• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.575-578
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• 2020

The plasma cortisol of nurserypigs was examined using an outdoor efficacy testwith a digital content-based approach in animal welfare convergence types. Nine nurserypigs,without discriminating between female and male, were classified into 2 groups of 3 pigs each: control and group 1 (effect+nature), control and group 2(effect+nature+music). The control group was the same for group 1 and 2 to compare the effects using a t-test. There was no significant difference in plasma cortisol levels between the control group and group 1 until 4 h after stress induction. However, significant differences were subsequently found between the control group and group 1 from 8 h to 72 h (p<0.05). Further, plasma cortisol was not affected in group 2 at 0 h through 8 h and 72 h. At 12 h through 48 h, group 2 showed a reduction in plasma cortisol level compared to the control group(p<0.05). These results indicated that after stress induction, applying effect plus nature or effect plus nature plus music can effectively decrease plasma cortisol levels in nursery pigs within8 h through 72 h and may serve as a better model for digital content-based approach in animal welfare convergence types.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제64권3호
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• pp.539-563
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• 2022

Nine pig farms were evaluated for the welfare quality in Korea using animal- and environment-based parameters (particularly air quality parameters) during the winter of 2013. The Welfare Quality^® (WQ^®) protocol consists of 12 criteria within four principles. The WQ^® protocol classifies farms into four categories ranging from 'excellent' to 'not classified'. Each of these criteria has specific measures for calculating scores. Calculations for the welfare scores were conducted online using the calculation model in the WQ^® protocol. Environment-based parameters like microclimate (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and particulate matter), bacteria (total airborne bacteria, airborne total coliform, and airborne total Escherichia coli), concentration of gases (carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide) were measured to investigate the relationship between animal- and environment-based parameters. Correlations between the results of animal- and environment-based parameters were estimated using spearman correlation coefficient. The overall assessments found that five out of nine farms were 'acceptable', and four farms were 'enhanced'; no farm was 'not classified'. The average score for the four principles across the nine farms, in decreasing order, were 'good feeding' (63.13 points) > 'good housing' (59.26 points) > 'good health' (33.47 points) > 'appropriate behaviors' (25.48 points). In the result of the environment aspect, the relative humidity of farms 2 (93.4%), 3 (100%), and 9 (98%) was much higher than the recommended maximum relative humidity of 80%, and four out of the nine farms had ammonia concentrations greater than 40 ppm. Ammonia had negative correlations with 'positive social behaviors' and positive emotional states: content, enjoying, sociable, playful, lively, happy and it had positive correlations with negative emotional states: aimless, distressed. The concentration of carbon dioxide had negative correlations with positive emotional states; calm, sociable, playful, happy and it had a positive correlation with negative emotional state; aimless. Our results indicate that the control of the environment for growing pigs can help improve their welfare, particularly via good air quality (carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide).

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제21권8호
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• pp.388-394
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• 2020

최근 우리나라는 축산농가의 사육환경 개선을 위해 양돈 농가를 대상으로 새로운 동물복지형 사육기준을 도입하려고 한다. 이에 모돈의 군사사육 도입 규정에 대응할 수 있는 모돈사 바닥에 대한 연구들이 필요한 실정이다. 본 연구의 목적은 모돈의 군사사육 방식이면서 바닥의 형태가 각각 깔짚과 슬랏 바닥의 형태로 되어 있는 농가 2곳을 섭외하여 동물복지 수준과 환경 수준 및 모돈의 행동을 평가 및 비교하였다. 동물복지 수준평가는 실험농가 모돈의 몸상처와 외음부상처 평가, 환경 수준은 돈사 안의 황화수소, 암모니아, 이산화탄소 농도를 한 달에 1번씩, 총 4 개월간 측정하였다. 연구 결과 동물복지 수준은 모돈의 몸과 외음부 상처비율이 깔짚 바닥 농가(K 농가)에 비해 콘크리트 슬랏 바닥 농가(H 농가)에서 높게 관찰 되었다. 모돈의 돈방 내의 환경수준은 각각 황화수소 (H2S; H 농가 1.0 ppm, K 농가 0.0 ppm), 암모니아 (NH3; H 농가 45.4 ppm, K 농가 1.3 ppm), 및 이산화탄소 (CO2; H 농가 1102.3 ppm, K 농가 258.8 ppm) 농도가 H 농가에서 높게 측정 되었다. 모돈의 행동분석 중 투쟁행동은 H 농가에서 주로 발생 하였다. 이와 같은 결과는, 동일한 군사형태의 사육시설이지만 바닥재의 차이로 인해 공격행동과 환경수준의 변화를 나타나는데, 향후 추가적으로 바닥재의 종류 및 바닥의 변화들을 제시하면서 행동변화, 동물복지 및 환경수준을 측정하는 연구가 필요 할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제63권6호
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• pp.1453-1463
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• 2021

