engleski

Cortisol concentration in gilts provided with rubber mats during winter season

Stress is a biological response to an event that the individual perceives as a threat to its homeostasis. Restrictive accommodation with concrete slatted flooring in modern pig production might act as a stressor for animals. Due to welfare concern, emphasis is put on their environment enrichment. The aim of this study was to assess the level of stress in pigs kept on rubber-coated floor. The study was conducted in the pig farm service unit in winter. Two groups of control and experimental (n=9 each) gilts were investigated during the 28-day production cycle. Both groups were accommodated in gestation stalls with concrete slatted floor ; in the experimental group, the floor was additionally coated with adjusted rubber mats. Stress level was assessed by determination of cortisol concentration (µg/dL) in gilt blood serum. Blood was sampled on cycle days 1, 8, 15 and 28 from cranial vena cava. Cortisol concentration was measured by the competitive chemiluminescent immunoenzymatic assay. Serum cortisol concentration was lower in experimental group than in control group on all measurement days. The difference recorded on day 28 and difference in the mean cortisol concentration throughout the study period were statistically significant (P<0.05 both). The results obtained may be related to the thermal insulating effect of mats and improved comfort for gilts in cold season. In conclusion, the use of rubber mats proved to be an efficient management tool in reducing stress in gilts.

gilt; rubber mat; stress; cortisol

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