Detecting ear lesions in slaughtered pigs through open-source convolutional neural networks.

Journal: Porcine health management
Published Date: May 23, 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ear biting is a damaging behavior of pigs, likely triggered by a genetic predisposition, previous health issues and/or poor environmental conditions. The accurate assessment of animal health and welfare relies on the systematic gathering of data about animals, resources and management. In this respect, slaughterhouse surveys offer valuable insights, as distinct tail and skin lesions can act as 'iceberg' parameters, suitable to estimate welfare during the entire animals' lifecycle. However, the routine recording of lesions is often costly and time-consuming, making it unfeasible in high-throughput abattoirs. This study aims to train open-source convolutional neural networks for detecting ear biting lesions in slaughtered pigs, as a pre-requisite for a systematic and cost-effective welfare monitoring.

Authors

  • Matteo D'Angelo
    Department of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo, Via R. Balzarini, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
  • Domenico Sciota
    Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
  • Anastasia Romano
    Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
  • Alfonso Rosamilia
    Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy.
  • Chiara Guarnieri
    Local Health Unit Authority, 41121, Modena, Italy.
  • Chiara Cecchini
    Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Loc. Piano d'Accio, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
  • Alberto Olivastri
    Local Health Unit Authority, 63100, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
  • Giuseppe Marruchella
    Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Loc. Piano d'Accio, 64100, Teramo, Italy. gmarruchella@unite.it.

Keywords

No keywords available for this article.

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals