Use of behavioural patterns to analyze transport stress in piglets and young bulls. The influence of individual coping characteristics in stress response.

Magnani, Diego (2012) Use of behavioural patterns to analyze transport stress in piglets and young bulls. The influence of individual coping characteristics in stress response. , [Dissertation thesis], Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze zootecniche, 24 Ciclo. DOI 10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/4638.
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Abstract

In modern farm systems the economic interests make reducing the risks related to transport practice an important goal. An increasing attention is directed to the welfare of animals in transit, also considering the new existing facilities. In recent years the results coming from the study of animal farm behaviour were used as tool to assess the welfare. In this thesis were analyzed behavioural patterns, jointly with blood variables, to evaluate the stress response of piglets and young bulls during transport. Since the animal behaviour could be different between individuals and these differences can affect animal responses to aversive situations, the individual behavioural characteristics were taken in account. Regarding young bulls, selected to genetic evaluation, the individual behaviour was investigated before, during and after transport, while for piglets was adopted a tested methodology classification and behavioural tests to observe their coping characteristics. The aim of this thesis was to analyse the behavioural and physiological response of young bulls and piglets to transport practice and to investigate if coping characteristics may affect how piglets cope with aversive situations. The thesis is composed by four experimental studies. The first one aims to identify the best existent methodology classification of piglets coping style between those that were credited in literature. The second one investigated the differences in response to novel situations of piglets with different coping styles. The last studies evaluated the stress response of piglets and young bulls to road transportation. The results obtained show that transport did not affect the behaviour and homeostasis of young animals which respond in a different way from adults. However the understanding of individual behavioural characteristic and the use of behavioural patterns, in addition to blood analyses, need to be more investigated in order to be useful tools to assess the animal response in aversive situation.

Abstract
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Magnani, Diego
Supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Scuola di dottorato
Scienze agrarie
Ciclo
24
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
piglet, young bulls, transport, coping characteristics, stress response, animal welfare.
URN:NBN
DOI
10.6092/unibo/amsdottorato/4638
Data di discussione
11 Maggio 2012
URI

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