Avaliação comportamental e fisiológica de suínos em baias individuais e gaiolas metabólicas

Abstract

Two articles were made to assessed the behavioral and physiological parameters of pigs housed in individual stalls and metabolism cages. The first article was to evaluate the effects of period (before and during), type of housing (individual stall and metabolic cage) and feeding treatment (T1, T2, T3 and T4) in salivary cortisol concentrations. Was collected from the oral fluid of 16 crossbred pigs [Pietrain x (Large White x Duroc)] castrated males, in early growth stages, with initial average weight of 23.6 ± 6.5 kg and mean age of 63 days. In the period “before”, all animals were housed in individual cages and in the “during” period, half of the animals (n=8) remained in individual pens and the other half (n=8) were transferred to metabolic cages. During this period, the animals began to receive four types of diets with different formulations (T1, T2, T3 and T4). Thereafter, cortisol was measured and analyzed by immuno-assay (EIA). According to the data, the animals showed a circadian pattern with highest values by the morning. There was no significant difference (p>0,05) in salivary cortisol levels in “before” and “during” periods in individual stalls. The animals housed in individual pens, even being feeded with different diets (T2, T3 and T4) did not show cortisol levels consistent with stress. The animals housed in metabolic cages, when feeded with different diets (T2, T3 and T4) may have stress, which can be evidenced by the flattening of the circadian rhythm. In the second article the aim was to evaluate the effects of period (before and during), type of housing (individual stalls and metabolic cage) and feeding treatment (T1, T2, T3 and T4) in the behavior and physiological parameters such as frequency respiratory and surface body temperature for growing pigs. We used 25 crossbred pigs [Pietrain x (Large White x Duroc)], castrated in early growth stages, with a mean age of 63 days. According to the results, the behavior can be modified according to the feeding schedule, type of accommodation, type of treatment and ambient temperature. The respiratory rate is not influenced by the period “before” and “during”, but is influenced by the type of accommodation and type of treatment and ambient temperature and; The surface temperature is influenced by period, by type of accommodation and type of treatment and ambient temperature.