Can fear be effectively assessed in swine? A study measuring fear levels during a human approach test

摘要

Fear, anxiety, and stress are a few of the major emotional states being observed in cattle, swine, poultry, and sheep. From the stages of weaning to finishing, pigs will encounter several fear-inducing and stressful interactions with humans. The humanapproach test was first established as a means to examine the influence of human behavior and interaction on the emotional state of an animal; however, although this test has been used for over 20 years to assess behavior, its validity and repeatabilityhave not been evaluated.