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Parent–offspring resource allocation in domestic pigs

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Abstract

Behavioural research on domestic pigs has included parent–offspring conflict, sibling competition, and the use of signals which influence resource allocation. In this paper, we review key sow–piglet behavioural studies and discuss their relevance to resource allocation theory. Sibling competition begins in the uterus and continues after birth, as piglets compete directly for access to the sow’s teats. This competition is made more severe by a unique dentition, which newborn piglets use to lacerate the faces of siblings during teat disputes. Competition often leads to the death of some littermates, especially those of low birth weight. Piglets also compete indirectly for milk, apparently by stimulating milk production at the teats that they habitually use at the expense of milk production by other teats. The complex nursing behavior of the sow appears designed to prevent the more vigorous piglets from monopolizing the milk. Sows give vocal signals which both attract piglets to suckle and synchronize their behavior during nursing episodes. Piglets give loud vocal signals when separated from the sow; calls which vary in intensity and appear to be honest signals of need. Udder massage by piglets may also serve as an honest signal of need. Parent–offspring conflict has been demonstrated experimentally in pigs. Specifically, when given the opportunity to control contact with their piglets, sows nurse less frequently, provide less milk, and lose less weight during lactation than sows that cannot control their level of contact. Because of this interesting natural history and because they are so amenable to experimentation, domestic pigs provide a rich system for testing ideas drawn from resource allocation theory.

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Acknowledgments

We thank our many colleagues in previous work on resource allocation in pigs, especially Ed Pajor, Don Kramer, and Brian Thompson. The UBC Animal Welfare Program is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through the Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare, and by contributions from the BC SPCA, the BC Veterinary Medical Association and many others listed at http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/animalwelfare.

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  1. Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems and W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4

    Anna Drake, David Fraser & Daniel M. Weary

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  1. Anna Drake
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  2. David Fraser
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  3. Daniel M. Weary
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Correspondence to Daniel M. Weary.

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Communicated by A. Schulte-Hostedde

This contribution is part of the special issue “Sibling competition and cooperation in mammals” (guest editors: Robyn Hudson and Fritz Trillmich).

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Drake, A., Fraser, D. & Weary, D.M. Parent–offspring resource allocation in domestic pigs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 62, 309–319 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-007-0418-y

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