Omnivores Going Astray: A Review and New Synthesis of Abnormal Behavior in Pigs and Laying Hens

Overview

Journal Front Vet Sci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2016 Aug 9

PMID 27500137

Citations 31

Authors

Emma I Brunberg

T Bas Rodenburg

Lotta Rydhmer

Joergen B Kjaer

Per Jensen

Linda J Keeling

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pigs and poultry are by far the most omnivorous of the domesticated farm animals and it is in their nature to be highly explorative. In the barren production environments, this motivation to explore can be expressed as abnormal oral manipulation directed toward pen mates. Tail biting (TB) in pigs and feather pecking (FP) in laying hens are examples of unwanted behaviors that are detrimental to the welfare of the animals. The aim of this review is to draw these two seemingly similar abnormalities together in a common framework, in order to seek underlying mechanisms and principles. Both TB and FP are affected by the physical and social environment, but not all individuals in a group express these behaviors and individual genetic and neurobiological characteristics play an important role. By synthesizing what is known about environmental and individual influences, we suggest a novel possible mechanism, common for pigs and poultry, involving the brain-gut-microbiota axis.

Citing Articles

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Assessing Decision Support Tools for Mitigating Tail Biting in Pork Production: Current Progress and Future Directions.

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Fewer culturable Lactobacillaceae species identified in faecal samples of pigs performing manipulative behaviour.

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