title: No effect of variation in handling on behaviour in a porcine elevated plus-maze - a brief report.
abstract: The elevated plus-maze is a widely used model of anxiety in rodents and has recently been suggested as a putative model of anxiety or fear in swine. The aim of the present experiment was to examine the effects of a pretest blood sampling procedure on the behaviour of weaned pigs in an elevated plus-maze. Animals in the control group were lifted one-by-one into a transport trolley and moved to the test apparatus, where they were observed for a 5-min period. The treatment group differed from the control group in that these animals were immobilized with a nose snare and a blood sample was extracted from the jugular vein prior to transport to the test room. Behaviour in the porcine elevated plus-maze did not differ significantly between the two handling procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, P.O. BOX 5025, N-1432, Aas, Norway
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Janczak
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bøe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakken