Do umbilical outpouchings affect the behaviour or clinical condition of pigs during 6Â h housing in a pre-transport pick-up facility?

- In particular pigs with umbilical hernias differed from control animals.
- Pathologically, umbilical outpouchings (UOs) are not synonymous with umbilical hernia.
- The type of UOs seems more important for the pig behaviour than the size of the UOs.
- The stay in a pick-up facility seems to challenge the welfare of slaughter pigs.

This study focused on behavioural and clinical effects of umbilical outpouchings (UOs) in pigs. Matched pairs of pigs with UOs (diameter 12 cm; range 4-20; diagnosed p.m. as hernia or non-hernia) and controls (N = 28) were compared during a 6-h stay in a pick-up facility. Overall, skin lesion scores were increased after the 6-h stay. Behaviour of the UO-pigs differed from the controls (a shorter latency to lie down (P < 0.05) and decreased aggression (P < 0.05)). Pigs with umbilical hernia showed e.g. increased sitting (P < 0.05) and decreased lying (P < 0.05) compared to pigs with non-hernia UOs. No effects of the size of the OUs were found. These results are among the first to establish knowledge about UO-pigs and suggest that a stay in a pick-up facility can be challenging for pig welfare. The behavioural findings suggest that UO-pigs, and especially pigs with hernia, may be less fit for mixing and housing in barren environments.