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Social behavior is a key component of pig welfare on farms, but little is known on the development of social behaviors in piglets. This study aimed to explore social behaviors and identify early social styles in suckling piglets. Social behaviors of 68 piglets from 12 litters were scored continuously for 8 h per day at 21 and 42 days of age, and were included in a Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components analysis to identify clusters of pigs with similar social styles. Social nosing represented 78% of all social interactions given. Three social styles were identified: low-solicited inactive animals (inactive), active animals (active), and highly-solicited avoiders (avoiders). Belonging to a cluster was independent of age, but was influenced by sex, with females being more represented in the ‘inactive’ cluster, and males in the ‘active’ cluster, whereas both sexes were equally represented in the ‘avoider’ cluster. Stability of piglets’ allocation to specific clusters over age was high in the ‘inactive’ (59%) and ‘active’ (65%) clusters, but low in the ‘avoider’ cluster (7%). Haptoglobin and growth rate were higher in ‘active’ than ‘inactive’ pigs, and intermediate in ‘avoiders’. Our findings suggest the existence of transient social styles in piglets, likely reflective of sexual dimorphism or health status.

International audience; This study aimed to determine whether measuring gene expression in immune cells can be used to reveal the positive influence on the well-being of long-term environmental enrichment of sows. Pregnant sows of mixed parities (0-6) were housed in two contrasting conditions throughout gestation (105 days): a conventional system on a slatted floor (C, n = 36) or an enriched system on accumulated straw with additional space per sow (E, n = 34). Then, sows of low and high parity were selected for biological sampling (14 per system). Cortisol concentrations in saliva, measured on days of gestation G35 and G98, and in the hair on day G98, were lower in E sows (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04). From G99 to G104, E sows spent more time exploring the pen, but less time chewing the chain or exhibiting self-centered stereotypic behaviors (P < 0.01). E sows had lower frequencies of negative social behaviors (P = 0.04) and, to a lesser extent, lower frequencies of social nosing (P = 0.07). On day G98, high-throughput sequencing of the blood mononuclear cell transcriptome identified 164 differentially expressed genes related to collagen and organization of the extracellular matrix, cellular response to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), apoptosis control, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. These results confirm that long-term environmental enrichment positively influences sow behavior and show that it has a small impact on the blood transcriptome.; Cette étude visait à déterminer si la mesure de l’expression des gènes dans les cellules immunitaires sanguines peut être utilisée pour révéler l’influence positive pour le bien-être des truies d'un enrichissement environnemental sur le long terme. Des truies de rangs de portée allant de 0 à 6 ont été logées dans deux conditions contrastées jusqu’à 105 jours de gestation : un système conventionnel sur caillebotis (C, n = 36) ou un système enrichi sur paille accumulée avec plus de surface par truie (E, n = 34). Des truies de rangs de portée bas et élevé ont été sélectionnées pour l’échantillonnage biologique (14 par système). La concentration de cortisol dans la salive, collectée aux jours de gestation G35 et G98, et dans les soies, collectées à G98, était plus basse chez les truies E que C (P = 0,01 et P = 0,04). Entre G99 et G104, les truies E ont passé plus de temps à explorer la case, mais moins de temps à mastiquer les chaines ou exprimer des comportements stéréotypés autocentrés que les truies C (P < 0,01). Les truies E présentaient moins de comportements sociaux négatifs (P = 0,04) et, dans une moindre mesure, une fréquence plus basse de flairages sociaux (P = 0,07). A G98, le séquençage haut débit du transcriptome des cellules mononucléées sanguines a permis d’identifier 164 gènes différentiellement exprimés, ayant trait au collagène et à l’organisation de la matrice extracellulaire, à la réponse cellulaire au facteur de croissance transformant bêta (TGF-beta), au contrôle de l’apoptose et à la glycolyse / gluconéogenèse. Ces résultats confirment que l’enrichissement sur le long terme influence positivement le bien-être des truies et montrent qu’il a un impact limité sur le transcriptome sanguin.

