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Applied Animal Behaviour Science xxx (2013) xxxxxx
Pig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Beleld, Dublin 4, Ireland
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 19 June 2013
Received in revised form 9 November 2013
Accepted 27 November 2013
Available online xxx
Keywords:
Postural behaviour
Rubber mats
Spatial behaviour
Sows
Welfare
a b s t r a c t
This study evaluated the effect of ooring, lameness, body and limb lesion scores on postural
and spatial behaviour of gestating sows. Sixty-four sows were kept in groups of four in pens
with four solid concrete oored feeding stalls and a concrete fully slatted group area from
4 weeks after service. The slats were either left uncovered (CON; n = 8 groups) or 10 mm
thick rubber slat mats were afxed (RUB; n = 8 groups). Lameness (0 = normal to 5 = severe),
limb (environmentally induced lesions, e.g. callus, wounds, swellings; scored according to
severity0 = normal to 6 = severe) and body (aggression induced lesions; scored according
to severity0 = normal to 5 = severe) lesions were scored on days 1, 8, 25, 50 and 75 relative
to entering the experiment. Additionally video recordings were made of the groups for
24 h on the same days which were sampled instantaneously every 10 min. An index of the
proportion of time spent in (1) different postures (standing, ventral [VL] and lateral lying
[LL] and total lying [VL + LL]); (2) locations (stalls or group area), (3) posture by location and
(4) number of postural changes was calculated. Sows were categorized as non-lame (score
1) or lame (score 2). Median scores were calculated for body and limb lesions and were
classied as median or >median. Lameness, limb and body lesions were analysed using
logistic binomial regression. Behavioural variables were tested for normality and analysed
using mixed model equations. Flooring did not affect lameness, body lesion scores, time
spent in each posture or the index of postural changes (P > 0.05). RUB sows spent more time
in the group area (76.3 vs. 53.3 5.8%; P < 0.01) and lay more there (80.0 vs. 62.4 5.3%;
P < 0.05) compared with CON sows. Sows with scores >median for wounds on the limbs
spent more time LL (41.2 vs. 48.3 3.6%; P < 0.05) and less time VL (36.3 vs. 29.9 2.9%;
P < 0.05). On the other hand, sows with body lesion scores >median spent more time VL
(29.9 vs. 36.3 2.9%; P < 0.05). Lame sows stood less and lay more (P < 0.05) in the feeding
stalls. When sows had access to rubber ooring they spent more time in the covered area
and lay more there compared with sows in pens where the concrete slats were bare. This
reects the preference of group housed sows for a comfortable surface for lying during
pregnancy. Other sow factors such as body and limb lesions and lameness status are also
related with lying behaviour.
2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Corresponding author at: Department of Animal Sciences, Iowa State
University, 337 Kildee Hall, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States.
Tel.: +1 515 294 32 28/+1 515 708 75 43; fax: +1 515 294 56 98.
E-mail addresses: jacalder@iastate.edu, juli.adri.c@gmail.com
(J.A.C. Daz), laura.boyle@teagasc.ie (L.A. Boyle).
Comfort while lying is of vital importance for sow welfare as pregnant sows spend about 80% of their time lying
(Ekkel et al., 2003). Hence, given that the majority of
pregnant sows worldwide are kept on concrete oors it is
0168-1591/$ see front matter 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
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likely that their comfort needs are not being met (Elmore
et al., 2010). Floor type affects the incidence of lameness
(Heinonen et al., 2006; Zurbrigg and Blackwell, 2006) and
limb lesions (Mouttotou et al., 1998; KilBride et al., 2008;
von Wachenfelt et al., 2008). Straw bedding improves the
physical and thermal comfort of the oor (Barnett et al.,
2001; Tuyttens, 2005); however, in modern pig production
systems, the use of straw is unfeasible because of liquid
manure disposal systems and the associated increase in
production costs and labour. Rubber slat mats could be an
alternative to bedding for pigs. They are more yielding and
have a lower thermal conductivity than bare concrete (Be
et al., 2007) making them warmer to lie on. It also appears
that they are less injurious than concrete as group housed
pregnant gilts kept on rubber slat mats were less likely to
be lame and had a reduced risk of severe swellings and
wounds on the limbs compared with gilts on concrete slats
(Caldern Daz et al., 2013). Research on the inuence of
rubber ooring on sow behaviour is limited to two short
term studies. Both Tuyttens et al. (2008) and Elmore et al.
(2010) reported that when rubber mats were added to a
group housing system, sows preferred to rest on areas covered with rubber mats compared to uncovered/concrete
areas. Furthermore, sows spent more time lying laterally
in areas covered with rubber mats vs. areas of bare concrete. In accordance with the ndings of Boyle et al. (2000)
for sows on rubber in farrowing crates, sows in groups on
rubber slat mats also showed greater ease of changing posture (Tuyttens et al., 2008; Elmore et al., 2010). The effect
of rubber ooring on sow lying and spatial behaviour during her entire pregnancy is not known. Additionally, little is
known about the potential inuence which welfare issues
such as lameness and limb lesions may have on the postural
and spatial behaviour of group housed sows. Therefore the
objectives of this study were (1) to compare lameness, limb
and body lesion scores of sows housed on concrete slatted oor or rubber slat mats, and (2) to evaluate the effect
of ooring type, lameness, body and limb lesion scores on
postural and spatial behaviour of gestating sows.
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
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Fig. 1. Rubber slat mats used to cover the slatted group area. Pictures courtesy of EasyFixTM Rubber products.
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
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extended out to one side) and lying (i.e. lateral and ventral lying combined togetherL)]; time spent in the two
areas of the pen (feeding stalls and group area); and postures in each location were recorded. Additionally, changes
in posture between each 10 min instantaneous scan sample
were counted to calculate an index of the number of postural changes made for each location and in total on each
observation day.
2.3.2.2. Flooring cleanliness. The feeding stalls and the
group area were scored separately. Each of the locations
received a score between 0 and 4 where 0 = pen clean/dry;
1 = 25% of the area covered with manure/wet faeces, water
or urine; 2 = 2650% of the area covered with manure/wet
faeces, water or urine; 3 = 5175% of the area covered with
manure/wet faeces, water or urine and, 4 = more than 75%
of the area covered with manure/wet faeces, water or urine.
2.4. Statistical analysis
The group was considered the experimental unit; therefore, average scores were calculated for each variable for
each day of inspection. Parity was classied as 1st and 4.
Sows were categorized as non-lame (score 1) or lame
(score 2). In addition, due to the low number of sows
affected by severe wounds, severe swellings, and severe
wounds plus severe swellings on the limbs, the scores for
these lesions were summed and re-classied as a single
variable (severe lesions). Medians were calculated for body
and limb lesions. Medians were calculated for day 1 separate to the other days of inspection. For days 8, 25, 50 and 75
medians were calculated across the 4 inspection days. Values were classied as median or >median lesion scores.
MOB was classied as clean = score 1 and dirty = score 2.
To analyse oor cleanliness, soiling and wetness were classied into two categories: 0 = score 1 and 1 = scores 2.
Parity and BW were highly correlated (results not shown);
therefore, only parity was included in the analysis.
Locomotory ability, body and limb lesion scores, MOB
and ooring cleanliness were analysed using logistic binomial regression analysis by the use of Wald statistics
to investigate their association with the predictor variable. The model for locomotory ability included oor type,
day of inspection, parity and day 1 scores as covariates.
The model for body and limb lesions included oor type,
day of inspection, parity, manure on the body and day 1
scores as covariates. The model for manure on the body
included oor type, day of inspection and day 1 scores
as covariates. The model for ooring cleanliness included
oor type and ambient temperature (included as a continuous variable). However, only predictor variables with
P < 0.35 remained in the nal model except for ooring
type which was included in the model irrespective of its
P value. Additionally, univariate models were built to identify the association between wounds, swellings and bursitis
on the limbs and locomotory ability. Data were analysed
using SAS V9.3 PROC GENMOD (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC).
