THE EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP HOUSING ON BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL-RESPONSES RELATED TO THE WELFARE OF PREGNANT PIGS

Abstract

The effects of four housing treatments (neck-tethers, stalls, a group indoors and a group in a paddock), imposed at 3-5 weeks after mating, were determined on the behaviour and physiology of 24 pigs. Behaviour observations were made 2-3 days after the treatments began and 4 and 9 weeks later, and physiological measurements were made 18 and 46 days after the treatments began. Pigs in tethers spent less time in active behaviours than all other treatments, and the pigs housed in stalls showed increased amounts of oral-Nasal behaviours such as manipulation of drinkers and licking/biting pen components (7% of observations) compared to all other treatments (3.1-4.8% of observations). The pigs in t..