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Nancy Lidster: Do Fear and Noise Aid Pig Movement?

Jan 27, 2015

By Nancy Lidster, DNL Farms Ltd..

http://www.dnlfarmsltd.com/lowstresspighandling/lsph/

Expectations: Shaker noise and other threatening behaviour is often used by handlers intending that:

–      the noise will make pigs scared

–      that once scared, pigs will run away from the threat (the handler)

–      that pigs always flee from danger

–      that maintaining a constant threat is necessary to maintain movement

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The questions: Is “fleeing from danger” the only way pigs respond to a threat? Must the threat continue in order to maintain movement?

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Situation:  A handler moved nursery pigs from one room, down a hall, around a corner, down another hall, and into a second room. (The camera person probably had some influence.)

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Photo 1 shows the first stretch of hallway with the corner in the right foreground.

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Treatments:

–      The handler used continuous shaker noise with one group.

–      He only shook the paddle occasionally with the other group.

Photo’s 2 and 3 show the groups in the second hallway just as the handler turned the corner.

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Results:

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Photo 2  shows most pigs moving down the second hall, some already at the receiving room as the handler turned the corner.

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Photo 3 shows pigs bunched up just around the corner with many of them facing back.

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Question: Which group got lots of shaker noise and which group got relatively little?

If making noise makes pigs move better, then Photo 2 should be the group that received continuous shaker noise, correct?

But it isn’t. The pigs that are all bunched up and turned back in Photo 3 are the ones that got all the noise.

http://www.dnlfarmsltd.com/lowstresspighandling/lsph/

Summary:

Fleeing is only one of many possible ways pigs can respond to a threat. Pigs also respond with their attention and their herd behaviour. Remember, herd behaviour can either interfere with movement (bunching herd behaviour) or aid movement (flowing herd behaviour).

–      In Video 2 the handler tried to use fear to force movement. His constant shaker noise held pigs’ attention around the corner, stopped them, turned them back, and encouraged pigs to display bunching herd behaviour.

–      In Video 1, the handler used very little shaker noise. That allowed pigs to shift their attention away from him and naturally join and move with flowing herd behaviour.

If you are convinced that you have to use shaker noise and threat to move pigs around corners or through doorways, I hope these examples will help you see how your actions are contributing to your problems.

Using fear to move pigs generates a lot of scramble and activity. Don’t confuse that with useful, effective, uninterrupted, low stress forward movement.

To watch videos on this topic click the following link.

http://www.dnlfarmsltd.com/lowstresspighandling/lsph/

 

Source: DNLFarms