A small study suggests that if two pigs are fighting, a bystander pig can help reduce the number of attacks by the other pig. The study of 104 domestic pigs shows how pigs form social groups and resolve conflict.
Conflict resolution in social animals involves either the reunion of former opponents or the introduction of a third-party bystander to reduce aggression. Conflict-resolution strategies are important to maintain balance in social animal groups, but it is unclear how this applies to domestic pigs.
Giada Cordoni, Ivan Norscia and colleagues from the University of Torino observed how a group of 104 pigs housed at the ethical farm Parva Domus resolve conflict after fighting. The authors were able to identify most generations of pigs based on their breed, size and markings, but they had to genetically test 31 pigs to see if they were related to the rest of the group.
Aggressive behaviors such as head-knocking, pushing, biting and lifting of the victim pig were recorded by them. The behavior was observed for three minutes after each conflict.
nose-to- nose contact, sitting in physical contact with one another, and resting their head on the other were some of the reconciliation behaviors observed. Both the victim and the aggressor initiated reconciliation behaviors after a fight. The proportion of reconciliations was higher in pigs that were distant from each other.
The authors suggest that pigs value different relationships based on what they can provide. If half or full siblings are considered as more secure relationships, the damage caused by fighting them may be less. After fighting to ensure they still have social support and access to food, distantly related pigs are more likely to engage in reconciliation behavior.
The authors noted differences in behavior when observing conflict resolution involving a third party pig. The number of aggressive behaviors did not change if the bystander approached and engaged with the victim. shaking, scratching, chewing and yawning are anxiety related behaviors. Aggressive behavior attacks directed towards the victim were reduced if a bystander pig approached the aggressor.
If the conflict involved either an aggressor or a victim, a higher percentage of bystander pigs would intervene. According to the authors, this shows that pigs value relationships.
The pig trying to approach and engage with a bystander after a conflict had no effect on reducing post-conflict anxiety or the likelihood of being attacked again. The bystander pigs did not reciprocate when a victim approached them.
The authors caution that the study only involves one group of pigs and that it may not represent all pig groups. Conflict-resolution strategies could be looked at in other situations.
According to the authors, pigs were found to engage in reconciliation and triadic contacts after conflict, which suggests pigs might possess some socio-emotional regulation abilities.
Domestic pigs engage in nonrandom postconflict affiliations with third parties. link.springer.com/ article/10.1...
Journal information: Animal Cognition
Citation: Piggy in the middle: Pig aggression reduced when a bystander pig steps in (2022, November 7) retrieved 7 November 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-11-piggy-middle-pig-aggression-bystander.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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