Abstracts - Facilities and equipment

This study investigates the potential of teaching gestating sows an individual sound signal to reduce aggression resulting from competition for feed access.

This study proves the accuracy of accelerometer-based sow lying behavior classification and shows that free-farrowing systems benefit lactating sows.

An added aroma increased pigs’ exploration behaviour towards the foam, and thus could serve as a distraction when inside a confined foam box.

This study confirmed the hematogenous transmission of African Swine Fever virus between pigs through needle-sharing.

Models provide daily infection probabilities that can be used as a benchmark to more timely support preventive and control strategies on farms.

A new classification of ASFV based on comparisons performed considering the entire encoded proteome.

Findings suggest physical capacity is not the only factor influencing processing rates and highlight existing vulnerabilities to labor shortages.

The composting process can be an efficient strategy for mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

Frequent emission of short sounds can reduce time spent sleeping and cause behavior changes. However, gestating sows can habituate to the sound stimuli and return to normal behavior.

Results suggested that farrowing pens with temporary crating facilitated mother-young interactions and showed a higher crushing rate.

Environmental enrichment with cubes appears to have the greatest effect when applied post-weaning whereas flavor attractants appear to have the greatest effect when applied both pre- and post-weaning.

The funnel slurry system can lower emissions of both ammonia, odour and methane.

Results demonstrate that ASFV-like nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses can retain viability in swine feed matrices during long-term transport across the continental United States.

Effects on trailer microclimate, pig behaviour, physiological response, and meat quality under Canadian summer conditions.

This technology could benefit commercial pig production while providing an enriched behavioral environment.

The jute material and piglet nests positively impacted sow welfare and piglet measures but did not translate into improved piglet survival.

Physical and ambient conditions affecting pen and pig cleanliness and air quality.

The approach is capable of automatically monitoring several different behaviors of a group of pigs at the same time.

The metal hut appears to be the best compromise considering thermal environment, behavior, and litter survival.

Results may explain the success of previous studies in classifying tail damage pens from pens without tail damage using sensor data on drinker use.

The live-born piglets of sows that were more active the day before farrowing, standing and in other activity than drinking and eating, had higher survival rates.

Cool cell pads improved pig well-being by providing more cooling than sprinklers but pig performance was unaffected.

Lift crate sows evidenced an increase in hair cortisol values along with the benefit of the higher survival rate of piglets before weaning.

Machine learning models can be considered for implementation into automatic feeder systems for real-time prediction of tail biting events.