University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Master / Diploma Thesis:
Carina Karnholz
(2014):
Schwanzverletzungen bei Schlachtschweinen in Deutschland: Prävalenz und Beeinflussung durch ein Management-Tool.
Master / Diploma Thesis - Institut für Nutztierwissenschaften (NUWI),
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 64.
UB BOKU
obvsg
FullText
- Abstract:
- Tail biting is a common health and welfare problem in conventional fattening pig production which also causes economic losses. However, there are no publications on prevalence of tail lesion at German abattoirs yet. Tail biting is of multifactorial origin. The management tool “Schwanzbeiß-Interventions-Programm” (SchwIP) assists in identifying risk-reducing farm individual measures. The present study was carried out in the course of an SchwIP on-farm implementation and evaluation project in Germany on-farmr. It was the aim of the aim of this thesis to provide anoverview on the occurrence of tail lesions at the time of slaughter, as well as to analyse possible correlations between tail lesions and pathological findings from meat inspection. In addition, the effect of SchwIP on the prevalence of tail lesions was assessed. Photographs of the tails of pigs from 64 conventional pig farms (32 with SchwIP application, 32 control farms without visit) were automatically taken at the slaughterhouse by two colour cameras. Tail lesions were scored by three trained observers with good to very good agreement (all PABAK > 0.73) on a 4-point scale: 0 = no lesion, 1 = minor lesion, 2 = major lesion, 3 = necrosis. A sample of 80.034 mostly tail docked animals was scored over a period of one year. The total prevalence of tail lesions in control farms was 25.4 %. Pigs with tail lesions had significantly more hind leg inflammations (>0.25 % increase in prevalences, p ≤ 0.01) and tended to have more lung problems. Tail lesion prevalence was initially higher on SchwIP farms but dropped to control farm levels within approximately six months. In sum, tail biting is a major problem in German fattening pig production even though most pigs are tail docked. There is need for improvements of pig housing and management, which can be facilitated by using risk management tools such as SchwIP.
- Beurteilende(r): Winckler Christoph
- 1.Mitwirkender: Leeb Christine