Pig

Enriching the environment with multiple rooting materials and bedded rest areas improves welfare of finishing pigs

Providing environmental enrichment, including rooting materials and bedding, is essential for improving pig welfare by reducing tail, ear, and body lesions. In this observational field study of Norwegian commercial farms, all farms applied some level of environmental enrichment. Thus, rather...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Ocepek, M., Newberry, R. C., Andersen, I. L. 2025. Enriching the environment with multiple rooting materials and bedded rest areas improves welfare of finishing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106773.

How does the previous environment affect pigs’ responses when switching to a barren or enriched environment as assessed by Qualitative Behaviour Assessment?

Intensive pig farming systems are often characterised by barren and monotonous environments, which can impair pig welfare. While enriching the environment enhances pig welfare, less is known about the implications of changes in housing conditions regularly happening on commercial farms....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: De Angelis, F., Ferroni, G., Winckler, C. et al. 2025. How does the previous environment affect pigs’ responses when switching to a barren or enriched environment as assessed by Qualitative Behaviour Assessment? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106756.

Tactile stimulation by humans: Do pigs prefer scratching or stroking?

Scratching and stroking are tactile interactions used to improve the animal-human relationship and reduce stress in pigs. Both interactions resemble behaviours from the behavioural repertoire of pigs and have been applied in previous studies. To investigate the relative efficacy of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Amann, M., Waiblinger, S., Hemsworth, P. H. et al. 2025. Tactile stimulation by humans: Do pigs prefer scratching or stroking? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106768.

Effects of different ways of music stimulation on exploring, playing and aggressive behavior

In the breeding of farm animals, music serves as an environmental enrichment factor that can improve the mood and welfare level of animals. However, it is not clear whether pigs receiving different modes of musical stimulation can improve cognitive performance....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Wu, M., Wang, Z., Zhou, S. et al. 2025. Effects of different ways of music stimulation on exploring, playing and aggressive behavior. Animals 15(18), 2721.

Investigating lameness in high containment swine

The Pirbright Institute is a world leading centre for the research and surveillance of viral diseases. The high containment animal facility (ISO11) is a bespoke working environment designed to house multiple species and viruses for in vivo vaccine research. Due...

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

Citation: Trussler, O. 2025. Investigating lameness in high containment swine. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 168–171.

Voluntary additional welfare monitoring of farm animals used in research: Maximising benefits requires sustained support

The aim of this project was to co-create an animal welfare monitoring system that incorporated both positive and negative welfare measures that would contribute to best practice husbandry standards of farm animals in a real animal research setting. Researchers worked...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Mullan, S., Stokes, J., Hale, H. E. et al. 2025. Voluntary additional welfare monitoring of farm animals used in research: Maximising benefits requires sustained support. Animals 15(19), 2817.

Clinical interpretation of body language and behavioral modifications to recognize pain in domestic mammals

Nonhuman animals use nonverbal cues to communicate their mental state about positive and negative events, including pain. Pain is a multidimensional process that elicits behavioral changes aimed at preventing further damage and promoting healing. These changes include restrictions on movement...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Cattle, Dog, Equine, Goat, Pig

Citation: Mota-Rojas, D., Whittaker, A. L., Lanzoni, L. et al. 2025. Clinical interpretation of body language and behavioral modifications to recognize pain in domestic mammals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Review: Gut microbiota—a powerful tool for improving pig welfare by influencing behavior through the gut–brain axis

Animal welfare is one of the core concerns in the field of animal science, with behavior serving as a direct reflection of emotional state and health, and thus a key indicator for welfare assessment. With the widespread adoption of intensive...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jian, X., Zheng, D., Pang, S. et al. 2025. Review: Gut microbiota—a powerful tool for improving pig welfare by influencing behavior through the gut–brain axis. Animals 15(13), 1886.

Effects of microclimate during transport on physiological indicators of market pig welfare: A systematic review with meta-analysis

During transportation, microclimatic conditions can fluctuate significantly, affecting pigs’ thermal comfort and leading to compromised welfare and production losses. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of heat stress during transport on pig welfare and meat quality, it remains unclear...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Hernandez, R. O., Rocha, A. O., Cai, C. et al. 2025. Effects of microclimate during transport on physiological indicators of market pig welfare: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

A study on light preference in gilts via behavioral pattern analysis

The rational design of artificial lighting systems in pig housing can enhance animal welfare, thereby boosting gilt health and reproductive performance while improving economic metrics for swine farms. To identify the optimal light environments for gilts under artificial illumination, we...

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

Citation: Ge, S., Ma, H., Li, X. et al. 2025. A study on light preference in gilts via behavioral pattern analysis. Animals 15(17), 2620.