Canada - Improved Handling Reduces Stress Induced Death Loss

Research conducted by the Prairie Swine Centre shows improved handling during the transport of pigs can dramatically reduce stress and the losses associated with that stress. In an effort to assess the effects of handling on stress scientists at the Prairie Swine Centre compared groups of pigs moved over a specially designed 300 to 400 metre course. One group was moved in a slow gentle manner while the other was moved in a faster more aggressive manner with part of that group also being subject to the use of electric prods. Research Scientist in Applied Ethology Dr. Harold Gonyou says the observations were striking. "It's a huge difference. The gentle handling, we had only one pig out of 50 that showed any sign of stress during this handling. When we looked at the aggressive using the electric prod, we were getting 45 percent of the pigs showing strong stress reactions. Those that were not prodded but were moved quickly, handled aggressively with the exception of the prod, we were getting a level there of about 15 percent showing signs of stress. I think that, when you're looking at pigs going to market currently, we are looking at packing plants reporting somewhere between a quarter to one half of a percent of pigs arriving at the packing plant with stress problems from handling. I think that our feeling is that we should be able to cut those in half. Certainly there are truck loads that come in with five or ten percent of animals that are showing signs of stress. That can be traced back to the farm of origin and how they were handled there. These farms simply need to look at how they are handling pigs and find less stressful ways of doing it." Dr. Gonyou says the majority of death losses due to stress are coming from a limited number of farms. He's confident, if those farms could improve their handling methods, those loses could be reduced considerably.