Scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc are striving to improve the comfort of young pigs that move throughout North America.
As part of research by Swine Innovation Porc, a multi-institutional team of scientists are working with commercial transporters to identify the effects of short and long duration trips on early-weaned piglets.
Dr. Yolande Seddon, an Assistant Professor in Swine Behavior and Welfare with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare, said the work would help identify priority areas and target them to improve the transportation of weaned pigs.
“Why do we transport weaned pigs? Typically we have high health sow barns and producers remove the piglets from the sow barns and transfer them to growing facilities. They go to where the markets are, more feed supplies, so efficient production practices,” said Dr. Seddon. “Some of them move across Canada, many across the border into the Midwestern United States. They move in flatbed trucks, but some also still go by potbellied trailers. If there are short hauls from a sow barn to the nursery unit, then they may go in smaller trailers.”
She said this research would help them determine if there are some concerns with existing practices which they would then help fix.
“If there are no concerns, I would have no doubt there are probably still areas for improvement. What are the main risk factors that compromise pig welfare and dead on arrival pigs? To provide priority areas to target to improve the transportation of weaned pigs,” said Dr. Seddon.
She said what prompted this research is the continuing interest in how transportation influences swine welfare and animal welfare in general.
“In particular, we have limited data on weaned pigs. Also, a call to change the regulations as part of the Health of Animals Act, with regards to transport requirements. And because there is limited data, part of the objective is to get some data that would support an informed discussion about the requirements of transport.”
Dr. Seddon said the main challenge in transporting the weaned pigs is to get them onto feed as quickly as possible. So transportation creates a bit of a gap in that.

“The weanlings have added stresses because they go into a new environment and many temperature changes within the trucks. There are new individuals or vibrations from the trips and human handling influences. The road conditions can influence the comfort levels of the animals, how long the animals are in the truck and many effects when climatic conditions interact with the journey duration.”
She said very little data exists for weanling transportation. Most come from the control studies that Nora Lewis did.
“Initially, these trials are to look at transportation of weaned pigs for short durations and long durations, that would go up to the previous maximum allowable transport times,” said Seddon. “And then to see how the pigs cope with this, the stress level, physiological and behavioural measures, dehydration, fatigue, seeing how they behave on the truck. Are they resting comfortably, and is there evidence that they or too hot or trying to stabilize themselves, or showing discomfort?”
Next, when they arrive at the receiving barn, how quickly do they transition onto food, and what is the mortality?
“This initial research is trying to get some data from commercial practices currently, and just seeing how the animals are responding to the practices. And it would be able to identify if there is a cause for concern, or if everything appears to be in order and acceptable,” said Dr. Seddon.
Seddon added,”We measure the temperature inside the trailer. We have records from three production companies and two transporters. This will give an idea of where the transports are going across Canada and to the US. And how long these transports are lasting, and what the risk factors are for mortality.” •
— By Harry Siemens