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Bulletin No. 19 - Fall 2004
MiscelleanousWelfare
EDWARDS SA, SCOTT K, ARMSTRONG D, CHENNELLS DJ, CAMPBELL F, HUNT B, TAYLOR L, GILL BP
Finishing pigs systems research: health and welfare
Pig Journal, 2004, Volume 53, 123-127
A program of four experiments has been designed by the authors in order to study different production systems and understand the influence of fully-slatted or straw-based housing on the health and welfare of pigs. This paper reports the preliminary results of the first two experiments which focus as well on dietary aspects. The first experiment consisted in comparing two feeding systems, namely automated liquid feeding and dry hopper feeding of a pelleted compound diet while the second one consisted in comparing two liquid diets, each time with pigs housed either on a fully-slatted or straw-based ground. The comparison was based on various parameters, i.e. determination of acute phase protein levels at different stages of growth, registration of clinical signs and general conditions of the animals, medicine administration and presence of lesions at necropsy. As expected both housing systems were demonstrated to have advantages and drawbacks. Straw-based housing provided pigs with material for manipulation, improved their behavior and limited tail-biting but increased respiratory problems and lowered hygiene conditions, especially with liquid feeding which yet was shown to reduce gastric ulceration.