Statistical differences were reported when P < 0.05. Results
are reported as odds ratios (OR) with the associated 95%
condence intervals (CI).
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
Inspection day
Day 2 (n = 16)
Day 25 (n = 16)
Day 50 (n = 16)
Day 75 (n = 15)
Concrete
Rubber
Concrete
Rubber
Concrete
Rubber
Concrete
Rubber
Concrete
Rubber
n
4
7
%
25.0
43.7
n
2
6
%
12.5
37.5
n
3
5
%
18.7
31.2
n
3
6
%
18.7
37.5
n
2
3
%
12.5
18.7
n
2
4
%
12.5
25.0
n
1
2
%
6.2
12.5
n
2
4
%
12.5
25.0
n
3
0
%
20.0
0.0
n
2
2
%
13.3
13.3
3
4
5
7
5
4
6
18.7
25.0
31.2
43.7
31.2
25.0
37.5
4
4
5
4
3
1
7
25.0
25.0
31.2
25.0
18.7
6.2
43.7
4
4
4
5
6
2
7
25.0
25.0
25.0
31.2
37.5
12.5
43.7
4
4
4
3
2
1
4
25.0
25.0
25.0
18.7
12.5
6.2
25.0
3
4
4
4
5
4
4
18.7
25.0
25.0
25.0
31.2
25.0
25.0
3
5
5
1
2
1
4
18.7
31.2
31.2
6.2
12.5
6.2
25.0
3
4
4
3
6
2
6
18.7
25.0
25.0
18.7
37.5
12.5
37.5
3
2
2
1
2
2
5
18.7
12.5
12.5
6.2
12.5
12.5
31.2
7
1
3
2
4
0
3
46.7
6.7
20.0
13.3
26.7
0.0
20.0
4
0
3
1
3
1
3
26.7
0.0
20.0
6.7
20.0
6.7
20.00
Table 2
Differences between parity, day of inspection, lesion scores on day 1 and manure on the body scores on body, limb and lesion scores greater than the median and manure on the body score = 2 of sows during
gestation.
Parity1
Inspection day2
Day 25
Odds ratio
5
Body lesions
Limb lesions6
Callus
Swelling
Wound
Bursitis
Severe lesions
Manure on the body
5.7
95% CI
1.4123.07
18.6
3.6a
NI
NI
NI
NI
3.17109.12
1.2510.71
NI
NI
NI
NI
Odds ratio
0.2
6.5
NI7
0.5
NI
1.9
1.4a
Day 50
95% CI
0.031.18
0.7454.13
NI
0.102.02
NI
0.3510.58
0.9856.24
Odds ratio
a
0.1
1.0
NI
0.2a
NI
1.5
2.6a
Scores on day 13
95% CI
Odds ratio
95% CI
Odds ratio
95% CI
0.0020.11
3.0
0.7811.49
2.3
0.657.97
Day 75
95% CI
0.020.90
0.129.33
NI
0.030.84
NI
0.1712.52
0.7010.03
Odds ratio
a
0.01
0.4
NI
0.1a
NI
0.2
11.4a
0.070.48
NI
0.020.56
NI
0.022.60
2.5451.65
2.9
NI
2.2
11.9a
12.0
21.7a
0.4518.32
NI
0.677.35
3.2444.44
0.6354.93
1.69278.02
0.05
NI
3.0
NI
2.4
0.010.26
NI
0.8410.75
NI
0.5311
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Lameness
Body lesions
Limb lesions
Alopecia (M = 0.15)
Calluses (M = 0.25)
Swellings (M = 0.08)
Wounds (M = 0.17)
Bursitis (M = 0.21)
Severe lesions (M = 0)
Manure on the body
Day 8 (n = 16)
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Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
Table 1
Number and percentage of groups of gestating sows with lameness (i.e. locomotion score 2); body (i.e. aggression induced) and limb (alopecia, calluses, swellings, wounds, bursitis and severe limb lesions)
lesion scores >median (M); and manure on the body score = 2, housed on concrete slats either uncovered or covered by rubber slat mats at each of ve inspections.
