Abstracts - Management

In many European countries the majority of the pigs are still routinely tail-docked, which is a violation of the European legislation.

In order to analyse whether nurse sows have more welfare problems than non-nurse sows a cross-sectional study was conducted in 57 sow herds in Denmark.

Energy allowance due to feeding level offered during gestation may affect litter size and weight at birth.

The results of this study show opportunities to reduce harmful biting behaviours in pigs.

Intratesticular lidocaine provides an additional side effect free analgesia.

The study provides preliminary evidence that when comparing Salmonella-inconspicuous farms with Salmonella-conspicuous ones, the colostrum supply may be a critical factor that needs to be considered.

Littermates might be less socially connected among themselves which may predispose them to development of tail-biting.

Composting appears to be an effective disposal method for PEDV-infected piglet carcasses under the conditions examined.

The objective of this study was to investigate associations between early life indicators, lactation management factors and subsequent mortality, health, welfare and carcass traits of offspring.

Providing the NSAID ketoprofen to sows post-farrowing was investigated and sow feed intake, IgG transfer, behaviour and piglet performance were measured.

Levels of natural autoantibody-binding phosphorylcholine-conjugated bovine serum albumin and myelin basic protein were measured over time in pigs that were kept in environmental enriched v. barren housing.

Surgical castration has a negative impact on production in the suckling period, especially in pigs in the three lower quartiles for body weight.

Early social environment can affect the development of aggression in the pig. Group lactation piglets have reduced aggression and skin injuries post-weaning.

The objective of this study was to determine the dissemination of multidrug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sciuri (MDR-MRSS) in the environment after land application of manure on commercial swine farms.

In the double nursing strategy every week one or more sows nurse two litters simultaneously from birth to weaning.

Co-mingling of unfamiliar piglets before weaning did not improve performance. Co-mingling and intermittent suckling increased positive behaviour after weaning. Intermittent suckling likely advanced gastrointestinal changes in the peri-weaning period.

Tail biting in pigs has been an identified behavioural, welfare and economic problem for decades, and requires appropriate but sometimes difficult on-farm interventions.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the implications of replacing farrowing crates with an alternative housing system from 3 days postpartum until weaning.

This study assessed the efficacy of two different Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccination programmes in relation to the time of weaning.

Sows can exhibit clear preferences for enrichment type, with the sows interacting with the rope significantly more often throughout the study, at each sampling hour.

Provision of environmental enrichment and herbal compounds may reduce stress in current commercial pig husbandry systems.

Tail docking using either clippers or cautery results in neuroma formation, thus having the potential to affect long-term pig welfare.

The effect of week after weaning had highly significant influences on tail lesions.

In practice, delaying pigs from the normal production flow translates into higher feeding costs, increase number of days to slaughter and increased labour requirements reducing production efficiency for the pig operation.