Pig

Effects of pen partition design and hiding facilities on elimination and lying behavior of finishing pigs

In intensive commercial pig production systems, the spatial distribution of elimination and lying behaviors plays a crucial role in pen hygiene, management efficiency, and animal welfare. Pen partition design and the provision of hiding facilities are key structural factors that...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Yu, Z., Wang, H., He, Z. et al. 2026. Effects of pen partition design and hiding facilities on elimination and lying behavior of finishing pigs. Animals 16(5).

Musical stimulation in lactating sows affects pre-weaning piglet mortality and maternal behavior

Functional veterinary music, defined as music specifically designed in its tempo, rhythm, harmonic structure, and frequency ranges to modulate animal emotional states and behavior, has emerged as an innovative strategy for managing lactating sows. Exposure to functional music in other...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Montoya-Zuluaga, J., Álvarez-Hernández, N., Betancourth-Chaves, P. et al. 2026. Musical stimulation in lactating sows affects pre-weaning piglet mortality and maternal behavior. Scientific Reports 16(1), 4049.

Early-life socialization enhances social competence and alters affiliative preference in piglets

Early-life socialization (comingling with other litters before weaning) may affect social behaviors in pigs, but whether the impacts are sex-dependent is unknown. We assessed the effects of early-life socialization on interactions and behavioral responses of female and male pigs in...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Luo, L., Li, Z., Bolhuis, J. E. et al. 2025. Early-life socialization enhances social competence and alters affiliative preference in piglets. Animals 15(23).

Role of illumination and light colour temperature in the preference behaviour of weaned piglets

This study investigated the preference behaviour of 24 four-week-old weaned piglets under different lighting conditions (0 lux with 0 Kelvin vs. 80 lux with 3000 Kelvin vs. 6500 Kelvin). Two trials with 12 piglets each were conducted over five weeks...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Götz, S., Reiter, K., Wensch-Dorendorf, M. et al. 2025. Role of illumination and light colour temperature in the preference behaviour of weaned piglets. Animals 15(21), 3116.

Intertwining of the IGF system and animal welfare

To date, husbandry categories are defined based on the human concept of animal needs, however, to objectively assess animal welfare in defined husbandry systems, animal-related indicators must be evaluated. Here, we studied the impact of differential housing conditions on factors...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Galow, A.-M., Ohde, D., Eggert, A. et al. 2026. Intertwining of the IGF system and animal welfare. Scientific Reports 16(1), 8259.

Biopierces: Drug-eluting ear tags for infection prevention in animal tagging

Ear tagging is a routine practice in livestock management, but it can be associated with bacterial colonization and infection at puncture sites. This study evaluated drug-eluting ear tags (Biopierce), incorporating chlorhexidine (CHX) in a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) matrix, due to...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Identification MethodAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Cartmell, C., Naseri, E., Kerr, R. G. et al. 2026. Biopierces: Drug-eluting ear tags for infection prevention in animal tagging. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Care and welfare of animals in a high containment unit

The Pirbright Institute is a world-leading centre of excellence in the research and surveillance of viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans. In this field some animal models cannot be replaced and due to the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Carder, L. 2025. Care and welfare of animals in a high containment unit. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 248–250.

Potential new biomarkers in pig saliva for differentiating between the effects of different conditions of mixing and density at pre-slaughter: A preliminary proteomicstudy

The intensification of pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) production systems raises concerns regarding animal welfare, particularly during pre-slaughter conditions, a phase associated with significant stress. Saliva is increasingly recognised as a non-invasive matrix for detecting stress-related biomarkers in pigs. This preliminary...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Euthanasia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Botía, M., Muñoz-Prieto, A., Bustillo, A. O. et al. 2026. Potential new biomarkers in pig saliva for differentiating between the effects of different conditions of mixing and density at pre-slaughter: A preliminary proteomicstudy. Animal Welfare 35, e4.

Influence of group size on performance and tail biting in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails

This study investigated the effect of group size on tail damage and growth performance in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails. A total of 432 pigs were housed indoors on fully-slatted floors and assigned to either small (nine pigs per pen)...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Archer, C., Forster, S., Hilbrands, A. et al. 2026. Influence of group size on performance and tail biting in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails. Animal Welfare 35, e1.

A comparison of respiratory function in pigs anaesthetised by propofol or alfaxalone in combination with dexmedetomidine and ketamine

Background: General anaesthesia in pigs maintained with intravenous drugs such as propofol may cause respiratory depression. Alfaxalone gives less respiratory depression than propofol in some species. The aim of the investigation was to compare respiratory effects of propofol–ketamine–dexmedetomidine and alfaxalone–ketamine–dexmedetomidine...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Lervik, A., Toverud, S. F., Krontveit, R. et al. 2020. A comparison of respiratory function in pigs anaesthetised by propofol or alfaxalone in combination with dexmedetomidine and ketamine. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 62(1), 1-9.