Feeding is the most important behavior that represents the health and welfare of weanling pigs. The early detection of feed refusal is crucial for the control of disease in the initial stages and the detection of empty feeders for adding feed in a timely manner. This paper proposes a real-time technique for the detection and recognition of small pigs using a deep-leaning-based method. The proposed model focuses on detecting pigs on a feeder in a feeding position. Conventional methods detect pigs and then classify them into different behavior gestures. In contrast, in the proposed method, these two tasks are combined into a single process to detect only feeding behavior to increase the speed of detection. Considering the significant differences between pig behaviors at different sizes, adaptive adjustments are introduced into a you-only-look-once (YOLO) model, including an angle optimization strategy between the head and body for detecting a head in a feeder. According to experimental results, this method can detect the feeding behavior of pigs and screen non-feeding positions with 95.66%, 94.22%, and 96.56% average precision (AP) at an intersection over union (IoU) threshold of 0.5 for YOLOv3, YOLOv4, and an additional layer and with the proposed activation function, respectively. Drinking behavior was detected with 86.86%, 89.16%, and 86.41% AP at a 0.5 IoU threshold for YOLOv3, YOLOv4, and the proposed activation function, respectively. In terms of detection and classification, the results of our study demonstrate that the proposed method yields higher precision and recall compared to conventional methods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.288-296
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• 2001

The behavior of declawed emus in a farm environment has not been described despite its importance in the husbandry and welfare of the emu. This study examined whether declawing of emus causes chronic pain resulting in permanent changes in the locomotor and general behavior of declawed yearling emus compared to emus not declawed. One group of 40 emus were declawed on the day of hatch by removing the distal phalangeal joint using a Lyon beak-trimming machine. Another group of 40 emus not declawed were the controls. Declawed emus one year of age were allocated to a paddock $250m{\times}125m$, while the control group was placed in an adjoining paddock of the same dimensions. One hour video records of individual emus from each treatment were made from 08:00 and 17:00 h over 2 periods; firstly when food and water was available and secondly during a period when food and water was not available after being withdrawn overnight. Inactive, ingestive, posture change, grooming, aggressive and locomotor behaviors were monitored from the videotape. There was no behavioral evidence to indicate loss of locomotor ability of declawed emus or to suggest declawed emus were suffering from severe chronic pain as indicated by declawed emus engaging in significantly more bouts (p<0.05) and time of searching (p<0.05). Declawed emus also engaged in less stereotype pacing (p<0.05) indicating they were under less stress and not as frustrated as control birds which engaged in more step pushing behavior (p<0.05). Modelling analysis showed that pecking behavior in birds was most closely related to foraging behavior. Birds subject to pecking attacks demonstrated higher levels of stereotype behavior presumably as a method to cope with stress. The behavioral evidence in this study would indicate that declawing does not compromise the locomotor ability of emus and has the benefit of improving the social structure in the groups by reducing stereotype behavior and aggression.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.1-13
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• 2019

This paper aims to critically analyse and synthesise existing knowledge concerning the use of environmental enrichment and its effect on behavior, physiology and performance of pigs housed in intensive production systems. The objective is also to provide clarity as to what constitutes successful enrichment and recommend when and how enrichment should be used. Environmental enrichment is usually understood as an attempt to improve animal welfare and to a lesser extent, performance. Common enrichment objects used are straw bedding, suspended ropes and wood shavings, toys, rubber tubings, colored plastic keys, table tennis balls, chains and strings. These substrates need to be chewable, deformable, destructible and ingestible. For enrichment to be successful four goals are essential. Firstly, enrichment should increase the number and range of normal behaviors; secondly, it should prevent the phenomenon of anomalous behaviors or reduce their frequency; thirdly, it should increase positive use of the environment such as space and fourthly it should increase the ability of the animals to deal with behavioral and physiological challenges. The performance, behavior and physiology of pigs in enriched environments is similar or in some cases slightly better when compared with barren environments. In studies where there was no improvement, it should be borne in mind that enriching the environment may not always be practical and yield positive results due to factors such as type of enrichment substrates, duration of provision and type of enrichment used. The review also identifies possible areas that still need further research, especially in understanding the role of enrichment, novelty, breed differences and other enrichment alternatives.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.861-867
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• 2023

