A high-tech system involving 3D cameras could help swine farmers spot the early warning signs of tail biting in pigs, research in the United Kingdom has revealed.
英国的一项研究显示，一个包含3D摄像机的高科技系统可以帮助
养猪户发现猪咬尾巴的早期预警信号。
Tail biting is a health and welfare concern in affected pigs and a significant economic concern for industry, leading to reduced weight gain, culling and carcass condemnation. Research by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has found pigs hold their tails down against their body when tail biting is about to begin.
对于受影响的猪来说，咬尾是一个健康和福利问题，也是一个重大的工业经济问题，会导致体重增加减少，影响宰杀和屠宰评定。苏格兰农村学院(SRUC)的一项研究发现，当咬尾巴即将开始时，猪会把尾巴紧贴在身上。
Research measuring whether pig tails were up
测量猪尾巴是否竖起的研究
In experiments, researchers used 3-dimensional cameras, placed above feeders, to automatically measure whether their tails were up and curly, or held down.
在实验中，研究人员使用放置在喂食器上方的三维摄像机，自动测量它们的尾巴是向上卷曲还是向下弯曲。
The study was carried out using 23 groups of weaner-grower pigs which were regularly scored for any signs of tail injury. The animals were closely monitored and tail biting was stopped as soon as an outbreak was detected.
这项研究使用了23组断奶育肥猪，观察这些猪的尾巴任何受伤的迹象，定期进行评分。这些猪受到密切监测，一旦发现咬尾现象，就立即进行干预。
Measuring pig tail posture
测量猪尾巴姿势
The study, which has been published in the scientific journal Plos One, successfully enabled scientists to automatically measure tail posture and proved it can act as an early warning sign of tail biting.
这项研究发表在科学杂志Plos One上，得益于此，科学家能够自动测量尾部姿势，并证明它可以作为咬尾的早期预警信号。
Tail biting in pigs might be discovered sooner using 3D cameras. Photo: Henk Riswick
使用3D相机可以更快发现猪咬尾行为
Lead author Rick D’Eath from SRUC said: “This research has achieved everything we hoped for. The challenge for us now is to develop this promising technology into a robust on-farm early warning system that works on any pig farm.”
来自SRUC的主要作者Rick D'Eath说：“这项研究已经实现了我们所希望的一切。现在我们面临的挑战是将这种前景光明的
技术发展成一个强大的、适用于任何
养猪场的农场预警系统。“
Collecting data from more diverse pig farms
收集更多不同猪场的数据
This ‘proof of concept’ will now be developed in a follow-on Innovate UK-funded project called ‘TailTech’. The project will collect data from more diverse pig farms and develop and test a prototype early warning system.
这个“概念证明”现在将在英国资助的创新项目'TailTech'中开发。该项目将收集来自更多不同
养猪场的数据，并开发和测试原型预警系统。
Dave Stephenson, head of pig and poultry at Harbro – one of the research partners, said: “TailTech is another example of a key initiative from the British pig industry designed to drive higher welfare standards on farm.”
研究合作伙伴之一Harbro的猪和家禽主管Dave Stephenson说：“TailTech是英国养猪业关键计划的另一个例子，旨在提高农场的福利标准。”
Tail biting impacts pig welfare
咬尾影响生猪福利
Grant Walling, director of science and technology at JSR Genetics – another research partner, added: “We recognise that tail biting impacts on animal welfare, farm productivity and pork quality. Any tool that can help reduce or eradicate the problem is of benefit to the whole supply chain.
另一位研究合作伙伴JSR Genetics的科学和
技术主管Grant Walling补充说：“我们认识到咬尾对动物福利、农业生产力和猪肉质量的影响。任何有助于减少或消除咬尾问题的工具都有利于整个供应链。
“This technology has the potential to predict future victims so offers opportunities to update and include information within our selection strategies to reduce the incidence of tail-biting in future generations.”
“这项
技术可能可以对即将受伤的猪进行预判，因此有机会在我们的选择策略中更新并包含这个信息，以减少后代咬尾的发生率。”
Tail biting in pigs is multi-factorial
猪咬尾由多因素造成
Outbreaks of tail biting, an abnormal behaviour, have no single cause – there are a number of contributory factors that could include elements of the pig’s genetics, nutrition, environment and management. Outbreaks can occur unpredictably and quickly spread.
咬尾这种异常行为的爆发，其原因不是单一的 - 有许多促成因素，可能包括猪的遗传、营养、环境和管理等元素。这种爆发可能无法预测且传播迅速。
A snapshot from the 3D camera visualising pig tails. Photo: SRUC Twitter account
3D相机拍摄的猪尾巴
Tail docking of piglets is partly effective at reducing tail biting in later life, but is seen as an undesirable mutilation and its routine use is banned in the EU. Tail biting results in pain and sickness for bitten pigs and severe economic losses for farmers as infection through tail wounds results in abattoir condemnation of meat.
断尾可以在一定程度上可以减少后续咬尾巴的行为，但被认为是一种不受欢迎的残害行为，在欧盟，这种做法是被禁止的。咬尾巴会给被咬的猪带来痛苦和疾病，给农民带来严重的经济损失，因为通过尾巴伤口感染会导致屠宰场对肉类的评定下降。
This condemnation alone can cost a producer up to 1% of the carcass value and a loss for the processor of 1% of saleable carcass from the pig. There are also unquantified on-farm costs as a result of the increased labour and veterinary treatments resulting from an outbreak.
仅这种谴责就可能使生产者的损失高达胴体价值的1%，并使加工者损失1%的生猪可用胴体。由于咬尾导致劳动力和兽医
治疗成本增加，农场成本也无法量化。
Research partners
研究合作伙伴
The research was the result of a collaboration between SRUC animal behaviour and welfare experts, Scottish farm technology company Innovent Technology and pig supply chain partners including feed company Harbro and Sainsbury’s supermarkets, and the Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre.
这项研究是SRUC动物行为和福利专家、苏格兰农业科技公司Innovent technology、饲料公司Harbro和Sainsbury 's超市等猪供应链合作伙伴以及农业工程精密创新中心合作的结果。
As part of the next phase of reasearch the consortium of partners will be strengthened with the addition of pig breeders JSR Genetics, engineers David Ritchie, pig vets Garth Pig Practice and farmers’ co-operative Scottish Pig Producers.
作为下一阶段研究的一部分，该合作伙伴联盟将得到加强，增加了
种猪企业JSR Genetics、工程师 (David Ritchie、猪兽医Garth pig Practice和苏格兰农民合作社。
The research paper was authored by Richard B. D’Eath, Mhairi Jack, Agnieszka Futro and Emma M. Baxter, SRUC, Edinburgh, UK; Darren Talbot, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK; Qiming Zhu and David Barclay, Innovent Technology, Turriff, UK.
这篇研究论文的作者是SRUC的Richard B. D’Eath,、Mhairi Jack,、Agnieszka Futro 以及 Emma M. Baxter;爱丁堡大学皇家(迪克)兽医学院的Darren Talbot; Innovent Technology的Qiming Zhu及David Barclay。
“爱·健·康”技术交流会 ----围
辣椒再养猪过程中的那些，你不知道
这些常见植物你以为没用？却不知道
生猪被扑杀要想拿补贴这几件事千万
猪哥浅谈消毒，非瘟下各种生物消毒
脚下有泥，心中有光 | 牧原农艺师
携手共赢，友谊长存：江西正邦作物保
国新办举行7月份国民经济运行情况新
农业农村部就2022年“三夏”生产形势