Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs
Stress significantly affects the health, welfare, and productivity of farm animals. We performed a longitudinal study to evaluate stress’s effects on pig performance, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. This study involved 64 Duroc pigs during the fattening period, divided into two e...
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MDPI AG
2024-09-01
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| author | Adrià Clavell-Sansalvador Raquel Río-López Olga González-Rodríguez L. Jesús García-Gil Xavier Xifró Gustavo Zigovski Juan Ochoteco-Asensio Maria Ballester Antoni Dalmau Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas |
| author_facet | Adrià Clavell-Sansalvador Raquel Río-López Olga González-Rodríguez L. Jesús García-Gil Xavier Xifró Gustavo Zigovski Juan Ochoteco-Asensio Maria Ballester Antoni Dalmau Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas |
| author_sort | Adrià Clavell-Sansalvador |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Stress significantly affects the health, welfare, and productivity of farm animals. We performed a longitudinal study to evaluate stress’s effects on pig performance, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. This study involved 64 Duroc pigs during the fattening period, divided into two experimental groups: a stress group (<i>n</i> = 32) and a control group (<i>n</i> = 32). Stressed groups had less space and were mixed twice during the experiment. We monitored body weight, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. Compared to the control group, the stressed pigs exhibited reduced body weight, feed efficiency, fewer feeder visits, and longer meal durations. In the fecal microbiota, resilience was observed, with greater differences between groups when sampling was closer to the stressful stimulus. Stressed pigs showed an increase in opportunistic bacteria, such as <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Treponema</i> and members of the <i>Erysipelotrichaceae</i> family, while control pigs had more butyrate- and propionate-producing genera like <i>Anaerobutyricum</i>, <i>Coprococcus</i> and <i>HUN007</i>. Our findings confirm that prolonged stress negatively impacts porcine welfare, behavior, and performance, and alters their gut microbiota. Specific microorganisms identified could serve as non-invasive biomarkers for stress, potentially informing both animal welfare and similar gut-brain axis mechanisms relevant to human research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6b44c5015649468cae2fcdb08413f3c0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b44c5015649468cae2fcdb08413f3c02025-08-20T01:56:10ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-09-011418270410.3390/ani14182704Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of PigsAdrià Clavell-Sansalvador0Raquel Río-López1Olga González-Rodríguez2L. Jesús García-Gil3Xavier Xifró4Gustavo Zigovski5Juan Ochoteco-Asensio6Maria Ballester7Antoni Dalmau8Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas9Animal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, SpainAnimal Welfare Subprogram, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), 17121 Monells, Girona, SpainAnimal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, SpainDigestive Diseases and Microbiota Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Girona (IDIBGI), 17190 Girona, Girona, SpainNew Therapeutic Targets Lab Research Group, Medical Sciences Departament, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, 17071 Girona, Girona, SpainSchool of Medicine and Life Sciences, Graduate Program in Animal Science, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Curitiba 80215-901, Paraná, BrazilAnimal Welfare Subprogram, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), 17121 Monells, Girona, SpainAnimal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, SpainAnimal Welfare Subprogram, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), 17121 Monells, Girona, SpainAnimal Breeding and Genetics Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Torre Marimon, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, SpainStress significantly affects the health, welfare, and productivity of farm animals. We performed a longitudinal study to evaluate stress’s effects on pig performance, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. This study involved 64 Duroc pigs during the fattening period, divided into two experimental groups: a stress group (<i>n</i> = 32) and a control group (<i>n</i> = 32). Stressed groups had less space and were mixed twice during the experiment. We monitored body weight, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. Compared to the control group, the stressed pigs exhibited reduced body weight, feed efficiency, fewer feeder visits, and longer meal durations. In the fecal microbiota, resilience was observed, with greater differences between groups when sampling was closer to the stressful stimulus. Stressed pigs showed an increase in opportunistic bacteria, such as <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>Treponema</i> and members of the <i>Erysipelotrichaceae</i> family, while control pigs had more butyrate- and propionate-producing genera like <i>Anaerobutyricum</i>, <i>Coprococcus</i> and <i>HUN007</i>. Our findings confirm that prolonged stress negatively impacts porcine welfare, behavior, and performance, and alters their gut microbiota. Specific microorganisms identified could serve as non-invasive biomarkers for stress, potentially informing both animal welfare and similar gut-brain axis mechanisms relevant to human research.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2704stresswelfareporcinefeed efficiencymicrobiotabiomarkers |
| spellingShingle | Adrià Clavell-Sansalvador Raquel Río-López Olga González-Rodríguez L. Jesús García-Gil Xavier Xifró Gustavo Zigovski Juan Ochoteco-Asensio Maria Ballester Antoni Dalmau Yuliaxis Ramayo-Caldas Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs Animals stress welfare porcine feed efficiency microbiota biomarkers |
| title | Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs |
| title_full | Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs |
| title_short | Effect of Group Mixing and Available Space on Performance, Feeding Behavior, and Fecal Microbiota Composition during the Growth Period of Pigs |
| title_sort | effect of group mixing and available space on performance feeding behavior and fecal microbiota composition during the growth period of pigs |
| topic | stress welfare porcine feed efficiency microbiota biomarkers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2704 |
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