02464nas a2200325   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653000800113653001500121653001800136653001400154653003200168100001700200700001200217700001200229700001900241700001300260700001100273700001400284700001400298700001100312700001600323700001400339245018000353300001200533490000800545520157100553022001402124       2013                            d  c03/2013bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10apig10aaggression10abody position10alabelling10aprecision livestock farming1 aG Ismayilova1 aM Oczak1 aA Costa1 aL Thays Sonoda1 aS Viazzi1 aM Fels1 aE Vranken1 aJ Hartung1 aC Bahr1 aD Berckmans1 aM Guarino00aHow do pigs behave before starting an aggressive interaction? Identification of typical body positions in the early stage of aggression using video labelling techniques [engl]  a113-1200 v1263 aThe aim of this study was to identify, quantify, and describe pre-signs of aggression in pigs and the early stages of aggressive interactions. The experiment was carried out at a commercial farm on a group of 11 male pigs weighing on average 23 kg and kept in a pen of 4 m x 2.5 m. In total 8 hours were videorecorded during the first 3 days after mixing. As a result, 177 aggressive interactions were identified and labelled to find pre-sign body positions before aggressive interactions, attack positions and aggressive acts performed from these positions. A total of 12 positions were classified as pre-signs (P1 #150;P12) and 7 of them were identified immediately at the start of aggressive interactions (P6 #150;P12). Most common pre-sign positions were P3-pigs approaching and facing each other (24%) and P2-initiator pigs approaching from the lateral side (18%). In 80% of the cases the duration of pre-signs was 1 #150;2 sec 72% of all aggressive interactions were short (1 to 10 sec). The most frequent attack positions were P12-inverse parallel (39.5%), P7-nose to nose, 90° (19.77%) and P9-nose to head (13.5%). The most frequent aggressive acts from attack positions were head knocking (34.4%), pressing (34.4%) and biting of different body parts (29.4%). Head knocking was mostly observed in relation to P7 and P2 positions and biting was common in the P7 position. In conclusion, pigs adopt specific pre-signs and body positions before the escalation of aggressive interactions. This could be used as potential sign to identify a beginning aggression.  a0005-9366