1. The effect of rubber slat mats on cortisol concentrations in stall-housed gilts
- Author
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Mario Ostović, Renata Barić Rafaj, Sven Menčik, Anamaria Ekert Kabalin, Jurica Grahovac, Kristina Matković, Katarina Nenadović, Ivona Žura Žaja, and Željko Pavičić
- Subjects
pig ,flooring ,rubber mat ,stress ,cortisol ,svinja ,pod ,gumena obloga ,stres ,kortizol - Abstract
It has been established that rubber mats improve lying comfort in stall-housed gilts at low ambient temperatures. The present study investigated whether rubber mats influence stress levels in gilts by improved lying comfort. The study was performed in a commercial pig farm service unit, during the 28-day breeding cycles in autumn and winter. During both cycles, the control and experimental groups of gilts (9 gilts each) were housed in gestation stalls with a concrete slatted floor; in the experimental groups, the floor was additionally coated with adjusted 2-cm thick rubber mat. Stress level was assessed by determination of cortisol concentrations in gilt serum on days 1, 8, 15 and 28 of each cycle, when the postural behaviour of gilts was observed. In both groups of gilts, serum cortisol was significantly lower (P, Kao što je prethodno utvrđeno, gumene podne obloge tijekom niskih okolišnih temperatura poboljšavaju udobnost pri ležanju pojedinačno držanih nazimica. U ovom radu istraživano je utječu li gumene podne obloge na stupanj stresa nazimica kroz poboljšanu udobnost pri ležanju. Istraživanje je provedeno u pripustilištu komercijalne svinjogojske farme tijekom 28-dnevnog proizvodnog ciklusa u jesen i zimi. Tijekom oba ciklusa kontrolna i pokusna skupina nazimica (9 nazimica svaka) bile su smještene u odjeljcima za pojedinačno držanje tijekom gravidnosti, s betonskim rešetkastim podom. U pokusnim skupinama pod je dodatno bio prekriven prilagođenom 2 cm debelom gumenom podnom oblogom. Stupanj stresa procjenjivao se određivanjem koncentracije kortizola u krvnom serumu nazimica 1., 8., 15. i 28. dana svakog ciklusa, kada je promatrano i posturalno ponašanje nazimica. Koncentracija kortizola u serumu nazimica obiju skupina bila je značajno manja (P
- Published
- 2017