Abstracts - Management

This study provides descriptive information on the practice of piglet castration across 24 European countries.

Very few studies about the impact of microbial cleaning and administration during production on the environment in animal houses is available. Our results showed that competitive exclusion by probiotic type bacteria is not a valuable alternative for classical C&D.

Body weight and feeding system are determining factors for the welfare status, while group size was not proved to affect the welfare level under the studied conditions of pig fattening.

Prolonging the vacancy period in nursery units to 10 days after disinfection with no extra biosecurity measures has no impact on the environmental load of total aerobic flora, E. coli, faecal coliforms, MRSA and Enterococcus spp..

The commercial combination of Duroc breed, control diet, and 115-kg slaughter weight showed a balance in terms of performance, carcass, and quality traits.

The current study demonstrated that the expression of some piglet-directed behaviour was influenced by the system in which a gilt was born and reared.

This study used oxytetracycline (OTC) as a model antibiotic to study antibiotic degradation behavior in manure under the above two OTC addition methods.

It can be concluded that immunocastration could be interesting in pigs intended for dry-cured ham elaboration because in males improved the feed conversion ratio with no penalization of carcass or meat quality.

The current study demonstrated that the farrowing system design can influence sow behaviour, with pens allowing for more interactions between sows and their piglets.

Growing mixing level increased aggression, lesion and weight loss after mixing.

Deep-litter system composed of 60% sawdust and 40% rice husk was the most suitable with regard to reduction of environmental pollution.

The administration of an additional injection of 200 mg of gleptoferron at 2-weeks of age increased piglet Hb.

This study indicates that cross fostering was associated with lower risk for preweaning mortality.

Piglet pre-weaning mortality (PWM) is one of the major reproductive components that affects herd productivity in the swine industry.

The results show that nurse sows and their piglets to some extent experience more welfare problems than non-nurse sows with piglets at a similar age.

Current results confirmed that teats used in first lactation produce more milk in second lactation, and that piglets are able to detect this difference.

Heat stress and reduced feed intake compromised intestinal integrity in pigs, and zinc AA complex source mitigates some of these negative effects.

Birth weight had no influence on small intestinal development and function. However, the results confirm that the development and function of the small intestine alters with age.

This study aimed at assessing possible associations between the biosecurity level, antimicrobial usage and farm and production characteristics in order to advice on best practices for a low antimicrobial usage and maximum animal health and production.

The objective of the study was to determine the associations between hematological parameters at weaning and post-weaning weight gain in piglets.

Although correlations with tail and ear damage were low, it was concluded that tear staining has promising potential as a new, additional welfare indicator for commercial pig farming.

These findings promote an improved biosecurity status at pig farms and are of relevance in the discussion on alternative ways to keep animals healthy with a reduced necessity of antimicrobials.

Given these results, a future online method to classify carcasses according to boar taint is strongly recommended.

This study showed the potential to select on longer interval from last insemination to culling in days and thereby select against sows to be culled within the reproduction, locomotion, accident, general disorder and peri-partum cull class and to be culled at the end of a parity.