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。母猪表示对人类、小猪和其他母猪的攻击性。攻击性有可能导致人类受伤，减少受体动物的福利，并可能反映出攻击性母猪本身的福利状况不佳。在全球范围内，现代基因型的母猪正变得越来越咄咄逼人，特别是对人类。母猪的攻击性行为一直没有得到很好的研究。选择性繁殖可导致行为的累积和永久改善，迫切需要量化在不同环境中进行的母猪攻击性行为之间的相互关系，并估计这些行为的遗传基础。我们还试图证实，不那么咄咄逼人的母猪生产出更多可存活的仔猪的证据，因为这将从减少母猪攻击性带来进一步的福利、经济和可持续性好处。该项目将与瑞士国家生猪养殖组织SuISAG合作。SuISAG希望通过制定选择策略来减少和优化不同环境下的母猪攻击性行为，改善养殖者的安全和猪的福利，从而保持和提高瑞士的高标准猪福利。我们的目标是(1)开发有效的方法来记录母猪的攻击性并估计相关的遗传力；(2)量化不同攻击性行为特征之间的遗传相关性，从而确定改进一种攻击性将如何影响其他形式的攻击性；以及(3)量化减少攻击性对繁殖和仔猪福利特征的影响。这名学生将注册在爱丁堡大学，总部设在苏格兰的乡村学院(SRUC；英国爱丁堡)，并进行两次为期3-9个月的实习，每次在瑞士的SuISAG提供办公桌和农场元素。这名学生将加入SRUC的动物行为和福利团队，这是同类团队中规模最大的团队之一，有15名教职员工和17名博士生。他们还将成为SuISAG研发团队的一部分。学生将获得实验和项目管理、业务发展以及与学术和非学术受众沟通的培训机会。这个多学科的动物科学项目结合了动物行为学、福利、定量遗传分析和应用动物育种。督导小组在每个领域都提供了必要的专业知识，并将支持学生在每个学科内发展学术技能。将育种方面的学术培训应用于行为和福利，以及接触到一家进步的育种公司，预计将对未来的雇主具有极大的吸引力。

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.