Effect of stress mitigation measures on the aggressive behaviour and body weight loss of Large White Yorkshire crossbred pigs during transportation

Abstract

This study examined the impact of stress mitigation measures on the live body weight loss and skin lesion scores of Large White Yorkshire pigs after a 200 km transportation by road. Twenty-four LWY pigs were randomly allotted into four groups of six each: control group (T1 ), pigs injected with vitamin E and selenium (T2 ), pigs administered hydrogen rich water (T3 ), and pigs exposed to monochromatic blue light (T4 ). Hydrogen-rich water administration (T3 ) resulted in the highest live body weight loss, while exposure to monochromatic blue light (T4 ) induced the lowest. Shrinkage during transport mirrored the live body weight loss trend. Significant differences emerged in skin lesion scores, notably in the hindquarter and tail regions. Monochromatic blue light exposure (T4 ) correlated with reduced aggressive behaviour, evidenced by lower hindquarter skin lesion scores. Conversely, hydrogen-rich water administration (T3 ) resulted in higher tail region skin lesion scores. The findings suggest that exposure to monochromatic blue light may have a calming effect during transport and can be recommended as a stress mitigation strategy to enhance overall animal welfare during transportation Keywords: Transportation stress, body weight loss, shrinkage, aggressive behaviour