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(Fig. 3). Sows spent more time S (P < 0.01) on day 1 with
reduced levels of S as pregnancy progressed (Fig. 2B). Sows
spent less time LL (P < 0.01) and L (P < 0.01) on day 1 and LL
increased as pregnancy progressed (Fig. 2B). There was no
interaction between ooring treatment and day of observation for any of the postures (P > 0.05). First parity sows
spent less time S (P < 0.01) and more time VL (P < 0.01)
and L (P < 0.01) compared with older sows (Table 3). Sows
with scores >median for wounds on the limbs spent less
(P < 0.05) time VL compared to sows with scores median
for wounds on the limbs (Table 3). Sows with body lesion
scores >median spent less (P < 0.05) time S and more time
VL (P < 0.05) compared to sows with scores median for
wounds on the limbs (Table 3). There was no difference in
the proportion of time spent in the different postures by
lame and non-lame sows (P > 0.05). Ambient temperature
was not related to any of the postures recorded in the group
area.
3.5.4. Postures by locationFeeding stalls
RUB sows spent less time LL (P < 0.05) in this location
compared to CON sows (Fig. 3). Sows spent more time S
(P < 0.01) and VL (P < 0.01) on day 1 but time spent in these
postures decreased as pregnancy progressed (Table 2). Conversely, sows spent less time LL (P < 0.01) and L (P < 0.05) on
day 1 but LL increased as pregnancy progressed (Table 2).
There was no interaction between ooring treatment and
day of observation for any of the postures (P > 0.05). First
parity sows spent more time S (P < 0.05) and less time
LL (P < 0.01) and L (P < 0.05) compared with older sows
(Table 3). Sows with body lesion scores >median spent less
time (P < 0.05) lateral lying compared to sows with scores
median for wounds on the limbs (Table 3). Lame sows
spent less time S (P < 0.05) and more time LL (P < 0.05),
VL (P < 0.01) and L (P < 0.01) compared to non-lame sows
(Table 3). Ambient temperature was not related to any of
the postures recorded in the feeding stalls.
3.5.5. Postural changes
There was no association between ooring treatment
and the index of total posture changes. Additionally, there
was no difference between ooring treatment in the index
of postural changes made in the group area or in the feeding stalls (P > 0.05). First parity sows showed a higher index
of postural changes (27.3 1.6% vs. 22.1 1.5%; P < 0.05)
compared with older sows throughout the experiment.
Lameness, limb and body lesions and ambient temperature were not related to the total index of postural changes
or to the index of postural changes made in the different
locations.
3.6. Factors associated with ooring cleanliness
There was no association between ooring type and
soiling or wetness scores of the oor in the group area
(P > 0.05). Feeding stalls in the RUB pens had an increased
risk of soiling (OR = 1.7; CI = 1.242.47; P < 0.01) and wetness (OR = 2.5; CI = 1.384.66; P < 0.01) compared with the
feeding stalls in CON pens. There was no association
between soiling or wetness and ambient temperature.
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
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Fig. 2. (A) Total time (lsmeans SEM%) spent standing, lateral and ventral lying and total time spent lying by gestating sows during gestation. (B) Time
spent in different postures in the group area (observation days was not included in the model for ventral lying in the group area (B) as theP value was
>0.35) and (C) the feeding stalls on each observation day. a,b,c Signicant differences (P < 0.05) between days within each posture.
Concrete
100
Rubber
Time spent %
80
60
40
20
0
Standing Lateral Ventral
lying
lying
Gro u p a rea
Lying
Fig. 3. Time (lsmeans SEM%) spent standing, lateral and ventral lying and total time lying by gestating sows housed on concrete slats either uncovered
or covered by rubber slats mats in the different areas of the pen. * Values differ signicantly; P < 0.05
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016
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Table 3
Differences between parity, lameness, wounds on the limbs and body lesion scores in the time (lsmeans SE %) spent in different postures (standing, lateral
and ventral lying and total time lying), locations (group or stall area) and postures by location by gestating sows.