This presentation describes the methodology and the first results of an experiment of genetic selection for lower piglet mortality. Young females (G1 generation) were chosen from sows (G0) reared in conventional herds. G1 females were raised from weaning in the organic pig farm from INRAE (Porganic). G0 sows were selected for high piglet survival, large number of weaned piglets, and indications from breeders about their ease of farrowing and good maternal behaviour. G0 and G1 females were inseminated with semen from boars selected for high breeding values. G1 females were conducted in batches of 12 females, half being crated around farrowing and half being loose around farrowing. Performance of G1 females after their 1st, 2nd and 3rd farrowing events are presented. These preliminary results suggest that piglet mortality is similar in both systems when calculated on the overall lactation but mortality seems to be slightly delayed in crated compared to loose-housed sows. First results also suggest that the piglet mortality is influenced by the behaviour of sows, even more in the situation of temporary crating around farrowing. These preliminary data were obtained within the Era-Net CORE Organic Cofund project (Power project: https://projects.au.dk/coreorganiccofund/core-organic-cofund-projects/power/). The experiment is continuing within the H2020 PPILOW project (https://www.ppilow.eu/).

International audience; The PPILOW project aims to co-construct innovations to improve Poultry and Pig Welfare in Low-input outdoor and Organic farming systems through a multi-actor approach. PPILOW implements a participatory approach for proposing and studying welfare-improvement levers. It will provide a combination of practical solutions that can be applied at a pan-European level with specific adjustments depending on citizen’s expectations and the target market. The multi-actor approach consists in involving end-users including farmers, breeding companies, feed producers, consumer associations, retailers, advisers, processors, and scientists in National Practitioner Groups (NPG) in six participating countries. PPILOW partners facilitate the groups by connecting NPG at European level, transferring scientific information, interacting with partners engaged in animal experiments, and co-creating innovations rising from NPG-specific demands. They co-build with PPILOW partners welfare self-assessment tools (development of the PIGLOW app for pigs and refinement of the EBENE® app for poultry), and innovative breeding, feeding, and rearing strategies and techniques to improve the welfare of animals. They co-design protocols, test innovations on farm, and disseminate the results. In turn, they receive insights on methods and scientific results, and inputs from other NPG reinforcing the value of the expected outcomes. Approaches focus on avoiding physical damage and the elimination of layer male chicks, on reducing boar taint of intact male pigs, promoting positive behaviours, animal health, and robustness through field studies with pigs and poultry. Multicriteria analyses of the most effective levers of welfare improvement will be performed to evaluate their economic, social, and environmental impacts based on the ‘One Welfare’ concept; economic and business models will also be developed. To ensure the rapid uptake of the project results by end-users, the close involvement of PPILOW’s NPG throughout the EU will ensure disseminationactivities and the facilitation of change. The PPILOW project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement N°816172. www.ppilow.eu.

Our study aimed to describe changes in the behaviour of weaned pigs exposed to stray currents of voltage 125 mV) or low (LV, 50 mV) and low (LV

The aim of our study was to describe the effect of stray voltages lower than 0.5 V on inflammation and oxidative status biomarkers in weaned piglets. The study was conducted on a nursery barn with two rooms of 12 pens of 38 28-day old piglets each, on two batches in France. In each pen, stray voltages were measured for each drinker and feeder every two weeks (9, 23, 37 and 50 days after inclusion). On the same days, two cotton ropes per pen were suspended for 30 min in order to collect oral fluid for salivary cortisol dosage. Two pigs per pen (84 pigs in total) were randomly selected at inclusion and blood sampled on days 9, 30 and 50 after weaning for the dosage of haptoglobin, hydroperoxides (HPO), and blood antioxidant potential (BAP). Pens were allocated to 4 groups based on their voltage levels in drinkers and feeders, with high (HVD, >125 mV) or low (LVD, 50 mV) and low (LVF

Effect of an innovative type of creep feed on the performance and behaviour of piglets before and after weaning The project aimed to investigate the effects of a new type of creep feed, with a unique ingredient composition (inclusion of cellulose) and an innovative physical form (soft, star-shaped pellets) on performance and behaviour of piglets before and after weaning. From 4 to 21 days of age, 58 litters were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 creep feed treatments, each differing in ingredient composition ('new' vs 'control') and physical form (pellets vs porridge), resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design. At 28 days of age, piglets were weaned and housed in 117 pens with, on average, six piglets per pen. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and behaviour were monitored from birth to 36 days after weaning. Data were analysed using mixed models with the pen as the experimental unit. Before weaning, piglets fed porridge had a higher ADFI than piglets fed pellets (P < 0.001), suggesting that providing creep feed as porridge rather than as pellets may stimulate creep feed intake before weaning. Piglets fed the 'new' feed also had a higher ADFI (P = 0.04) and, at 22 days of age, spent more time eating (P < 0.001) than piglets fed the 'control' feed. ADG before weaning was not affected by the treatments. After weaning, piglets fed the 'new' feed had higher ADG and ADFI than those fed the 'control' feed during the 4 first days after weaning (P = 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) and from 4 to 14 days after weaning (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). Our findings suggest that this new type of creep feed, via its unique nutritional and physical composition, may improve piglet performance shortly after weaning., L'objectif du projet était de tester les effets d'un nouveau type d'aliment maternité, se caractérisant par une composition unique (inclusion de cellulose) et une présentation innovante (granulé mou, en forme d'étoile), sur les performances et le comportement des porcelets avant et après le sevrage. Quatre aliments différenciés selon leur composition (« nouvel aliment » vs « contrôle ») et leur présentation (granulés vs bouillie) ont été distribués de 4 à 21 jours d'âge à un total de 58 portées (plan factoriel 2x2). A partir du sevrage (28 jours), les porcelets étaient logés dans 117 cases, avec six porcelets par case en moyenne. La vitesse de croissance (GMQ), la consommation et le comportement ont été enregistrés de la naissance jusqu'à 36 jours post-sevrage. Les données ont été analysées avec un modèle mixte avec la case comme unité expérimentale. Avant le sevrage, la consommation des porcelets recevant de la bouillie était supérieure à celle de ceux recevant des granulés (P < 0,001), suggérant que l'apport d'aliment sous forme de bouillie pourrait favoriser la consommation avant le sevrage. Les porcelets nourris avec le « nouvel aliment » avaient également une consommation supérieure (P = 0,04) et, à 22 jours d'âge, passaient plus de temps à l'augette (P < 0,001) que les porcelets recevant l'aliment « contrôle ». Avant le sevrage, les traitements n'ont pas impacté le GMQ. Les porcelets du groupe « nouvel aliment » avaient un GMQ et une consommation supérieurs à ceux du groupe « contrôle » durant les 4 premiers jours post-sevrage (respectivement P = 0,01 et P < 0,001) et des jours 4 à 14 post-sevrage (respectivement P = 0,02 et P = 0,03). Ces résultats suggèrent que le nouveau type d'aliment, de par sa composition et sa présentation unique, améliore les performances des porcelets juste après le sevrage.

