A comparative study of the well-being of piglets reared conventionally and in cages (1976)

Van Putten, G., Dammers, J.

Abstract

This study is a comparison between two types of housing for piglets: one type including a great variety of stimuli and which can therefore be called a rich environment, the other type apparently being monotonous with very few stimuli for young pigs and which can therefore be called a poor environment. The absence of the sow in the cage and the lack of number and of variety in fitting stimuli is regarded as the cause of the significantly higher incidence in the frequency of conflict behaviour compared with the piglets with the sow kept on straw.