Tag: piglets

Abstracts: Effects of free farrowing system on the productive performance and welfare of sows and piglets

Regardless of international animal welfare regulations, most sows in production currently spend most of their lives and the peripartum period in caged housing systems. Although this type of management is intended to reduce neonatal mortality in piglets, several studies consider that there has been no significant reduction in its incidence […]

Abstracts: The effect of hessian and straw as nesting materials on sow behaviour and piglet survival and growth to weaning

Sows are strongly driven to build a nest prior to farrowing, and the performance of this behaviour is linked to the environment in which the animal is housed. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of two nest-building materials, hessian and straw, on peri-parturient sow behaviour, plasma […]

Tail biting in pigs – causes and management intervention strategies to reduce the behavioural disorder – a review

One of the largest animal welfare problems in modern pig production is tail biting. This abnormal behaviour compromises the well-being of the animals, can seriously impair animal health and can cause considerable economic losses. Tail biting has a multifactorial origin and occurs mainly in fattening pigs. High stocking densities, poor […]

Behavior of piglets after castration with and without CO2-anesthesia

Surgical castration of male piglets without anesthesia is a routine management practice conducted on commercial pig farms. For animal welfare reasons it would be beneficial to develop methods of practical pain relief. The objective of this study from the Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen, Geel, Belgium, was to evaluate the effect of […]