Pig

Effects of pre-weaning exposure to a maze on stress responses in pigs at weaning and on subsequent performance in spatial and fear-related tests

Learning, memory and regulation of the stress response are mediated by the hippocampus. Biologically relevant hippocampal-dependent tasks that develop and integrate cognitive processing of this region may not be available to piglets in some current production systems. Additionally, weaning piglets...

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Pig

Citation: Siegford JM, Rucker G, Zanella AJ. 2008. Effects of pre-weaning exposure to a maze on stress responses in pigs at weaning and on subsequent performance in spatial and fear-related tests. App Anim Behav Sci. 110;189-202.

The foraging ball as a quick and easy enrichment device for pigs (Sus scrofa)

The simple and effective device was easily incorporated into the daily routines of research facilities, with little disruption to schedules.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Huntsberry, M. E., Charles, D. C., Adams, K. M. et al. 2008. The foraging ball as a quick and easy enrichment device for pigs (Sus scrofa). Lab Animal 37(9), 411-414.

The influence of age on the use of potential enrichment objects and synchronisation of behaviour of pigs

This experiment aimed to identify how a pig's age affected the extent and synchrony of use of different environmental enrichment materials, and how this use changed over time. Ten diverse novel objects were each presented to three replicate litters of...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Docking, C. M., Van de Weerd, H. A., Day, J. E. L. et al. 2008. The influence of age on the use of potential enrichment objects and synchronisation of behaviour of pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 110(3-4), 244-257.

Porcine Pals

With compassion and patience, stress and distress reactions can usually be avoided, and the pigs' welfare thereby enhanced. I have been very fortunate to work with pigs for the last twenty two years in the same facility. It has been...

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Pig

Citation: Schwartz, J. 2008. Porcine Pals. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 57(2), 24-25.

Social discrimination of familiar conspecifics by juvenile pigs, Sus scrofa: Development of a non-invasive method to study the transmission of unimodal and bimodal cues between live stimuli

A non-invasive method was developed to study the transmission of cues that are used in social discrimination by pigs, Sus scrofa. We investigated the ability of juvenile pigs to discriminate between pairs of familiar, similar-aged conspecifics in a Y-maze learning...

Year Published: 2008Animal Type: Pig

Citation: McLeman MA, Mendl MT, Jones RB. 2008. Social discrimination of familiar conspecifics by juvenile pigs, Sus scrofa: Development of a non-invasive method to study the transmission of unimodal and bimodal cues between live stimuli. App Anim Behav Sci. 115;123-137.

CCAC guidelines on: the care and use of farm animals in research, teaching and testing

These guidelines aim to provide information for investigators, animal care committees, facility managers and animal care staff that will assist in improving both the care given to farm animals and the manner in which experimental procedures are carried out. The...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Canadian Council on Animal Care. 2009. CCAC guidelines on: the care and use of farm animals in research, teaching and testing. Ottawa, Canada.

Environmental enrichment techniques for laboratory swine: A comparative analysis of four cost-effective enrichment methods

Rubber hose, puzzle feeder, frozen food and frozen swine pelleted diet were tested as enrichment options for pigs.

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Wicklund, A., Westmoreland, L., Rincon, L. et al. 2009. Environmental enrichment techniques for laboratory swine: A comparative analysis of four cost-effective enrichment methods. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 117-118 (Abstract).

A review of environmental enrichment for pigs housed in intensive housing systems

This paper critically reviews the literature concerning environmental enrichment for weaner, grower and finisher pigs housed in intensive (indoor) production systems. The thesis of our review is that successful enrichment should meet four criteria of success: (1) it should increase...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: van de Weerd, A. H., Day, J. E. L. 2009. A review of environmental enrichment for pigs housed in intensive housing systems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 116, 1-20.

The role of novelty in environmental enrichment for the weaned pig

Habituation to environmental enrichment objects can occur rapidly. Novelty of an object is an important property involved in initiating and maintaining exploration, and this can be achieved by renewing objects. The aims of this study were to assess whether alternation...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Trickett, S. L., Guy, J. H., Edwards, S. A. 2009. The role of novelty in environmental enrichment for the weaned pig 116, 45-51.

Preferences of minipigs for environmental enrichment objects

The minipig is an increasingly popular species for use in behavioral and toxicologic studies. As a result, quantification of environmental enrichment preferences for this species is especially important. We exposed 6 individually housed prepubertal female Yucatan minipigs to 1 of...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Smith, M. E., Gopee, N. V., Ferguson, S. A. 2009. Preferences of minipigs for environmental enrichment objects. JAALAS 48(4), 391-394.