Table 2.
Ethogram used to describe the behavioral consequences of treatments (tail docking, sham docking, and no handling/docking) in piglets.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Vocalizations | |
| Grunta,b | Low-pitched vocalization (13) |
| Squeala,b | High-pitched vocalization with stable frequency (13) |
| Screama,b | High-pitched and frequency modulated vocalizations (13) |
| Amplitudea* | Maximum sound level during the procedure (dB). |
| Body posture and movements | |
| Relaxed bodya | Piglet with the body relaxed, almost motionless |
| Body stiffeninga | Piglet tense and immobile, without twisting of the spinal column |
| Body twistinga | Piglet tense and immobile with the spinal column twisted to one side. Twisting includes transitory and very brief stiffening |
| Forelegs movementsa | Movements of the forelegs as if walking (pedaling in the air) |
| Sittingb−d | Piglet on its rump legs with the forelegs on the floor |
| Lyingb−d | Piglet lying down |
| Standingb−d | Piglet on its four legs |
| Squattingb | Hindquarters lower than the horizontal line of the body, with the rear legs bent and not touching the floor. |
| Tail posture and movementsb−d | |
| Immobile | Immobile tail, without visible movement |
| Moving | Visible movements |
| High | Higher than horizontal line |
| Horizontal | Horizontal line of the head-tail axis |
| Low to tucked | Lower than the horizontal line, or against the body or between the legs of the piglet. |
| Ear postureb | |
| Backwards | Ear directed backwards |
| Perpendicular | Ear perpendicular to the head-tail axis |
| Forwards | Ear directed forwards |
| Movement | Each change of posture was considered as a movement. |
| Oral activitiesd | |
| Directed to the tail | Including sniffing (contact between the snout and the tail), mouthing (taking the tail in the mouth), chewing (mouthing with movement of the jaw), biting (mouthing with a brief movement of the jaw) the tail |
| Directed to any other part of the body | Including sniffing, mouthing, chewing, and biting directed to the ears, the belly or any other part of the body |
| No reaction to oral activities | The target piglet continues its activity or inactivity |
| Reaction to oral activities | The target piglet changes activity by jumping, avoiding, escaping, being aggressive or vocalizing, <3 s after the start of the oral activity. |
a
This was scored at docking or sham docking.
b
This was scored for 20 s after docking or sham docking.
c
This was scored the afternoon after docking (D0) and 3 days later (D3).
d
This was scored once a week till weaning.
*
Recorded with a sound level meter (Extech Instruments Co, USA).