Behavior of pigs in the growth phase raised in an enriched environment (2015)

Ferreira Vasconcelos, E. K., da Silva Borges, L., Lopes da Silva, Â. et al.

Abstract

In this study we aimed to evaluate the behavior of pigs raised in an enriched environment. 12 male piglets, hybrids between 35 and 105 days of age were used. We assessed the behavioral variables: sleeping, standing, lying down, exploring, wallowing, drinking, eating, leisure, digging, defecating, urinating, sitting, walking, vocalizing, biting, playing and fighting in environment with and without environmental enrichment. The results showed significant differences at 5% probability for the variables standing, lying down, wallowing, eating, digging, urinating, playing and fighting, with animals showing higher frequencies every twenty minutes for the variable standing (205), wallowing (44), urinating (23) and playing (29) in the environment with the presence of environmental enrichment. Thus, it was possible to ascertain that the behavior of the pigs evaluated in the growth phase is influenced by the presence of environmental enrichment.