Lairages serve several functions, such as providing post-mortal inspections and providing a reservoir of animals to ensure the slaughter line runs efficiently. High stress lairage conditions can contribute to the accumulation of transport stress in pigs, causing poor pork quality and still stressed pigs at slaughter. The objective of this study was to investigate meat quality, blood profile and behavior changes according to lairage stocking density in in high temperature. Density treatments were as follows: LD, low density (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg); ND, normal density (0.5 m²/100 kg to 0.83 m²/100 kg); HD, high density (higher than 0.83 m²/100 kg). Air temperature treatment was as follows: HT, high temperature (higher than 24℃). Pigs stocked with LD showed lower pH, WHC (water holding capacity), and higher DL (drip loss) and CL (cooking loss) than those stocked with HD. Pigs stocked with LD showed lower cortisol level than those stocked with HD. Therefore, Pigs exposed to high stock density (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg) in high air temperature during pre-slaughter caused acute stress and lead to PSE (pale, soft, exudative) pork incidence. Based on obtained results, stocking of too high (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg) density is generally not good for meat quality and animal welfare at high temperatures.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제37권4_spc호
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• pp.775-785
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• 2024

Pork production is a significant agricultural enterprise in the United States and Canada. The United States is the third-largest global producer of pork and Canada ranks seventh in pork production. The North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, have facilitated trade and integration between the two countries. The majority of production systems are modern and intensive, characterized by large vertically integrated farms using advanced technologies. Both nations benefit from their status as major producers of feed grains, with the United States leading in corn and soybeans, while Canada excels in canola and barley production. The regulatory frameworks for food safety, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship differ slightly, with the FDA and USDA overseeing these aspects in the United States, and Health Canada and the Canada Food Inspection Agency in Canada. The United States and Canada also have well-established distribution networks for pork products, relying on both domestic and international markets. Export markets play a crucial role, with the United States being a major importer of Canadian pigs, and both countries exploring opportunities in Asia. Despite a rise in global demand, domestic pork consumption trends differ, with per capita consumption remaining stable in the USA and declining in Canada. Changing consumer preferences, including a demand for ethically raised and locally sourced pork, may influence production practices. Future trends in pig production include a focus on consumer concerns, sustainability, disease prevention, reduction of antimicrobial use, and advancements in technology. The industry is adapting to challenges such as disease outbreaks and changing regulations, with a strong emphasis on animal welfare. Labor and workforce considerations, along with advancements in technology and automation, are expected to shape the efficiency of pork production in the future.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제63권2호
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• pp.281-294
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• 2021

Although somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is frequently employed to produce cloned animals in laboratories, this technique is expensive and inefficient. Therefore, the handmade cloning (HMC) technique has been suggested to simplify and advance the cloning process, however, HMC wastes many oocytes and leads to mitochondrial heteroplasmy. To solve these problems, we propose a modified handmade cloning (mHMC) technique that uses simple laboratory equipment, i.e., a Pasteur pipette and an alcohol lamp, applying it to porcine embryo cloning. To validate the application of mHMC to pig cloning, embryos produced through SCNT and mHMC are compared using multiple methods, such as enucleation efficiency, oxidative stress, embryo developmental competence, and gene expression. The results show no significant differences between techniques except in the enucleation efficiency. The 8-cell and 16-cell embryo developmental competence and Oct4 expression levels exhibit significant differences. However, the blastocyst rate is not significantly different between mHMC and SCNT. This study verifies that cloned embryos derived from the two techniques exhibit similar generation and developmental competence. Thus, we suggest that mHMC could replace SCNT for simpler and cheaper porcine cloning.

• 한국정보처리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보처리학회 2021년도 추계학술발표대회
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• pp.704-707
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• 2021

Pigs' aggressive behavior represents one of the common issues that occur inside pigpens and which harm pigs' health and welfare, resulting in a financial burden to farmers. Continuously monitoring several pigs for 24 hours to identify those behaviors manually is a very difficult task for pig caretakers. In this study, we propose a lightweight video-based approach for monitoring pigs' aggressive behavior that can be implemented even in small-scale farms. The proposed system receives sequences of frames extracted from an RGB video stream containing pigs and uses MnasNet with a DM value of 0.5 to extract image features from pigs' ROI identified by predefined annotations. These extracted features are then forwarded to a lightweight LSTM to learn temporal features and perform behavior recognition. The experimental results show that our proposed model achieved 0.92 in recall and F1-score with an execution time of 118.16 ms/sequence.