来源：Pig Progress
Branched chains should be implemented widely and in the short term as a 1st step towards, and benchmark for, providing proper enrichment to intensively-farmed pigs.
分支链条应该得到广泛的使用，并且在短时间内，作为集约化养猪场丰容的第一步及基准。
A branched chain is described as a vertically-positioned long chain with its end resting on the solid floor over a distance of 20 cm. In addition, 2 or 3 additional chain ends (branches) end at or slightly below the nose height of the smallest and middle-sized pigs reared in the pen.
据描述，分支链是一条垂直放置的长链，一头置于实心地板上，长度为20 cm。此外，2或3个额外的链端（分支）或略低于最小和中等大小的猪的鼻子高度。
The enrichment material came out best in an expert opinion, authored by scientists of Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, in a recently published contribution in Plos One.
荷兰瓦赫宁根大学和研究所的科学家在最近出版的PLOS ONE中发表了一篇论文，专家认为这种丰容材料的效果最好。
More than 1 pig interested in one toy at the same time. Photo: Marc Bracke, WUR
几头猪同时对同一件玩具感兴趣
Pig enrichment materials – are they good or not?
生猪丰容材料的好坏
In that article, the authors described how they asked mostly fellow pig-welfare scientists about their opinion about currently allowed pig enrichment material in the European Union.
在那篇文章中，作者描述了他们如何向大多数养猪福利科学家询问他们对欧盟目前允许使用的猪丰容材料的看法。
The article refers to the European directive 2001/93, which requires that all pigs have access to proper investigation and manipulation materials. The authors wrote, “Intensively farmed pigs in Europe are frequently provided with a short metal chain with or without an indestructible object attached to the chain. To date authorities are regarding this as proper enrichment.”
本文引用了欧洲指令2001/93，该指令要求所有猪都能获得适当的探索和操作材料。作者写道，“欧洲集中养殖的猪通常都有一个短的金属链，链上有时有不可摧毁的物体。迄今为止，当局认为这是适当的丰容材料。”
The authors continued to write, “However, it has become increasingly clear that the chains do not provide proper enrichment, and that adding an indestructible object to the end of the chain may even reduce rather than improve pig welfare. To test this hypothesis an expert survey was conducted containing 26 more or less compound questions.”
作者继续写道：“然而，目前越来越清楚的是，这些链条不能提供适当的丰容，在链条的末端添加一个不可摧毁的物体甚至可能降低而不是改善猪的福利。为了验证这一假设，进行了一项专家调查，调查内容包括26个左右的复合问题。”
9 indestructible pig toys scrutinized
对9种坚不可摧的猪玩具的检查
On a scale from 0 to 10, the experts specified their level of agreement with the hypothesis, the prevalence and welfare scores of 9 indestructible enrichment materials. In total 36 experts, mostly pig-welfare scientists, responded (response rate: 39%).
从0分到10分，专家们详细说明了他们对9种不可破坏的丰容材料的假设、流行率和福利评分的认同度。在总共36名专家中，基本都是养猪福利科学家作出了回应（回应率：39%）。
Branched chain worn temporarily as an ‘ear ornament’. Photo: Marc Bracke, WUR
分支链条暂时作为“耳饰”佩戴
The authors wrote: “Indestructible objects are less prevalent in countries that provide straw (like Sweden and the UK) and outside the EU (US). They are more prevalent in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Finland, while the prevalence seems to be low in Spain.
作者写道：“在提供稻草的国家（如瑞典和英国）和欧盟（美国）以外的国家，不可破坏的物体不太普遍。它们在荷兰，比利时，法国和芬兰更为普遍，而西班牙的流行率似乎较低。
“Balls, wood and pipes were provided most frequently: hard wood especially in the UK (as specified in farm assurance); indestructible balls and pipes in Germany and the Netherlands.”
球、木头和管子的应用最为频繁：硬木头在英国（如农场保险所规定的）尤为常见；德国和荷兰用的是不可破坏的球和管子。
Enrichment materials for pigs ranked
生猪丰容材料排名
The authors wrote that the experts’ score for agreement with the hypothesis was only 4.6 on average (scale 0-10; of in total 25 scientists responding agreed). Enrichment materials, ranked from high to low welfare score, were grouped in 5 significance levels:
✔ Branched chains (5.1);
✔ Chain on the floor (4.4);
✔ Hard wood (3.7);
✔ Pipe (3.5);
✔ Bare chain (3.3);
✔ Short chain (3.1);
✔ Small ball (2.8);
✔ Big ball (2.5); and
✔ Chain hanging too high (1.3).
作者写道，专家们对这一假设的认同度平均只有4.6分（0-10分；总共有25名科学家同意）。福利分数从高到低的丰容材料分为5个显著性水平：
•支链（5.1）；
•地板上的链条（4.4）；
•硬木（3.7）；
•管道（3.5）；
•裸链（3.3）；
•短链（3.1）；
•小球（2.8）；
•大球（2.5）；以及
•悬挂过高的链条（1.3）。
Branched chains scored significantly better than all other indestructible materials and its welfare score (5.1 on average) was close to the pre-defined level of acceptability (5.5 on a scale from 0, worst, to 10, best). The welfare benefits of adding balls, pipes or hard wood to the metal chain were marginal, and well below what the experts considered acceptable enrichment.
分支链的得分明显优于所有其他不可破坏的材料，其福利得分（平均5.1）接近预先定义的可接受水平（5.5分，0-10分）。向金属链中添加球、管道或硬木材的福利效益微乎其微，远远低于专家们认为的可接受的丰容程度。
Some occasional pulling going on in the pig house. Photo: Marc Bracke, WUR
猪舍中有时会出现拉扯现象
Advantages of the branched-chains design
分支链条设计的好处
The branched-chains design, by contrast, appeared to be the most viable alternative, the researchers wrote. The researchers recommended 1 branched chain per 5 pigs. In the article they described the advantage of the branched-chains as follows: “In particular, balls hanging on short chains on commercial farms were dry and collecting dust. When trying to bite the balls, the pigs failed to grab them, and the pigs interacted more with a short metal chain than with the same chain which had either a ball or a piece of pipe attached to it.”
相比之下，支链设计似乎是最可行的选择，研究人员写道。研究人员建议每5头猪提供1条支链。在文章中，他们描述的支链的优点如下：“特别是，挂在商业猪场的短链上的球是干的，容易积攒灰尘。当猪想去咬球的时候，会抓不住球，而且，比起链条上的球或者管子，猪耍弄短金属链的几率更大。”
The entire article in Plos One was authored by Dr Marc Bracke and Paul Koene, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands.
该文章全文登载在Plos One上，作者是荷兰瓦赫宁根大学和研究所的Dr Marc Bracke及Paul Koene。
（文/爱猪网记者刘坤颖编译，爱猪网原创，转载请注明出处）
——2019全球种猪基因进展未来方向峰会——
（详情请点击下方图片或扫描二维码）
会议赞助和咨询联系方式
关女士：18819173905 （微信同号）
朱先生：18826474047 （微信同号）
