Study examines benefits of alginate hydrogel beads during pig transportation
By Emerald Julianna Salinas, Arlene Garcia, John J. McGlone and Anna Johnson-Butters
During marketing, pigs are exposed to many stressors, including feed/water withdrawal, physical assertion, and mixing with unfamiliar pigs. These stressors can disrupt the homeostasis of the market pig, that in-turn could result in injured pigs, fatigue or death.
The objective of this study was to provide pigs electrolytes and a glucose source in alginate hydrogel beads (AHB) to determine if they could mitigate transportation stressors. A maternal neonatal pheromone wasadded to the AHB to encourage consumption.
Sixty market pigs, including barrows and gilts were randomized into two treatment groups, either AHB or control without AHB. Pigs were acclimated to the AHB 72-h before transport and fasted 12-h before being loaded on a straight trailer and transported for a total of 4-h.
Pig body weights was collected before and after transport and blood samples were collected. Pig behavior was recorded using Go Pro cameras and DVRs to view changes in drinking, fighting, eating and lying among other changes. The study was a complete randomized design with pen as the experimental unit.
The AHB did not affect the pigs body weight. Blood chemistry and blood hematology tests measures showed interactions for PH, PCO2, HCO3, BE, TCO2, TBIL and GLU, which all affect pig welfare and stress levels.
During transport, AHB pigs had more lying activities than those pigs not exposed to beads. After transport AHB pigs sat more and tended to move more than the pigs not exposed to beads.
Pigs in the control group engaged in more drinking after transport compared to those in the treatment group exposed to beads, meaning the treatment group could have had positive results and pigs were more hydrated.
In conclusion, AHBs had positive welfare effects on pig physiology and behavior during and immediately after short transportation and show promise as a tool that could be implemented by the industry.
Salinas is a student and McGlone is a professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University; Garcia is an assistant professor in the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine; and Johnson-Butters is an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University.