Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38937857›Full record

ArticlePorcine health management2024

Description of patterns of ear and tail lesions during the grower-finisher period in a commercial pig farm.

Nienke van Staaveren, Joana Pessoa, Laura Ann Boyle, Julia Adriana Calderón Díaz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Porcine health management, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Nienke van StaaverenDepartment of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3401-5553
Joana PessoaTechnical University of Denmark, National Food Institute, Kemitorvet 204, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8959-9333
Laura Ann BoylePig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Fermoy, Ireland. laura.boyle@teagasc.ie.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7080-1776
Julia Adriana Calderón DíazPig Development Department, Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Fermoy, Ireland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6313-9283

Funding

Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Scheme PDPG-0165
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEar and tail lesions are prevalent indicators of impaired welfare observed in pig production with different multifactorial causes. Understanding the progression of ear and tail lesions over time is important to implement preventative strategies on commercial pig farms. Therefore, this case study aimed to provide a detailed account of patterns of ear and tail lesions in pigs on a single commercial farm during the grower-finisher period. CASE PRESENTATION: A total of 1,676 12-week old pigs (n = 773 females and n = 903 males, all tail docked) were followed from arrival to the grower facilities until transferred to the finisher stage on a commercial pig farm in Ireland. Pigs were individually weighed and inspected for the severity of fresh ear and tail lesions (score 0-4) on transfer to the first grower (24.9 ± 5.33 kg, 12 weeks of age, n = 1,676 pigs), second grower (33.3 ± 7.04 kg, 14 weeks of age, n = 1,641 pigs), and finisher stage (60.2 ± 7.74 kg, 18 weeks of age, n = 1,626 pigs). Due to the low number of pigs with high scores, ear lesions were classified as no (score 0), mild (score 1), moderate (score 2) and severe (score ≥ 3) and tail lesions were classified as no (score 0), mild (score 1), and moderate-to-severe (score ≥ 2). Ear lesions were more prevalent than tail lesions at each inspection. There were approx. 19% of pigs with ear lesions at all three inspections but no pigs presented with tail lesions at all three inspections. When considering the specific severity categories, we observed 32 different ear lesion score combinations and 15 different tail lesion score combinations across the three inspections.

conclusionThe high number of observed patterns of ear and tail lesions suggest large individual variability in lesion progression. Ear lesions were more of an issue than tail lesions and little is known about this health and welfare problem indicating that further research into causes and management strategies is needed.

Indexed as

Ear necrosisProduction diseasesSwineTail bitingWelfare

Identifiers

PMID38937857
PMCPMC11210170

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.