Pig

How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs’ need to perform exploratory behaviour

Since 10 years, EU-legislation states that "pigs must have permanent access to sufficient quantity of material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities." While much research has focused on which materials enable proper investigation and manipulation activities, little has been...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Pedersen, L. J., Herskin, M.S., Forkman, B. et al. 2014. How much is enough? The amount of straw necessary to satisfy pigs' need to perform exploratory behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 160, 46-55.

Effects of group housing on sow welfare: a review

Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to quantity of floor space, the quality of space is important: spatial separation between...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Verdon, M., Hansen, C. F., Rault, J. L. et al. 2015. Effects of group housing on sow welfare: a review. Journal of Animal Science 93(5), 1999-2017.

Persistency of a piglet’s reactivity to the handler following a previous positive or negative experience

A central question in the stockman-animal relationship is how animals perceive humans depending on previous interactions with them. This study aimed at measuring the influence of a previous experience with humans on subsequent reactivity to humans of weaned piglets. Treatments...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Brajon, S., Laforest, J. P., Bergeron, R. et al. 2015 Persistency of a piglet's reactivity to the handler following a previous positive or negative experience. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 162, 9-19.

The influence of neonatal environment on piglet play behaviour and post-weaning social and cognitive development

Research has shown that the domestic pig is highly playful throughout its development and that play is an important aspect of social and cognitive development. Therefore, the neonatal environment is fundamental to successful stimulation of play in neonatal pigs, which...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Martin, J. E., Ison, S. H., Baxter, E. M. 2015. The influence of neonatal environment on piglet play behaviour and post-weaning social and cognitive development. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 163, 69-79.

Early human handling in non-weaned piglets: Effects on behaviour and body weight

Early handling of animals including tactile stimulation (TS) has been shown to have beneficial effects on the physical and psychological development of species where considerable maternal interaction, e.g. in the form of licking, already occurs. But little is known about...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: de Oliveira, D., da Costa, J. R. P., Zupan, M. et al. 2015. Early human handling in non-weaned piglets: Effects on behaviour and body weight. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 164, 56-63.

Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions

In intensive pig farming of Western and Southern Europe, welfare concerns are still often related to barren environments and crowded conditions. Pig producers need to balance the requirements to improve welfare conditions at farm with practical considerations. The aim of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Cornale, P., Macchi, E., Miretti, S. et al. 2015. Effects of stocking density and environmental enrichment on behavior and fecal corticosteroid levels of pigs under commercial farm conditions. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10(6), 569-576.

Aggression and cortisol levels in three different group housing routines for lactating sows

Background: Lactating sows in Swedish organic piglet production are commonly group-housed with piglets in a multi-suckling pen within 14 days after farrowing. Nursing behaviour may be disturbed when lactating sows are moved to a new environment and mixed with other...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Thomsson, O., Bergqvist, A. S., Sjunnesson, Y. et al. 2015. Aggression and cortisol levels in three different group housing routines for lactating sows. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 57(1), 9.

Effect of increasing amounts of straw on pigs’ explorative behaviour

According to European legislation, pigs must have permanent access to sufficient quantity of material to enable manipulation activities. However, few studies have quantified how much straw is needed to fulfil the requirements of growing pigs. We investigated the effect of...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jensen, M. B., Herskin, M. S., Forkman, B. et al. 2015. Effect of increasing amounts of straw on pigs' explorative behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 171, 58-63.