated with the whole, nor should scientific assessment of welfare be considered a simple matter. Key words: Animal welfare, aversion, motivation, abnormal behavior, stress, stockmanship

AN ALTERNATIVE HOUSING SYSTEM FOR SOWS

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 957-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. MORRIS ◽  
J. F. HURNIK
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Group Housing ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Learning Capabilities ◽  
Existing Housing

A group housing system for sows, the Hurnik-Morris (H-M) System, is described which addresses several of the serious animal welfare limitations of existing housing methods. The H-M System permits socially coordinated eating and resting, controlled and socially undisturbed feed consumption, physical exercise and regular exposure to boars. Sows adjusted relatively rapidly to the H-M System, indicating that its design concurs with their perceptual and learning capabilities. Key words: Swine, housing, behavior, welfare

scholarly journals Absorption of α-tocopheryl acetate is limited in mink kits (Mustela vison) during weaning

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Lashkari ◽  
Tove N. Clausen ◽  
Leslie Foldager ◽  
Søren K. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Mustela Vison ◽  
Tocopherol Content ◽  
Tocopheryl Acetate ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Ester Bond ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Mink Kits ◽  
Different Doses

AbstractBioavailability of α-tocopherol varies with source, dose and duration of supplementation. The effect of source and dose of α-tocopherol on response of α-tocopherol stereoisomers in plasma and tissues of mink kits during the weaning period was studied. Twelve mink kits were euthanised in CO2 at the beginning of the experiment, and 156 mink kits (12 replicates per treatment group) were randomly assigned to thirteen treatment groups: no added α-tocopherol in the feed (0 dose) or four different doses (50, 75, 100 and 150 mg/kg of diet) of RRR-α-tocopherol (ALC), RRR-α-tocopheryl acetate (ACT) or all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate (SYN). Six mink kits per treatment group were euthanised 3 weeks after initiation of the experiment, and the remaining six were euthanised 6 weeks after initiation of the experiment. The RRR-α-tocopherol content in plasma, liver, heart and lungs was affected by interaction between source and dose (P < 0.01 for all). The highest RRR-α-tocopherol content in plasma (13.6 µg/ml; LS-means for source across dose and week), liver (13.6 µg/mg), heart (7.6 µg/mg) and lungs (9.8 µg/mg) was observed in mink kits fed ALC. The RRR-α-tocopherol content in plasma and tissues depended on source and dose interaction and increased linearly with supplementation. In conclusion, the interaction between source and dose reveals a limitation in hydrolysis of ester bond in α-tocopheryl acetate in mink kits around weaning as the likely causative explanation for the higher response of ALC at the highest doses. Thus, considerable attention has to be paid to the source of α-tocopherol during weaning of mink kits fed a high dose of α-tocopherol.

BETWEEN ALBEE’S DOG AND GOAT: IMAGES OF ANIMAL COMPANIONSHIP

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hind Naji Hussein ITHAWI
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Edward Albee ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The World ◽  
Animal Companionship ◽  
Key Words Animal ◽  
Human Animal

Modern times seem to have been inflicted with a puzzling sickness that pervades humans’ existence on every possible level. The modern sickness of loneliness and loss of connection assumes center stage position whether in social contexts or personal spaces. This modern ailment is clear within the modern American setting particularly; therefore, many dramatic pieces try to dramatize its manifestations and consequences. The present paper attempts to explore the manifestations of this sickness in the representations of animal companionship. Such representations populate many modern American plays from the beginning of the twentieth century and moving on to the millennium. The paper suggests that images and representations of animal companionship are only expressions of modern individuals’ isolation and loss of connection. The paper examines two plays by Edward Albee, The Zoo Story (1959) and The Goat or Who’s Sylvia? (2000), that represent a new kind of companionship that may or may not sustain the struggle of their modern protagonists to establish some kind of connection with the world around them. Key words: Animal Companionship, Human-Animal Studies, Loneliness

EFFET DE L'IMPOSITION DE DEUX RÉGIMES LUMINEUX À DEUX STADES PHYSIOLOGIQUES SUR LE TAUX DE RÉFORME POUR ANOESTRUS ET NON GESTATION CHEZ LA COCHETTE ET LA TRUIE

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1001-1014
Author(s):  
SYLVAIN PAGÉ ◽  
JEAN-PIERRE CHARUEST ◽  
JACQUES J. DUFOUR
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Reproductive Failure ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Physiological Stage

During a 3-yr period, Landrace-Yorkshire gilts of an average age of 225 d were randomly assigned to 4 h light — 20 h dark (4) or 16 h light — 8 h dark (16), as they entered the herd. In the gestation room (G), the two light treatments were maintained until culling or 1 wk prior to farrowing. For the lactation period (L), the gilts were either maintained on the same light treatment as the gestation or switched to the opposite one before going back again at weaning to the light treatment received in gestation. Four light treatments were then formed, namely: G4-L4, G4-L16, G16-L4 and G16-L16 and the practical consequences of such light regimens evaluated in a commercial herd. In gilts, the culling rate for anestrus (at 304 d of age) was 6.6% for the 956 gilts available for the study and was unaffected by photoperiod imposed during gestation. The culling rate for failure to maintain pregnancy was 4.7% for the 1150 gilts available and was higher (P < 0.01) in gilts exposed to the 4 h light (G4). In primiparous sows, the culling rates for anestrus (40 d after weaning) and failure to maintain pregnancy were 10.7% and 6.2%, respectively, for the 475 and 678 sows available for the study. The culling rates for anestrus and failure to maintain pregnancy were higher for sows exposed to the 16 h light in lactation (L16, P < 0.06 and P < 0.02, respectively). After two and three farrowings, the culling rates were negligible for all treatments. Among females culled for anestrus, 62% of gilts and 58% of primiparous sows showed luteal structures (corpora lutea and/or corpora albicantia) at slaughter and were unaffected by treatments. Among females culled for anestrus and failure to maintain pregnancy, 24% of gilts and 19% of primiparous sows had genital abnormalities. These data indicate that the effect of photoperiod on the culling rate for reproductive failure in swine was dependent upon parity and physiological stage at which it is imposed. Key words: Gilt, sow, photoperiod, culling, anestrus, failure to maintain pregnancy

Maximum loading density of loose horses

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Maximum Density ◽  
Common Space ◽  
Maximum Loading ◽  
Key Words Animal

An observational study was conducted to document common space allowance given to horses safely transported en masse. Observations of loaded vehicles support increasing the maximum density in mass-per-area as the average horse body weight increases are safe. The recommended loading density for horses loaded in groups is y = (54.837)W0.325, where y = density in kg m−2 and W = average animal weight in kilograms. Key words: Animal transportation, space allowance, loading density, horse

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