Influence of different types of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of finishing pigs in two different housing systems: 1. Hanging toy versus rootable substrate (2006)

Scott, K., Taylor, L., Gill, B. P. et al.

Abstract

Pigs were housed contemporarily in either a straw-based (ST) or fully slatted (FS) building. In each building, half the pens received additional enrichment in the form of a hanging plastic toy (Bite-Rite). In the ST house the remaining pens were enriched only by the straw bedding. The remaining pens in the FS house were provided with hoppers containing shreds of unmolassed sugar beet pulp. The level of Bite-Rite manipulation was significantly higher in the fully slatted system than in the straw-based system (P < 0.05). Within the FS system, the sugar beet pulp occupied the pigs for more time than the Bite-Rite object (P < 0.05). Neither object provided a level of occupation close to that of straw bedding in the ST system.