Key words: Maternity

Retours d’expérience sur la verraterie liberté

Brittany Chamber of Agriculture

Published in 2024

Results of a survey carried out in Brittany on free-range sow management practices in the insemination period identifying three main strategies: LIBIA (confinement from weaning until completion of insemination, then group housing), LIBSEVIA (group housing from weaning, temporary confinement  for insemination period, followed by rapid release), and LIBSEV (group housing of sows from weaning with temporary confinement for each AI). Each method has its advantages, necessary precautions and points to watch out for.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Farm buildings, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, One Welfare

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Social networks of pregnant gilts during outdoor feeding and the effects on their offspring

Leandro Sabei, Marisol Parada Sarmiento, Cihan Çakmakçı, Sharacely de Souza Farias, Thiago Bernardino, Rosangela Poletto, Erika Alejandra Becerra Mendez, Beatriz Kaori, Adroaldo José Zanella

Published in 2024

Study examining the social dynamics of gilts through pregnancy in an outdoor system, analyzing their feeding and social behaviors, and the effects of these dynamics on the group and their offspring. Results show links between social rank, salivary cortisol levels and piglet weight, highlighting the importance of integrating social behavior into management and genetic selection practices to improve pig welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Aggression, Aggressivity, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Maternal, Personality, Prenatal, Socialization

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Managing large litters - Short review (version 1.0)

Pedersen, L.J., Hoofs, A., Kongsted, H.

Published in 2024

Review of the development and management of large litters in pig farming.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Lactation, Maternal, Evolutionary process

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A five-domains assessment of sow welfare in a novel free farrowing system

Kate Plush, David Lines, Lauren Staveley, Darryl D'Souza, Robert van Barneveld

Published in 2024

Study showing that sows housed in a maternity ring (MR) have better welfare than those in farrowing crates, with fewer frustration-related behaviors and injuries and less medication required for piglets. Assessment using the five-domain framework reveals a more positive emotional state for sows housed in MR.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternal, Fear, Behavioral disorders

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Nest-building behavior of sows on jute bags: correlations with traits recorded around parturition and potentials as a selection criterion

Jinhyeon Yun, Kirsi-Marja Swan, Kirsi Vienola, Chantal Farmer, Claudio Oliviero, Olli Peltoniemi, Anna Valros

Published in 2024

Study on the use of burlap bags by sows during farrowing. Suspended bags were those mostly manipulated by the animals. Bag use by sows was correlated with farrowing progress and the number of piglets that died at birth.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Maternity

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How is pig welfare assessed in studies on farrowing housing systems? A systematic review

Bianca Vandresen, Jen-Yun Chou, Maria José Hötzel

Published in 2024

Systematic review analyzing methods to assess the welfare of sows and piglets in different housing systems in the period around farrowing and lactation: it looks at conventional farrowing crates and alternative systems (loose farrowing pens, group housing, outdoor farrowing, hinged crates and ellipsoid crates).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of th animal to environment, Animal-based measurement, Animal housing, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, One Welfare, Stress, livestock farming system

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Effects of different tooth grinding procedures on the occurrence of tooth injuries, skin lesions, performance and behaviour of suckling piglets

Franziska Anna kleine Kruthaup, Michaela Fels, Carolin Bernarda Timphaus, Fritjof Freise, Swetlana Herbrandt, Elisabeth große Beilage

Published in 2024

Scientific article analysing the impacts of teeth grinding techniques for piglets on piglet and sow lesions, and on the weight development and behavior of unweaned piglets. A diamond rolling head caused more dental pulp injuries than a tea cup roller. Roller grinding caused fewer head lesions in piglets than when teeth were left intact. Weight gain in piglets with tea cup-ground teeth was greater than for the two other groups. Where necessary, tooth grinding with a cup wheel is to be preferred.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Aggression, Aggressiveness, Pain, Lactation, Maternal, Mutilation

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Early human contact and housing for pigs - Part 1: responses to humans, novelty and isolation

M E Lucas, L M Hemsworth, K L Butler, R S Morrison, A J Tilbrook, J N Marchant, J-L Rault, R Y Galea, P H Hemsworth

Published in 2024

Scientific article showing the beneficial impact of early human contact on the subsequent emotional responses of piglets reared in a conventional farrowing cage or in a free-range farrowing pen.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal adaptation to environment, Animal-based measurement, Animal housing, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternal, Fear, Human-animal relationship, Stress

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Impact of farrowing system and prepartum nest-building material on nest-building behaviour and farrowing in sows

V.M. Hukkinen, C. Munsterhjelm, M. Kurtti, N. Immonen, A. Valros

Published in 2024

Scientific article analyzing the impact of farrowing cages and a variety of materials provided to sows to express their nesting behavior (straw, newspaper, burlap). The article shows that free farrowing has positive effects on piglet growth, but negative effects on piglet survival in early lactation. The different nesting materials have varying effects depending on the type of farrowing system.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Key words:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurement, Farm buildings, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Lactation, Housing, Restraint equipment, Maternity, Prenatal, Behavioral disorders

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Dairy farmers' preferences for immediate versus late calf separation

Albert Boaitey

Published in 2024

Analysis of a survey carried out in the US to gain an understanding of dairy calf farmers' perceptions of the practice of allowing prolonged contact between mother and calf. The survey concludes that the foster cow system was the preferred alternative to conventional early separation, followed by restricted suckling systems. The lowest-ranked alternative system was free contact between calf and mother.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Lactation, Housing, Maternity, One Welfare, Human-animal relationship, Weaning,  Livestock farming system

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