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Effects of multiple concurrent stressors on rectal temperature, blood acid-base status, and longissimus muscle glycolytic potential in market-weight pigs¹

M. J. Ritter^*,2, M. Ellis^*,3, D. B. Anderson, S. E. Curtis^*, K. K. Keffaber, J. Killefer^*, F. K. McKeith^*, C. M. Murphy^* and B. A. Peterson^*

^* Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801; and Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523; and Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN 46140

³ Corresponding author: mellis7{at}uiuc.edu

Sixty-four market-weight (130.0 ± 0.65 kg) barrows (n = 16) and gilts (n = 48) were used in a split-plot design with a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: 1) handling intensity (gentle vs. aggressive), 2) transport floor space (0.39 vs. 0.49 m²/pig), and 3) distance moved during handling (25 vs. 125 m) to determine the effects of multiple concurrent stressors on metabolic responses. For the handling intensity treatment, pigs were moved individually approximately 50 m through a handling course with either 0 (gentle) or 8 (aggressive) shocks from an electric goad. Pigs were loaded onto a trailer and transported for approximately 1 h at floor spaces of either 0.39 or 0.49 m²/pig. After transport, pigs were unloaded, and the distance moved treatment was applied; pigs were moved 25 or 125 m through a handling course using livestock paddles. Rectal temperature was measured, and blood samples (to measure blood acid-base status) were collected 2 h before the handling intensity treatment was applied and immediately after the distance moved treatment was applied. A LM sample to measure glycolytic potential was collected after the distance moved treatments on a subset of 32 pigs. There were handling intensity x distance moved interactions (P < 0.05) for several blood acid-base measurements. In general, there was no effect of distance moved on these traits when pigs were previously handled gently. However, when pigs were previously handled aggressively, pigs moved 125 compared with 25 m had greater (P < 0.05) blood lactate and less (P < 0.05) blood pH, bicarbonate, and base-excess. Pigs transported at 0.39 compared with 0.49 m²/pig had a greater (P < 0.01) increase in creatine kinase values; however, transport floor space did not affect any other measurements. Data were analyzed by the number of stressors (the aggressive handling, restricted transport floor space, and 125-m distance moved treatments) experienced by each pig (0, 1, 2, or 3). As the number of stressors experienced by the pig increased, rectal temperature, blood lactate, and LM lactate increased linearly (P 0.01), and blood pH, bicarbonate, and base-excess decreased linearly (P < 0.01). These data suggest that the stressors evaluated had additive effects on several indicators of metabolic stress responses in finishing pigs.

Key Words: handling • pig • stress • transport