title: Optimising oral fluid collection from groups of pigs: effect of housing system and provision of ropes.
abstract: The effective use of pooled oral fluid (OF) in disease surveillance requires that samples are representative of the group. The aim of this study was to develop a 'rope presentation' protocol to maximise the number of different pigs sampled from a pen of animals. Eight pens of grower pigs in 'fully slatted' accommodation (FS) and 'straw-kennels' (SK) were presented with a balanced sequence of 1-4 ropes. Ropes were presented for 60 min, and the chewing time/pig recorded. Oral fluid was extracted from all of the ropes. Rope provided for 60 min generated chewing in >80% of the group. Pigs in SK exhibited longer latency to interact with the rope (P<0.001), reduced percentage of pigs chewing (P<0.001), and a reduced mean total time spent chewing (P<0.001). An interaction was found between 'system' and 'number of ropes provided' (P<0.05). Increasing the number of ropes increased the mean total chewing time/pig only in the FS. The quantity of OF obtained correlated with the percentage of pigs that chewed the rope (P<0.001) and the mean total time spent chewing/pig (P<0.001). Where the group size was ≤25, presenting one rope for 45 min was sufficient to optimise the number of pigs sampled.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK. yolande.seddon2@newcastle.ac.uk
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Seddon
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*