International audience; Effect of an innovative type of creep feed on the performance and behaviour of piglets before and after weaning The project aimed to investigate the effects of a new type of creep feed, with a unique ingredient composition (inclusion of cellulose) and an innovative physical form (soft, star-shaped pellets) on performance and behaviour of piglets before and after weaning. From 4 to 21 days of age, 58 litters were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 creep feed treatments, each differing in ingredient composition ('new' vs 'control') and physical form (pellets vs porridge), resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design. At 28 days of age, piglets were weaned and housed in 117 pens with, on average, six piglets per pen. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and behaviour were monitored from birth to 36 days after weaning. Data were analysed using mixed models with the pen as the experimental unit. Before weaning, piglets fed porridge had a higher ADFI than piglets fed pellets (P < 0.001), suggesting that providing creep feed as porridge rather than as pellets may stimulate creep feed intake before weaning. Piglets fed the 'new' feed also had a higher ADFI (P = 0.04) and, at 22 days of age, spent more time eating (P < 0.001) than piglets fed the 'control' feed. ADG before weaning was not affected by the treatments. After weaning, piglets fed the 'new' feed had higher ADG and ADFI than those fed the 'control' feed during the 4 first days after weaning (P = 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) and from 4 to 14 days after weaning (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). Our findings suggest that this new type of creep feed, via its unique nutritional and physical composition, may improve piglet performance shortly after weaning.; L'objectif du projet était de tester les effets d'un nouveau type d'aliment maternité, se caractérisant par une composition unique (inclusion de cellulose) et une présentation innovante (granulé mou, en forme d'étoile), sur les performances et le comportement des porcelets avant et après le sevrage. Quatre aliments différenciés selon leur composition (« nouvel aliment » vs « contrôle ») et leur présentation (granulés vs bouillie) ont été distribués de 4 à 21 jours d'âge à un total de 58 portées (plan factoriel 2x2). A partir du sevrage (28 jours), les porcelets étaient logés dans 117 cases, avec six porcelets par case en moyenne. La vitesse de croissance (GMQ), la consommation et le comportement ont été enregistrés de la naissance jusqu'à 36 jours post-sevrage. Les données ont été analysées avec un modèle mixte avec la case comme unité expérimentale. Avant le sevrage, la consommation des porcelets recevant de la bouillie était supérieure à celle de ceux recevant des granulés (P < 0,001), suggérant que l'apport d'aliment sous forme de bouillie pourrait favoriser la consommation avant le sevrage. Les porcelets nourris avec le « nouvel aliment » avaient également une consommation supérieure (P = 0,04) et, à 22 jours d'âge, passaient plus de temps à l'augette (P < 0,001) que les porcelets recevant l'aliment « contrôle ». Avant le sevrage, les traitements n'ont pas impacté le GMQ. Les porcelets du groupe « nouvel aliment » avaient un GMQ et une consommation supérieurs à ceux du groupe « contrôle » durant les 4 premiers jours post-sevrage (respectivement P = 0,01 et P < 0,001) et des jours 4 à 14 post-sevrage (respectivement P = 0,02 et P = 0,03). Ces résultats suggèrent que le nouveau type d'aliment, de par sa composition et sa présentation unique, améliore les performances des porcelets juste après le sevrage.

National audience

L'invention concerne l'utilisation d'une maltodextrine ou d'une composition en comprenant comme source principale de glucides pour la nutrition de nourrissons lors de l'enfance précoce d'un mammifère afin d'améliorer ou d'augmenter les performances cognitives et/ou de stimuler le développement du cerveau.

We investigated the effect of offering supplementary dietary fibres to suckling piglets on their behaviour and performance before weaning. From 5 to 22 days of age, suckling piglets were offered a high-fibre diet (HF; 5% cellulose; n = 5 litters), or a control low-fibre diet (n = 5 litters). Piglets were housed with the sows in individual farrowing pens, and had access to maternal milk until weaning, at 23 days of age. Behaviours of six focal piglets per pen were scored at 6, 16 and 21 days of age. All piglets were individually weighed at 5, 15 and 20 days of age and feed intake was measured daily at the pen level. Piglets on the HF diet were more active than controls (P = 0.05), and spent more time suckling or massaging the udder (P = 0.01) and interacting with pen mates (P = 0.008). Time spent manipulating pen mates, which may reflect redirected foraging activity in the absence of substrate, accounted for most of the time spent interacting with pen mates (⩾73% of total time spent interacting). Dietary fibres had no effect on BW and feed intake. In conclusion, inclusion of cellulose in the supplemental diet of suckling piglets affects behaviour, with no deleterious effects on performance before weaning.

International audience

International audience

International audience

International audience; Perinatal nutrition can program cognitive functions in mammals. Accordingly, excessive intakeof dietary fat and/or sugar during pregnancy and/or lactation has been found to alter learningand memory of offspring in rodents. Little is known, however, on the impact of perinatalnutrition, and the most sensitive period (prenatal or postnatal) for dietary programming ofcognition in the domestic pig. We investigated the effects of prenatal vs postnatal exposureto a high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet on cognition of pigs. Thirty-two sows and their litterswere allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a 2×2 factorial design, with 8-week prenatal(gestation) and 8-week postnatal (lactation and post-weaning) exposure to a HFHS diet orcontrol (standard commercial) diets as factors. From weaning onwards (4 weeks of age), 3piglets per litter were selected and housed in pens of 3 littermates. Starting 3 weeks after thedietary intervention, piglets were subjected to a spatial cognitive hole-board task, in which theyhad to discriminate 4 baited buckets out of 16 in a fixed configuration. After 28 acquisitiontrials, piglets were subjected to 16 reversal trials, in which the configuration was changed.Reference memory (RM) score was calculated as the ratio between the number of visits tothe set of baited buckets and the number of visits to all buckets, and working memory (WM)score as the ratio between the number of different buckets visited and the total number of (re)visits. Data were analysed using a mixed model with pen as experimental unit. In both phasesof the task, WM and RM scores increased over trials (P

International audience

National audience

National audience

National audience

Session : AlimentationSession : Alimentation; National audience; In pig production, feed additives are commonly used to improve feed palatability and zootechnical performances. This study investigated the effect of feed supplementation from weaning with 3 feed additives (FA; FA1, FA2 or FA3) on feed intake and preferences and growth in piglets. At weaning, 32 female pigs were distributed into 4 experimental groups and fed either a control diet without FA (C group) or diets supplemented with 1 of the 3 FA (FA1, FA2, FA3 groups). The pigs received a starter‐1 diet from day 1 (weaning) to 15, and a starter‐2 diet from day 16 to 28. On days 16, 23 and 26, the animals were subjected to consecutive 1‐h and 22‐h 2‐choice feeding tests with the FA diet corresponding to their group and the C diet. No difference in the voluntary daily feed intake and growth was found between groups. During the 1‐h tests, the pigs of the FA1 group preferred the FA1 diet to the C diet on day 23, and the pigs of the FA3 group preferred the FA3 diet on day 26. However, preferences were influenced by a high inter‐individual variability and no consistent preference pattern was highlighted in these 2 groups. The pigs of the FA2 group consistently preferred the FA2 diet during the tests, and it was significant during the 22‐h tests on days 16 and 26. In conclusion, although no beneficial effect on zootechnical performances was highlighted during the early post‐weaning period in this study, the FA2 seemed to improve feed palatability.

