Behavioral indexes of piglet welfare: Comparison of indoor and outdoor housing systems
Investigative, social-play and conflict behaviors may be effective indexes of the welfare level of piglets, especially investigative and conflict behaviors.
Page 49 of articles about behaviour-welfare
Sow preferences for farrowing under a cover with and without access to straw
Since feed-back from a functional nest may improve maternal behaviour and thus piglet survival we investigated if access to a covered area and ad libitum access to straw would improve maternal behaviour of importance for piglet survival.
USA - Grants extended to improve animal welfare
Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) has announced a call for proposals for its 2011-2012 Good Husbandry Grants. The Good Husbandry Grants program has funded nearly 100 projects across the country to improve farm animal welfare.
The effects of housing system and feeding level on the joint-specific prevalence of osteochondrosis in fattening pigs
Osteochondrosis prevalence can be reduced by applying deep litter floors with extra space allowance and/or restricted feeding in fattening pigs.
A meta-analysis of the combined effect of housing and environmental enrichment characteristics on the behaviour and performance of pigs
To quantify the combined effect of housing conditions and environmental enrichment on the behaviour and performance of pigs, a meta-analysis was performed using information from 45 experiments in 42 published manuscripts.
United Kingdom - NPA warns of straw shortages
Arable farmers are being urged to bale all available straw this year, as the National Pig Association (NPA) warned of serious straw shortages for pig farmers. Pig-keepers are already paying record prices for straw and there are worries that there will not be enough to go round.
The effect of pain relief at castration on piglet performance
The objective of this study was to determine if piglet performance could be improved by using analgesia during castration.
Agonistic behaviour after mixing in pigs under commercial farm conditions
The aim of the study was to investigate agonistic behaviour of pigs after regrouping pigs under commercial sow farm conditions. The behavioural patterns were observed over a 48-h period, directly after weaning (PIG-28; n = 647) and 40 days later (growing pigs, PIG-68; n = 224).
New pig welfare at slaughter online training course available
Consumer demand is increasing the need for transparency across the pork supply chain. To help promote the importance of pig welfare at slaughter, RL Consulting has developed a new, online pig welfare training course.
Group sizes and resting locations of free range pigs when grazing in a natural environment
Results show that pigs split into small subgroups to forage and maintained this division during daylight rests, however animals regrouped to rest during the night in a common area and behaved as a united flock.
Denmark - Keeping animal welfare at the forefront
Further measures to promote even higher standards of animal welfare in Denmark were launched earlier this month with a new welfare policy for the pig industry.
Netherlands – Commission authorising methods for grading pig carcasses
Due to technical adaptations and the fact that a change in the Dutch pig population is foreseen as castrated males are expected to be absent in the near future, the Netherlands has requested the Commission to authorise three methods for grading pig carcasses on its territory...
Why Pigs Wallow
Watch a naturalist from the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Drumlin Farm explain why pigs wallow in the mud in this free online video.
The effect of immunocastration on pig carcass and pork quality
Alternatives for reducing boar taint are being researched. One of the existing alternatives is immunocastration, approved in Europe since May of 2009.
ACMC: Pig welfare remains a big issue
Welfare will continue to be a big issue in the pig industry and genetic selection for improved efficiency and ethics are not necessarily antagonistic to ethical production. Genetic selection can improve welfare and increase production ethically, Ed Sutcliffe told a Yorkshire conference organised by international pig-breeding company ACMC.
Japan to cull livestock in no-go zone near Fukushima plant: Edano
Japan will cull livestock and poultry in the no-entry zone within a 20-kilometer radius of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to difficulty in feeding them, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Thursday.