KRL test to objective evaluation of welfare : sensibility to housing conditions and dietary supplements

The aim of this work was to determine the sensibility of KRL test to evaluate pig welfare in relation to different housing conditions and dietary supplements. It is reported that the response to oxidative stress could be considered as welfare parameter in swine. The KRL test allows the evaluation of total blood antioxidant activity. In the first trial we evaluate the total blood antioxidant activity of 12 swine allotted respectively to solid and totally slatted floor. In the second trial blood samples were obtained at 0, 15 and 60 d from 10 weaned piglets fed control diet and diet supplemented with vitamin E (54 mg/kg) respectively. The first trial showed that the total antioxidant activity of red blood cells resulted higher in pig allotted to the solid floor (P=0.01). In the second trial the KRL test evidenced an increase in the total antioxidant activity of whole blood and red blood cells of piglets fed diet supplemented with vitamin E (P<0.05). The present research showed that the KRL test is able to discriminate welfare in relation to different housing conditions and dietary supplements.