International audience; Our study aimed at investigating the effect of feed supplementation, from weaning, with 3 sensory feed additives (FA1, FA2, and FA3) on feed preferences, feed intake, and growth of piglets. The FA1 contained extract of Stevia rebaudiana (10 to 20%), extract of high-saponin plants (5 to 10%), and excipients (70 to 85%), the FA2 was mainly composed of a natural extract of Citrus sinensis (60 to 80%), and the FA3 was made of a blend of extracts of hot-flavored spices (5 to 15%) and excipients (85 to 95%). At weaning (d 1), a total of 32 female piglets housed in individual pens were allocated to 4 treatments (FA1, FA2, FA3, and control [CON]) of equivalent mean weight. The pigs were fed a standard pelleted prestarter diet from weaning (d 1) to d 15 and a starter diet from d 16 to 28. The diets were supplemented with the feed additives (FA) corresponding to their treatment, while the CON treatment was the standard diets with no additive. Feed refusals were weighed daily and piglets were weighed weekly on d 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28. On the day of feed transition (d 16) as well as 7 (d 23) and 10 d (d 26) later, the animals were consecutively subjected to 1- and 22-h double-choice feeding tests to investigate their preferences during a short period and a longer period of time for the CON starter diet and the starter diet added with the FA corresponding to their treatment. No overall effect of the feed additives was observed on ADFI, ADG, G:F, and final BW. No overall preference was highlighted for the FA1 treatment, except for a preference for the FA1 starter diet during the 1-h test on d 23 (78% of total feed intake; P < 0.01). For the FA2 treatment, the pigs consumed the FA2 starter diet more than the CON starter diet during the 22-h tests on d 16 (67% of total feed intake; P < 0.05) and 26 (62% of total feed intake; P < 0.01). For the FA3 treatment, on d 26, the FA3 starter diet was and tended to be consumed more than the CON starter diet during 1- (69% of total intake; P < 0.05) and 22-h (60% of total intake; P < 0.10) tests, respectively. In conclusion, feed supplementation with the FA1, FA2, and FA3 from weaning did not induce beneficial effects on feed intake and growth performance during the early postweaning period. The FA2 increased palatability and acceptance of the unfamiliar starter diet the day of feed transition, while the FA1 and FA3 increased palatability of the starter diet only after a few days of exposure, most likely through long-term familiarization processes.

International audience; Le porc, qui possède des similitudes avec l’Homme en termes d’anatomie digestive et cérébrale s’avère un modèle intéressant pour la recherche biomédicale, et plus particulièrement dans le domaine de la nutrition et des neurosciences. La caractérisation des mécanismes comportementaux et neurobiologiques sous-tendant, chez le porc, la régulation hédonique des choix alimentaires présente donc d’importants enjeux en termes d’applications en recherche biomédicale. L’objectif de nos travaux était de décrire ces déterminants en combinant une approche comportementale et des techniques d’imagerie cérébrale fonctionnelle. Sur le plan comportemental, nous avons cherché à modifier les choix alimentaires via des techniques de conditionnement pavlovien. Nous avons ainsi validé un modèle porcin de l’aversion alimentaire conditionnée, obtenue via des injections duodénales de chlorure de lithium et caractérisée par une modification drastique des choix alimentaires. Nous avons également démontré que le saccharose (calorique et sucré) représente un renforcement efficace pour le conditionnement d’une préférence alimentaire chez le porc. Sur le plan neurobiologique, l’exposition à des flaveurs alimentaires aversives et la perception orale et viscérale combinée de saccharose ont engendré des modifications du métabolisme cérébral dans les circuits impliqués, chez l’Homme, dans l’évaluation hédonique des stimuli sensoriels, la motivation alimentaire et la récompense (cortex préfrontal, amygdale, striatum). De tels modèles de l’aversion et de la préférence alimentaire conditionnée pourraient permettre de développer des stratégies visant à rétablir une prise alimentaire normale chez des patients ayant déclaré des aversions alimentaires en milieu clinique ou des stratégies préventives pour lutter contre l’apparition de préférences exacerbées et les pathologies associées.

Les porcs sont soumis à des stress lors de périodes sensibles, telles que le sevrage, ou la phase peripartum, susceptibles de réduire leur comportement alimentaire. Améliorer l’acceptabilité du nouvel aliment par des composés sensoriels fonctionnels peut être un moyen de moduler l’appétit et la prise alimentaire, et les préférences, et ainsi contrecarrer le développement d’un comportement de néophobie voire d’aversions alimentaires lors des transitions alimentaires chez l’animal d’élevage ou chez l’humain liées des chimio ou radiothérapies, ou l’hospitalisation des sujets âgés. Les mécanismes comportementaux et cérébraux sous-tendant la modulation hédonique de la prise alimentaire chez le porc juvénile a été étudié sur la base de paradigmes de préférences et aversions alimentaires conditionnées, combinant les méthodes éthologiques du conditionnement et des choix alimentaires, à des techniques d’imagerie cérébrale fonctionnelle.