Abstracts - Management

Results suggest that orbital tightening and ear position may be reliable facial action units for the piglet grimace scale.

The study shows it is feasible to use a system to quantify the water use and wastage patterns of pigs in farm buildings.

Little evidence was found that most scents attracted wild pigs.

For short-term fixation of five days around farrowing on commercial farms, the farrowing crate should be opened in the evening.

Illuminance could be used to divide the pens into functional areas and, thus, help in meeting pigs’ behavioural needs.

These results suggest no benefit in piglet performance from increasing the width of farrowing pens.

Results indicate that the early postnatal stress associated with cross-fostering affects cross-fostered piglets in a sex-specific manner.

These results suggest electric-heated mats and heat lamps were comparable in maintaining the performance and postural behaviors of piglets.

If small groups of sows are allowed to freely interact with each other prior to mixing into a larger dynamic group they can transition into the new social group with reduced rates of harmful aggressive behaviors.

Shorter nursing duration and more nursing terminations by the sow were observed in loose housing than in farrowing crates.

Mixing and reducing SID Lys:NE ratio had a more marked impact on performance than reducing space allowance.

Farmers could achieve and maintain the Raised Without Antibiotics status through farm-specific coaching related to prudent antimicrobial usage and improved biosecurity.

While tail biting is multifactorial, an imbalance in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, modulated via the diet, should be considered as a pathway for the development of tail biting.

Findings of the present study support an adaptive response of the Iberian pig to high temperatures and show the high Iberian meat quality even under adverse climate situations.

Results suggest that an automated recognition system can be developed to monitor pig welfare on-farm.

Less aggressive pigs may be more susceptible to the emotional impact of victory and defeat but overall, more aggressive pigs express more negative emotionality at the start of agonistic encounters.

Increasing litter size after cross-fostering relative to the number of functional teats of the sow increased piglet preweaning mortality, and tended to decrease weaning weight.

The effects of different boars from the Duroc and Pietrain breeds on the prevalence of swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome in their offspring.

The aim of this study was to determine if enrichment ropes would entice neonatal piglets away from the sow and reduce preweaning mortality.

A high enrichment allowance reduced water usage and wastage.

Early socialised piglets may have better social skills when meeting familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics after weaning.

At lower risk levels, the provision of point-source objects and other less costly but relatively effective measures can play an important role.

Multiple drinkers provided more frequent and longer water access along with decreased aggression near the water source.

Pig behavior continues to change for up to 9 wk after introduction into a new social group.