Evaluation of Transport Time on Stress Biomarkers in Pigs

Transportation of pigs may be associated with stress, which can negatively affect animal welfare and study outcomes. When acclimation is not possible prior to surgical manipulation, it is not well known whether duration of transportation affects stress biomarkers and clinical parameters in pigs under suitable transport conditions. This study evaluated the impact of transport time on various stress biomarkers including cortisol, chromogranin A and testosterone. In addition, clinical observations and physiological parameters for the two groups of pigs were monitored for evidence of distress. Group 1 consisted of seven female (Yorkshire 25%/Landrace 25%/Duroc 50%) swine. These animals were transported for 1 h and 45 min prior to surgical intervention. Group 2 consisted of five female (Yorkshire 50%/Landrace 50%) swine. These animals were transported for 8 h prior to surgical intervention. Animals in both groups underwent an acute surgical study within 2 h of arrival at the test facility. The results showed that there were no significant differences in cortisol from baseline and following transportation for Groups 1 and 2 (p > 0.05). Data for testosterone in both groups were identical in the pre- and post-transport periods. Data for chromogranin A showed very little variability for both groups. Furthermore, there were no significant clinical or physiologic observations to suggest that one group experienced greater stress than the other. These results support the conclusion that transport times of less than 8 h do not result in distress to pigs.