Exploring the geneQc determinaQon of aggressive behaviour in adult female pigs to improve human safety and animal welfare

这个博士项目将探索成年母猪（母猪）攻击行为的遗传决定。母猪对人类、小猪和其他母猪表现出攻击性。攻击性行为有伤害人类的风险，降低了受体动物的福利，并可能反映了攻击性母猪自身的福利状况不佳。在全球范围内，现代基因型母猪变得越来越具有攻击性，特别是对人类。母猪的攻击行为研究得很少。选择性育种可以导致行为的累积和永久性改善，迫切需要量化在不同情况下进行的母猪攻击行为之间的相互关系，并估计这些行为的遗传基础。我们还寻求证实攻击性较低的母猪生产出更有活力的仔猪的证据，因为这将通过减少母猪攻击性来提供进一步的福利，经济和可持续性效益。该项目将与瑞士国家养猪组织SUISAG合作。SUISAG希望通过制定一项选择策略来减少和优化母猪在不同环境下的攻击行为，从而提高农民的安全性和猪的福利，从而保持和提高瑞士的高标准猪的福利。我们的目标是：（1）开发有效的方法来记录母猪的攻击行为并估计相关的遗传力;（2）量化不同攻击行为性状之间的遗传相关性，从而改善一种攻击行为将如何影响其他行为;（3）量化减少攻击行为对繁殖和仔猪福利性状的影响。学生将在爱丁堡大学注册，总部设在苏格兰农村学院（SRUC;爱丁堡，英国），并在瑞士SUISAG进行两次为期3-9个月的实习，每次实习都有桌面和农场元素。学生将加入SRUC的动物行为和福利团队;这是同类中最大的团队之一，拥有15名学术人员和17名博士生。他们还将成为SUISAG内部研发团队的一员。学生将获得实验和项目管理，业务发展和沟通的学术和非学术观众的培训机会。这个多学科的动物科学项目结合了动物行为，福利，定量遗传分析和应用动物育种。监督团队带来了这些领域的必要专业知识，并将支持学生在每个学科的学术技能的发展。在育种应用于行为和福利的学术培训和接触到一个进步的育种公司相结合，预计将是非常有吸引力的未来雇主。

This PhD project will explore the genetic determination of aggressive behaviour in adult female pigs (sows). Sows express aggression towards humans, piglets and other sows. Aggression risks human injury, reduces the welfare of recipient animals and likely reflects poor welfare of the aggressive sow herself. Globally, modern genotypes of sows are becoming increasingly aggressive, especially towards humans. Aggressive behaviour by sows has been poorly studied. Selective breeding can lead to cumulative and permanent improvements in behaviour and there is a pressing need to quantify the inter-relationships between sow aggressive behaviour performed in different contexts and estimate the genetic basis to these behaviours. We also seek to confirm evidence that less aggressive sows produce more viable piglets as this would deliver further welfare, economic and sustainability benefits from reducing sow aggression. The project will partner with SUISAG, the Swiss national pig breeding organisation. SUISAG wishes to maintain and improve Switzerland's high standards of pig welfare by creating a selection strategy to reduce and optimise sow aggressive behaviour across contexts, improving farmer safety and pig welfare. We aim to (1) develop validated methods to record sow aggression and estimate the associated heritability; (2) quantify the genetic correlations between different aggressive behaviour traits, and hence how improving one form of aggression will impact others; and (3) quantify the impacts of reducing aggression on reproductive and piglet welfare traits. The student will be registered at the University of Edinburgh, based at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC; Edinburgh, UK) and undertake two placements of 3-9 months duration each with SUISAG in Switzerland with desk-based and on-farm elements. The student will join the Animal Behaviour and Welfare Team at SRUC; one of the largest groups of its kind with 15 academic staff and 17 PhD students. They will also become part of the research and development team within SUISAG. The student will gain training opportunities in experimental and project management, business development and communication to academic and non-academic audiences.This multidisciplinary animal science project combines animal behaviour, welfare, quantitative genetic analysis and applied animal breeding. The supervisory team brings the necessary expertise in each of these fields and will support the student in the development of academic skills within each discipline. The combination of academic training in breeding applied to behaviour and welfare and exposure to a progressive breeding company, is expected to be highly attractive to future employers.