Parity
Postures
Standing
Lateral lying
Ventral lying
Lying
Locations
Group area
Feeding stalls
Postures by location
Group area
Standing
Lateral lying
Ventral lying
Lying
Feeding stalls
Standing
Lateral lying
Ventral lying
Lying
Lameness
Body lesions
Parity 1
Parity 4
Non-lame
Lame
Score median
Score median
Score >median
13.7 1.2a
38.0 4.5
47.7 3.6a
85.1 1.8a
25.5 1.5b
51.4 4.7
18.5 3.6b
71.9 1.7b
NI1
46.9 3.4
NI1
NI
NI
42.5 3.9
NI
NI
NI
41.2 3.6a
36.3 2.9a
78.0 1.6
NI
48.3 3.6b
29.9 2.9b
78.9 1.7
NI
NI
29.9 2.9a
77.4 1.7
NI
NI
36.3 3.0b
79.5 1.8
79.7 5.9a
19.2 6.1a
49.9 5.6b
54.6 6.0b
NI
32.3 4.1
NI
41.4 5.5
56.16 5.3b
41.59 4.8
17.2 5.1a
35.5 5.1
48.9 5.0a
81.8 5.4a
37.4 4.9b
43.9 5.1
18.0 4.9b
60.7 5.1b
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
NI
33.9 4.3
NI
37.5 4.1a
75.5 4.4
31.9 4.5
NI
29.4 4.2b
67.0 4.6
32.8 4.2a
36.2 4.1
29.5 4.0a
65.1 4.3a
21.8 4.6b
43.2 4.3
37.4 4.2b
77.4 4.7b
65.2 7.4a
15.4 5.6a
NI
32.1 7.4a
38.2 7.3b
40.4 5.8b
NI
59.6 7.4b
61.6 5.4a
22.4 4.1a
13.6 2.1a
34.8 5.4a
41.9 6.7b
33.4 5.1b
24.7 2.8b
56.8 6.8b
56.0 6.1
24.4 4.6
NI
41.4 6.2
47.4 5.9
31.4 4.5
NI
50.3 6.0
NI
34.1 4.6a
17.0 2.6
NI
NI
21.6 4.6b
21.3 2.5
NI
72.2 5.5b
33.0 4.9
4. Discussion
We hypothesised that sows with access to rubber ooring would have a decreased risk of lameness compared
with sows on concrete; however, the prevalence of lameness did not differ between ooring treatments. This result
was unexpected as in a previous study we found a benecial impact of rubber slat mats on lameness in a similar
group housing system (Caldern Daz et al., 2013). However, in that study sows were kept on rubber from service
until farrowing whereas in the current study they were
kept in stalls for the rst 28 days post service. The shorter
time on experiment could explain why the rubber ooring
was not associated with an improvement in lameness in
the current study. Furthermore, Caldern Daz et al. (2013)
focused on young sows in which the benets of a softer
surface underfoot are likely to be more obvious as they are
less likely to have chronic locomotory problems (Dewey,
2006). In the current study half of the sows used were
parity four or above. These animals had all been housed
on slatted concrete (in stalls or a in dynamic group) during their entire productive life. It is possible that a short
period (10 weeks) on rubber oor was insufcient to overcome any chronic locomotory disturbances and/or injuries
these animals had sustained. Nevertheless, if the differences between the ndings on lameness in this study and
that of Caldern Daz et al. (2013) were because of the
inclusion of older sows in the former then we would have
expected a signicant effect of parity on locomotory ability.
The fact that there was none suggests that the causal factors
for lameness in this study may have been different to those
in the study by Caldern Daz et al. (2013) and were such
that they could not be resolved/ameliorated by providing more comfortable ooring. Finally other management
factors such as diet composition and group size differed
Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
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J.A.C. Daz, L.A. Boyle / Applied Animal Behaviour Science xxx (2013) xxxxxx
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Please cite this article in press as: Daz, J.A.C., Boyle, L.A., Effect of rubber slat mats on the behaviour and welfare of group
housed pregnant sows. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2013.11.016