Authors : F.C. Gwazdauskas , A.H. Walters , M.L. McGilliard , S.F. Ball , N. Ellefson , S.S. Flesher , L.L. Keyes , W.F. Nicholson , K.S. Rosoff , K.A. Strahsmeier , M.R. Wheeler , I.A. Polejaeva and D.L. Ayares
Abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether there were differences in behaviors of cloned and non-cloned pigs. The objectives were 1) to evaluate maintenance behaviors; 2) to determine the establishment of dominance; 3) to assess learning; and 4) to appraise farrowing and mothering abilities of cloned and non-cloned gilts. Maintenance behaviors recorded at 15-min intervals over a 12-h period were not different in terms of the frequencies of lying, standing, feeding and rooting between groups (clone vs. non-clone). There was a group by time interaction (P < 0.05) for aggressive encounters, with cloned gilts more active in late morning. With short term paired feeding tests there were no significant effects of group on attempts to eat. Learning ability was evaluated using a problem-solving maze with a feed reward. There were no differences between groups finding the reward. Total litter weight was not affected by numbers of piglets born alive, farrowing score, mothering score, dominance score, or learning score. Average piglet birth weight was affected (P < 0.05) by the number of piglets born, but not by the other independent variables. In general, the behavior of cloned gilts was not different from that of non-cloned gilts.
F.C. Gwazdauskas , A.H. Walters , M.L. McGilliard , S.F. Ball , N. Ellefson , S.S. Flesher , L.L. Keyes , W.F. Nicholson , K.S. Rosoff , K.A. Strahsmeier , M.R. Wheeler , I.A. Polejaeva and D.L. Ayares , 2003. Behavioral Comparisons of Cloned and Non-cloned Pigs . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2: 430-436.